Twisted Friendship

I inhale the last bit of my cigarette as I check my watch for the time, 1:58 am. I exhale the second-degree smoke and head back into the party. Once I walk in, I’m hit with loud music and people yelling lyrics to songs I’ve never heard of. I sit on the stairs and lean my head against the wall. Lauren, my best friend walks up to me. 

“Hey, come back into the crowd. We miss you.” She spoke with a drunken slur. 

“Lauren, it is late and I’m getting really tired. Can you get ready to go please?” I replied.

“Ew, you’re so lame. When will you learn to party instead of being a loser!” She said close to my face.

“Stop, you smell like booze. Come on, let’s go home.” I responded with an angry tone.

“You can’t tell me what to do! You’re not my mom!” Lauren said defensively.

“I’m just trying to keep you safe Lauren. This isn’t like you.” I said softly. 

“Shut up Carly! If you want to go then go.” She said as she stormed off with her middle finger out. I rolled my eyes then quickly got into my car and left. 

The Next Morning…

    The sound of a knock woke me up. I opened my eyes and groaned, “come in.” My mom came in with a basket of my laundry. 

“Morning sweetie. How’d you sleep?” 

“Okay, I guess.”

“Oh. Is everything alright?”

“Not really. Ever since Lauren’s mom remarried some rich dude, she’s been acting so different and it’s pissing me off a little.”

“Different? What do you mean?”

“Like partying every night, doing drugs, just being reckless. It’s so unlike her.” 

“Well Carly, people handle change differently so just give her some time okay?” 

“Yeah, you have a point. I’ll try to talk to her today about it. Let’s hope she’ll actually listen to me for once.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Alright, I’m gonna go get ready for work.”

“But it’s a Saturday?”

“I know and I’m sorry. I’m trying to work some extra shifts.” 

“Oh.. Okay.

As my mom closes the door, I grab my phone. I have 23 missed calls, 11 unread text messages, and 5 voicemails all from Lauren. It takes me 20 minutes to go through it all. Basically, she was begging me to come back and get her because she didn’t want to ride with Becca, a popular girl. I snickered as I sent her a text that reads, “I told you that I was leaving so you should’ve come with instead of screaming at me. Anyways, meet me at the cafe in 25 mins. I wanna talk.” I got up from my bed and started to get ready. 

    25 mins later, we both arrive at the cafe. I look at her with a smile and she looks at me with a face of disgust. I sit down at a table and she follows. 

“Okay, can you hurry this up? I have to be at the mall with the girls in an hour.”

“I- uhh okay. I just wanted to talk to you. You’ve been drinking a lot recently and I want to fix this before things get worse.”

“You are such a dork. Can you not have fun?”

“I can! Getting wasted every night at a party isn’t having fun, Lauren. ”

“Excuse you. You’re just mad because you’re poor, unfamous, and ugly… Oh no! Is someone getting jealous?”

“Okay Lauren, what the hell is wrong with you? All I’ve ever done is been nice to you and ever since your family has gotten a little famous, you’ve been acting completely different. Reality check, you aren’t a Kardashian so stop acting like you’re one!”

“At least I have a chance to even become famous… unlike you!”

“At least I know my friends aren’t using me… unlike yours!”

“Are you kidding me? Why would you joke about something like that?”

“Seriously?! Calling your friends fake is way different then calling me poor..”

“It’s not even that serious.”

“Wow. You really have become a bitch.”

“Like you can talk.”

“Lauren. You know how hard my family has been trying to get through these struggles. The fact that you have the audacity to even make a joke about it hurts.”

“Grow up.”

“Honestly, I’m done. I’m tired of your bullshit. So whenever your “friends” drop you and you have no one to go to, don’t come to me.”

“Did you seriously just drop me?”

“Yeah, I did. Lauren, I thought you were better than that. Shame on me.” 

             I walked out of the cafe, tears slowly falling from my eyes. I was relieved, but also stressed at the same time. Lauren was there for me when no one else was, but I can’t physically keep up with her anymore. She’s different now and I have to respect that. I walked up to my house and opened the door. I went up to my room and flopped onto my bed. I exhaled and quietly cried.

2 months later..

I sat down at a random lunch table and slowly took the food out of my lunch box. From the corner of my eye I could see her. She was sitting with the popular group. I turned my head and faced her. She was laughing. I turned back around and faced my lunch box. Life was so hard without her. I would talk to her about everything. Everyday felt like a bad hair day. All of the sudden, a tall, skinny, blonde haired boy came up to me. 

“Hey. I’m Ross. I’m a new student and don’t have anyone to sit with. Do you mind if I sit here?”

I smirked and said, “No not at all.”

“Thanks!” Ross replied sitting down.

“I’m Carly by the way.”

“Nice to meet you carly.”

Ross and I talked for the rest of lunch. He’s cool. As it turns out, my mom was right. People do change and man is it good. 

the end :)