Betrayed

Chapter 1

I still remember the day Lindsay and I met. We were both freshmen in high school and both of our friends who usually sat next to us were sick. Lindsay came up to me that day and asked if she could sit next to me and the rest was history.

From that moment on, we became inseparable and our bond can best be described as that of sisters. No matter what, we would always be there for each other.

After graduating from high school, we decided to go to the same college because we couldn't go a day without seeing each other. Even though we chose two different majors, we still saw each other every day.

I made other friends, but I never got as close to them as I did to Lindsay. She was always there to help me, pointing out my mistakes and warning me about people trying to use me for their own gain. We made sure that no one could use us to copy our homework or take advantage of us in a group project. And whenever I had doubts about making new friends, Lindsay would remind me that I had her.

We were inseparable until Lindsay had to move to London. Her parents got divorced and Lindsay had no choice but to go with her mother and brother.

I still don't know exactly what happened between her and her father, but Lindsay was very clear that she had no choice but to move across the country. Her mother could get a great job there and it would be stupid to turn it down, even if it meant leaving Sweet Lake City.

I was devastated and felt left behind as she said goodbye at the airport. But I pulled myself together as Lindsay walked through the gates without looking back. If she could stay strong, so could I.

Besides, our bond was as strong as ever. During her first week in London, Lindsay kept in touch by text, sending me messages so often it felt like she was with me all the time.

She asked about my day, who I had spoken to and if I had made any new friends since she left, as if anyone could replace her!

But her messages became less and less as she went off to college in London. She said she was just getting used to a new environment and had a lot of catching up to do at school, having moved in the middle of a term. I understood that, but I didn't understand why she refused my calls when I tried to reach her after school.

I was hurt at first, but decided to give her space to settle into the new city. Which wasn't so hard after I got in touch with two other girls I knew from high school.

Elina and Jessica were in the same class as Lindsay and me, but I was always distant from them because of Lindsay. She could get quite jealous of me if I started hanging out with other girls who weren't good enough to be my friends. But Elina and Jessica seem to be just fine!

The girls would take me out for drinks after school to catch up, and for the first time since Lindsay moved away, I was really enjoying myself with other people.

As Lindsay continued to build her life in London, I got to know Elina and Jessica better. They were really fun to hang out with and it made me wonder why Lindsay never really let me hang out with them at school.

When I asked the girls about it, Elina said that Lindsay was actually afraid of losing me, not the other way around. I just let it go, surely my best friend knew I would always be there for her, as we had made that promise years ago!

The girls really cared about me and made sure I had enough to do so that I did not miss Lindsay too much when she was distant again. They would reassure me that it had nothing to do with me. They were right, because Lindsay contacted me and invited me to stay with her in London! She wanted to show me what her life was like since she had moved there. I wanted to go, but not alone. So Elina and Jessica joined me on the weekend trip to London.

I was happy to have some company on the trip to London, but Lindsay had the whole weekend off while we were there.

I'm still not sure if it had anything to do with us. When I saw that she had also started a relationship with a famous singer, it was understandable that her world had been turned upside down as she was still settling in with her mother and brother.

Elina, Jessica and I decided to give both Lindsay and her new relationship the benefit of the doubt, even though they had only known each other for two weeks. I didn't dare ask her if she was making the right decision by moving so quickly, as she had enough on her mind with her parents' divorce. And I had a great time in London with Elina and Jessica, even though Lindsay didn't really join us, spending most of her days at her boyfriend's.

We tried to see Lindsay once a month for several months, while trying to keep up with school and plan our future.

Until a few months ago. When Elina, Jessica and I went to visit Lindsay after the holidays, we were greeted by Lindsay's mother and brother. Apparently Lindsay had been on holiday with her famous boyfriend and hadn't bothered to tell us.

My calls went unanswered and I still don't know why Lindsay would leave me after everything we've been through.

Lindsay got back to me after her holiday and said she hadn't realised I wanted to come over because I seemed to be having so much fun with my other friends. So when her boyfriend suggested they go to the Caribbean, she thought I wouldn't mind.

I have felt guilty ever since, but both Elina and Jessica talked me out of it when I told them about the conversation.

They immediately cut off all contact with Lindsay, saying that she would never change and that they wanted nothing to do with her until she actually made an effort to visit us instead.

They tried to convince me to do the same, and although I have tried to keep my distance from Lindsay, she keeps coming back to ask me when I am visiting again.

I can't just throw away my friendship with her after all this time. So I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and visit her one last time to show Elina and Jessica that it was all a big misunderstanding last time.

I never thought I'd go to London alone, as Lindsay always reminded me how dependent I am. I will always need to rely on other people, but this solo trip has gone quite well!

I have also been doing well at school since she left. Now that Elina and Jessica are studying different subjects and we see each other maybe twice a month for work experience, I can say that I am becoming quite independent! Which is good, because we'll all be graduating in a few weeks and I won't always be able to rely on them.

Maybe this trip isn't just to prove to Elina and Jessica that my friendship with Lindsay is genuine, but also to show my best friend that I'll be fine and she shouldn't worry so much about me. She lives her life here in London, so why shouldn't I be allowed to live mine back in Sweet Lake City?

I feel my nerves getting the better of me as I arrive at King's Cross station and have to walk through London for another twenty minutes before I arrive at Lindsay's flat.

'Please, Lin,' I sigh as the building comes into view and I see a light on on the sixth floor. 'Don't let me down.'