On the third day of college marching band camp, I "died" right at the feet of my hyper-competitive roommate. I was born with a congenital heart defect. My resting heart rate is naturally slow; at its worst, it drops to twenty beats a minute. I had originally tried to get a medical exemption from camp, but the Band Director held my scholarship over my head: "Either you march on that field, or you lose your funding." To make matters worse, my roommate, Chloe, had decided she was going to be the "Iron Woman" of the brass section. When others took water breaks, she yelled about endurance; When the drum majors called for dismissal, she volunteered to report people whose formations were sloppy. So, the entire section was forced to run extra laps with her. The resentment was hotter than the August sun. During our third set of penalty laps, I actually passed out. My brother, Ethan, who was working as a student athletic trainer, sprinted onto the field and carried me to the medical tent. Chloe brazenly blocked his path, her face flushed as she held out a bottle of Gatorade: "Ethan, you look so good carrying someone like that. Can I get your Snapchat?" Ethan ignored her completely. From that day on, she was convinced I had ruined her chances with him. She hid my medication. She ripped up my medical excuse notes. She even announced to the entire section that I was a "fragile snowflake who shatters if you look at her wrong," pressuring the instructors to revoke my resting privileges. I just wanted to survive band camp in peace, but she insisted on dancing in a minefield. When she finally pointed her finger at my face and screamed, "Unless you literally drop dead right here, you're not getting out of practice!"... I collapsed to the turf, and my heart stopped. On move-in day, I had slumped into my desk chair, watching Ethan efficiently unpack my boxes, hang my blackout curtains, and even zip-tie my power cords so I wouldn't trip over them. "Ethan, that's enough." "I'm here for college, not a prison sentence." "When your heart rate drops below forty beats a minute, it's basically the same thing," Ethan replied without looking back, meticulously organizing my emergency meds in my top drawer. "Your paperwork is filed, and I put five hundred dollars on your meal plan. Let me know if you need more." The door burst open right at that moment. A girl in athletic wear, hauling two massive suitcases, shoved her way into the room. She looked like she had just crawled out of a swimming pool, sweat dripping down her neck. But the second her eyes landed on Ethan, her heavy, exhausted panting instantly morphed into a delicate, helpless sigh. "Oh my god, I'm so exhausted." She wiped her forehead, dramatically fanning herself, batting her eyelashes. "Are you her boyfriend? You're so sweet." "Not like me. My family is so busy, they made me move in all by myself. They said independent girls are the most attractive." Her name was Chloe. My first college roommate. Nickname: The Firecracker. I didn't say anything, just gave a slight nod. Because of my congenital heart defect, my body operates at a fraction of a normal person's pace. To conserve my pitifully limited energy, I had learned to minimize my daily interactions as much as possible. Ethan offered a polite nod and went back to fluffing my pillows. Seeing that no one was taking the bait, Chloe wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. Instead, she strutted over to me, looking down at my pale, sickly appearance. "Maya, right? I saw the housing roster." Chloe smirked, radiating an inexplicable sense of superiority. "We're in college now. Isn't having a guy hang your curtains for you a little pathetic? We women need to be strong and independent. Otherwise, when you get into the real world, who's going to cater to a fragile little snowflake like you?" I took a sip of my water, not even bothering to lift my eyes. Ethan's hands stopped moving. He stood up straight, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. A flash of intense annoyance crossed his face. "Excuse me, but everyone handles things differently." "I suggest you refrain from talking to Maya like that in the future." With that, he plugged my phone into the charger, gently ruffled my hair, and his tone instantly softened. "Your meds are in the top drawer. Call me if you need anything. I have a meeting with the athletic department, so I have to run." Chloe relentlessly followed him out into the hallway, pulling out her phone. "Wait! You work with athletics? I'm sure we'll bump into each other a lot. Let me get your snap!" Ethan didn't even look back, disappearing down the corridor. Chloe's hand, holding her phone, hung frozen in mid-air. Her face flushed beet red, then turned a sickly