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In Knox's room, it was this weird mix of being totally lost and annoyed. Knox was wrestling with the door like it had a personal vendetta against him, and I was sitting there wondering if Kalea was up to her usual antics. I mean, it's not really a surprise for her to throw a bit of chaos into our already complicated lives.

The air felt thick with this confusing vibe as Knox battled the door, looking more and more puzzled. The darn thing just wouldn't open, almost like it had a mind of its own. And while I'm trying to figure out what's up with the door, this sneaky suspicion starts creeping in - could Kalea be the mastermind behind this whole thing?

It wouldn't be the first time she turned a simple situation into a full-blown mystery. So here we are, stuck in Knox's room, with him fighting the door and me caught between confusion and the nagging feeling that Kalea's at it again, adding her unique brand of chaos to the mix.

I crossed my arms, casually leaning against the wall, a spectator to Knox's ongoing struggle with the rebellious door. "Think this is Kalea's doing?" I mused, a blend of frustration and amusement lacing my voice.

Knox shot me a look of exasperation, a silent acknowledgment that, yeah, Kalea's shenanigans were never too far-fetched. "Wouldn't put it past her. This feels like her signature move."

After a few minutes of Knox's futile attempts, he finally gave up, strolling back over to his bed. "I don't even get this thing between you and Kalea," he stated, a hint of confusion coloring his words. It was clear he was as perplexed by the dynamics of our relationship as he was with the stubborn door.

I walked over and settled down next to him on the bed. "You and me both, my friend," I muttered, releasing a loud breath to punctuate the shared frustration.

"She's the one who messed up your friendship, and now she wants to mess with you continually, seemingly getting back at you for something she did. I don't understand how she thinks this is the best way to solve things between you two," he expressed, a mix of bewilderment and concern in his voice. As we sat there, the weight of Kalea's actions hung in the air, casting a shadow over the strained dynamics of our friendship.

I shrugged, my frustration evident. "I don't get it either. I mean, the whole situation is messed up, but you don't see me banging her new roommate, locking her in rooms, lying on her, or even having eggs thrown at me in the school parking lot." I realized I forgot to fill them in on that little incident.

"The other day, out of nowhere, she shows up. I felt something hit the back of my head, and as I reached back to feel what it was, yolk and eggshells ended up all over my hands. Then came the egg toss, except her partner in crime was somehow me, and I had my back turned.

I didn't just stand there and take it either. After feeling the second egg hit me, it gave me enough adrenaline to walk off, heading to one of the bathrooms. And when the third one hit me, it turned into a sprint. When it turned into four, I started to run." The absurdity of the situation lingered in the air as I recounted the egg escapade, a bizarre episode in the ongoing drama with Kalea.

She had chased me down the quad, relentless in her pursuit, throwing eggs at me. By the time I had made it inside, the count had escalated from four to ten, leaving me feeling sticky and unbelievably uncomfortable.

Knox and I sat in silence, the lingering effects of the egg onslaught still palpable. I couldn't quite decipher his thoughts, but I found myself half-expecting that elusive door to finally open, unveiling a mischievous grin on Kalea's face.

Questions swirled in my mind. What was the purpose of this bizarre trap? Why were we confined in a room together? Was this part of her master plan to get back at me for some unknown reason?

Just as fast as these thoughts raced through my mind, Knox interrupted my contemplation. "Do you remember that one guy you dated in high school? What was his name?" he asked out of nowhere, steering the conversation into unexpected territory.

I looked over at him, my legs crossed, and my arms lazily resting against them. "Which one?" I had dated three guys in high school and one in middle school.

"The one who always wore that orange beanie and always had that skateboard he would carry around on." Knox described.

"Oh, that was Nash." Nash was a Tony Hawk wannabe.

When I first met him, he told me his name was Tony. Later that week, his friend Rachel spilled the beans about his real name, and, to top it off, later that month, he cheated on me with her. The whole situation was a mix of teenage drama and betrayal. Even though it was only a few years ago, it felt like a distant echo, so far in the past that it no longer mattered. The scars from those high school wounds had faded, replaced by the resilience that comes with time and growth.

"He would always talk about Tony Hawk, he would tell people his name was Tony and obsess "He would always talk about Tony Hawk, tell people his name was Tony, and obsess over Tony Hawk all day," Knox recalled.

