“Kassie.“ My name dripped down her strawberry stained lips and settled in the air like a slur. “Kassie,” she spat, “Kassie, you disappeared for three and a half years. You cut contact with everyone for three and a half years. Do you understand what I'm saying?”

“I'm sorry.”

“I'm sorry? I'm sorry! Kassie Smith, I thought you were dead! I thought you finally ended that pathetic life of yours, but no, here you are, alive and well, three and a half years later!” Her voice raised and raised until she screeched out and shook the room. “Can you explain where, where in the world you succumbed away for for three and a half years?!”

“College, I was at college.”

“I” her voice trembled out and her fire, flaming and high only seconds ago, died out in an instant, “I can't play pretend with you anymore. We can't keep on like this. I mean really, Kassie, college?” Her platinum blond hair swayed along as she wrapped herself around me. I closed my eyes, letting the tears squeeze away and dance down my cheeks. Hot air tingled into my ears, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” I squeezed back, and for a second, though it felt longer at the moment, everything was okay again.

“I'm glad you're back from college.”

“I'm glad I'm back too.”

And everything was back to normal, leaving the salty lies to fade into reality as they always had.