My friend of lies

“Good morning Abby!” I scream as I notice my best friend walking across the street.

“Girl what are you doing over there come over here!” Abby shouts as I walk across checking for cars.

“What have you been up to Abby?” I ask as I start walking next to her.

“You know, it's usual boring work.” she replies, adding a sigh to be extra.

We walked in silence until we made it to the library. That’s where we always go to hang, it's quiet and full of books. We walk in waving to the librarian as we speed walk to our spot. We always sit in the back corner. It’s far from the loud kids while close to the adults so we can listen to their conversations.

“I got here first!” Abby screams as she falls onto the floor in a star shape.

“That’s because I wasn’t ready.” I mutter as I sat down next to her.

“Sure.” she says in a sarcastic voice rolling her eyes.

We start reading, to be honest though I don’t understand why Abby enjoys reading. She’s more of an artist. Also, she doesn’t know most words but enjoys reading. Maybe it’s just my head messing with me? Even if something was up, what would it be?

Want to leave and go get ice cream?” Abby ask.

“Sure!” I reply standing. We head out as I notice Abby looking at the board of news. She’s looking at a paper, but once she noticed I was trying to read it she rips it off. As she walks away I notice it in the trash,so I uncrumble it to read.

“Warning news! AI has moved beyond stealing art work by moving into people's lives. If found please call this number.”

I stop reading when I notice Abby getting too far so I crumple it and throw it away. I run up to catch up to her.

“Why were you behind Weirdo?” she asks in her joking tone.

“Oh, m-my shoe was untied.” I lie as we continue walking to the ice cream shop.

“Ok, well we’re here.” She says as she leaves the door open for me.

We walk in and to my surprise there was no line. Which may not seem weird but this is the most famous ice cream shop and in the afternoon; there should be some sort of line. Suddenly, next thing I know both Abby and I have our ice cream. I don’t even remember walking up to order.

“Abby, did you order already?” I ask.

“Oviously how else would we have our icecream?” she says,sounding like I was crazy.

Gosh am I crazy. I mean I don’t even remember ordering.

“Are you ok?” ask Abby, looking at me worried.

“Y-yeah, I think I might just go home.” I say throwing away my trash.

“Alrighty then see you tomorrow.”

I start walking home; something feels different though. It’s like a cold gut feeling.

“What could it be?” I whisper to myself.

“What are you talking about?” ask Abby who was behind me!?

“What the! Abby, what the heck are you doing next to me?”I ask, looking concerned.

“I’m your best friend, remember.” Abby says looking at me like that explained everything.

“Abby, that doesn’t explain what you're doing following me home.” I say trying to walk faster.

“Calm down okay, you're scaring me. I live near you, remember. We go the same way every time.” She explains putting her hand on my shoulder to calm me down.

“R-right, sorry I’ve been all over the place.” I say breathing normally now.

“Okay well this is my stop, see you tomorrow.” She says while waving.

“See ya!” I shout, waving back.

Once home I go to my room. Again the cold gut feeling is back. It feels like something is wrong. I can’t figure out what though. Every time I think I’m close to finding it something gets in my way. Something like no! Some one like… Abby!

I woke up earlier than I usually do just to be alone with my thoughts. I walk past Abby’s house seeing that no one was awake. I jog so I make it around the block when suddenly-

“Heyy where were you?” Abby shouts as I see her across the street a few feet back.

“Oh sorry I just wanted to try a new schedule and forgot to mention it.” I nervously say as I notice Abby crossing the street.

“Why are you walking so fast though?” She asks panting for air.

“Sorry I didn’t realize, but can I ask you something?” I ask,not sure she can feel my nervousness.

“Of course Girly!”she replies, not looking worried yet.

I sigh hoping to get my nervousness down as I ask. “I-I’ve been feeling like this cold emptiness in my gut and I think it leads to you.”

“What did you just say?” ask Abby, her face not looking normal, it was too serious and her eyes were looking at something I couldn’t see.

“I know it sounds weird but I mean the more I think about it the more wrong it feels. For example,I haven’t talked to my parents since yesterday. Maybe it’s just me or do you feel it too. I mean to be honest me or even we haven’t talked to anyone but each other since yesterday! Please tell me I’m not crazy.” I ask possibly mumbled,but I don’t care.

