“No!” Dani cries. “I just—well, she mentioned something, but I thought it was just her joking, messing around—”
“She never just messes around,” I snap. “Not when it comes to me.” The anger in my voice takes me aback, and it’s only then that I realize how resentful I feel toward Dani. All these years, she’s chosen Haven over me. She was my only friend, and she turned her back on me.
“I just wish you two could be friends,” Dani says.
I can’t even stomach the sight of her now. Her endless insistence that Haven and I could be friends, her refusal to accept the ugly truth. She only says that to alleviate her own guilt, not because she actually cares about me as a friend.
I pour all my venom into my response. Through gritted teeth, I hiss, “You know what a shit person Haven is, and you keep wanting me to be her friend. I may not have friends, but at least I still have my integrity.”
Chapter 22
You know what I didn’t see coming? I did not see Felicity being the one to take Haven down. But hey, I’m not complaining. There’s a certain poetic justice in having Haven’s bestie be the one who kneecaps her in the end. It all starts in the #celebrations channel later that evening.
Felicity:Hey @Haven, did you have a chance to try the bread that we gave you yet?
I have to smile at the wordwe. As far as I know, Felicity, only one of us made the bread, but hey, I’m not one to split hairs.
Haven:Oh, yes! I had a slice of the sourdough and split a cinnamon roll with my mom. My dad had the sourdough and about an hour later I caught him sneaking half a bagel. Deeelicious. Best things I’ve eaten in a long while. Fern, you should open a bakery!
Felicity:Huh. That’s so weird
Marissa:Yeah, lol, I’d say
Haven:What?
Felicity:Well, I thought maybe they tasted really bad or something, which is why you threw all of them away. But apparently you think they’re the best pastries you’ve ever had, sooo IDK, haha!
Jenna:Yeah, it’s confusing for sure, lol
Marissa:Maybe she threw it away because they were so delicious? I once made this banana chocolate cake that was so good I had to throw it away because otherwise I would eat the entire thing, not even exaggerating
Oh my god. These bitches are awful, and I love it. I can’t take my eyes off their catty, sharply pointed messages. It’s exhilarating to be sitting here, reading these mean messages and to know that for once, I am not the recipient here. I’m familiar with these kinds of messages, but usually they’re aimed at me. There is nothing meaner than girls in middle school. They don’t bully—they wage psychological warfare. And years of this type of insidious meanness have left me broken, warped. But now, I am realizing that when you’re not on the receiving end, this is perfectly fine behavior. Fun, even. How do you like it, Haven, now that the tables have turned?
Haven:I don’t understand
Felicity:What is it that you don’t understand?
Oof, look at Felicity turning on her, no holds barred. I guess maybe she feels that as Haven’s proclaimed bestie, she has to go the extra mile to prove that she wasn’t in cahoots with her.
Haven:I mean, IDK, you guys are sounding pretty crazy
Felicity:Whoa, that is such an ableist term. You really shouldn’t use “crazy” like that. Especially when we’ve got proof that you threw the bread away
Felicity then posts one of my photos, clearly showing my hard work in the bin.
Yuna:I’d say that’s pretty hard evidence alright. Look, Haven, I don’t like what’s going on here. I don’t like feeling like we’re ganging up on you or whatever. It feels ... not great. Can you just give us a reasonable explanation and we can move on from this?
Jenna:What the hell would count as a “reasonable explanation”?? There is so much wrong that happened here, I don’t even know where to begin! I mean, she lied to all of us, for one thing. She disrespected Fern’s hard work, for another. She wasted food when there’s an actual pandemic going on and people out there dying from starvation because they got laid off?
Felicity:Yeah, I hate to say it, but I don’t think there’s any possible explanation for this. It’s just bullshit. I think you owe all of us an apology, especially Fern
When is Haven going to reply? I wonder. I can almost see her sitting behind her computer screen, gnawing on her lower lip, her hands shaking—maybe every part of her body is shaking, why not—and her face would be white with fury at the realization that I, Fern Huang, wasthe one who caught her out. And with every moment that ticks by without an answer from Haven, more replies pour in. And they are all angry.
Marissa:Yeah, I’m pretty freaking disappointed. I thought our batch would be the first one to be drama free, lol! I guess that was a pretty stupid thing to think, huh?
Alicia:I mean, I think given we’re all grown adults, it’s not unreasonable to hope for a drama-free debut group. I didn’t think it would be Haven, though. That’s kind of a kick in the balls
Felicity:Well, I was her friend, so I do feel pretty effin’ stupid right now
