"I thought since I was here, I was forgiven for helping Eldridge convince you he was your pen pal." Her voice shrinks.
I flip over my phone to check the time. Have I forgiven her? Forgiveness is given when someone decides to let go of resentment or a desire for vengeance. I can't say I harbored that. If anything, I was hurt. Through all of this, I kept her close because that's what I've been raised to do. It's smart to knowyour enemies. But I haven't wanted vengeance. I just wanted answers, and she still owes me a few.
"I'm not talking about Eldridge. I'm asking about Penn Hadley." My reflection stares back at me from the mirror across the room.
She's quick to stand and give me her back. "What did he tell you?" The question comes out defensive, already armored.
That's not the reaction or the response I saw coming. Penn Hadley didn't tell me anything. I never spoke to him after I caught him kissing another girl at the polo match. There wasn't anything to say. There's no coming back from that.
"I know it was you who poured sugar in his gas tank the night he asked me to homecoming," I admit, not wanting to give her too much but starting from the beginning. She was acting strangely that night, and after Penn's grand proposal, I chalked up her weird behavior to keeping his secret, but now I know it was more than that.
She turns around, her fingers twisted up. "That night, when the team arrived, I went to visit Philip, and when I walked up, I heard Penn having a conversation with one of his other teammates. He was telling him about his plan to ask you to homecoming, so I hid in the shadows with a big smile on my face, but then I heard his friend ask about another girl. Penn's response was, ‘That's the beauty of dating girls from other schools. You don't run the risk of them finding out about the other.’” Her eyes are full of apology when she looks at me. "I was so mad. That's why I poured the sugar in his gas tank. He lied to me too."
"Why didn't you just tell me?"
She had so many opportunities to come clean, but instead she kept quiet. The silence in my room feels suffocating, broken only by the sound of laughter outside as other girls leave for the dance with friends who haven’t lied to them.
"I thought you'd be done with him after he stood you up for homecoming. Asha Fairfield doesn't keep a guy who doesn't find a way. Hell, he could have called an Uber, but he didn't." She shrugs, casual, like my humiliation was just a minor inconvenience in her master plan.
My jaw tightens on instinct, hating how stupid he made me look. But she played a role in that by never telling me the truth.
"Okay, I understand why you did what you did that night, but what's your excuse for letting things play out for the next year? If you were truly my friend and had my best interest at heart, why would you let me date him? I never would have kept something like that from you." I'm off the bed, anger slowly bubbling. "I wouldn't keep that kind of information from my worst enemy."
"After you took him back and things went so well on your first date, I didn't want to ruin things. I didn't want to be the girl who introduced you to the devil. I was the one pushing you to him. It was my idea for the two of you to meet. My boyfriend and your boyfriend were best friends, and we were friends. That was always supposed to be the plan."
"But we weren't, not really, because a friend wouldn't keep something that ugly from me."
"I know that now, but I didn't then. It's partially why I helped Eldrige. I knew you had some kind of special connection with your pen pal. I hoped that the connection might grow stronger than the one that existed with Penn. I knew my brother really cared about you. I tried to make it right. I just did it in all the wrong ways."
"You could say that again." I exhale my annoyance as I start pacing the beside the bed, breaking in the new heels I bought for tonight.
The room feels smaller now, the walls closing in with each revelation. I stop pacing and face her, really look at her. The worst part isn't even the lying; it's the arrogance of it. Shegenuinely believed she knew better than me what I could handle, what I deserved to know about my own life. She played puppet master with my relationships, my trust, and my heart and convinced herself it was all about friendship.
"At the core of every lie was your unwavering desire to be my friend. Tell me something, Emma. Why do you want to be my friend?"
That's the question. That's the root of all this betrayal. Friendship, but why? What does she believe she'll gain?
Her eyes drop to my dress, the telltale sign of a lie. "I didn't know I needed a reason."
"A normal person wouldn't, but I think we both know that the lengths you went to in the pursuit of gaining my favor meant you wanted more."
"Fine. I really do want to be your friend, but I also hoped you would help me get into the class your father teaches once every two years at the University of Louisville." She forces the confession out, as if it physically pains her.
That's unexpected. My father's class? He's not even a professor. He's a guest lecturer—at best, an adjunct professor. Every two years, he teaches an advanced course in Equine Entrepreneurship.
"Why?" The question comes out flat, disbelieving.
"Everyone who takes his class has gone on to land major jobs in the equine industry. I'm talking top-five breeders in the US and France, as well as management positions at all the major US tracks,” she rushes through the explanation.
I nod, staring down at the floor as the information settles. I hadn't done that much research on my father's classes. I had no idea those stats existed, but it doesn't surprise me. My father is a smart businessman. It's the dad part that could use some work.
"I think you should go. I'd like to finish getting ready alone." My voice is ice now, controlled and distant.
"Asha—" She reaches for me, her hand trembling in the space between us.
I hold my hand up to stop her, building a wall with just a gesture. I don't have anything else I care to say. School is over, and while I may have once called her a friend, we were never really friends at all. There's no reason for me to stay in touch. I just want her to be done.
"I won't put in a good word for you. I think we both know you don't deserve it." I let my gaze slowly trail up her gown before finding her face. "But I won't hinder your chances either. My father knew about our friendship. If you get into that class, it will be on your own merit, not because of any words I give him.”
