The Tale of Tara and Emiko

V. Tara

The memory faded away.

I was shocked.

Emiko cheated! She cheated, that was her secret, and I'd found it out!

That wasn't what hurt the most, though. Emiko had apologized for cutting off the friendship back at the bark weeks ago, and yet here she was, inviting me to another party, letting me borrow her clothes, and still pretending she liked me! When would it end? When would she finally come clean-

College. It was all a ruse. She'd say she was going off to some faraway college and disappear off the map. Her parents were never around so there was no one to really look out for her, and despite all the things she'd done to me, all the craftily hidden insults and comments she made when she thought I wasn't there, I still felt bad for her. I felt bad she was leaving, I felt bad she had to lie, I felt bad she didn't consider me as a friend anymore, even though it wasn't my fault and I totally didn't deserve to be friends with someone that evil inside anyways, I still felt bad about her. She was never my friend, I was only a tool to her, and still, how dare I feel sorry for her!

"You cheated." The certainty in my voice surprised me.

Emiko whipped around, terrified. "W-what?"

"You cheated on the entrance exams. That's how you got in. And I don't know who or what gave you the answers, but God help me, I'll find it out if it's the last thing I do." What was I saying?!? I'm not supposed to be causing a scene here, not now, not today!

And yet I had everyone's eyes on me.

Emiko laughed, sounding forced. "Oh Tara, you're so funny! Brilliant idea of a joke, if I say so myself. But come on, it's late, you've had a crazy night, how about we all settle down for some s'mores?"

I wasn't giving up. "You cheated! You said so yourself, at the party a week ago! In the barn, the barn that you burned down with all the evidence inside! You'll get in huge trouble for this, I know it!"

By now Emiko's face was drained of color. She knew people were starting to believe me, and boy, was she mad about it. I was expecting a huge outburst, maybe a temper tantrum, a few curse words if we got unlucky enough.

However, I was not expecting her to push me off my chair right into the deep end of the pool. She grabbed my arms, an enraged look on her face, and shoved me off. I didn't expect her to be that strong, since there were five or six of the athletic boys holding her back, but I guess even the tamest wild cat still has claws.

I was caught off guard by this turn of events and tried in vain to wrestle the heavy denim jacket off to no avail. I wasn't sitting close enough to the fire when it lit, so my fingers were still numb, and the sudden shock of the cold pool water did nothing to help me. Damn, why'd I have to button every single one all the way up to the top? I heard a distant splash of someone jumping into the water after me, but nothing else really mattered more than getting the jacket off before I lost consciousness.

One Week Later

After the party incident, it was decided as a general rule that no one was to speak about the day again. Emiko was expelled due to the fact that whoever gave Emiko the answers confessed.

Today was the last day Emiko was allowed to return to school, just for her to say her goodbyes. Unsurprisingly, no one in the huge crowd of people ten minutes before dismissal stepped forward.

Should I do it?

She didn't deserve to be cared about, not after multiple incidents similar to this one were found at other schools she'd gone to.

I took a step fowards.

"Hey, Emiko? I'm sorry I-"

Without any sort of warning, Emiko lunged towards me and grabbed the collar of my shirt. Gasps and shouts could be heard from the crowd, but there weren't any teachers there for some reason.

"Tara. Gray. This isn't over," she hissed in my ear, her voice dripping with venom. "This isn't over, and when it is, and I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you never met me, you hear that? I'll find you. I'll find you, and I'll make your life a living hell every step of the way. You'll regret ever talking to me, you should have stayed a useless nobody, you should've-"

A security guard pulled Emiko off me. "Come on now, miss, you have to go." The guard was sincere yet stern. Emiko was able to shoot one last dirty look my way before being led into the car.

And I still felt sorry.