Better Off

11

"Where did you run off to Friday night?" Emmie asks me the following Monday in gym class as we run laps around the gym for about the millionth time since the school year started.

"Yeah," Saige pipes up, which might be the most she's said to me in days. After our, um, disagreement we haven't exactly been on the best terms. I don't know if this makes me a bad friend, but I've been a little too preoccupied with the very boy Saige hates to care. "You just, like, disappeared."

I don't point out that it only took fifteen minutes into the party for us to lose sight of each other. They didn't even try to find me then, and we were in the same house. The thought makes me hurt a little, but I tell myself it doesn't matter. I mean, it's not like I didn't have fun either way. Besides, Saige and Emmie are my friends, right? I should just get over myself.

"Oh, I just called an uber and decided to call it a night." I don't meet my friend's gazes as I speak. It doesn't matter how long I've known my friends, I can't tell them who I was really with and where I really went. It's not that I don't want to, if anything it's the opposite. I'd love to have someone to talk about the guy I'm crushing on, just like the girls in the movies. Whereas Emmie might be excited for me, I know Saige would be a bitch about it. So I keep my mouth shut.

"It was probably better that way, anyhow," Saige mutters as we come to a stop after Coach blows his whistle.

THERE SHE GOES AGAIN!!!! My subconscious screams as I whip my head up, glaring at Saige. A month ago, I probably would have let the comment slide. But now, things are different. I don't know exactly what's changed with me, but something has. And now there's absolutely no way I'm going to let someone who is supposed to be my friend talk to me like that.

"What the hell do you mean by that, Saige?" I snap rather loudly, hands on my hips.

Saige looks smug as she holds my stare, biting back what looks like a smirk. "It's just, parties aren't really your thing, Mia. I kinda didn't even notice that you'd left. Emmie and I actually forgot to check for you before we left. We were already gone when we noticed you were missing."

Whatever defiance—whatever fight—I had in me moments before disappears. Suddenly, I feel just like the old me. I feel like a shy, invisible girl who doesn't know how to speak her mind. Because what Saige just said hurt. Badly. And by the look on her face, I know she meant for it to.

I don't know why she's been acting this way toward me lately. Saige and I have known each other since preschool. We've always been friends. We've never intentionally hurt each other. But then again, she's not used to me being this way. She's not used to saying one of her mean bitchy comments and actually getting a response. Out of the two of my friends, Saige has always been the most pushy. And now that I'm pushing back, she doesn't like it.

And she can shove that attitude up her fucking ass.

"Hey!" Emmie snaps, glaring at Saige as she crosses her arms over her chest. It's not like Emmie to jump into the middle of a fight, but I'm kind of glad she does. "That was way harsh, Saige! And not even true!" There's a fire in her eyes I've never seen her regard anyone but her mother with. Emmie turns to me, gentler than she was toward Saige.