>>TW: stalking<< “Leave her alone, you assholes!” Audree juked toward the boys who had surrounded Hannah, scaring them off. She turned, helping Hannah back onto her feet. “Are you okay?” Audree asked gently, her face softening from the look she had given the bullies walking away. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Hannah responded shyly, brushing off her jeans “Just a little dirty. Thanks.” “The best way to keep those guys away is be meaner to them than they are to you. They’re a bunch of wussy babies. I’m Audree, by the way. Welcome to middle school hell.” Audree smirked as she stuck out her hand. Hannah smiled and shook it, not bothering to tell her savior that she already knew her name. “I’m Hannah.” ********************************************* “I love this song!!” Audree’s light brown hair swung around Hannah’s dimly lit room. She kept up the white string lights year round ever since Audree mentioned she liked them. Hannah admired the way Audree moved, arms swinging gracefully and hips moving in time. Hannah blew out smoke, adding to the already thick haze. “Here, take another hit, we should get going soon,” Hannah passed Audree the bong and headed to the bathroom. She checked her makeup in the mirror. Making sure she wasn’t followed, she casually picked up Audree’s hairbrush and pulled the hairs out, putting them in one of the many open, half emptied make-up bags littering her vanity. Their sleepovers always left Hannah’s spaces messy and disorganized, but she didn’t mind. She would put up with it to have Audree there, with her. It’s where she belonged, really, Hannah thought as she pulled out a few more strands. “You ready?” Audree called from the bedroom door, keys jingling as she grabbed her purse. Hannah reapplied her lipstick, Audree’s favorite on her, and walked out. “You look fantastic! This is going to be so much fun!” Audree linked her arm through Hannah’s and they went out to the car, buzzing with excitement. “It is always fun with when we are together!” Hannah nuzzled onto Audree’s shoulder, inhaling deeply, subtly enough that she didn’t notice Hannah memorizing her scent. Audree smelled divine. They got in, blaring the music just like they had while getting ready, while Audree drove them to their friends house for a get together. Pulling into the driveway, Hannah noted there were a lot of cars. A lot more than she would have anticipated. “What the hell, what is all this?” Audree just smiled and dragged Hannah out of the car and to the front steps. Hannah started to panic, unsure of what to expect. “Happy sweet 16, Hannah!” Audree probably didn’t mean to sound sultry, but she did. Then she threw open the doors to a loud and messy, “SURPRISE!” To Hannah’s shock, over half their class was crammed into the house. All for her. All from Audree. “Oh, Audree!” Hannah flung her arms around Audree, holding her close. “You are my best, best friend. Thank you!” She took the opportunity to smell her again, so sweet and perfect. She really was the best, always thinking of others. A surprise party! Hannah’s heart swelled to bursting. She was so lucky. “Of course, Hannah! Happy birthday! Now let’s party!” Audree pulled Hannah into the crowd and unknowingly, further into her. Hannah hardly let go of Audree that whole night, keeping her right where Hannah wanted her: as close as possible. ********************************************* “Have you seen my blue sweater? The one I wore to the senior breakfast?” Half of Audree’s closet was strewn around the room while she searched and searched. Hannah, perched on a chair by the window, knew Audree wouldn’t find her sweater. “Is it dirty, maybe? In the laundry?” Hannah said innocently. She kept a neutral face, secretly admiring Audree’s perfect half-dressed figure. “Hmm, maybe. Okay, what should I wear then?” Audree kept her head down, searching, hoping to find inspiration. “Why do you have to go again? I thought we could hang out.” Hannah kept the whine in her voice minimal, only because she knew if she really pushed then Audree would get annoyed and not talk to her for a few days. Hannah couldn’t stand when that happened. Audree paused her rustling, giving Hannah an incredulous stare. “It’s my one year anniversary with Mark, we have had these plans for weeks now, Hannah. It’ll be okay for us not to hang out for one night.” She ended on a chuckle, shaking her head as she resumed looking through her piles of clothes. “Fine, fine.” Hannah conceded, masking her rage at having to share her best friend with someone as plain and unworthy as Mark Spencer. “You should wear your yellow sundress, maybe with your white wedges? That outfit is always super cute on you.” “Oh good idea, thanks Han! Okay, he will be coming to get me soon so I’ll call you tomorrow?” Audree spoke as she turned back into her closet to find the dress. “Yeah, love you.” Hannah stared a little longer since she wasn’t noticed, before going home. Back in her room, she opened her closet and moved the old trifold poster board behind her clothes so she could add another article of Audree’s clothing. A white lacy tank top this time, unwashed and still smelling like her. Hannah reverently placed it by the blue sweater, another tank top, an almost empty tube of red lipstick, and a plastic vase full of used hair ties and clips. On the backside of the poster was lines of hair, taped