Shoelace

She wandered around a house that wasn’t hers, she wasn’t sure why she even came. She wound her way around a pillar, her face creased into a scowl, it was gaudy, this whole house was, it was all unnecessary. She was so focused on her thoughts she didn’t realize the person standing in front of her. She bumped into them.

“Sorry, Sorry, I am so sorry!” she cried.

“You better be sorr– Emma? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Lily! I am so glad I found you! When they let me in, they said you should be just around the corner. When I didn’t see you I continued walking… and I’m afraid I got a bit lost, quite the place you have here, lots of twists and turns,” she rambled.

“What are you doing here?”

“Wha– what do you mean? You asked me to come over today to catch up.”

“Oh, that’s right, listen, you can’t be here, I’m getting ready to live stream to all my fans, that the fourth book in the series is coming out!”

“Oh… but what about catching up?”

“I’m sorry but that will have to wait.”

“Can’t you push off your livestream?! This is the second time this week I have come over, and every time something is happening!”

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t, I think it’s better if you leave.”

“So you’re saying I don’t belong here?!”

“No! That’s not what I’m saying! You’re my best friend, it’s just I’m busy.”

“Whatever! Have a great time!” she cried sarcastically, then she turned around and rushed down the hallway. Tears flooded her eyes. She didn’t know how to get out of the house, it was too big, there were too many endless hallways with red rugs. She fell down onto her knees, there was too much, she remembered when it was all simpler, when all that mattered was an untied shoelace.

***

It was the first day of school, and she was already ready for the school year to be over. She sat in class watching the minute hand slowly crawl towards the next hour. When the minute hand finished its agonizing climb, the entire class had jumped out of their seats and ran out the door, she stayed seated a minute longer before she started to head out. She was walking to her class, when she heard sniffling. She turned to her right and saw a girl who was in most of her classes curled into a ball and crying. She was tempted to keep walking, but something made her walk over to the girl.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I-I don’t know how to tie my shoe, and–and my mom wanted me to figure it out for myself–and now–now my shoe is untied and I–I can’t do anything about it!” she cried through sobs.

“Oh, well… I know how to tie shoes… Maybe I could help you?”

The girl stopped sniffling and looked up at her, “could you?”

“Yeah, of course,” she smiled as she leaned down and tied the girl's shoe.

They stood up and held an arm out.

“My name is Lily.”

“Emma, nice to meet you,” she replied as she shook her hand.

***

She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes, then continued on through the endless hallways. She stumbled onward each step she took fought back the tears that threatened to overflow. She rounded a corner to find herself face to face with a picture she had long since forgotten about. She recovered from her shock only for her to realize she had stumbled into a dead end. She gazed back up at the picture making sure she had seen it correctly.

***

She just graduated college when she published her first book. She stood in front of the camera while she held her book up. The camera clicked and the picture was saved. She smiled to herself. A month later her book had blown up! The world loved the story, and they wanted more. She pushed herself to the limit, writing a second book to continue her hero’s adventure. Still every wednesday she would take a break and meet up with Lily to discuss the book she was writing, she offered tips and suggestions, and they would chat for several hours before one of them would have to go. She toiled away at making the next book and when it came out the fans loved it as much as the first if not more. The money she made piled up and before she knew it she had more than she could deal with, that’s when Lily had published her book, and before she knew it all the fans she once had, had gained obsession over Lily’s book. She wasn’t jealous, she was happy for Lily. She was happy that people had enjoyed her books, and if they wanted to enjoy Lily’s book that was fine by her. She had everything she needed. She was by Lily’s side the entire time, until she wasn’t, suddenly Lily seemed to have more important things to do, and suddenly the meetings they were going to have together were canceled. Until she was where she was now wandering the hallways of a house of someone she felt like she didn’t even know. She turned around from the dead end and started to walk, she was suddenly sure of herself. She took turns with confidence, as if some part of her knew which way to go. Until somehow, the exit appeared and she walked through it without a second glance backwards. If Lily was too busy for her, then she could find other friends, friends that cared. Lily didn’t need her anymore, she was not the little girl she remembered who couldn’t tie her shoelace, she was someone who traded their friend for popularity. She wasn’t an object who was there whenever Lily needed her, she was a person, a person with real feelings, and she wasn’t going to be used anymore.