Taylor [Theo // Lost & Found Music Studios] ✓

Chapter 13: Gone

I pushed past my friends as I entered the girls' bathroom, not caring about the sign that stated you must be female to go in. This was much more serious than genders.

There was a small crowd of Clara, Mary and following behind me, Eva, surrounding one stall. Taylor's.

"Honey, come out and we can talk about whatever's hurting you," Mary said. They all had such sad expressions.

I realised I may not have been the only one who was hurting from this. Taylor didn't have any friends at Lost & Found, besides me, but that didn't mean they didn't care for her. Luke had been trying to protect her, as well as me, this entire time and they had never said two words to one another.

The world, and people, were too good for Taylor to not be able to enjoy it. She deserved to as much as me.

"Hey, girls, do you mind if you stepped out? I need to talk to Taylor alone." Clara and Mary seemed to jump at the sound of my voice, not expecting me to be in there.

Still, they agreed and left the bathroom so it was just Taylor and I. I had no clue what I was doing, but I knew what needed to be done. I knew Taylor.

I lightly knocked on the closed door of the stall she was in. All I got in reply were quiet sniffles, followed by loud sobs.

"Taylor?" I asked, softly. "Are you okay?"

I knew the answer. She was crying, for goodness sake. I didn't know why I asked that.

"That . . . That was a stupid question," I said.

Taylor's sobs calmed to small sniffles and she laughed a little. I smiled, walking into the stall beside hers and taking a seat on the toilet lid.

"I guess I'm a pretty stupid guy, hey?"

A moment of silence passed before Taylor finally said, "No, you're not. You're a great guy."

"And you're a great girl," I replied, honestly. "Which is why you don't deserve to be in here, like this. There's a whole group of people waiting outside to let you know that they love you and they're here for you."

"Oh, no," Taylor said, and her voice began to grow shaky, like she was about to cry again. What did you do, Theo? You stupid, stupid idiot. "Is everyone outside? Do they all know I'm in here? This is so embarrassing."

She began to cry again, loud sobs echoing through the bathroom.

"No, no, it's okay," I said, jumping up off the toilet. "I can go tell them to give you some space. They won't go near you."

Taylor continued to sob, harder this time.

JUST STOP TALKING! I yelled at myself. Now I wanted to cry. But I couldn't, because Taylor needed someone right now who was able to support her through this, and I was going to be that person.

I leaned against the door to her stall. "Hey, come on, don't cry," I said. "You deserve so much better than this. You deserve to be as happy . . . As happy as you were that afternoon we got ice-cream, when you were helping me through the stress." I want to be able to do the same for you, I didn't add. "Or when we performed our first song together. Or at the dance, when you and Georgia were laughing together. When we were dancing together. When we . . ."

I trailed off, not thinking before I spoke until it was too late. Taylor knew where I was going with that.

"When we kissed, and then I told you to go away because my mum went psycho," she finished for me, although wording it a lot differently. I would have probably left out the Mum part, too. "Theo, I ruin everything. I can be happy for a moment, and then something will pop into my mind and all of a sudden everything is horrible again. I'm not okay. I ruin everything and I'm not okay."