Over the past few weeks, our small group had grown to include Charlie and Gabe.
Izzy, Charlie, Gabe, and I now shared lunch periods, but things were far from peaceful.
"So, Eve, how was your weekend?" Charlie asked, her tone dripping with faux sweetness.
"It was good," I replied cautiously, knowing that Charlie didn't actually care at all.
"That's nice," she said, her eyes flicking to Izzy.
"Izzy and I had a great time at the beach. It was so fun."
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my cool. "Glad you had fun," I said, forcing a smile.
Izzy looked at me apologetically, but before she could say anything, Charlie continued, "You know, Izzy, you should have invited Eve. It would've been nice for her to join us."
Izzy opened her mouth to respond, but I cut in, "It's fine. I had other plans."
Charlie's smirk only grew. "Oh, right. With Gabe, I assume?"
Gabe, who was sitting next to me, shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, we hung out," he said, trying to deflect the tension.
As the days passed, the subtle digs from Charlie became more frequent. Her body language spoke volumes – the way she'd lean into Izzy, her touch lingering a bit too long, her flirtatious smiles. I could see the way she was trying to edge me out, but I didn't want to let her win.
A week later, Izzy texted me. Charlie had asked Izzy to hang out after school at Cane's, and Izzy invited me along, suggesting I bring Gabe.
** text messages **
Eve: Why are you always hanging out with Charlie? It's weird. You barely invite me to hangout anymore. 😭
Izzy: She's just a friend, Eve. Come on, it'll be fun. 😁
Eve: Fine. Gabe's coming too. 😒
* 30 minutes later *
Gabe and I arrived at Cane's a little late. When we walked in, I saw Izzy and Charlie already at a table. They were laughing, and I felt a pang of jealousy twist in my gut. We ordered our food, but Charlie paid for everyone except me. To make matters worse, Izzy had left her wallet at home.
"I'm so sorry, Eve. If I knew she was going to do that, I would have brought my wallet." Izzy said, looking genuinely apologetic.
"It's fine," I muttered, paying for my own food.
We sat down, and the conversation shifted to homecoming, which was only a few weeks away.
"I can't wait for homecoming," Charlie said excitedly. "I already have an idea for my dress."
"I saw this beautiful dress online," I said, trying to join the conversation. "It's perfect."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, I'm sure whatever I pick out will be better."
I stared at her, my face going stale. I was so fed up with her constant undermining. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, and I stood up, intending to leave.
But then I felt Izzy's hand under the table, gently inching toward my thigh. She squeezed it slightly, rubbing soothing circles that sent shivers up my spine.
(I was gonna make it more interesting for everyone, but just read a different wattpad story about Izzy today so I literally can't take any more of this. Plus I already almost die writing the stuff that I have written previously so PLEASE 🙏 stay with me. AND YK I GOTTA PLUG THE TIKTOK‼️‼️ SO FOLLOW @SATIRE.STORIES. IM GONNA START POSTING STORY UPDATES AND STUFF ONCE I GET MORE FOLLOWERS 😘... i'll follow back too, but anyways back to the story)
"Guys, I think I've had enough for tonight," Izzy said, sensing my distress. "We should get going. There's a storm coming soon."
Charlie frowned. "But we just got here!"
Izzy stood firm. "I think it's best we head out."
Gabe nodded, sensing the awkwardness. "Yeah, let's go."
Charlie huffed but got up anyway. "Fine, whatever. Be like that."
As we walked out, Charlie turned to Izzy. "Do you need a ride home?"
Izzy shook her head. "No, I'll drive Eve home."
Charlie rolled her eyes and walked away. "See you always chose her and it's so annoying, but whatever."
Once in the car, Izzy asked, "Do you want to drive home, or should I?"
"You can drive," I replied, sinking into the seat. "I'm not in the mood, and I'm not comfortable driving in the storm."
Izzy nodded, understanding. As she drove us home in silence, the storm started to pick up outside. The tension from the evening hung heavy between us, but I was too drained to address it.
As we pulled up to a red light, Izzy turned to me. "Eve, I know you're upset."
I sighed. "It's just... Charlie. She's always throwing shade, and it feels like you're always with her."
Izzy reached over, taking my hand. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you feel that way."
I looked at her, the sincerity in her eyes calming me slightly. "I know. It's just hard."
"We'll figure it out," she said softly. "I promise."
As we sat in the car, the rain tapping against the windows, I let myself believe her words.
