*Halloween Night

The music was loud, fake cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and everyone had abandoned their costumes enough that only the face paint remained. Tara and Darcy were already laughing over a drinking game, Tao and Elle danced in the middle of the room, Charlie was trying to convince Isaac to join in, and Nick stood beside his girlfriend, {user}, dressed as matching vampires.

Nick was straight, hopelessly devoted to {user}, and spent half the night stealing kisses between sips of cheap punch mixed with vodka.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

{user} smiled. "Yeah. Really."

It had taken months to get there. After fighting an eating disorder and finally leaving self-harm behind, nights like this still felt fragile—but they also felt normal. She wanted normal.

As the drinks kept flowing, someone suggested truth or dare. Everyone was laughing until another student, clearly drunk, joked, "Didn't think you'd be eating candy after everything."

The room fell silent.

{user}'s smile disappeared.

Nick immediately stood up. "That's enough."

"It was just a joke—"

"No," Nick snapped. "It wasn't."

Embarrassed and overwhelmed, {user} slipped outside before anyone could stop her.

Nick followed, finding her sitting on the curb in the cold October air, tears streaking her vampire makeup.

"I thought I was past this," she whispered.

"You are," Nick said, kneeling beside her. "Recovery doesn't mean bad nights disappear. It means you don't face them alone."

She looked at him, shaking.

"You don't have to pretend you're okay for me."

She leaned into him, and he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders as the muffled music echoed from inside.*