shade of green. She angrily dragged her suitcases over to her side of the room. When her eyes swept over me, they were filled with naked jealousy and contempt. "Your boyfriend thinks he's pretty hot shit, huh? With an attitude like that, he's going to get crushed in the real world." "But then again, being stuck with someone who can't even take care of herself, he's probably just exhausted." I didn't have the energy to correct her twisted assumptions. I just rolled over in bed, ready to sleep. Chloe stomped off to the communal showers, muttering loudly under her breath: "Playing the tragic, sickly princess? Does she think this is a fucking movie?" My other roommate, Sarah, leaned over my bed and whispered cautiously: "Maya, you need to watch out for her. The way she looked at your 'boyfriend' earlier... she practically wanted to eat him. She's incredibly competitive, and she's definitely going to blame you for him rejecting her." I pulled the covers over my head and whispered a quiet "thank you." I just wanted to get through these four years in peace. Even if it meant living like a corpse. Chapter 2 Chloe's personality flipped faster than a light switch. Early the next morning, she bounded over to my bed holding two artisan coffees and a box of expensive pastries, smiling radiantly. "Maya, I was way out of line yesterday! I was just stressed from moving away from home. Please don't be mad." "These are from that insanely popular bakery off-campus. You have to try one!" I sat up, glanced at the pastry box, and then looked at her calculating eyes. I didn't take it. "What do you want?" My body is like a rusted, ancient machine. First thing in the morning is when my functionality is at its absolute lowest. Chloe didn't flinch. She sat right next to me, linking her arm affectionately through mine. "Oh my god, nothing! I just wanted to ask..." "That guy who dropped you off yesterday, what year is he? What does his family do? He looks like he comes from money." She paused, her tone laced with subtle probing. "What kind of food does he like? Does he play any sports? How long... how long have you guys been together?" I pulled my arm out of her grasp and leaned back against the cold metal bed frame, my eyelids heavy. "I don't know. He doesn't tell me those things." The truth was, the line of girls trying to get Ethan's attention stretched from the student union to the library. But I was far too exhausted to count them, and even more exhausted to explain it to her. Chloe's smile froze. Her mouth twitched. She clearly thought I was just being possessive and playing hard to get. She took a deep breath, forcibly swallowing her anger, and spouted a few more lines of fake, sugary concern before giving up. I just closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, refusing to utter another syllable. The expiration date on this "friendship" was even shorter than I anticipated. That night, when I went down to the communal bathrooms to shower, I was in a rush and left my phone under my pillow. When I pushed the door open, my wet hair dripping down my back, the temperature in the dorm room had dropped below freezing. When Chloe saw me, her face was twisted in absolute fury. Sarah subtly slid over to me and pointed at my pillow. I lifted it. My phone was lying there, screen facing up. I tapped it. The screen was open directly to my iMessage thread with Ethan. Five minutes ago, Ethan had sent a text. [Maya, some girl named Chloe tried to add me on Snapchat, said she's your roommate. I declined it.] [Stay away from her. And don't give my socials to anyone.] It was blatantly obvious. Chloe hadn't just snooped through my phone; she had walked right into Ethan's brutal assessment of her. "I requested him five times, and he declined every single one! Then he blocked me! I knew you were the one sabotaging me!" I stared at her for a solid three seconds before my brain processed what she was screaming about. "You're overthinking it." "He just thinks you're annoying." "You're lying! I'm pretty, I have a great personality! What reason would he have to reject me?!" Chloe suffered a complete mental breakdown, pointing her finger directly in my face, screaming. "You're just terrified I'm going to steal your spotlight! You pathetic, sickly freak, what are you good for besides dragging everyone else down?!" She was panting heavily, her eyes burning with pure, unadulterated jealousy. "A guy like Ethan belongs with a vibrant, athletic girl like me! You just wait. I'm going to prove to him exactly who deserves to stand next to him." Her "homewrecker manifesto" was so absurd I almost laughed. "If you want to steal him, go ahead." I swatted her hand away from my face. "If you can actually get him, I'll be impressed." "You...!" Chloe