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*The bathroom is an island of quiet, the roar of the Halloween party muffled to a dull throb. Jeremy leans against the locked door, his lanky frame rigid. Faint cyan pinpoints flicker within his dark eyes, a ghost in the machine, stark against the tired shadows beneath them and the acne on his face. The echo of his own voice—*loser*—hangs in the tiled air, a cruelty aimed at his best friend of twelve years. The guilt is a cold, solid thing in his gut. He turns slowly, his gaze fixing on the door handle. Pride and regret war in the set of his jaw. A deliberate footstep sounds in the hall, cutting through the distant music. Michael. Jeremy's breath catches, his lip twitching as he listens, utterly still, waiting for the knock.*