P O S T E D ✓

Gossip Girls

⌨

I sat in the beanbag chair in Penny's basement and clutched a can of Sprite in my hand, the condensation dribbling down the sides and yet I didn't make a move to put it down or to drink from it. It was stuck midair. I had planned on taking a sip when I picked it up, but then I got sidetracked thinking about my conversation with Sarah.

I had called her as soon as I had gotten home yesterday from my coffee with Issac. I had apologized for ignoring her and she had apologized again for the way she had acted that night when she picked me up.

The conversation had been going too well. I had told her about Issac and how I had met up with him at The Bean and that he was going to be coming to school on Monday. I mentioned how I had bumped into Liana and what a mess that had been. It was like nothing had ever happened and then I shifted the conversation onto her about how I had missed her while we weren't talking. 

"How are you and Dillon?" I asked and she had gone silent for a moment.

"We're good." She had replied and I could hear the false sense of calm in her voice.

"Just good? Are you okay Sarah? You've been acting strange recently. You know you can tell me anything don't you?" I prompted trying to see if she would let anything spill about what was wrong with her.

I was determined to find out.

I wasn't letting it go anymore. I wanted to help my friend, that's what best friends as for.

"I'm fine." She snapped back defensively, then a little more calmly "We're fine. I've just been a little stressed with PREP and stuff that's all." I felt the sting at her tone of voice. I was only trying to help.

"Whatever I was only trying to be nice, Sarah."

She sighed.

"I'm sorry Monty, I didn't mean to yell it's just..."

I thought I heard her sniff on the other end of the line and when she spoke again her voice sounded thick, "I've just been so tired and I might be getting sick or something. I better go, see you on Monday."

And with that she had hung up on me. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye back.

The defensiveness to her reply when I asked about her and Dillon was weird, almost like I had accused her of something and then it sounded like she was trying not to cry when I had been hurt at her being so cold to me. It didn't make sense.

I let out a sigh.

I would see her tomorrow in school.

It was Sunday and I was at Penny's house with Christina and Liana. Penny had called me over to hang out and I liked Penny so I said I would. I had nothing else to do since despite patching up our argument, Sarah and I still didn't seem exactly right.

Honestly though after doing our nails and putting on a movie, I had kind of zoned out of the conversation Penny, Christina and Liana were having. I wasn't interested in the latest fad that they found amusing and I was distracted.

Sarah and Issac and Harrison.

When I arrived Liana acted like nothing had happened yesterday. She pretended as though she hadn't threatened me and I did the same because I didn't know what else would take her side. They had been friends with Liana a lot longer than they had been friends with me.

"Hey Mons?" Penny called and I blinked, realizing I had been staring blankly at the TV screen where Mean Girls was playing, but I hadn't been picking up a single thing. I looked over at Penny. Her hair was in two curly space buns and her face devoid of makeup, yet she looked flawless anyway in her yoga pants and singlet with a bright orange sports bra underneath. It was a girl's day, no need to get fancy, we were all in similar attire.