The World Falls Away ♡ Chapter 48, Part 2

Instructions

WARNING: This chapter contains depictions of serious issues such as anxiety (intense), depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. If you feel any of these topics could be potentially upsetting to you, please exercise reader discretion as you see fit. ♡ If you like this chapter, be sure to leave a heart or comment so I know you want to see more! Hit the flag for background music :D Previous chapter: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/566237334/ ♡ For a heart-stopping moment, the two of us are stunned silent. A couple more people appear next to the reporter, staring and gasping at us. How did…? The security was supposed to be so tight… Why? WHY? I feel like I’m about to explode with anger as I stand up and march towards the curtain, Eliza still on the ground behind me. “How DARE you…?” I hiss through my teeth, glaring down at my “fans.” “How DARE YOU?!” A couple of security guards finally show up behind the small crowd, ushering people away. Some still manage to linger, though, as more guards arrive, and I’m so furious I can barely even move. Whispers and murmurs emerge from the ballroom, and I can hear them even from here. “So the rumors were true…?” “Mettaton has a lover?” “Is that the Elizabeth girl?” “Isn’t that the girl whose channel he appeared on?” “Does Mettaton really have a girlfriend?!” “Get them out of here,” I finally manage to blurt out to the guards, feeling oddly dizzy. “Get them OUT!” They nod nervously, dragging more of the bystanders away. I’m so distracted by my insurmountable anger and fear that I barely even notice the unusually quick breathing coming from behind me. When I turn to look, Eliza’s still on the ground, her expression completely blank, and her breath coming in quick, ragged gasps. All my rage nearly forgotten, I quickly drop down beside her, trying to remember what Alphys and those online research articles I looked at said to do in the case of a panic attack. “I’m here. I’m right here.” I squeeze her hands, trying to ground her. “You’re safe. Deep breaths, Eliza. Deep breaths.” I attempt to guide her in a breathing exercise, but it’s a bit difficult, due to my lack of lungs. Her heart is beating so fast and loud, even I can hear it. After a few minutes, her breathing slows slightly, and it seems like she’s calming down a little. “That’s it. You’re all right. I’m here.” I would offer to take her someplace else, but considering the crowd blocking our exit, that’s not really much of an option. “Look at me. You’re okay. I’m right here. You’re safe. Deep breaths.” A few more minutes pass before she finally seems to have returned to reality, her heartbeat slowing slightly, and her expression returning to normal. She tries to say something, but it only comes through in a series of quiet gasps. “We… I… What… Why…? I don’t… I don’t feel good…” I glance over my shoulder to see if the exit has cleared, and sure enough, the guards have gotten rid of all the stalkers. Turning back to Eliza, I say as gently as possible, “We need to go now, okay, darling? I know a private shortcut to the parking lot. Can you wait here for a few minutes while I grab your sister? She can help you.” I really don’t want to leave her alone, but bringing her back into a crowded ballroom seems like the worst possible idea right now. Slowly, she nods, her eyes wide with apprehension. Relieved, I give her hands a final squeeze before standing up and rushing back into the ballroom. Time passes in a blur... The silence inside the limo is deafening. I’m seated on one side, with Eliza, Marianne, and Marianne’s partner Yui facing me. Eliza’s face is buried in her arms, her shoulders shaking, and Marianne has her arms wrapped around her. Yui, meanwhile, seems completely bewildered. I’ve never met her until tonight, so… talk about first impressions. She stares at Mary and Eliza in her confusion and anxiety, afraid to look at me. After a few more minutes of the terribly awkward silence, I can’t take the tension anymore. I open my mouth to speak, but Mary stops me by holding up a hand, her gaze icy cold. “How long has this been a problem?” she demands, her voice low. “...A couple of months,” I murmur. “I… I tried to hide it. I didn’t want to worry Eliza, but… obviously, it didn’t work.” “You were hiding this from me?” Eliza looks up at me, her voice tiny, fragile. The look in her eyes is just heartbreaking. Ashamed, I hang my head. “Yes. I didn’t want you to know. I… I was worried that if you found out about the news reports, the headlines, then you… you would be scared, and I didn’t want that to happen.” “... So you were trying to shield me.” Eliza runs her hands through her hair, taking a few breaths. “You were worried that I would be scared if I found out my privacy had been violated.” “It… sounds horrible put like that…” I shake my head, trying to fight back my panic. “No, it is horrible. You deserved to know, and you have every right to be mad now.”