Everleigh sinks into the couch farther. I don’t blame her. It’s uncomfortable dealing with Sylvia.
“One would think that you’d care more about the friends that have been there for you since day one, than Fletcher and his hobbits.”
“So that’s what this is about? Fletcher? You are so goddamn desperate, aren’t you?”
“This has nothing to do with desperation.”
She purses her lips. “You’ve had an issue with him since the beginning. Why?”
“That’s a loaded question. You see him around campus the same as I do. You hear the same shit I have. You know he and his friends are bad news but ignore it. You’re putting yourself in the eye of the storm where you can’t see any of their shortcomings.”
Not that having flaws is a bad thing, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. I wish she’d realize that. That’s what my gut screams at me, at least.
She narrows her gaze at me and scoots to the edge of the chair. “Their shortcomings? You don’t know shit about them. They can keep up with me. Something I can’t say about you. Or you.” She turns her gaze to Everleigh. “You could care less about anything outside of Tristan, and you…” She looks back at me. “We all know something is going on with you, but no one has said a thing about it, and you know what? I’m tired of keeping my mouth shut. You talk about me making friends with Fletcher and them but what about your shortcomings, Violet?”
Her gaze pierces into me. I haven’t been the same since the beginning of the semester, but figured everyone was too busy to care.
The truth is, we’ve all been distant. We’re not as close as we once were, and we could get into the whys of that but what good would it do? We’re living our lives and sometimes, the truth is, people grow apart, and their new adventures don’t always include you.
My palms grow sweaty from our confrontation. “You think all of that gives you the right to do and say the things you do? Get a grip, Sylvia.”
“Am I the only one that needs to do that, though? Maybe you should do a little self-reflection of your own.”
“Deflect all you want. It doesn’t change our strained friendship, and that isn’t all because of me being distant these past few months. It also has to do with how you treat people, and I’m done with it. I care about you and have been your friend. I tried pulling you away from Fletcher because I don’t want to see you hurt. Ultimately, you’ll do what you want. But you know what? No one is going to be there to save you when it goes up in flames. Not when you treat us like the shit on the bottom of your shoe.”
“Jesus Christ. Taking the words straight out of your new boyfriend’s mouth, huh?”
“Think what you want,” I tell her.
I push up from the couch, no longer interested inSixteen Candlesor getting Sylvia to see reason. She’s traveling through life at her own speed, and that’s fair. She has every right to, but I’m done being her punching bag.
A true friend wouldn’t say the things she has or done what she’s done.
A true friend wouldn’t make a person feel the way she has made me feel.
A true friend would be supportive of me having a guy in my life who stands up for me.
There’s no doubt in my mind that if she keeps up with the partying and degrading comments that she’ll have no one left to help her out of the hole she’s digging herself into.
She thinks Fletcher and his friends care about her.
Pft.
But hey, if she wants to be their best friend, then so be it.
I toss the remote on the couch, giving Ev an apologetic glance because before Sylvia showed her face, I really was enjoying my time with her. She hasn’t said much about Sylvia but that doesn’tmean she’s not feeling the same. Just because she’s interested in her relationship with her boyfriend doesn’t mean she can’t see what’s going on around her and our apartment.
There’s been a shift in the dynamic of our friendships. Seeing it at its face value has been a long time coming.
“What?” Sylvia prods. “You aren’t going to tell us what you’re keeping from us? We all know you’re being weird,” she shouts as I move past her and down the hallway. “You’re not as opaque as you think!”
Hell, maybe I’m not, but I’m also not trying to be someone I’m not. I’m not making choices that will hurt me or the people I love.
Not anymore, anyway.
I leavethe daycare with a cheek-splitting grin on my face. Outside of my recent confrontation with Sylvia, I can’t remember a time I felt so…content. Maybe back before Webber broke things off before summer break, but even then, was I really this content? My gut tells me no because he and Colson are incomparable.
Webber was okay with leaving me behind. He was secure with his choice to break up with me when he went back home. He let whatever motivations he had get in the way of what we could have been, and while Colson was deathly close to doing the same, he didn’t, and that speaks volumes.
