“Penelope wait!”

“WHAT!” I shout

“Just listen to me please.”

My pace is still fast and steady, I can see my sticker filled bumper just a few feet away. I dig into my bag without looking and click my car keys. My car responds and I start to do a jog.

“Penelope STOP.”

“FUCK OFF VANESSA”

I can hear her footsteps getting close to mine, soon she grabs my wrist.

“Let go of me”

“Just fucking listen to me!”

Annoyed I stop and face her, Vanessa’s pale skin is a rosy red. Her brown hair is frizzy and her eyes are locked on me. I pull my wrist away and shove them in my sweatpants.

“Speak Vanessa.”

“I know you got my text.”

My heart sinks and I begin to bite the inside of my cheek. The pounding in my chest starts to get louder. It almost feels like I can’t breathe.

“I am not going to let you talk about her like that. How dare you accuse her or even try to prove you know her better than me.”

“She’s not who she says she is!” Her tone is sharp.

I laugh. Oh yeah? Tell me then. Who she is. Who is the real Olivia Blake.”

“She’s not the best friend you think she is.”

I roll my eyes and scoff.

“Vanessa please. You’ve been apart of our group for what? 2 years? and you think you can tell me you know her better than me? That’s my best friend since middle school. Get out of my way”

I shove past her and open my car door, Vanessa slams it shut.

“She’s a liar and she’s not your best friend.

“She’s sleeping with your girlfriend and I can prove it” her words come out fast and stab me in the chest.

“she’s what?”

“I’m sorry. Liv is sleeping with Emma, and they have been for a while.”

My eyes begin to sting and I’m choking on my sobs.

“I Have to go.” I open the car door, slam it shut, start my car and speed off. I can hear Vanessa voice fading away over the music. My heart is racing and the tears stream down my face. the lines on the road begin to blur and I can no longer see. I hit my signal and pull over, I need to numb this pain the best way I know how. I pull out the tinfoil in my glove Compartment, grab my straw and go to town. I watch as the white powder turns to black and fill my lungs with something ungodly. the images of liv and Emma soon fade and I feel nothing but tingles running through my veins. I’m floating and I can continue the drive home. the music is loud and soon my saddness morphs into something else. I drive pass my house and pull into liv’s driveway. the car barely stops before I storm to the front door. with Molly in my lungs I feel confident and brave in this choice. my fist pounds on her door giving less of a fuck if her uptight mother is home. Her dog scratches at the door and then it opens.

“Hey pen! uh liv didn’t say you were coming over. but uh she’s upstairs.”

“Thanks Ben” I give a jittery grin and brush by him.

I head upstairs and open the door. Liv is on her bed typing away on her laptop, books spread everywhere. She barely breaks contact with her screen to look at me.

unable to control myself I slam the laptop shut.

“Bitch what the fuck. I didn’t save that, it’s due in an hour.”

“Maybe you can screw someone to get it done.”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean you’ve done it before. maybe Callie will do it for you.”

“Penelope what is your issue.”

“you’re my fucking issue. You heartless fucking bitch.”

Liv face twitches. “heartless? what could I have done to you to be heartless?”

“you can never let anything just be fucking mine. I’ve shared everything since 3rd grade & now you go a fuck my girlfriend.”

“Maybe you should lay off the dope pen. It’s starting to make you paranoid.”

I slam her bedroom door shut. How dare she bring my shadow into this.

“Don’t even fucking go there liv. You know what you did. Tell me you fucked her.”

liv snickers. “Look She was crying over you and drugs so I..”

“Ate her out to feel better? Fuck you liv”