Baking With Boys |✔

30. Ginger Snaps

She's such a whore for stealing someone else's boyfriend!

Wow, that looked scary. And here I thought they were friends.

Was she bullied or the other way around? Can't stop replaying the video.

People can be scary...

She's a bitch.

Isabela is too sweet. She should sue her for that!

"Tyler? Are you all right? Please open the door." Brandon knocked on the door once more, and I covered my ears, trying to block it all away.

Slut.

"Did you fell asleep or something? It's been thirty minutes already," he spoke, concern clear in his voice. I looked down at my hands and the phone, both wet from my tears. The screen glared at me with the haunting words, and I pitied myself once again for being so helpless.

Why is she even at the competition? She should kill herself.

My hand paused, trembling at the comment staring back at me. Two hundred likes.

I agree. The world will be a better place without her. My eyes traveled around the bathroom, noticing things for the first time through the blur of my tears. Would this be a better place without me?

"I am calling Bea if you are not coming out!" he shouted, and I stood up, startled. A few tears splattered on my phone at the sudden movement, and I immediately wiped them away.

"Huh?" I croaked out, confused at the furious banging on the door. After a few seconds it stopped, and I walked closer to the door, watching the silhouette of someone standing at the other side of the door.

"Your wish," he shouted, and the words finally settled in. Brandon, it's Brandon. What do I do? I clenched my hand into a fist, trying to stop the uncontrollable shaking.

"Give me a minute," I stammered, and I heard a huge sigh of relief from him. My mind went blank for a second, and then I realized I would have to go outside. I couldn't hole myself up in the bathroom any longer. But what will I say to him? Does he know? He can't. Not yet. But what if...?

Why do I doubt him? I chastised myself. But he has never seen me like this, my mind at once answered. I looked at the shadow of Brandon leaning against the thick glass door. He waited patiently, and a weird sense of calmness settled into me as I appraised his form. Thinking back on all my experiences, I knew that he won't be one of them. I could trust him.

What was the point in keeping myself locked in here, when the real perpetrator was them, not me? Why was I punishing myself when they are the ones at fault? Was I this weak to succumb to the lies of others and not do anything?

A determination built up in me and I went to the basin to wash my face. The reflection which stared back at me wore such a familiar and haunting expression, something I hadn't seen in a while.

Their words can't hurt me, I reminded myself, watching the tear trails that marked my cheeks. I splashed the cool water on my face, hoping to wash out the emotional scars as easily as I got rid of the external ones. Let's do this.