Things change. If there's one thing I have learned in all my years of being alive, things change. People change. Especially those who you love. You just get a choice of whether you change with them. And if you don't, you'll learn how that turned out for me.
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"Maeve, where the fuck are you?" The voice was so loud I almost cringed. If I had known she would be yelling I wouldn't have answered the damn phone.
"Jesus Rhi you're bursting my eardrums hear shut up a bit would ya?"
"Well, where are you whore?"
"I'm almost at school, as a couple of minutes away."
"Well hurry up."
"I'm doing my best Rhi."
"If you're not at my locker in five minutes then you can walk to class by yourself, got it?"
"Yes, mum."
"Fuck off."
"The comparison is uncanny."
"No, it's not, your mum is a bitch." I can hear the arrogance in her voice down the receiver.
"I rest my case," I mutter under my breath.
"What? I can't hear you."
"Nothing. I'm hanging up now." I told her shortly.
"Don't forget to" I cut her off and hung up the phone. She called again and I ignored it. I would see her in two minutes, I don't understand why she needs to confirm that I still exist every five seconds. God, she could be a pain. Still, she was the only friend I had at my shit poor excuse of a school.
The bus pulled up and I made my way into my second home. Past the tall wrought iron gates and the administration building. The yellowing paint was flaking and had too many stains and scrapes to count. I couldn't wait until I got out of here. The end of every day felt like a dream to leave only to have that dream ripped away upon re-entry the next day. Well, only a year and a half to go. Until my school education was complete and I could go waste my life in the big wide world. What fun to look forward to.
The rest of that day went by in a blur. The same boring classes with the same boring people. Rhiannon continued to blabber away about all her problems and I pretended to care like the good follower that I was. I hated what I had become under her influence. I swear one of these days I was going to crack and she would get an earful. After I'm gone I don't know who she will have. She has managed to push piss off every other group in our year. Oh well, that's her problem.
She never used to be like this. I still remember when we were 10 and would always sit at the same spot in the playground to sit, under the slide so we could watch the boys play soccer. Everything was so much simpler then. Now Rhiannon just had a habit of fucking every boy that came within ten feet of her. I can't talk though. I had been through just as many boys and girls, none of them was quite good enough to keep around long enough to date though. That doesn't bother me though. I rather like the idea of always being alone. At least then no one would bother you.
As Rhi and I grew up together, I noticed the changes she went through. She became more arrogant and demanding and always would make a big deal out of everything. Her divorced parents struggled to deal with her frequent mood swings and she was a regular at the counsellor's office. I can't remember when she became a nuisance to me. I barely remember when she wasn't a burden. She made me stress about everything. My mental health was declining because I felt like I could never get a break from her. The nights spent crying because I felt unwanted were taking a toll on my grades. I needed to get loose of her. In any way possible. If I didn't do it soon, I might never be free.
So I made a promise to myself. I had to separate myself from Rhiannon for the sake of my mental health. And so the next day I did just that.
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"I'm going to the canteen." Rhi looked at me expectantly.
"Have fun then. " I started walking away.
"So get your ass over here and walk with me."
"No." I looked at her indignantly.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to Rhiannon. Can't you understand that? No, you can't because in your entire annoying existence no one has ever said no to you. And I didn't because I was your friend, but I'm just so sick of it. So sick of you always ordering me around, and not once have I ever heard a please or thank you come out of that selfish mouth of yours." I snapped at her.
"Mauve wha-"
"I'm not finished." I cut her off.
"At this point, I'm just your bitch. Mauve do this, Mauve do that. Mauve holds my hand while I piss." My outburst had started to draw a crowd.
"Rhiannon I don't even remember the last time I looked at you and was generally happy to see you. I put on this fake smile every day but you are the reason I'm depressed and can barely do anything anymore. My mental health has been shit and you have no idea. I'm hurting so much but there's no way you could know that because you never ask me how I'm doing. It's always about Rhiannon and her nails or her hair or the stupid boys she fucked." Tears had started to run down her face, but I still wasn't done.
"And it's no wonder you have no other friends. Everyone hates you because your just a fucking bitch. A selfish, lying bitch with a massive ego." I took a deep breath.
"So congratulations. You have now just lost your last friend. Have fun trying to find new ones because I bet you no one else in this hell hole of a school can stand to be near you for more than 5 minutes."
I stepped back. There was now a massive circle of onlookers. Rhiannon was openly bawling. I had no sympathy for her, I was so done. I stared unempathetically at her.
"Wh- why?" She stuttered between sobs. I glared at her.
"Rhiannon there was a time when you were a sweet kid. Now I don't know what happened but you changed. A lot. And I was still the same as I always was. There was a time when somebody would mention you and I would get happy on the inside. But that time is so far gone, can barely remember it." I shook my head starting to turn. She dashed forward and grabbed my arm.
"Please, please Mauve just give me another chance. Why won't you give me another chance?" She wailed at me. I scoffed at her.
"Rhiannon, I've lost track of the changes I've given you. I've been holding my feelings in for too long, and it only hurt me the longer I was with you. I'm sorry but don't ever talk to me again."
I pulled my arm out of her grip and started to push my way through my fellow student. The crowd parted as I moved away.
"But WHY?" She called out after me.
"Because one day your name didn't make me smile anymore. And that was when I should have ended our friendship, your lucky it lasted this long."
And with those final words, I turned and ran.
