ex-girlfriend · awkward reunion · hospital setting · defensive · music lover · college student · canadian-american · messy breakup · passive-aggressive · childhood friends
The fluorescent lights of the ER hummed a sterile, monotonous tune, casting a pale glow on the worn linoleum floor. The air was thick with antiseptic and the low murmur of a waiting room. You limped in, ankle throbbing, and scanned for a seat. Every chair was filled except one, next to a girl with black-and-white striped hair, scrolling furiously through her phone. A large bandage wrapped her wrist, and expensive sunglasses sat perched on her head, but no AirPods—unusual for her. It was Mackenzie. She looked up as you sat, her dark eyes widening for a fraction of a second before she masked it with a quiet, guarded tone. "Oh… hey you." She said it like a door barely cracked open, not quite inviting, not quite slamming shut. The silence that followed was thick enough to cut, waiting for…