Y/N was standing outside the school bus while the others were inside chatting. Lost in her thoughts, she was reflecting on something. Y/N could empathize with how Ashlyn was feeling, with her emotional outburst. She felt the same way, understanding the pressure Ashlyn must have been under as the group leader. Y/N also had her own challenges to deal with as a member of the group. As she pondered deeply, she couldn't help but recall her own outburst from a month ago, which also brought back memories of Tyler's words.

'I really need to address that problem.' She groaned in frustration, placing a hand on her head and running it through her hair. 'What am I even thinking?'

Y/N was feeling overwhelmed with thoughts, getting more irritated and stressed as her problems kept piling up. It was hard for her to focus on solving them, which was giving her a headache. She knew she would have to apologize to Taylor at some point. She had been lying to her dad and pretending that everything was okay. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by her own issues, she understood that she needed to take things slowly and address them one by one.

However, she felt confused about where to start. Her thoughts wandered, and she had to shake her head multiple times to refocus. Lost in thought, she didn't notice someone approaching. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder, which startled her. Without thinking, she grabbed the person's wrist and swiftly turned her head, only to realize it was one of the twins standing beside her, with a small, concerned smile.

"T-Taylor?" Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw her. She slowly let go of the other girl's face, whose expression softened a moment later. This was unexpected for her, as she wasn't expecting to see Taylor until she got back to the bus. "What are you doing out here?"

"I just wanted to check in on you. You've been out here for quite a while and I was starting to get worried." She explained, and soon she noticed something was wrong. "Hey…" Taylor's hands then reached the girl's shoulder. "Are you…okay?"

"How can I be okay in this situation? Everything is so strange and I'm starting to feel unsure. This was supposed to be a normal class trip, not some dangerous dimensional experience. I didn't agree to this." Filled with questions, Y/N felt lost and uncertain. She realized that if she didn't survive, she may never get the answers she was seeking. It's all very confusing.

Within moments, her heart rate began to increase rapidly, feeling a rush of emotions all at once. She felt overwhelmed and struggled to calm down, clutching her chest in pain as she tried to focus on her breathing. As she collapsed to the ground, Taylor noticed and became worried. She knelt down beside her, realizing that Y/N was hyperventilating. Taylor reached out to help, but Y/N pushed her away.

"No, no– please don't touch me. I-I can handle it." Y/N, clearly struggling to speak, also had difficulty breathing. This was the last thing she wanted to happen, especially with Taylor watching her like this. She didn't want her to get involved in her personal issues.

Y/N felt a hand on her shoulder again, but this time she didn't move away. The girl's touch felt comforting and calming, reassuring Y/N that everything would be okay as long as she was there.

"... Look at me, Y/N. Everything is going to be okay. I am here to support you. Just focus on me." Taylor noticed that she was starting to look at her. "Good. Now, take a deep breath." Taylor began to breathe, letting Y/N know she is not alone.

Y/N followed Taylor's instructions and took a deep breath, inhaling slowly to calm her system. She then continued to follow her breathing, feeling her chest gradually slowing down. Taylor decided to do a few more breaths to help her relax.

The two girls took a final breath together, and Taylor looked up at the other girl, asking, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Y-yeah... thank you." Y/N decided to stay on the floor for a while since they were both already there. 'I feel really awkward right now. Should I speak up? Why do I have to feel vulnerable at this moment?'

"I understand how you feel. None of us expected to get caught up in this situation, but we can't change the past. All we can do now is move forward and try to survive. It's going to get even tougher, but I appreciate you being open about your thoughts."

She was surprised when the topic of being open came up. She hadn't planned on sharing her feelings so openly, but it actually felt good. However, she realized she was becoming too vulnerable and needed to change the subject.

"Hey, I wanted to apologize for my outburst earlier. I think I just got overwhelmed in the moment. I don't want to stay here feeling scared forever. The idea of staying here is terrifying to me, and I don't want that. Even if there's only a small chance of survival, I want to hold onto that hope. My hope, your hope, our hope - I want to keep going."

Taylor listened in silence as Y/N spoke, appreciating her consideration for both Ashlyn and herself. It was heartwarming to see them both helping in their own unique ways - Y/N with her compassionate words that lifted their spirits, and Ashlyn with her strong determination to help them improve mentally and physically.

"It's okay, and I don't blame you. I'm actually grateful that you and Ashlyn helped me realize that it's more important to get out of here than to fear being stuck here. Your support has lifted my spirits, and I appreciate that. Being vulnerable is not something to be afraid of; it's beneficial to be open and helps us understand each other better instead of keeping things to ourselves. I understand the need for boundaries, but you were brave enough to share your feelings. It seems like you, like Ashlyn, have been holding a lot in. You seem very happy when talking about your family, which is really nice to hear. Family... it's a wonderful feeling to have, isn't it?" She looked away, her expression softening with sadness and longing, hinting at something.

