Disabled.

Fifteen

*warning: the swear word sh*t is used once*

Fifteen

"I'm sorry," Mandy said, looking directly at Nadia.   

"What?" Nadia immediately asked, feeling as if she had heard her wrong.

Why would Mandy apologize now after everything that she had done?, she thought to herself.

"I'm sorry, Nadia─" 

"What for?" Nadia interjected, noticing Mandy as she tensed up at her cold tone. She watched Mandy as she gulped before speaking.

"I'm sorry for not standing up for you when Chris and Ashley said those things about you." That caused Nadia to laugh mirthlessly. 

"Are you going to act like they were the only ones making fun of me? Like you didn't do anything?" Nadia scoffed.

"But it's true. I never said anything bad about you. Did you ever see me say anything?" Mandy asked. 

Nadia took a few moments to think over her question, coming to the conclusion that she had never actually heard her say anything mean to her. However, she remembered seeing her laugh at something that was said once. And for that, she wasn't sure she could forgive her.

"You may not have said anything but I've seen you laugh at something that someone said," Nadia told her, feeling a lump forming in her throat as her eyes began to sting. She formed a fist with her right hand, making it so tight that she began to feel her nails digging into her palm. 

Mandy stayed quiet for a few moments before she spoke.

"I only laughed because Chris threatened to kick me out of the group and out of the cheerleading team."

"Then why are you telling me this now? Aren't you still afraid of getting kicked out?"

Mandy stayed quiet for some time, causing Nadia to wonder whether their conversation was over or not. She was tempted to turn around and leave. But before she could reach for the push ring on her wheels, Mandy looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"Because I feel bad, okay?

"At first, I thought that if I didn't say anything, I wouldn't have any effect on you. But I realized that by hanging around Chris and Ashley, even though I didn't say anything mean to you, I was still hurting you. And realizing that made me feel like complete sh*t. 

"I don't know if you thought of me as a friend but I did. When you first came to this school, even though you didn't have anybody to call a friend, that didn't stop you from approaching me. I was just the quiet girl in every class that ate lunch alone but you changed that when you came here. And that's something that I will always be grateful for, Nadia. You were the first friend and only friend that I've had since I started high school."

"But how can you treat a friend like that?" Nadia asked, her voice so quiet that she wouldn't have heard herself if they weren't in a secluded area. The bell rang then, signalling that classes had started but the two stayed where they were.

"I don't know what came over me. I guess I really wanted to fit into Chris and Ashley's group. But without you, I never felt accepted. They always reminded me of how I used to get picked on and I thought I would have to hurt someone else to make it in. But I've come to realize that that's not friendship. I'm really sorry Nadia," Mandy bent down to be at Nadia's eye level and held her hand, "I don't know what I can do to gain your forgiveness but I'm truly sorry for acting the way that I did towards you."

Nadia took her hand away from her and wheeled herself back.

"I have to get back to class," she told her.