I nodded, a bit confused. "I know. But what does that have to do with right now?" I asked, seeking clarification.

"I was just thinking about how obsessed he was with him. It's kind of like how Kalea is acting with you right now," he explained.

I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling perplexed. Was that true? She wasn't obsessed, right? I had known Kalea all my life, and never in that time had she displayed any obsessive tendencies. I shook my head, denying the notion.

"I don't think she's obsessed with me." I dismissed the comparison, brushing off the idea as implausible.

He shrugged, a nonchalant expression on his face. "Maybe. Why else would she lock us in a room together? She's expecting us to do something," he speculated.

Confused, I asked, "Do what?"

Knox smirked, conveying his meaning without uttering a word.

"Oh," was all I managed to say. "Ew!" I added, scrunching my face in disgust at the thought.

"Hey, you would be lucky," he feigned offense.

I burst into a fit of hysterical laughter at his words.

"Okay, enough," he said with a smile, rolling his eyes, and putting an end to the playful banter. The tension in the room seemed to lift, if only for a moment, as laughter filled the air.

I fell to the floor, still caught in a fit of laughter, the idea of Knox and me being intimate in any way seeming utterly absurd.

It wasn't because Knox wasn't good-looking - he was. It was just that I knew him too well, and I had never been attracted to him in the slightest. Sure, I'd thought about it briefly; he had model-like features and could pull off any look effortlessly. But he just wasn't meant for me, and I couldn't envision him as anything more than a friend, especially since he was basically the only one left in my life at this point.

Once I calmed down and the laughter subsided, I got up and sat down next to him again on the bed. After a moment, he looked over at me and put his hand over mine. "You know I'm here for you, Sage, right?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "I know," I assured him, appreciating the comfort in his presence during the chaotic whirlwind that was my life.

He smiled at me with genuine concern in his eyes. "I just don't want you to think that you don't have anyone to talk to since Kalea... well, you know what Kalea did. But I just want you to know you can talk to me," he said.

I smiled back at him, genuinely appreciating the effort. "Thank you, Knox, and I know I can come to you if I ever want to talk. But sometimes I just... I just want to do the opposite," I voiced.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"I mean... I just don't really want to talk about it. I want to be able to forget about it, and the other day you helped me somewhat by getting my mind off everything. You know that, right?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I was trying to help, but it seemed like you were still in your head when we were at the arcade." His observation highlighted the complexity of trying to escape the clutches of one's thoughts, even in the midst of distractions.

I shook my head, appreciating his genuine concern. "Trust me, you are a really good friend, a great friend, and you truly did get my mind off of this whole situation the other day. And trust me, if I'm going to talk about all of this with anyone, it will be you," I assured him.

His hand moved to my knee, and he spoke earnestly, "I don't want to put pressure on the situation, but I do want to know what happened. I only really know parts, and what I do know I heard from Kalea... so I want to hear it from you," he explained.

I smiled and nodded, agreeing with his request.

He continued, "And I don't want to make anything worse between you, but I do think that you guys need to talk because this is getting really out of hand. I think she might have even started spreading that rumor about you and the dean," he revealed.

My eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know?" I questioned, curious about the source of his information.

He shrugged, "It's Kalea. There's no story she holds off on. But given that you were her best friend for a long time, she might give you some leniency."

I laughed, "I don't even know why she would start a rumor like that. She knows I would never do something like that. I'm not even a very outgoing person. I speak when spoken to or to close friends," I explained.

He nodded, "Yeah, that is true. But you should try talking to her before she tries to do anything else, and you could maybe even see if she brings up the rumor at all," he suggested.

I sighed, unsure. "I don't know..."

Suddenly, the door swung open and slammed against the wall, startling both of us. "Oh shit!" Lochlan yelled.

I looked at him, confused.

He started to laugh. "I didn't think Lea was serious," he admitted, adding a layer of mystery to the situation.

"Lea" was his little nickname for Kalea, and that was enough for me to confirm that she was indeed the person behind this whole situation. The thought of her antics made me feel nauseous, as if I were carsick and trapped in a moving car.

Why was she doing all of this? It didn't make any sense. If anyone was the reason for our friendship ending, it was her. Now, it was settled. I knew what I had to do next - settle things with Kalea. And by doing that, it meant I had to talk to her. The prospect of confronting her was daunting, but I couldn't let the chaos continue without seeking a resolution.

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