“Yeah, going to the beach for a few days,” I said, watching her out of the corner of my eye as she sat down on the edge of my bed, shoving my suitcase to make room.
“With the freak?” she spat out.
“WithFlynn, yes,” I answered coldly.
“I can’t believe you’d actually spend time with that waste. What’s wrong with you?” she sneered.
I grabbed a handful of shirts and crossed over to the bed where she was sitting and placed them in my suitcase. Dania grabbed one of my nicer sweaters and curled her lip.
“What’s the point of looking nice? It’s not like he’s smart enough to realize the effort,” Dania said nastily.
I yanked the sweater away from her and folded it back up.
“Okay, let’s do this, Dania. You’re pissed. You think I’ve betrayed you or something. Which is stupid. So what, I’m dating Flynn! What does that have to do with you?” I demanded.
Dania glared at me. “It’s has to do with me because I was the one that went to visit you every single day at the gross juvenile detention facility, where you were because of that fucking freak! It’s my goddamned business because we were making plans! You said you’d help me out and get an apartment with me, but I’m guessing that’s off the table now that you’re withFlynn.”She said his name like a dirty word.
“And youhavebetrayed me, Ellie! Because you didn’t tell me anything! You didn’t tell me what was going on! I thought we were friends. Best friends. And you kept something huge from me! That’s fucked up and wrong!”
Dania was getting worked up. Her neck and chest was splotched red and she was breathing rapidly.
But I was pissed too.
“First of all, I was sent to juvie because of what I did. Because of whatwedid!” I waved my finger between us.
“It had nothing to do with Flynn. I made my choices.”
“But you said” Dania started arguing.
I instantly interrupted her.
“I know what I said. I know what I’vealwayssaid. But it’s wrong. I was wrong. Don’t you get that? I fucked up. I paid the price. And I have to live with what I did to him the rest of my life! Did you know his dog was inside? We killed his fucking dog, Dania!”
Dania snorted. “So? It’s just a fucking dog. It’s not like people died or anything. And I’ve heard he’s fixed the place up and it looks better than it ever did. So I don’t see what you’re freaking the fuck out about? It looks like he got a better end of the stick than you did, that’s for sure. So pardon me if I don’t get why you’d want to hang out with him. You hated him! Don’t pretend you didn’t,” she challenged.
Her lack of remorse, her total insensitivity wasn’t surprising. I had expected it. We were two sides of the same coin really. When I looked at Dania, when I heard her speak, it was like seeing and looking at the Ellie McCallum I had always been.
I shook my head and turned back to my dresser, pulling out the two other pairs of jeans I owned and folded them neatly.
“I’m with Flynn. I love him, Dania. So either you accept that or you don’t. But I’m not going to stop being with him because you don’t like him. Because you’re stuck in some pathetic time warp where you feel you still need to bully him to make yourself feel better. Grow up, Dania. I’m trying to,” I threw at her.
Dania clenched her hands into fists.
“You self-righteous, condescending bitch!” she growled. “Since when did you become better than everyone else? Since when did you become so high and mighty that you think you can look down on the rest of us? I don’t know who the hell you think you are”
“I’m the person who’s trying to get her ass out of Wellsburg and have a fucking life!” I yelled.
Dania recoiled like I had slapped her.
“So, we aren’t good enough for you anymore. I get it. So I’m not sure we have anything else to say to each other. You’ve made yourself pretty fucking clear,” Dania said, her voice frigid. She got to her feet and looked around my room, her voice curling in disgust.
“And you’re just a piece of shit like the rest of us. No matter how much you try to clean up,” she derided.
“I’m going to college, Dania. You could go to. Take some classes. You’re smart. You could make something of yourself,” I protested, trying one last time to salvage a friendship that had gotten me through some of the worst times of my life.
Dania laughed bitterly. “Unlike you, I’m just fine with how things are. I don’t need to go out there pretending to be something I’m not. I’ll leave that to you,” she scoffed.
“You’re fine with drinking yourself unconscious every night? You’re okay with taking drugs and potentially fucking up that baby you’re carrying worse than your parents fucked you up? You’re going to be a mother, Dania. Start acting like it!” I shouted.
