Full Strength

Two-Lillian ❤️‍🩹

        "Look, Jade, you've used an entire box of tissues. Is he really that worth it?" I asked.

        "I don't know!" she wailed, fumbling her fingers as she pried at the newest box of tissues.

        "No, he is not," I said firmly. "I don't know any man who is worth a whole box of tissues."

        "It's not just him," she sobbed, finally tearing the seal. "It's-it's...it's everything! It's three years of memories! It's my whole world!"

        "Again, I don't know any man who could ever be the whole world," I reminded her.

        Jade blew her nose. "You remember the time he bought me that ball gown because I told him my dream was to be a princess when I grew up?"

        "Would a true prince ever cheat on his princess?" I countered.

        "I suppose not," she admitted tearily.

        "Exactly," I said, confident in my dismissal of Trevor Mason. While I'd never had any direct disliking for him, seeing him kissing another girl at the coffee shop down the street had not exactly won me over.

        "I hate him so much," Jade said bitterly, sadly staring into her glass of wine.

         "Me too. But we're better than him. Literally, anyone is better than him. Well, maybe not anyone." I was rambling, probably because of the alcohol. "Point is, he sucks! Right?"

        "Right!" Jade cheered, then started sobbing again. I sighed, leaning over and hugging her shoulders.

        "Men are terrible," she cried.

        "I know, Jade, really," I soothed. "That's why we have best friends, because we're loyal no matter what."

       "I bet he's off with a new girl already," she choked out. "Am I so easily forgettable that he can leave me after three years?"

        "Jade, listen to me," I said sternly. "He would leave anyone. It's not you. He's going to leave a dozen more girls before he dies, because that's the kind of dirtbag he is."

She hiccuped.

"You are gorgeous, and smart, and funny, and so adorable that it's an honor to be your best friend," I said, handing her a glass of water.

"Thank you, Lil," she sniffled. "You're a good friend."

         "Of course I am." Better than Trevor. Again, it was hard to be worse than Trevor.

         "We should do something fun," Jade said soggily, clearly fighting her sadness. "Like...sing? Or...dance?"

         Fun things sounded fun. "Let's dance on your bed," I said, crawling to my feet and tripping on the blankets.

         "Lillian, we can't, you're not supposed to dance on beds," Jade protested, even though she was slowly getting to her feet as well.

"Yes you can! We're grownups," I insisted. "We can do what we want!"

"YES! Like dance!" She jumped. "And hang out!" Another jump. "And yell!" Another jump. "And dump worthless losers!"

"Yes! All those things!" I said encouragingly, grabbing her hands. We bounced and tripped for a moment, snatching each other for support. Giggling, we decided to fall down and collapse into the sheets.

My phone went off, a faint buzz in the commotion. Jade heard it, tumbling over me to pluck it off the nightstand.

"No! Jade!" I yelped, tugging on her ankle somewhat uselessly. Her birthday was coming up, and I'd recently asked her sister what plans were already in place. I really hoped it wasn't her sister.