Chapter 32: "Some Nights Are Too Loud"
Zariah didn't sleep.
Not really.
She lay there, motionless, staring at the ceiling like it owed her answers. The room felt too quiet, but her head was too loud. Thoughts slammed into each other like waves in a storm—endless and suffocating.
Every breath felt like effort.
Every second felt like forever.
She clutched her blanket tighter, like it could protect her from the weight inside her chest. It couldn't.
By morning, her eyes were heavy and red. She washed her face with freezing water, hoping it would shake something loose inside her. But all it did was leave her skin cold and her soul untouched.
At school, Jasmine didn't push.
She didn't ask any questions.
But she kept showing up.
She'd offer her a piece of gum. A silent look during class. A hand brushing Zariah's elbow during passing periods. Nothing big. Just presence.
Zariah noticed. She always noticed.
But she didn't say thank you.
She didn't know how.
Lunchtime came and went. Zariah picked at her food again, head low, hoodie up. She hadn't spoken more than ten words all day. The teachers stopped asking.
When she got home, her mom was still behind that door.
Still quiet. Still drowning in her own storm.
Zariah dropped her bag in the corner and locked herself in the bathroom.
She sat on the cold tile floor, knees pulled up to her chest, and felt the pressure build again.
She didn't cry.
She couldn't.
She just sat there, arms wrapped around herself, shaking.
It was one of those nights again.
One of the loud ones.
And she didn't know if she'd survive it.