GRIM

GRIM - Part One

Life can go from one extreme to the other.

Like one moment you can be perfectly happy with your life. You can have a couple of close friends. They're the ones that you see always tagged together in photos on Facebook. You'll see them all walking around at the mall drinking their smoothies and trying to keep hold of all their shopping bags while they crack up uncontrollably.

You can also have a boyfriend. The most amazing guy ever with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, which plays football and has muscles that are just perfect. He's the type of guy who doesn't have to work and put effort into his appearance to look good, it just comes naturally. He tries to make you laugh at every moment and takes you out on fun dates.

And that's how life is. Great mates, great boyfriend, a family and a roof over your head.

That's what I had. I know I took it all for granted, looking back at it now. Because suddenly, it all turned to crap.

There was four of us. Leigh, Charlotte, Emma, and me - Harper. We had known each other since we started school. It was the cliché inseparable friendship story. Sure we all had arguments every now and again but we never let anything get between us.

It was about two O'clock on a Saturday afternoon. I was lounging on my bed, texting Aiden about our date plans for later on tonight.

Me and Aiden had only been going out for three months but it had been an amazing three months that had flown by so quickly. In a swirl of movie nights and battling it out on PlayStation, I was completely and undeniably happy. All the girls noticed my dramatic change of mood. It wasn't that I was usually a downer or anything but when we started dating, I became totally over the moon. Nothing could put me down.

Well that was up until now.

I heard a loud knock on the door and I pushed myself off the bed, tossing my phone aside to see who was waiting. I brushed the cookie crumbs off my jeans and walked down the hall past the family photos that were hanging on the walls. My parents were those people who tried desperately to make sure we always had quality family time but usually failed over a fighting match over Trivial Pursuit. It wasn't that we didn't get along, but we were all competitive. So family games night didn't happen anymore.

I answered the door to see Leigh standing there, biting her lip. I immediately pulled her in and looked at her worried facial expression. "What's wrong?"

Leigh's shoulder length strawberry blonde hair waved slightly as she shook her head. "Nothing. Well not really. It's you I'm worried about."

We walked to my room and she sat on the foot of my bed where my phone sat, lighting up as a message from Aiden was received. I ignored it and sat down beside Leigh, concerned about what she was going to say. It wasn't like her to look worried about something. Leigh was usually the funny, happy one of us all.

"I don't know how to say this Harper..." she said, averting her eyes.

"Then just say it." I urged her. "What did you come here to say?"

"Aiden's cheating on you."

The silence that stretched out afterwards seemed to swallow up the whole room.

"What?" I uttered in disbelief. "That's not funny Leigh."

Her head shot up and she stared at me with wide eyes. "I'm not lying!"

"Fine then." I snapped. "If you're so sure then who's he cheating on me with? How did you even find out?"

"It's Emma."

"Emma Bushman?" I laughed. Emma was this mousy girl in school who sat at the back of the class and never said a word unless it was to answer a question. Now I knew it was a joke. "No offense Leigh, but Emma Bushman? If you wanted me to believe that whole little story then you should have made it a little more believable."