"Rachel?"
Rachel barged through the doorway, offering no greeting in return. She paced the room, clenching her fist repeatedly. Her mind kept replaying every moment of the past few days in sickening detail. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw up.
Janet only made it worse. The confession of love reminded Rachel of the similar words in her diary.
I think I love her.
It felt like she was right back in that moment days prior, just before she fell under Violet's control.
She could hear someone talking, but the words didn't register.
She dropped her travel bag, bringing her hands to her head as she continued her march through the room. "Jesus, this is so fucked," she muttered to herself.
She thought about Janet's confession to wanting to control her, to keep using her. Janet was becoming just like Violet, Rachel realized. She already had the hair to match.
She reached into her pocket and began running her fingers over the paper within.
She almost couldn't believe what she heard. If Janet thought Rachel would just forget everything that happened and forgive her, that Rachel would allow Janet to do what Violet had done, then she was clearly deranged.
She wondered where it all went wrong, wondered when Janet had changed. She had been such a sweet and caring friend -- an innocent, unassuming person. Was it because of the device, or was the demon just hidden inside this whole time? Rachel didn't know.
She felt hands on her shoulders, shaking her. She looked up and noticed Emma for the first time. She looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was and how she came to be here.
"Rachel, what the hell is wrong?" Emma had never seen her friend like this before. It was even more of a surprise given how jovial Rachel was just the other day. At least now she was able to grab the girl's attention, to some relief.
Rachel dropped her hands to her sides. Her face was a kaleidoscope of emotions -- anger, sorrow, betrayal, disgust. "Can I stay with you for a few days?" she implored.
Emma took the unexpected situation in stride. "C'mon, sit on the couch and tell me what happened." With one hand around Rachel's back, she lead her into the room, helping her sit. Making her way back to the kitchen, she called out over her shoulder, "Let me get you something to drink first, though."
With her elbows on her knees, Rachel stared at the ground, almost hyperventilating. She tried to focus on her breathing. She was away from Janet for now. She was safe. She just needed some time to figure things out, to decide what she was going to do. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emma's dog hobble over on her three legs.
Sitting next to Rachel, Bella placed her large paw on Rachel's arm and tried to pull it closer. The unintentional force behind it caused Rachel to wince in pain.
Rachel removed the paw of the Anatolian Shepherd before leaning in to give the her a tight hug.
Emma grabbed a glass from the cupboard. "Would you like some water? I can also make a pot of coffee, if that's more your thing." She glanced at the bowl of cereal on the dining table that she was about to dig into before Rachel knocked on the door. "Oh, or some sugary milk."
Rachel was busy rubbing Bella on the ear, causing the stump of the dog's rear missing leg to wiggle in reflex. "I'm fine," she answered, almost too quiet for Emma to hear.
Emma studied the distracted, miserable look on Rachel's face. With a sympathetic sigh, she realized what must have happened. "I'm sorry, Rach. You seemed so happy with him, I'm sorry it didn't work out." She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oops, I promised Janet I wouldn't mention your boyfriend until you brought him up. Although... I guess all things considered that doesn't matter anymore..." She walked back towards Rachel.
Rachel gave her an inquisitive look. "Boyfriend?"
"Yeah," Emma confirmed, standing over Rachel, "you mentioned some guy in the lunch room a week ago, remember?"
Rachel didn't. That could only mean that it was one of the memories that Janet removed, still causing her trouble days later. If Rachel had said something like that back then, the person she was likely referring to was...
I think I love her.
"And then the other day, you were all smiles, so when I asked Janet if you got with him, she said yes. I was so happy for you at the time, though of course that was before... Is that not what this was about?"
That fake smile was because of Violet, Rachel knew. So this phantom boyfriend was both Janet and Violet. The notion gave her a twisted form of amusement. She did her best to stifle the despairing laugh before she realized Emma was waiting for a response. "Yeah, that's um... you figured it out." She didn't like to lie to her friend, but it seemed likely that this wouldn't be the last.
Emma took a seat next to Rachel and placed a hand on her thigh. "Of course you can stay here, as long as you need. I'm just curious... is there a reason you don't want to go back home?"
Rachel's face hardened. "I can't, I... I can't face Janet right now. She... Janet betrayed my trust." It was the best she could think of to say. It's not like Emma would ever believe the truth about what Janet had done. Even to Rachel it seemed unreal.
"I see," Emma said before her eyes went wide. "Oh my god... Oh my god, really?!"
Rachel was once again confused by Emma's reaction.
"I can't believe he would cheat on you with Janet..." she said to herself. "How did you find out? Did you catch him in the act?" Emma fidgeted on the couch as she waited for Rachel's response, her innate craving for gossip overshadowing her better judgment in the moment.
Rachel was about to deny the allegation until she realized she no longer cared what Emma might think of Janet. She deserved it anyways. "Yeah," she whispered.
"I never would have expected that of her." Emma shook her head.
There was a lot Emma wouldn't have expected of Janet, Rachel mused. She wished the conversation could move on so she didn't have to dwell on it. Perhaps going to Emma hadn't been the best of ideas.
