6. festering

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           AS MUCH AS ASPEN would love to rot away and form into one with her mattress, FOMO seems to always win.

When she was diagnosed with ADHD they gave her and her mom a list of symptoms, rejection dysmorphia is one of them. Fear of rejection but to an extreme extent at times. Somehow, FOMO—fear of missing out—also comes with that. Or maybe it's her sudden confidence that's convincing her she can talk to Belly and solve all of this.

      That's how she ended up in front of Nicole's house, watching teens spill out from the large home. Aspen is used to the party scene. During the school
year half the school invites her to their birthday parties. Her FOMO is never bad enough then though where she has to drag herself to every party.

      The pillars of the home are wrapped in fairy lights, illuminating the front yard that is also filled with people.

        Aspen takes a deep breath, straightening her short purple dress as she walks the path to the door. She double checks her bag, seeing Belly's gifts sitting in them. If this all goes right, Belly will get the turtle and name it and cherish it.

           Aspen walks into the party, the house vibrating around her.

        Immediately, she spots Jeremiah Fisher on the couch laughing with some people she recognizes. Her eyes bounce around for Theo or Belly. Her heart sinks for a moment but she sees Belly at a table to the right of her filled to the brim with cupcakes and sweets.

           At the table around her is Nicole and her group of girls. The only person there besides Belly that Aspen fully knows is Maggie but she doesn't look all too happy to be near Nicole.

      Slowly, Aspen approaches them as they sing a chorus of happy birthday to Belly. Nicole lights the 1 and 6 candles that sit on top of the pink cake.

         Nicole is trying really hard to make it seem like Belly isn't the bane of her existence and Belly is acting far too naive to realize it.

        "Okay, well, Belly, make a wish!" Nicole sweetly says. Belly thinks for a moment before bending down to blow the candles out.

          Aspen wonders what she wished for. For Aspen to never speak to her again or to somehow see her tonight? If it's the latter, she's about to get her wish in a second. Maggie paints a smile across her face for Belly's sake but it drops when she makes eye contact with Nicole.

          There's no way she's even gonna try and pretend she likes this girl. There's something off about her. Cheers erupt from the girls. Maggie and Aspen let out the same annoyed groan. "Belly, where's Jeremiah?" Gigi asks. "Um, I think he's over by the drinks table," Belly happily replies. "Who's thirsty?" Gigi quirks.

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