Torn

Chapter 20

Wilmer.

I'm fully convinced that I cannot have any alone time with my mother without him intruding. Right when Maddie got here, and everything was okay, she just had to drop the bomb and make everything worse again.

"Wilmer?" I repeated in disgust.

"Yeah." She shifted uncomfortably. "It's-"

"Wilmer?!" I asked, raising my voice.

Maddie tensed up and hurriedly shut the door. "Go sit down." she said, regaining her calm state.

I dragged my feet over to the couch and lazily threw myself on it. I want to scream and hit something. I want to yell until my throat turns raw and cry until my eyes are permanently bloodshot.

"He was coming to surprise Demi, knew about how bad I wanted to come, so he asked and we got on a plane." She said, so casually. Like it was an everyday thing.

I just stared right through her. How could she do this? Without warning? I thought she was on my side?

"He's really not all that bad, Annie. And-"

"I'm going to go." I said, ignoring her pleads for me to just calm down.

I slammed the door shut, and began to walk somewhere, were I can think. I don't know why this makes me so angry; I should've known this would happen.

••

After the show, we all made our way on the buss. As soon as I got into the bunk hall, I felt my anxiety rise to my throat and my heart start racing.

Wilmer is going to sleep with Demi in the back.

And I'll have a bunk.

I'm claustrophobic.

No.

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.

I fast walked into Demi's room, slowly grabbing my pajamas out of our bag, trying to come up with a plan.

"Whatcha doin?" Demi asked, walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Getting my pajamas." I answered.

"You're not sleeping on the bunk, Annie. Wilmer can or something-"

No, I'm stupid. I shouldn't be so scared of small spaces. I'm not a baby.

"I'm fine." I said, cutting her off. "I grew out of that."

She raised her eyebrow, and shook her head, obviously not convinced. "Annie, you take anxiety medicine for that stuff. It's not just a phase, it's serious. You could go into, like, a serve panic attack."

True.

"No I won't!" I protested. "I can do it! Everyone probably thinks I'm such a baby because I can't go anywhere or sleep without my mom."

And, with that, I walked out of the room, passing Wilmer on the way to the bathroom.

I hurriedly changed into my pajamas and walked back out, seeing Madison climb up to the top bunk.

I gulped, feeling my palms become sweaty. Max, Natalie, Holly, Caroline, and Jill were already in their bunks.. How? I don't know.

I slid open the curtain and put my arm in first, plugging in my charger. I then stepped on the bottom bunk, and slid my way in the middle.

I can't sit up without hitting my head and I can't roll over without being half an inch away from the wall. It's so hot, I can already feel beads of sweat trickling down my forehead.