These Ties That Bind

Chapter 9: Damaged Goods

Things have been... unusual.

But unusually good.

And while that seems great, I'm just waiting for another shit storm.

These past couple weeks I've been hanging out with my friends a lot more. As for Mason, well, he drove me home and that's about it. Turns out friends just means friendly, far but friendly.

I had decided after the whole mental breakdown thing, I needed my best friend. I loved all my friends equally, but at the moment only one was the easiest to talk to, and that'd be Jamie.

I picked my phone up... and dropped it... on the hard wood floor. Why me? Luckily it was only cracked and the edge. Still, I couldn't afford to buy a new one.
I needed a job. Anyways, I called her up.

J: Hello?

A: Hey, um... well...

J: Adrianna, I've been so worried about you, completely sick to my stomach, start talking missy.

And I do, I tell her almost everything, minus what happened with Mason. I knew I could tell them, and I really wanted to, but I wasn't sure if anything actually ever happened between us, anything reciprocated on both sides, at least. Jamie has been my best friend since diaper time, it's only normal she knows everything about me, her and I don't hide too much from each other.

J: And you've gotten better? I mean obviously you have, but... y'know what? I'm coming over.

She hangs up before I have the chance to reply, and for once in the past couple weeks I feel happy again, like things could be okay. I knew that she would be here soon, the girl wore Heelys for two years, speed naturally came to her.

~~~~~~~~

I have been waiting for what seemed like hours for her to arrive. Maybe the damage I caused was irreversible and I just lost my closest friends. I wouldn't be mad if that was the case, I did it to myself. I wish they would've told me if this was too much for them

Just as I begin to spiral at the thought of losing some of the most important people in my life, the doorbell rings three times like clockwork.

I run down the stairs and open the door. I'm not sure which emotion hit first: shock, confusion, amazement, or pure happiness. Before me stood Jamie's sweet smile, Spencer's sad eyes, and Ivy's caring persona.

"I thought it was high time we had one of our iconic slumber parties?" Jamie turns her statement into a question, and I can tell she is testing the water. She grins widely at the sight of my own smile, causing me to laugh.

"Oh, for sure. God, the last time we had a slumber party, I got dared to kiss the queen bitch, AKA, Kiera!" Spencer laughs lightly, remembering the ungodly time we spent coming up with bad dares.

"Well, you gonna let us in? We know what happened and we're here Ad... We love you." Ivy contributes, and for once I was glad Jamie didn't keep her mouth shut.

My attention is averted to the sleeping bags sloppily placed by their feet. I remember how when we were eight, we all had matching ones. We begged our mothers to buy them. It was the night we became blood sisters. Odd, but we promised to never leave each other's sides. I smile faintly at the memory of pink and blue bags and pinky promises.

My eyes well up in tears, which seems to be the new normal for me. I became immune to the world, but oh God I was changing. I couldn't help but let my smile grows at the thought of emotions, finally. Happy tears.

When the girls noticed, they immediately dropped their bags and came in for a group hug.

I laugh and cry simultaneously, thanking anyone that was listening for blessing me with them.