*Lauren*

I perched on the edge of the bathtub, my heel tapping a frantic rhythm against the tile as my knee bounded erratically. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat echoing in the silence of the bathroom. I stared at the pale pink walls, trying to quiet the storm in my mind, but it was like trying to calm an ocean.

"Okay, Lauren, just breathe," I muttered to myself, pressing a hand to my chest as if I could physically slow down my racing heart. “This is fine. ...