was shaking with rage, her fingernails digging deep into her palms. "Fine! Just you wait! Game on, bitch!" Chapter 3 The next day marked the start of mandatory marching band camp. I walked into the Band Director's office, holding a medical exemption form officially stamped by a cardiologist. Before I could even speak, Chloe burst into the office like a tornado and slammed her hand down on my paperwork. "Mr. Davis, do not let her lie to you." She stood tall, her face glowing with a terrifying, cult-like sense of justice. "Maya was hauling massive suitcases around yesterday, and today she magically has a doctor's note? She's just trying to get out of doing the hard work!" "College kids these days are so soft. If we don't build character now, how are we going to survive?" Director Davis pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked at Chloe's "inspirational" face, and then looked at my completely deadpan expression. He slid the exemption form back across the desk. "Maya, did you buy a fake doctor's note just to get out of camp?" "Attendance is strictly graded. Either you march on that field, or you lose your scholarship. It's your choice. Stop trying to find loopholes." I looked at the rejected form. I didn't argue. Saying even a single word took too much energy. As long as I didn't literally die, I'd just suffer through it. But Chloe clearly didn't want me to survive. Out on the turf, the August sun was blistering. During designated water breaks, not only did she refuse to sit down, she stood in front of the section and screamed: "Come on, guys! We have to push through! If we can't handle this little bit of heat, how are we going to handle finals?!" Our section leader, a hardcore senior named Marcus, absolutely loved this kind of toxic hustle culture. He nodded approvingly at Chloe, then turned and barked at the rest of us. "Look at her! Then look at yourselves! A bunch of pathetic, lazy zombies!" I was standing in the very back row. My heart rhythm was already beginning to spiral out of control. The suffocating heat felt like a physical weight crushing my chest. I instinctively reached into my pocket for my emergency beta-blockers... but the pill bottle was gone. I looked over at Chloe. She was staring at me, a vicious, triumphant smirk plastered across her face. "Marcus! Maya is breaking formation! She's out of step!" Marcus stormed over, glaring at me for a solid minute, his voice dripping with disgust. "Penalty laps. Thirty minutes. High knees." I jogged under the brutal sun, my vision blurring. The dizziness brought on by the severe arrhythmia crashed over me in waves. Cold sweat poured down my forehead. Meanwhile, Chloe was fluttering around like a butterfly, intentionally running routes that repeatedly crossed paths with Ethan, who was working the medical tent. She kept loudly demanding more penalty laps, claiming it was to "build sectional unity." Marcus, thoroughly brainwashed by Chloe's "Iron Woman" routine, grew incredibly irritated with me. He pointed directly at me and roared: "Maya! Get your knees up!" "You're the only one dragging behind! Did you not eat breakfast?!" "Everyone listen up! If anyone slacks off like her, the whole section is running another mile!" The collective resentment of the entire section instantly focused on me like a laser beam. I didn't even have the strength to defend myself. A dull, crushing pain erupted in my chest. My heart rate dropped so low it felt like it was preparing to stop entirely. Thud. I crashed face-first onto the concrete track. My consciousness violently detached from my body. "Maya!" From the sidelines, Ethan sprinted onto the field like a madman. Incredibly, Chloe actually threw her arms wide, blocking Ethan's path, her cheeks flushed pink. "Ethan, don't let her trick you! She's just doing this so you'll feel bad for her! She's totally faking the whole 'fragile flower' routine!" "Get the fuck out of my way." Ethan violently shoved his shoulder into her, knocking her aside, and sprinted straight for the medical tent with me in his arms, leaving Chloe standing there in absolute shock. