PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

XXXV. It's Me, I'm The Problem, It's Me

Chapter Thirty Five:  It's Me, I'm The Problem, It's Me

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"Wakey wakey eggs and bakey!"

Eva groaned, burying her head deeper into the soft, most likely five hundred thread counted, sheets. "Five more minutes," she mumbled, half awake, half asleep in a dream about Scott McCall.

"I gave you five more minutes fifteen minutes ago, and Brooklynn is getting antsy."

Eva groaned.

Who was she even talking to? When Scott McCall was winning over her heart in her dreams, who was trying to talk to her half asleep body?

"Unless you're a hot lacrosse player, go away," she said into her pillow.

"What if I'm a hot swimmer?" The voice responded.

"How hot?" She forced an eye open to look at whoever was talking to her, only to jump as she made sleepy eye contact with one Kenji Kon. Why was he...? Oh. Right. They're not in New York. They're on Isla Nublar. And she's not asleep in her bed, she's asleep in Kenji's. How did she end up in Kenji's bed?

"Oh. Hi," she greeted. Eva glanced around confused. "Where are we?"

"My penthouse, remember? Had to get receipts?"

"Receipts... Oh. Yeah. Oh. Oh—" She remembered everything instantly— the fight the day previous, the adventure to "The P House", and worst, finding out about everything she got wrong. She closed her eyes, mumbling out another, "I'm sorry."

"Actually, I think you should be apologizing to Brooklynn, cause that girl is one moment away from an anxiety attack—"

Eva reached out her hands, grasping Kenji's knuckles. He froze, staring down at their hands intently. "No. I mean, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a bitch the past few months. You didn't deserve that. I should have asked. I should have..." Her hand dropped, then was pulled back into the covers. She rolled over onto her back, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm so sorry, Kenji."

"You're forgiven, Eva." She opened her mouth, and suddenly Kenji added, "Before you tell me I'm not allowed to forgive you, too bad. Suck it up. You're forgiven."

~~~

The walk back to Camp Cretaceous felt slower than before. Brooklynn led the way; Kenji had tried, but his self-honored VIP status did not give him very good navigational skills. Eva came in the back, where Brooklynn and Kenji kept looking over their shoulders to make sure she was still following.

Eva kept her eyes on the familiar bubblegum pink, praying it would take her back to safety. She couldn't have a run in with dinosaurs— not now, when she was barely functioning.

The idea of Kenji forgiving Eva so easily quite literally made her sick to her stomach. Or maybe it was the fact that she hadn't eaten in hours. No. It was definitely Kenji.

Eva's chest continued to ache, the feeling like the sky was falling on her, crushing her, and she's gasping for air. Kenji was always nice to her until she blamed him, and that's when he gave her back exactly what she was giving him. And by god, did she deserve the worst.

The boy in question flagged her down a moment later, his eyes bouncing around nervously. "I, uh, I think there's something else you should know?"

"Is it another reason to hate myself?"