Chapter 19

when monday came back around, megan covered her arms with concealer. she was the first one up, and so she had time to herself.

she felt bad for the girls, particularly manon. manon, overwhelmed by guilt, had started sleeping underneath megan’s balcony. “if you jump, megan,” manon had said, “you’ll kill me too.”

megan changed into a plain hoodie and leggings, her “don’t talk to me” clothes that she’d been wearing for the past few days. lara had tried to convince her to at least change into a different hoodie, but megan had insisted. mainly because it was dani’s.

a/n my poor megan </3

megan took the bus to their rehearsal studio instead of taking the van, in wanting to avoid the girls at all costs

bleary-eyed, she slumped into a seat. all those all nighters she’d pulled on the balcony praying for dani’s red mustang pull up in the driveway were catching up to her.

just for a few minutes… she thought to herself. megan let her eyes shut.

a/n uh oh

~~

at around nine in the morning, sophia, manon, lara, and yoonchae piled into the van.

“where’s megan?” yoonchae asked softly, touching the topic the rest of the girls had avoided for the past week.

lara sighed. “she left early again. thought i didn’t notice, but i did. she’s been out on the balcony all night for the past few days, and when i asked her why, she just said ‘waiting for dani.’

manon sniffled. “we’re losing her.”

another wave of guilt washed over sophia.

she was an idiot in love, and because of that, she’d lost two of her members.

the van slowed to a stop and all four members entered the studio.

grant and sohey were already there, as well as beck and fred, their producer.

“where are my dancers?” fred barked. “this dance practice isn’t filming itself.”

the four girls exchanged a glance.

beck, ever the sharp-eyed one, put a hand on fred’s arm.

“sophia. come with me. the rest of you, see if you can find megan and dani.”

~~

megan jolted awake. where was she?

“shit.” it was already eight thirty. she’d missed her stop. rushing off the train, she ran into the station to take a train back.

where was she even? “Santa Monica?!”

(a/n santa monicaaaaah you’ve been to good to meeee wont make my mama proudddd

a/n i dont even listen to chappel roan what am i doing)

megan groaned. it’d be an hour long train ride back, and she’d be so late.

she rushed to the convenience store next door to find some more bandages to cover her wounds.

“megan?” a voice she knew all too well hit her. “megan, oh my god what are you doing? you should be at rehearsal!”

dani rushed up to the girl frantically.

“funny for you to ask when i’ve been the one out on the balcony every night waiting to see if you’d come back,” megan answered, then left.

dani followed silently, booking a ticket on the same train.

megan didn’t get off at the stop for the studio. instead, she went straight back to the katseye house, dani trailing a few blocks behind.

by the time dani stepped into the katseye house, she noticed the difference immediately. sophia and manon’s matching keyholders? gone.

all the photos of manon and sophia? also gone.

she padded upstairs, pausing in front of megan’s closed door.