Alice is popular, boys love her, and even girls love her. And so does her best friend, Irene.
....friends to lovers angst with the pressure from overbearing parents to self discovery
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There's soft beeping in the background. And Irene's blinking her eyes open, observing everything around her. Her hands feel cold, and she can hear faint voices on the other side of the door. Her head is pounding like crazy and beating inside her own brain.
What does she last remember?
Well, she was in the snow, outside of the school. And then Adrian- Oh shit. Adrian. They kissed, and she totally tried to have sex with him in his car, outside the high school, thinking about Alice. Or maybe even not thinking about Alice, just not thinking at all?
But she's thinking now and her head is paying for it. How many kisses has she regretted this year? Too many, for her at least.
She's regretting big time now.
To her right is her mother, on her phone. Does she really want to speak? Her lips are dry and they feel comfortable not talking. Oh well.
"Hey," She croaks out, feeling her throat with her hand.
Her mother glances up briskly. "Oh my god, finally. You had me worried sick Irene, I thought someone hurt you or something! I called out of work the second the hospital called me," Is that really the biggest concern? Her dropping out of work?
"Yeah well, I guess I'm fine, why am I here anyway?"
"Doctors said you had a concussion, and that really nice boy drove you here when he found you. He was so nice I offered him dinner at our house tonight," Irene throws her head back in a groan. "What?"
"That's Adrian, remember the boy I was friends with freshmen year? Before Alice?"
"Oh yes, and you never gave him a chance even though he was so nice-"
"Mom, he and I are and were just friends. So I don't need that from you, not today," Irene sighs, why did her mom have to be the one next to her right now, why not Alice.
Irene's mother stands up, clearing her throat, "I'm right and you know it," I don't, actually, "And also, don't even start with me because you were trying to ditch class. I told the school that it was an appointment and you fell on the way out so that they wouldn't put it on your record but still, not okay."
"It was lunch, mom, and I needed air," Irene says, fidgeting with her fingers.
"There are windows, and water, you do not need air, and you still missed some of your next class," There's silence for a while when nobody speaks. Irene wants to go back to sleep already.
An all-to-familiar blue sweater gets thrown on her legs. "I thought you'd get cold, I stopped by the house to bring you this. I don't recognize it but it was on your bed, looks like something Alice would wear."
Oh for the love of God, could Irene's luck get any worse. "Thanks, mom."
"Oh and clean your room will you, it looks like a disaster, when was the last time you cleaned it?" She looks about ready to leave.