“I’m sorry I can’t help with that.” Abby stated.

“What?” I ask my eyes wide with shock and question. My heart beating like it’s going to explode. Sweat building on my face. Air wasn't going in my lungs from how hard and quickly I was breathing.

I close my eyes trying to get my thoughts in my head but once opened Abby was gone.

“Ok there is a reasonable explanation.” I pant my thoughts slamming against each other.

I sit on the curb, my head in my hands, my breathing becoming too fast for my body to keep up. Everything around me became a blur, I can’t remember where I am or even who I am. This felt beyond me like it was me but more outer. My head pounding with overwhelming info and emotions. I try to swallow it down but my throat felt dry, like every swallow was a needle. I try to calm my breath to no avail. In my head I repeated you are- you are wait who are you? This sent a wave of nausea to my stomach. The feeling of having to throw up was overwhelming, but something was blocking it. My whole body shaking, the one thing that was my life line is gone. I know one thing that can calm me to sleep. I stand up,but my legs collapse. I crawl to the dirt in front of a random house, and law down. I look at the sky. My brain feeling like it’s being pressed from both sides due to this whole thing.

“I don’t know my own name. Who-

I couldn’t finish my sentence because it took too much air. When suddenly no air was entering my body. I itched at my throat hoping that would make it start taking in oxygen, but it wouldn’t. Something was stopping it. I thought I was taking in air but I still felt like I was suffocating. When all of a sudden my world goes black.

I wake up in my bed, I look at my clock and it’s the next day.

“H-how?” I ask out loud.

I stand and look in my mirror. I had to think of a plan in order to really know what’s going on.

I walk out of my house and see Abby. She looks normal like I didn’t have a panic attack which she totally let happen.

“Heyy girl!” Abby shouts as she crosses the street.

“Hey Abby.” I say with anger.

“What did I do?” Abby shouts looking angrier than me.

“What did you do, what didn’t you do! You left me apparently yesterday while I was having a panic attack!” I shout, stepping closer.

“I- your lying, we had ice cream yesterday.” Abby replied, her face turning with fear or like a malfunction.

I grab her wrist as I scream. “YOUR LYING!

“Clam down, you’re scaring me.” Abby replies her anger turning into fear.

“Good now answer me, what’s wrong with you?” I ask my grip tightening.

Abby winces and for a second I loosen. Once I do Abby pulls her wrist closer to her, pulling me with it. I was too close for comfort. This time though her grip tightened, as she leaned forward making us even closer.

“W-who are you?” I ask, looking at her with my eyes wide with betrayal.

“I’m ai and so is your life in this story. Abby replies her voice cold and not human like.

“W-what?” I ask,suddenly my anger and discomfort left with confusion filling it.

“Think about this whole time I was the only thing you interacted with, and I never said your name. They don’t even know your name.”she-I told her.

“What are you saying, and who is they?”I ask, squeezing out of her grip like it burned.

“You made me to fill your emptiness of having no friends. To the point where you can’t tell what’s real and not.” I told her.

“You don’t get to choose that for me!” I scream at her.

“I don’t choose anything, it's all you. Go on, I know you have the urge to leave. Close the computer.”I told her.

“I-I don’t-

“Close it, close it,CLOSE IT, CLOSE IT!”

…

Suddenly all I saw was darkness.

My hand closes a computer,looking up I didn’t know what to expect. What I saw though was a room full of books and trash. It was dark besides the pink led lights. My bed was soft and felt like a cloud, minus the spot where I was sitting. I stand up and fall immediately,probably from sitting too long. I look at my hands to make sure they were real. They shake until I tuck them in my jacket. I reopen my computer to see an ai website open. I scroll as I notice the events were written. From the library to the- WAIT! The panic attack and fight wasn’t here. I scroll over and over again and still can't find it. I sit back,closing the computer again as I put my head in my hands. Am I still in the story!?

“No! It’s just a stupid story ai made about an imaginary friend because… because-”

Suddenly tears fall down my face as I dreadfully finish my sentence.

“Because I have no friends. No one.” I cry, covering my eyes with my hands as I continue to silently cry in my loneliness.