[Completed] Ranked #1!
Ariana Grayson is young, beautiful, popular...and dead. Her best friend, Everly Clarke, is devastated and broken. She has never had to live without Ariana, relying on her as a crutch to hide her crippling anxiety. After meetin...
Going home from the hospital today. Would love to see you.
I woke up to a text from Leo that made me smile. I was sure he'd be much happier at home than at the hospital. I texted him back saying I'd love to see him. I hadn't been to his house before, so I offered to come by if it was okay with Maggie and him. He texted me his address and it was around the corner from Maggie's shop. I could easily walk there.
My parents both slept in late that morning. I quietly got up and got dressed. I scribbled a note saying I had to run to the art supply store and would be out for most of the afternoon. I figured by the time they got up and read my note, they wouldn't know what time I'd actually left the house.
By the time I got over to Town Square, I had a couple of hours before going to Leo's. Sitting on a bench outside, I sketched a picture for him. It was the outside of Vinnie's pizza restaurant where we had gone the first time we had a picnic. Then I added in a few other places we had been, including the ice cream shop and book store. I wanted it to be a collection of some of my fondest memories with him. As I sketched the final touches, I heard someone call my name.
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I looked up and saw my old friend Vivian standing there.
"Hey!"She smiled.
"Vivian? Oh, hey!" I greeted her.
I hadn't talked to her in years, even though we both went to the same high school. Ariana and I had been close with her at one time. The three of us had tons of sleepovers together, including the one when they tried to scare me. We had spent a lot of time together, but I couldn't seem to remember why it stopped. People drift apart, I guess.
"How have you been? I never really see you at school, I guess," I told her and scooted over on the bench so she could sit.
"Thanks," she said as she took a seat. "I'm good. I've been meaning to tell you...I'm sorry about Ariana."
"Thanks. It's been...really difficult." I struggled to find the right words.
"I can imagine," she said flatly. I looked at her but couldn't read her expression.
"Remember when we used to have sleepovers?" I asked her. "I found some old photos of all of us the other day..."
"Yeah. Sleepovers, swimming, movies, parties...we did it all." I couldn't help but notice her tone.
"Vivian?" I asked softly. "Sorry, but am I missing something?"
She turned to face me. "Look, Everly, I always liked you. You and I got along great and you were always really sweet to me. But Ariana...I don't want to say anything bad, you know, since she's...gone."
I furrowed my brow in confusion. "I don't get it. Why would you have anything bad to say about Ariana? We were all friends."
She snorted. "Yeah, right. If you call that being friends."