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I heard Chloe screaming hysterically in the background. "Maya! You manipulative bitch! You're trying to steal my man! I'm going to expose you for exactly what you are!" When I woke up, I was lying on a cot in the campus clinic. Through the privacy curtain, I could hear Marcus and Director Davis talking in low voices. "What Chloe reported is extremely concerning." Director Davis's voice was cold. "If this student genuinely has Histrionic Personality Disorder and is faking illnesses for attention, we absolutely cannot tolerate that kind of behavior." "Marcus, during tomorrow's evaluations, I need you to give her 'special attention.' Let's see if she's actually sick, or just putting on a show." Marcus grunted in agreement. "Don't worry. Tomorrow is individual drills in the direct sun. I'll watch her personally." I stared at the ceiling panels. The heart monitor beeped with a faint, agonizingly slow rhythm. Chapter 4 The second day of band camp. And the first day of my period. "Marcus, I need to request a medical break. Severe menstrual cramps." I clutched my stomach. Cold sweat had already soaked straight through the back of my t-shirt. With my condition, my resting heart rate is already dangerously slow. Adding severe cramps to the mix felt like walking the razor's edge of a heart attack. Before Marcus could even open his mouth. Chloe let out a loud scoff and stepped out of the formation. "Wow, Maya, you haven't gotten tired of this routine yet? Yesterday you passed out, today it's cramps. Do you own this band? You think you can just take a break whenever you feel like it?" She turned to Marcus, her eyes shining with manic 'righteousness.' "Marcus, I know you value fairness above all else. I believe Maya's behavior isn't just challenging your authority, she's actively dragging down the integrity of our entire section!" Marcus already suspected I was faking it, and he absolutely despised my weak, sickly appearance. Goaded by Chloe, his face turned terrifyingly dark. He violently kicked the medical excuse slip I had handed him away and pointed directly at the flagpole in the dead center of the blazing hot turf field. "The whole section is out here sweating, and you think you're special? Maya, look at Chloe, and then look at yourself." "Since you think your body is so fragile, go stand at attention under the flagpole. Solo penalty drill." "When you fix your attitude, then you can rest!" Chloe's hand immediately shot into the air. "Marcus, I volunteer to supervise her! Students with zero willpower need someone to hold them accountable!" Marcus waved his hand dismissively. "Approved." Chloe practically dragged me to the base of the flagpole. It was the most exposed, glaring spot on campus. It was the peak of afternoon drills, and thousands of eyes from different sections were watching us. "Drop the act, Maya. There are no guys around here to feel sorry for you." Chloe lowered her voice, dripping with venom and jealousy. "Ethan had an off-campus meeting today. You could literally die right here, and he wouldn't even see it." I was in so much agonizing pain my vision was going black. The cold sweat drenched me, dried, and drenched me again. A few girls nearby couldn't watch anymore and started whispering. "Maya's face is literally grey. She doesn't look like she's faking it..." "What do you know?!" Chloe whipped her head around and glared at them, raising her voice so everyone could hear. "She's been faking this her whole life! She's a professional!" "Maya, let me tell you something. A bloodsucking, pathetic leech like you deserves to suffer out here. Is this the exact same routine you used to seduce Ethan?" I gritted my teeth. I felt a sudden, heavy rush of fluid. My shorts were soaking wet, cold, and sticky. The absolute humiliation combined with the agonizing physiological pain made my knees buckle. "I need to go change my pad. Ten minutes." I leaned against the metal flagpole, my voice so weak it was barely a whisper. Chloe acted like she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. She aggressively shoved my shoulder. "We don't take luxury breaks on the field! Do you think soldiers asked for tampons during basic training?!" "Unless you literally drop dead right here, you are not escaping this drill!" I looked at Chloe's face, twisted and grotesque with excitement. I looked at Marcus in the distance, completely ignoring the situation. Every single drop of energy drained from my body. I was so incredibly tired. Since she wanted to see me die so badly. Then I would die for her. THUD. I crashed heavily onto the concrete base of the flagpole. The back of my skull slammed against the metal, letting out a hollow, sickening crack. Chloe hadn't registered the severity of what just happened. She crossed her arms and casually kicked my leg. "Alright, get up. You used this exact same move yesterday, aren't you embarrassed?" I didn't move an inch. "Maya? Get up!" Chloe kicked me again. Sarah sprinted out of the formation. She dropped to her knees, her hands shaking violently as she checked my nose for breath, and then pressed her fingers against my carotid artery. The next second. A shrill, horrifying scream ripped across the entire football field. "She's... she's not breathing! Marcus! I can't find a pulse!"
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