AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Although Gloriana is self-centered at times, she’s not rude, and she takes my impending interaction as her cue to mosey somewhere else.
Theclick, click, clickof Faith’s stilettos stops once she’s a couple feet away from me.
“Hello, Faith.” Matching her amount of fakeness, I display my teeth with an exaggerated grin.
Wearing a pout, she tilts her head. “How are you?”
Terrible. Looking like shit while you come here with your glowing skin, perfect body, and bright blue eyes. I’m dressed in the most practical “nice” outfit I have while you’re wearing a formfitting silky scrap of purple fabric that barely covers your… assets. And you’re pulling it off amazingly, as always.
I swallow down those responses and manage, “Hanging in there.”
“Are you really, though?” Her attempt at fishing for a deeper answer pisses me off.
We haven’t spoken in over two years. Last time I saw her, she was in the audience at my college graduation. On the arm of the guy who used to be mine.
“I’m surprised you made it all this way,” I evade. “Aren’t youstilltaking classes at the university?”
Okay, it’s a low blow, and I immediately feel bad for the petty comment as soon as it’s out of my mouth. There’s nothing wrong with taking longer than four years to complete a bachelor’s degree. In fact, I’d say it’s admirable. When life gets in the way of a goal and someone keeps pursuing their plans, there’s nothing braver than that.
But I’m not about to give that sort of compliment to the boyfriend-stealer herself.
“I wouldn’t miss this for anything.” Faith goes in for a hug. The embrace is awkward but blessedly brief. When she pulls back, she looks sincerely sad. “I have a big test on Monday, but I can cram for it tomorrow and on Sunday. Seriously, Hannah. This sucks, and I just want you to know I’m here for you.”
Now I feel even worse for my little dig.
In the grand scheme of things, does the pain she caused me really matter?
Yeah. Actually, it does. There’s no coming back from what she put me through.
In elementary school, Faith was my best friend. We always sat together at lunch, we were in the same dance class three evenings a week, and we had sleepovers almost every weekend.
Secrets were shared. Phone calls lasted for hours. I couldn’t imagine life without her.
Then junior high came, and so did boobs and boys. I had my first boyfriend when I was twelve. Dylan and I weren’t really dating in the traditional sense, because we were too young, but we’d meet up at the mall or our parents would take us to the movies while they sat in the row behind us.
Of course, I thought I was in love. That year and the next, my notebooks were full of his name with hearts and all kinds of embarrassing poetic shit.
Then, with no warning, during the summer before ninth grade, he ghosted me. It didn’t take me long to figure out why, because Faith had gone suddenly silent as well.
This is a small town. People talk.
Starting your freshman year of high school being known as the girl who lost her boyfriend to her best friend wasn’t fun.
However, I got over it. By the time I was a senior, Faith and Dylan’s relationship was dead in the water, and I’d moved onto someone better.
Well, someone Ithoughtwas better.
Before Cooper and I went off to college, we made a commitment. We even talked about marriage. Our daily conversations were filled with idealized notions of being high school sweethearts who lasted for life. Sure, we were headed to different schools, but since we’d only be an hour away from each other, we could hardly call it long distance. We could make it work.
We were wrong.
We, in fact, couldnotmake it work.
Faith and Cooper were attending the same university, and after a year—anentireyear—I found out he’d been dating us both the whole time. To make it worse, when I came to visit, Faith would hang out with us and the rest of our friends as if nothing was going on. She put on that fake-ass smile for months and months, knowing she was betraying me.
Cooper was a shit bag. Obviously, if he hadn’t cheated on me with Faith, it would’ve been with someone else. But that’s not the point.
The point is, Faith hurt me in the same way twice.
