How can I fly away from him when he is the one that clipped my wings?
Girl meets boy.
Boy and girl become childhood friends.
Girl and boy fall in love.
Boy cheats on girl in last year of college and breaks her heart.
It's the same tragic story that'...
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One Year Ago
For the first time in my entire life, I struggle to leave the safety and comfort of the strange bed I've been sleeping in for the last two days. Outside of here, I have to face the humiliation of everyone knowing that Keaton cheated on me. I'm sure it didn't come as a surprise to anyone else though, considering they've all been side-eyeing Keaton and Rianna's friendship not long after it started. Climbing out of here means facing another day of knowledge that the boy I've been stupidly in love with betrayed me in the most horrendous way possible.
Does Amelia know that she's got dirty fingerprints on this wall? She should really wash those off.
The burning in my eyes forces me to finally blink.
I suppose I should be thankful the asshole screwed her on a Friday because it gave me two days to recover before having to face all my classmates again. I've had two days to prepare for the whispers and the pitying looks.
There's a soft knock on the door and then Amelia is pushing it open. She steps in and her eyes roll over me; her face carefully blank as she takes in the messy state I'm in. Her icy-blue eyes become glossy, but she doesn't let them fall, which I'm grateful for. I cry enough at night.
Amelia takes a seat on the bed. "It's Monday, which means we have to, unfortunately, head to campus for class. I know it's the last thing you want to do right now, but I also know that you'll kick yourself in the ass if you fall behind this close to graduation. I can't help you with your heart, Char, but I can help with this. What do you say about hopping in the shower and then doing your makeup and hair? I'll grab you the sexiest school-appropriate outfit I can find between our closets. We'll load you up on armor so that they don't get the satisfaction of seeing this version of you. That's what they want. They want to see you bleeding out at their feet." She pauses and gets lost in thought for a minute before finishing softly, "She does anyway."
She's right. Rianna is just waiting to see the damage she's helped cause. After almost three years, she's finally in the spot she's coveted so fiercely. This is what she's been working toward from the moment she became friends with Keaton. If I give her the moment of glory she wants, then she wins, and I'll be damned if I let her have that.
Amelia's lips curl to the side, and she stands, holding her hand out. "There's my best friend."
I know my smile is dimmer than it normally is from the tightness around her mouth, but at least I'm trying.
I'm trying to live.
I'm trying to smile.
I'm trying to fucking breathe.
There's this weight that sits on my chest and it never leaves. It's a reminder that my nightmares are real and that even the people you love the most betray you the worst.
But it also reminds me I'm a lot stronger than I believe I am. It reminds me they have power over me only if I choose for them to have it.
