Three days of icy silence had been three days too many. For Fay, the tension between Angel and Len was a suffocating fog she was determined to clear. That night, she lay in bed, the glow of her phone illuminating a mischievous glint in her eyes as she messaged Kei.

Pimm. "Hey Lanty, are you still awake?"

Across town, Kei’s screen lit up. She stared at the nickname, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Lanty? Hmm~~"

Fay giggled, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "It’s cute, right? You’re always so nonchalant, so you’re my Lanty. Hihi!"

"Yeah, I’m awake, cutie pie," Kei replied.

The response sent a heatwave to Fay's cheeks. She buried her face in her pillow for a second before shaking off the butterflies. This was business. "Stop teasing already! I have something to say to you."

Kei’s tone shifted instantly. "What is it?"

"Can you help me with something?"

"What is it first?" Kei asked, the intrigue evident even through text. Shelving the flirtatious banter, the two began to weave the threads of a plan designed to force a confrontation.

The following morning, the classroom was a stage. Kei arrived first, followed shortly by Fay.

"Good morning, Lanty," Fay sang out, her voice bright.

Kei looked up, a ghost of a smile playing on her face. "Morning, cutie pie."

Fay pouted, though her eyes danced with mirth. "Hmm~~ Oh well, at least I’m your cutie pie." She leaned over Kei’s desk, propping her chin in her palms in a pose of exaggerated innocence. Just as the classroom door creaked open to admit the rest of the students, Fay straightened up, tossed a wink over her shoulder, and whispered, "Talk to you later."

The day dragged on through lectures and leaden silences until the afternoon bell finally signaled the end of classes. As students packed away their belongings, Kei stood up and approached Angel with her trademark coolness.

"Angel, can you help me?"

Angel looked up, surprised. "What is it?"

"The thing is, I have to grab something from the storage room," Kei lied smoothly, her expression serious. "But the teacher just dumped a task on me that I have to finish now. Can you grab it for me?"

"Sure," Angel said, ever the reliable friend. "Where is it?"

"In a blue box on the upper shelf. Thank you."

Angel made her way to the dimly lit storage room at the end of the hall. She stepped inside, the scent of old paper and dust greeting her but she froze when she realized she wasn't alone. Len was standing by a shelf, looking equally confused.

Before either could speak, a violent BANG echoed through the room.

The heavy door slammed shut. Both girls rushed to the handle, pulling with all their might, but the mechanism was dead.

THUD! THUD! THUD! "Help! We’re trapped in here!" they screamed in unison, their voices frantic. They pounded on the wood until their fists were sore, but the storage room was tucked away in a wing of the school already deserted for the evening. Silence was their only answer.

Exhausted and defeated, they slumped against opposite walls. Angel checked her phone, her heart sinking. "Dead," she muttered.

Len checked hers and sighed. "Out of battery, too."

The air in the small room grew cold, thick with an awkwardness that felt heavier than the shadows. They sat as far apart as the cramped space would allow. Angel stared at the floor, her jaw tight, until she felt Len’s gaze on her.

"What are you looking at?!" Angel snapped, her pent-up frustration boiling over.

Len stood up, her own temper flaring. "Why are you so angry?! What did I do?"

"Because I’m stuck!" Angel yelled, scrambling to her feet to meet Len’s eyes. "And it’s much worse because I’m stuck with you!"

"Why do you hate me so much?!" Len’s voice cracked, the desperation finally breaking through her shell.

"Why do you keep ignoring me?!" Angel screamed back. She lunged forward, grabbing Len’s shoulders and shaking her aggressively, her movements fueled by days of hurt and confusion. "Why, huh?! Why won't you answer me?!"

Len didn't fight back. She didn't pull away. She stood there, her body limp under Angel’s grip, her head bowed as the fire drained out of her.

Drip.

A single, heavy tear hit the dusty floorboards. Then another. Angel froze, her hands still trembling on Len's shoulders, as the sound of soft, broken sobbing filled the small, dark room.