Sick of Losing Soulmates

07

Brave Face Talk So Lightly, Hide the Truth

Lilliana and Maribel found themselves at the same cafe that they were in right before midterms were starting. This time, the girls were doing homework together and catching up on everything that they had missed in each other's lives. They hadn't seen each other in awhile, so they talked a lot instead of actually doing their work, every so often answering a question.

"Yeah my life has been pretty boring lately," Lilliana said. "I'm pretty sure that Aiden and I are out of that lovey dovey phase and I think I'm okay with that."

"Oh, I am more than okay with it!" Maribel exclaimed. "At least now you finally have time for me."

"Hey, I always have time for you, you know that," Lilliana replied, her brown doe eyes widened at the thought of her best friend thinking that she had abandoned her.

"Yeah, I know," Maribel said, smiling. She cleared her throat, trying to find a way to bring up what she wanted to tell her friend next. How do you bring up to your crush that you've met someone? Of course, Maribel knew it shouldn't be awkward, but she still couldn't help but feel as if she were telling an ex that she was moving on with someone new.

"Hey," Lilliana disrupted her train of thought. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, well," Maribel started, her cheeks heating up at the thought of her new friend, "I just wanted to tell you that I... I kind of met someone last week."

Lilliana didn't know how to react at first. She wanted to be happy for her best friend, she really did. Yet, she didn't understand why her heart ached at the thought of Maribel getting closer to someone else. But she hid those feelings deep inside and smiled. "That's great, oh my god!"

Maribel grinned, relieved that Lilliana didn't get upset or anything. "Yeah, I met her in the flower shop last week and we've been talking since then. Her name is Gracie and she's so sweet and beautiful, you have to meet her."

Maribel rambled on and on about her new friend and Lilliana just sat there and smiled. She wanted to be excited and happy that Maribel was happy, but she felt jealousy tugging at her heart and she didn't know what to do about it. She knew she had no reason to feel jealous, yet the feeling was still there, sitting in the bottom of her stomach and waiting to explode.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing," Maribel said, sighing in contentment. "But I don't know if anything is really going to happen."

Lilliana felt hope bloom in her heart. "Oh no, why?" She asked, trying to sound supportive.

Maribel knew she couldn't say that the reason was because she was hung up on a crush that she knew would never evolve into anything. So she tried to put the blame on Gracie. "Yeah, I don't know if she's really interested in me. I mean she hasn't asked me out on a date or anything." She was only half lying. Gracie really hadn't asked her out yet.

Lilliana felt her heart drop. She wanted her best friend to be happy. So she decided to give actual advice. "Well, if you really like her, I think you should wait it out a little more. It's only been a week, right?"

Maribel grinned at her best friend. Lilliana was being so supportive compared to how Maribel was when she found out about Aiden. She was so happy that she had found an amazing best friend that wasn't judgmental and who cared about her so much.

"Thank you, Lils," Maribel said, looking deeply into her best friend's eyes.

Lilliana looked confused. "Why are you thanking me?"

"For being you. For being so supportive," Maribel replied, going to pick up her mug to take a sip of her drink. In the process of doing so, she accidentally knocked over one of their pens. She leaned over to pick it up but Lilliana stopped her.

"Don't worry, I got it." Lilliana leaned down to pick up the pen, her sweater shifting so that when she came back up, her entire right shoulder was showing.

The first thing Maribel noticed were the bruises. Purplish-blue marks scattered across her shoulder and Maribel noticed that they seemed to go onto her back as well. She was instantly flooded with worry.

"Lilliana," Maribel said in a cautious tone. Lilliana was busy working on some problems so she just hummed in response. "How did you get those bruises on your shoulder?"

Lilliana felt her heart drop. She was lucky that the weather was cold enough so she could wear sweaters and no one would be able to see it. She tried to cover up her nervousness by acting nonchalant about it. "Oh, those. Yeah I just bumped into a wall accidentally."

Maribel knew that this was a lie. Her best friend was not clumsy at all and was always careful. There was no way she had accidentally bumped into a wall hard enough to give her such prominent bruises. She was started to get really concerned.

"Lils, seriously, how did you get those bruises?" Maribel asked, worry lacing her voice. She couldn't help but think of all the horrible things that could've happened to Lilliana. "I know you, you're not one to just accidentally bump into things."

"Yeah, well," Lilliana started, trying to find an excuse, "that's because I didn't just bump into the wall. I was pushed into it." She was only half lying about that.

"Lils," Maribel said, her voice showing that that she didn't believe her. She knew that Lilliana was just putting on brave face and talking lightly. She didn't want to worry her best friend, but Maribel was feeling nothing but worry and distress.

"I'm serious, Maribel. I promise you, nothing is wrong." Lilliana smiled, putting on a happy face, but as Maribel looked into her best friend's eyes, she could tell that she was lying. She was hiding the truth for the sake of not worrying anyone.

But Maribel was going to find out that truth before it could hurt Lilliana any longer.