Shadows Of The Past

Chapter 10: Shared Frustrations

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke, her voice laced with frustration. "I don’t really like the group of Taryn, Dyla, and Selie. I’ve been feeling this way for a while now."

Her words surprised me. I knew Luna had her reservations about certain people, but I hadn’t realized it ran this deep. "Why? What's been bothering you?"

"It’s like they’re doing partiality," she said, her expression hardening. "I hate that feeling of being on the outside, like they have this inner circle that I’ll never be part of. And Selie… she’s the worst. She’s so cold, Zara. It’s like she’s the one who decides who’s in and who’s out. I feel like she’s the one doing the most partiality."

I could see the hurt and frustration in Luna's eyes. She wasn't someone who opened up easily about these things, so I knew this had been weighing on her for a while.

"I’m really sorry you feel this way," I said gently, reaching out to touch her hand. "It must be tough dealing with that. Have you tried talking to them about it?"

Luna shook her head. "I don’t think it would change anything. It’s just how they are. I’ve thought about distancing myself, but... I don’t know. It’s complicated."

"I get it," I nodded, understanding the dilemma. "But remember, you’re not alone in this. We can figure it out together, and if you ever need to step back from them, you’ve got me here."

Luna smiled weakly, appreciating the support. "Thanks, Zara. It’s just good to have someone to talk to about it. I hate feeling like this, but I didn’t want to keep it bottled up any longer."

Hearing Luna's confession left me stunned. I hadn’t expected her to feel so strongly about Taryn, Dyla, and Selie. As her words sank in, I found myself processing everything she had said, trying to reconcile it with the image I had of our group. But more than anything, it made me realize that I had been keeping my own secrets for too long.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at Luna, who was watching me with concern in her eyes. "Luna, there's something I need to tell you too," I began, my voice trembling slightly. "It’s about Taryn... and what really happened between us."

Luna’s expression shifted to one of curiosity and worry. "What do you mean?"

I hesitated for a moment, gathering the courage to finally share what I had kept hidden for so long. "Taryn and I were really close, as you know, but things changed... drastically. It all started when—" I paused, struggling to find the right words. "When Taryn said something that really hurt me, something that made me question our entire friendship."

As I recounted the events that led to the rift between Taryn and me, Luna listened intently, her eyes widening with each detail. I told her everything—how Taryn's words had cut deep, how I had felt betrayed by someone I thought I could trust completely. I shared the pain of realizing that the bond I had cherished was not as solid as I believed.

When I finally finished, Luna was in shock. She sat there, staring at me with disbelief written all over her face. "I can’t believe Taryn would say something like that to you," she whispered, shaking her head. "After all that time, after how close you were... how could she?"

Her reaction mirrored my own feelings when it had all happened. The hurt, the confusion, the sense of betrayal—it all came rushing back, but this time, I felt a strange sense of relief in finally sharing it with Luna.

"I didn’t know how to tell you," I admitted. "I didn’t want to burden you with it, especially since you were already dealing with your own feelings about the group. But after what you said, I realized that I needed to be honest with you."

Luna reached out and took my hand, her grip reassuring. "I’m glad you told me, Zara. You shouldn’t have had to go through that alone. We’ve both been dealing with a lot, but at least now we know the truth about each other’s struggles."

After Luna finished processing everything I had told her, I felt a surge of emotion—relief, frustration, and a sense of solidarity. For the first time, I realized that we weren't alone in feeling this way about the group. It was time to be completely honest.

"I have to admit something too, Luna," I said, breaking the silence that had settled between us. "I don’t like their group either. They sometimes exclude us, and it’s always so subtle, but it’s there. I think it’s all because of Taryn."

Luna nodded, her eyes narrowing in agreement. "She’s the one holding that group together. It’s like she’s pulling all the strings, and Jessica and Selie... they’re just going along with it."

"Exactly," I continued, feeling the words rush out now that I had started. "Jessica and Selie—they’re not bad people. But they’re being controlled by Taryn. She’s the one making all the decisions, setting the tone, deciding who’s in and who’s out. And we’ve been on the outside for too long."

Luna sighed, leaning back in her chair as if the weight of our shared frustrations had lifted slightly. "I’ve felt that way for a while, but I didn’t know if it was just me being paranoid. It’s so good to hear you say it too."

"You're not alone in this," I assured her. "I’ve noticed it too, and I’ve tried to ignore it, thinking it would get better. But it hasn’t. If anything, it’s gotten worse."

We exchanged a look of mutual understanding. This wasn’t just about feeling excluded—it was about realizing that our friendship had been manipulated by someone who valued control over connection.

"What do we do now?" Luna asked, her voice filled with determination.

I thought for a moment, then replied, "We stick together. We can’t let Taryn’s influence get between us. If they want to play their games, let them. But we don’t have to be part of it."

Luna smiled, the first genuine smile I’d seen from her all day. "You’re right. We’ve got each other, and that’s more important than being part of their group."

In that moment, I knew that our friendship had grown stronger. We had found common ground in our frustrations, and more importantly, we had made a pact to support each other, no matter what Taryn or anyone else did. And that was something Taryn could never take away from us.

(To be continued)

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