“Oh, are you gonna go cry to your boyfriend about me?” Thea says tauntingly.

“He’s not my boyfriend! He never was and he never will be!” I scream back.

“Why do you spend all your time with him then?”

She asks, raising her voice.

“Because he CARES about me Thea! That must be a foreign concept to you!”

“Halley I care about you too!”

“No you don’t! You know that night when I called you crying a few months back? You hung up because you were with Josh, told me to “get some sleep!” I was breaking into pieces, and you couldn’t have cared less!” My eyes fill with tears while hers soften.

“Hally…” she sighs, her voice wavering. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried! So, so many times. But you always make everything about yourself, you say you care, well show me!”

“I do! You’re my best friend! I broke my rules for you…”

“Do you want a freaking award?! If you broke yours, I demolished mine! I gave you everything, drained myself so you could thrive and where did it get me?”

Thea stares at her shoes, red high tops, the ones she’s worn every day she made me miserable, the ones she used to walk all over me.

“I still have a little self respect, so I’m not going to do anything to get back at you. It doesn’t mean I’ll forgive you or that I hate you any less then you made me hate myself. But whatever sick game you’re playing? I’m done. So leave. Me. ALONE!”

I scream, hot tears finally leaking out of my eyes, dripping down my cheeks. Angry tears. I turned around and left, leaving Thea too stunned to speak, and for the first time in the years I’ve known her, I felt free again.

Note: I’ll leave what made me write this open to you’re imagination… but I’m back :)

Love yas! 🩶🩶