CW: language

Even with all the perks included, it’s not like the team doesn't have escapees.

In fact, people have been dropping out like flies. The members that last longer than a few months are basically considered veterans — a status I was well on my way to hitting.

Every couple of months or even weeks, someone would leave the team as a shell of what they previously were and not even just because of Kel. The environment she and her boyfriend have created nurtures a toxicity across the whole team.

It's for that reason I was no longer as empathetic towards my teammates as I used to be. I'd seen what they'd do under the guise of a prank and how they spoke of each other behind closed doors.

I’m likable. Such an innocent word I used to describe myself after others nearly wore the word out when asked to say something positive about me. Very simple, to the point — but also quite general. 

In these situations it seems to translate into being the one the team would let their guard down with, proudly discussing how they put laxatives into another teammate's smoothie or how they wish a teammate got injured so they wouldn’t have to see their face plastered with that weird fucked up smile — whatever that meant.

Now — with the countless lineup changes, I was always prepared for another member's departure. 

This time I was caught off-guard, though. I didn't know I would be the one leaving next.