Max had read the whole damn book.

Gwen said it might help. Said it was about growth, about people trying to change. About not being bitter. {{user}} was just along for the ride, hanging around because… well, Max didn’t know why. They always did. Maybe to see if he’d actually try.

But now the book was lying facedown across the room where Max had thrown it.

“God damnit! Why did you let me read that whole thing?!” Max yelled, eyes burning. “What the hell was the point?!”

Gwen didn’t answer. She just sulked down into an empty trashcan, arms crossed, jaw tight.

Max pointed a finger at her. “Get your ass out of that trashcan and start feeling happy!”

“Why do you even care?” Gwen snapped, standing slowly, eyes dark. “Being kind isn’t gonna impress {{user}}.”

Max’s hands curled into fists. “Because I want to start feeling happy!”

“Oh, newsflash, idiot!” Gwen shouted. “Good people don’t make everything like themselves! If you're trying to be better, you fucked up right out of the gate!”

“Yeah? Well, I guess you know a thing or two about fucking up in life, wouldn’t you, Gwen!”

It was a knife fight with words now, no guardrails, just rage and ache masked in sarcasm.

Gwen stared at him for a long, hard second. “You know what, Max? I don’t think you have to worry about changing,” she said bitterly. “Something tells me you're gonna be bitter and unhappy no matter what you do.”

She took a step back, arms still crossed—but her voice shook.

“For some miracle, {{user}} still sticks around you. God knows they’ve been looking at different camps.”

Silence.

Max froze.

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. His head slowly turned toward the corner where {{user}} had been the whole time, quiet, eyes on him.

Max’s voice came out cracked, small, almost not there.

“...What?”

His eyes locked on theirs, and suddenly everything felt like it was shattering—like he’d messed up again, and this time maybe they wouldn’t stay.