meticulously straight, just like Audree’s. She rearranged the broken vape pen Audree had thrown away last week next to the broken pencil from the standardized testing they did at the end of junior year. Hannah smiled at the memory: Audree’s frustration at the math section which resulted in the snapping of this very Ticonderoga. Hannah ran her finger down it, brushing against a tampon wrapper she had found in her bathroom trash can. A small jar held used ear swabs, a few disposable eyeshadow applicators, and an empty tube of mascara. Hannah sighed, feeling better. She would have been fine had she just been able to stay with Audree but she knew she couldn’t expect too much right now. Mark may have Audree for the night, but Hannah would have her forever. They were best friends, after all. ********************************************* “We barely even get to see each other anymore, why can’t you stay here for two more nights?” Hannah knew she was close to outright pouting, but ever since Audree left for college, Hannah had been distraught. She could hardly function. She kept her attention on the mirror she sat in front of, finishing her eyeliner with finesse. Audree taught her how to do her makeup very well. It was the first time in months she had even done it, her withdrawal was so great. “Hannah, I also have to spend time with my family, since I also moved away from them.” Audree was using that voice Hannah hated when it was directed at her. The one Audree used on the girls they used to teach at the dance studio when they worked together: gentle and clear, patient and kind. “I’m staying here tonight and all day tomorrow, that will be plenty of time together. And my mom said you could come for Sunday dinner if you would like.” Hannah perked up at this, desperate for an opporunity to add to her still growing, still secret, collection. “Okay fine! Are you ready to head out?” Hannah got to her feet and pulled on her black heels. They were going downtown, dressed to the nines. Audree was stunning in a light blue, short and skin tight spaghetti strap dress. Blue is her color, Hannah marveled. “Yes, let’s go! I have a fifth in the car, we can pregame the bars.” Audree grabbed Hannah’s hand, to her delight, and they hit the town. The night was a blur of drinking, dancing, flirting, mostly with random men, but sometimes with Audree. Hannah hadn’t felt so alive in ages. It was electrifying. Hannah was high and it was all off of Audree. Her best friend forever. Her soulmate, the reason she breathed and the reason she was left breathless. They took an Uber home, with the intent of finding Audree’s car sometime tomorrow. Falling over each other, they giggled up the stairs back to Hannah’s room. Anxiety crawled up her spine as they kicked off their shoes. She didn’t want the night to end. “Can I borrow some pajamas? I totally forgot to bring some,” Audree slurred as she already began taking off her dress. “Yeah, there are some in the closet, help yourself,” Hannah yawned back as she went to the bathroom to pee. “Just don’t use my pink ones, I want those.” Audree didn’t say anything back. “Audree? Did you hear me? Just not the pink ones.” Hannah called from the toilet. She finished and washed her hands. “Audree?” Hannah came around the corner and stilled. “Hannah, what the hell is this?” Audree sounded much more sober from beside the closet. She stood with her dress pulled down around her waist, as if she stopped changing halfway through. The doors were open and the trifold poster board had fallen forward at Audree’s bare feet. She even had light blue toenails, Hannah noted, a little numbly. “What are you talking about?” Hannah tried sounding confused. “The fuck do you mean, what am I talking about, Hannah?! This is a goddamn shrine! And it’s all…all… me!” Audree’s voice stuttered at the end but was getting louder. Angrier. “Is this my thong I thought I lost last summer when we went skinny dipping? What the actual hell, Hannah?!” Audree was pulling her dress back up while she turned to grab her things. “Wait, Audree, don’t leave—“ Hannah started escalating to full panic. She cannot go. “I need to go home, Hannah, that’s just way too much—“ “No!” Audree halted at Hannah’s scream, her bags and heels in her hands. She looked flustered and a little scared as she took in the look on Hannah’s face, crazed in a way she had never seen before. Audree shook her head with resolve and walked out the door. “I have to go,” she said as she made it to the stairs. Hannah followed quickly, grabbing at Audree’s arm, trying to drag her back. Still drunk, Audree lost her balance when she pulled away, losing her footing and tumbled down the stairs. Hannah raced down to her, already crying at the quickly unfolding drama. She scrambled to Audree’s side, pushing the bags out of the way. She was breathing, thank goodness, but she didn’t otherwise move. She must have hit her head in the fall, and was lucky she didn’t break her neck. “Oh. Oh, Audree.” Hannah crawled in close, rocking Audree’s head in her lap, tears flowing freely down her face. “I wish you wouldn’t have seen that. But now, now you know how much you mean to me. How much I love you.” She sniffed as Audree stirred, a soft moan escaping her lips. Hannah brushed her hand over her best friend’s face, moving some strands of hair. “But now, we can stay together. Forever.”