Katie: No, I just know I’d be better
Eli: You’re trouble, huh?
Katie: I heard you liked trouble
Katie: Thinking about you tonight while I’m touching myself. Wishing you were here
I want to throw up. My brain is taking it all in, yet not wanting to accept any of it at the same time. I try to scroll up to see any more messages, but it just looks like a cut-off conversation. Like earlier messages had been deleted. The phone slips through my trembling fingers, crashing to the floor. I pick it back up, grab my phone off the table, and stumble back outside, rage and betrayal running through every fiber of my being.
“What the hell is this, Eli?” I scream at him through tears, shoving the phone into his chest.
Confusion clouds his face as he takes the phone and looks down at the messages open on the screen.
“Lydia—wait! I can explain!”
“Explain? What is there to explain, Eli? It’s right there!”
Desperation takes over any buzz he was feeling before. “I never responded to her seriously! Look again! It’shercoming on to me! I swear!”
“Then why didn’t you shut it down immediately?!” I shout, tears running down my cheeks, ruining my makeup.
“She’s a slut, Lydia; she tries the same thing with every single one of my friends! I didn’t take her seriously.”
“You should have never responded to begin with! Do you know howyouwould react if you saw messages like that onmyphone?”
“Don’t do that, Lyd.”
“Do what? Speak the truth? Call you out?”
“You know Katie doesn’t care about you, right?” he says in an annoyed tone. “She constantly talks about you behind your back; ask anyone! She’s not your real friend.”
“This is not about her, Eli!You’remy boyfriend…weremy boyfriend.You’rethe one who just broke my trust. After always beingsoworried aboutmetalking to other guys when Inevergave you a reason not to trust me!”
“Don’t let her ruin us,” he pleads, reaching for me.
I yank away, pulling out my phone and calling Simone, sobbing still.
She answers cheerfully, but it’s quickly replaced with worry when she hears me crying.“What’s wrong, Lydia?”
“Can you come pick me up?” I ask, trying to calm myself down enough to speak.
She doesn’t ask any questions.“I’m getting in my car now; I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I hang up right as Katie steps outside with Harper, laughing until she sees my face. I fly towardher, hands shoving her hard. “How could you?! You’re supposed to be my friend!”
She stumbles back, startled, before she looks over to Eli and then back to me. Her expression shifts into malice as she stalks back towards me.
“You’re the one who’s the shit friend, Lydia! Maybe if you cared more about anyone other than yourself, you would have known that I’ve had a crush on Eli since before you even moved to our school! Buteverythingrevolves around Lydia and making sure your sad, depressed ass is coddled all the time. It’s exhausting!”
Her words feel like a knife to the back.
“I never want to see you again,” I choke out.
“Good,” she spits. “One less charity case to worry about.”
I lunge for her, but Eli wraps his arms around my body, stopping me.
“Let me go!” I yell, struggling to get out of his hold.
