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The edges of my mouth droop. This has been Hailey’s mantra lately. Hardly eating which is alarming because the only thing more startling is how much she does consume on a regular basis. Her stomach as bottomless as the ocean.
Over the last few days though she’s hardly been eating a thing and it’s starting to become concerning. This isn’t my friend.
“These are your favorite,” I coax, lifting the barely-eaten bag of sour gummy worms. I’d seen them while grabbing my lunch and was hopeful that as soon as she’d seen the bag, she’d jump at them and eat something. She’s addicted to them.
No such luck, even after I ate a few thinking she’d smell the soured sweetness but nope.
Nothing’s worked.
Waving the bag, the sound of the plastic at least has her cracking her eyes back open, craning her neck sideways. Only her nose crinkles up in distaste, shoving them away.
The candy in the bag falls everywhere and I huff out my annoyance at the mess. You’d think I’d offered her fish eyeballs, not her favorite treat.
“Okay,” I demand. The gummies flying everywhere are my breaking point. “What’s going on? What’s up with you lately?” I grit, strung dry.
I’ve been patient, trying my best to play the supportive friend role, but it’s obvious it isn’t getting me anywhere.
“Can you tell me what’s going on already?”
Her shoulders fall, that artificial happiness going right along with it.Finally.I want to scream. Every nerve in my body stretched thin from this, the Lorna situation,andFinn and Cole.
Hailey doesn’t answer right away, her head facing forward. The lines of distress form all the way down to her neck as she swallows roughly.
“The hellhounds will be showing soon.”
And?I want to ask, but bite the inside of my cheek instead after noticing how anxious she’s gotten. Jittery almost, like she’s suddenly on edge.
“Can we talk later? Now’s not a good time.”
“Then when is?” I whine, frustrated and spiteful.
She squints one eye over at me. My agitation getting the better of me so when I speak up again, I do my best to soften my tone.
“Look, I know we all have stuff going on right now, but I’ve been transparent with you on what I’m dealing with. I would appreciate it if you did the same. We’re supposed to be friends, right?”
Right?
Her bottom lip starts to wobble at the same time as her lids widen, a sheen shining in them that hadn’t been there before.
Hailey’s chest rises and falls and my heart sinks further for her. That bottom lip of hers pulls out farther, wrecking me with each new millimeter.
I reach for her hand, and she lets me, seeming absolutely terrified.
“…I’m scared,” she admits with a shaky sound.
The grip she has me in is ironclad but I don’t notice, my entire body numb at the amount of sadness in her entire exterior.
Her chest moves, rising as it falls in quick movements.
“I’m—my parents, they…” She hesitates, stuttering past the syllables. Those deep-brown eyes of hers two pools of fear mixed with courage as she tries to spit out her sentence.
Then something shifts as her gaze moves past my shoulder. That terror-filled, wrung-out honesty switched with the flutter of her lashes.
“My parents, they’re uh—they’re getting a divorce,” she clarifies, no longer that vulnerable person of moments ago. Now she sounds like a robot.
My ribs sink, pushing against my organs in disappointment as she blinks slowly. I recognize that look, witnessed it dozens of times with my own mother.
The fake happy exterior back in place as the footsteps grow closer at my back.