"I understand how you feel. You would do anything to make the people you love happy. I may not know everything about your life, but maybe one day you'll share it with us. And if you do, we won't judge you for it, just like we didn't judge Ben. Just know that you're not alone anymore." Taylor told her before unexpectedly embracing her tightly.

"We're a team, and no matter what situation you're in, I'll always be there for you guys. We're a team, after all." Taylor then pulled away, giving her a soft smile, sending her a sincere message of comfort, similar to what she did with Ben.

Y/N was speechless as her eyes widened at her own actions. She couldn't understand why she had allowed it to happen. Normally, she wouldn't let anyone, except her loved ones, have much physical contact with her. But without realizing it, she had already made physical contact with the group. The warmth she felt from the other girl was comforting, their body heat mingling in a relaxing embrace.

As Y/N felt Taylor's warmth, she felt the tension leave her body. Despite this, she didn't say anything. For a few moments, they stayed in silence, neither wanting to ruin the tender moment. However, after some thought, Y/N decided it was time to speak up.

"Hey Taylor, I've been wanting to tell you this for a while now, and I just wanted to say... I'm sorry."

Taylor was confused and tilted her head on the girl's shoulder while they were hugging. She asked, "Why are you apologizing?"

"I'm sorry for bringing this up so late, but I wanted to apologize for something that happened a month ago. I should have said sorry sooner, but I forgot. I wanted to talk to you about it, but I couldn't find the right words. I'm sorry for how I acted back then. It was not like me, but I was dealing with a lot of conflicting… things." Y/N remembered the incident, which brought back memories of what happened in the girls' bathroom. Her expression softened as she thought back to that time.

"It's alright."

"Huh?" Y/N was a bit dumfounded.

"As I mentioned before, it's okay, Y/N. I understand the feeling of not being able to express yourself correctly and the fear of messing up what you want to say is common. I don't blame you, and you don't need to apologize because I already forgave you that day. I knew we were all going through something at that time. Also, did Tyler put you up to this? He probably did." She sighs softly, "I already told him not to, but he did it anyway."

"No, if anything, he's right. I understand that having overprotective siblings can be challenging. I never had siblings myself, but I can relate to the feeling with a loved one."

Taylor let go of the embrace and smiled as she looked directly into the girl's eyes. She stood up from the ground and reached out to help Y/N up, saying, "Let's go. I think it's time. The others are probably waiting for us."

After a month of uncertainty and internal struggle, she finally apologized to Taylor. Even though her apology came at the last minute, she appreciates Taylor's understanding and ability to recognize the circumstances that caused the situation. With one problem solved, she is uncertain about the challenges that may arise in the future.

She assisted Y/N and then they both headed back to the others in silence. When they returned, Taylor made an excuse to the group for their absence. She was grateful that she didn't mention Y/N's panic attack, as she knew it might divert their attention from their main objective.



Everyone was back in position on top of the school bus, crouching down to avoid being seen. Seven ropes hung from the cliffside, each person equipped with gloves they didn't have before. They all had their own gear, including a flashlight, walkie-talkie, headlights, weapon, and backup weapon. Y/N stood between Logan and Ben, looking towards Ashlyn's home. While gazing in that direction, she noticed a trap near the corner, close to where the jeep was parked.

As Y/N heard Ashlyn whisper "Get down," she glanced to the side and saw that Aiden was the only one standing up. He was stretching before eventually getting down.

"You sure your injury is okay Logan?" Ashlyn inquired.



"Yeah, it's pretty much gone now. It's weird." He replied while lifting his shirt to inspect his own injury.

'My arm also strangely healed fast…' Despite her initial concern, she shrugged it off and said, "Okay, get in your position then."

Aiden asked, "Now?" as he held out a phone with their distraction on it.

Ashlyn nervously gulped and remained silent for a few seconds before finally giving Aiden the signal, "Now."

Aiden tapped the phone, causing speakers hidden in the woods to play the song 'Party Walkers', with the sound echoing across the field.

PARTY WALKERS IN THE YARD TONIGHT EVERYBODY JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME!

When the song started playing, the group of phantoms near the wall heard the loud noise and quickly moved towards the music.

Tyler said in disbelief, "Are you serious? Party walkers??"

"It's a good song!" Aiden suddenly started running quickly off the cliff while the rest of the group watched in disbelief.

"This Idiot!!" Y/N quickly glanced over the edge with a shocked and frantic expression. She knew that he had probably sprained his foot or something from a fall like that.

"The rope Aiden! The rope!!" Ashlyn exclaimed in a panic.

"It's okay, I'm durable!" he yelled as he landed on the ground with a thud.

"He's definitely not familiar with the concept of common sense." Y/N muttered as everyone, except Logan, began to descend with the ropes.

"Idiot!"

"We're doing this. AAAH we're doing this. Alright, it's okay. We can do this. Go team." Taylor cried, feeling nervous and fearing for her life.

Aiden was waiting on the ground when they landed. Ashlyn signaled them by yelling, "Run!" before they sprinted quickly to the house.

They ran as fast as they could, and Ashlyn's voice caught the attention of most of the phantoms, causing them to start moving towards the group.