Crushed Friendship

Mavey and I have been the closest friends since we were 6. We did almost everything together. Our parents are friends too. Mavey and I spent most of our time together, doing homework, playing games and many more. She was like the lemon to my lemonade, the cheese to my pizza and of course the dressing to my salad. Without her I would be incomplete.

Then came that fateful day when we entered high school together. At first I was devastated that we did not end up in the same class but with time I had grown accustomed to it. It was Mavey that I worried about. Although we still hang out together during recess and after classes, she seemed to have been out of it lately. She started acting strange and when I ask if I could come over to her house after school, she refused many times with the
" I'm busy " excuse.

Eventually we grew distant and the more time I actually get to spend time with her, the more I thought she was becoming a different person. I know I am overreacting because people change but I always thought that the new her was too different. To say she was turning into a negative person was an understatement. Nonetheless, I never questioned her nor confronted her about it. It was not in my place to do so.

More time had passed and my suspicion was eating me up. So, I decided that I must know what's going on with her. Last week she skipped school and when I went to her house to check on her, her parents told me she hasn't come home from school yet. What infuriated me the most was when she told me

" it's none of your bizness Ally. "
And with that new way of her speaking to me as if she was the sassy one out of the two of us.

On Monday, she played truant again. This is going overboard I thought. The next day after school I followed her. I was surprised she had not noticed my attempt when I hid behind a public phone booth, a tree, and even snatch a random guy off the street and acted like we knew each other, every single time she turned around. Sneaking up behind her was tougher than I thought it would be.

Then, I saw it. Everything's so clear. All of my unanswered questions were finally there. It was getting hard for me to see as my eyes were brimming up with tears the longer I looked. What did I see? I saw Mavey, she was with a bunch of problematic seniors from our school. Smoking, touching, flirting and even... oh no. Drugs! She was on drugs. I hid between the walls of a building not far from where they were. Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined that this day would come.

I had not noticed that I was crying until a sob broke out. A loud one at that. All eyes were on me now. I froze not knowing what to do.
" Ally? " Mavey spoke and broke the uncomfortable silence that was beginning to take over. All I could do was stare at her, wide eyed. Disappointment was written all over me. I saw a flash of hurt in her eyes but it was gone in less than a second. All that managed to come out was

" Why " and it came out more like a statement than a question. I knew why. She was depressed, I knew she was but I did not expect her to cope up in this kind of way. Mavey's parents were going through a divorce.

" I'm sorry " she said, but it felt lifeless and emotionless. Silence filled the air when I did not reply.

" Why would you do such a thing like this! " I said, breaking the silence.

" You could have told me you weren't okay... " I continued.

" I'm sorry " she repeated.

This reply had me boiling. I was at my last straw. I went closer to her and shook her shoulders.

" How could you do this to me. To yourself! This is not you Mavey. The Mavey I know would tell me everything and not keep me in the dark like this! " I ranted out to her but to my dismay she stood still and no sound came from her.

" Mavey?! Answer me! " I shouted.

Slap.

I felt a stinging pain on my left cheek. I reached my hand to the now red spot on my face looking as if I had seen a ghost appear right in front of me. Beads of tears were rolling down my face and I could not contain what I was feeling at this moment. Anger. Hurt. Betrayal. I knew it was the drugs doing but I let my emotions get the best of me and said something I would  definitely regret later on.

" I hate you Mavey! I wished I had never met you! "

Then, I ran. I was not sure what I was running away from. Whether it was Mavey or I just wanted to run away from reality.

A few weeks had passed by and I never heard anything from Mavey since our fight. Then, the house phone rang. I picked it up. Sniffles could be heard from the other side of the line.
" Ally... " it was Mavey's mom. My heart hammered in my chest until she said her next words. " Mavey's gone. "
My whole body went rigid and numb.
" She was missing for a few days and the police found her body ". I regretted saying those hurtful things to her. I wish I could take those words back.