nothing lasts - b.e

|21|

TW - MENTIONS OF SH

Whatever happy facade Billie had on when we went to the movies was long gone by Monday. She was on my drive four minutes earlier than usual, waiting for me impatiently before berating me as soon as I stepped foot in her car.

"Why can't you just come out on time for once?" She snapped as I shut the door, taking me by surprise.

"Well good morning to you too, Eilish".

"No seriously, I have practice at 8 am, I cannot be late because of your dawdling".

"Well Billie maybe if you'd informed me that you'd be here even earlier than normal instead of assuming I can just read your mind then maybe I would've been out on time", I responded, not in the mood for a pointless bicker this morning, "Besides, it is 7.28 am! I live 10 minutes away from school, I am not making you late".

Billie just shook her head with a small huff as she pulled out of my drive, and I looked at her properly for the first time this morning.

Her expression was guarded and tense, yet her paler complexion and twitching left eyebrow made it clear that she was not this worked up over me being 'late'.

Trying to light up the mood, I reached my hand out to turn on the car radio, only to feel a strong grasp on my wrist.

"What the hell is your problem?" I shook Billie's hand off of me with a scoff.

"No music", is the only response I received.

"No I'm being serious, what is your fucking problem this morning?"

"I haven't got a problem", she responded bluntly, her eyes on the road, "Please stop talking to me".

"Whatever", I mumbled, turning my body so I was facing the window.

•

When we pulled up at school, Billie practically leaped out of the car, heading towards the auditorium where practice was held, all whilst completely ignoring Odessa who was standing near the car waiting to greet her.

Her expression fell slightly at Billie's rejection but lightened up again when she saw me.

"Hey Zira! How are you this morning?" She spoke cheerily.

"I would say good, but that car journey sucked the life out of me", I responded, referencing Billie's mood, "I don't know what her problem is today".

"Don't take it personally, she always gets super stressy when the games are about to start", Odessa tries to reassure me.

"Yeah well that doesn't mean she can just lash out on anyone, anyway it was mean of her to ignore you like that, you're her best friend".

"I know, but I'm a bit much, everyone says it, and sometimes she's not in the mood to deal with me smothering her and that's perfectly okay", Odessa smiles.

I felt my heart pang slightly as I came the realization of how good of a friend Odessa really was, even if Billie didn't necessarily deserve it.

"Why is she so stressed out about the games anyway? She's not competing", I immediately regret the words that come out of my mouth realising I'm downplaying cheerleading once again, and in front of another cheerleader but Odessa doesn't seem to take any offense.

"She's a perfectionist, she always has been, don't worry about it, she'll be okay after the first couple games", Odessa smiles at me, "Anyway, like I said, she's always like this when the games roll around"

"Don't you think it's a bit much?" I ask, I was genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of anyone who was going to have to put up with her in this mood.

Odessa sighs slightly, her cheerful expression dropping briefly, "It's just the way she is, you learn to work with it... besides this year has been hard on her, I don't blame her for acting out a little more than usual", She explains, looking down at the ground for a second before glancing up at me again, her cheerful expression back in place, "Anyway, enough with the gloomy
talk, I really better be heading to practice though, so I'll see you later"