The Student Exchange

Sandwiches

"So, you coming on the exchange?"
Cassie sat idly, eating her sandwich and looking at her best friend intently. Holly was glum. She'd been given an answer that she wasn't happy with, and she still couldn't bring herself to tell anyone the bad news. Not even her best friend. Cassie frowned as Holly stared down at her lunchbox, her eyes glassy and her cheeks starting to flush pink like fresh salmon.
"What is it, Holly? You know you can tell me anything..."
Holly's mind was buzzing constantly like a phone receiving spam messages. All that was going through her mind was "I'm not going on the exchange, I'm not going on the exchange..." She dreaded the fact that she was going to have to tell Cassie at some point, but did she tell her now?
Holly hesitated, and then reluctantly turned to Cassie, who was now munching on her apple, the juice slowly runny down her fingertips towards her wrist.
"I can't go..." Holly breathed, a slight whimpering tone in her voice.
Holly's best friend went quiet. She knew this would happen, but she wasn't expecting the decision so soon. Her eyes were wide. Her mouth slowly fell open. Cassie was in disbelief. Why would Holly's parents not let her on an adventure like this?
Cassie sighed. She dropped the apple in her lunchbox, and closed her mouth again, hanging her head. Closing her eyes, Cassie thought of a response to say to Holly, but her mind was blank.
"Why... not?" Squeaked Cassie, gradually raising her head to meet her best friends eyes.

Holly saw the disappointment in Cassie's eyes. And sadly she felt she could do nothing about it. There was no way of changing her parent's opinion, unless Cassie went to Germany with her or she earned enough money to take herself there. Would that ever happen?
No. Probably not.
Holly turned to her friend, whose irises were shining a bright shade of blue, behind the swirling big black holes that were her pupils. Holly wished she could get sucked into a black hole right now.
"I can't go because there is no money...". 

Of course. The only reason why Holly couldn't go would be because of money, and going alone. Holly's family have struggled with money ever since her parents split. Cassie also knew how much Holly just wanted the two of them to be together again, and ignite the old fire they use to have together. Be a happy family.
A whole happy family.
Holly deserved that.
So why hasn't she got it yet? What's holding that up? Why didn't that happen before this opportunity?  Why didn't Holly have a happy family like Cassie?
So many questions. Cassie wanted answers.

"Look, Holly... I mean sure money is a problem but your family could've scraped something together!"
"I hate seeing you like this!  It's embarrassing for you! You've been given this opportunity to go and see the world and you're here moping about what seems like the only barrier for you! MONEY! What is up with that?!"

Holly's eyes bulged in shock. She was horrified. What just happened?!
She would never have thought that Cassie would get worked up about this so much! She could feel her face getting redder and redder, her hands slowly creeping to her face like vine curling up a tree. She squeezed her eyes shut and wished that black hole was here right now. It would be SO helpful.

Wait. Why was Holly being embarrassed and sad about how her best friend was treating her and her family? Her parents? Her problems?
Her sadness was slowly evaporating over the fire in her belly that was slowly growing. Why was Cassie insulting her family like this?
It's not their fault her mum is in a state, and her dad is lonely and greedy, is it?
"You know... I've always wanted to know what it would be like to just be handed opportunities like this... because you know... money isn't exactly a problem in your household..." Holly said shakily, trying to make a point of saying  that she was starting to crack and telling Cassie to stop.
"How broke do you think my family is, Cassie?"

Cassie wrinkled her eyebrows, and thought about all the times that Holly had been ripped off by her parents and their selfish selves.  Of course Cassie loved Holly, but she was growing tired of how much Holly had missed out on over the years. Netball. School camp. New clothes. Holidays. Anything and everything.
And yet her she was, about to give away another one.  The ultimate student exchange trip.

"Quite, to be honest, and I wish I could help you but- "

Cassie was stopped short when she saw a tear run down Holly's cheek, She was looking away, squinting at the kids on the sports field looking ver interested in the football. Holly, trying to ignore the fact that her best friend had actually doubted her family, and why couldn't she help her family anyway? They had been friends for years so why not? Cassie probably hasn't even told her parents about the state that Holly's parents have recently got into. 
So no. She's not going on the exchange. Cassie is, but Holly is not.

"Have I offended you, Holly? Because now I'm starting to feel a little bit awkward and befaffled by the way you are treating me." Cassie said sternly. She raised an eyebrow at Holly who was now slowly turning her head to face her.
"Oh no! I'm not offended at all! Yeah I always thought that best friends would be understanding and not all worried about themselves before the person who actually needs help in the situation! No no no..." Holly's confidence was starting to bloom, her voice becoming steadier and stronger by the second.
And Cassie was noticing this. A lot.
Cassie stood up slowly. "I thought you might want a little company while you write your letter to the IEACS about how you're very sorry, but you can't do the exchange this year. Maybe I could've helped you write it!" She said, her voice also becoming stronger.
Holly stood up quickly to meet her friends gaze. She looked deep into those ice blue irises and those little black pools of harmless ink that were her pupils, and said to them; " You mean you wanted a little friend to tag along... so you could sign the paperwork and go to Japan, and when you get back, you'll have already turned into one of those princesses covered in brands and ACTING AS IF I AM YOUR SERVANT!!!"
Holly took in a big breath and gulped. Cassie was as shocked as a goldfish, which was a little bit what Holly was after. "Really," thought Cassie, "is she getting the gist that I'm going to treat her like my poor-kid servant? Why would she think I would do that to her?..."

Holly knew she couldn't stay here. Staring into her friend's eyes that looked like they were now making connections like stars in constellations. Those black holes or little pools of ink were now sucking in something, something that was helping her with whatever her mind was buzzing with. Probably the mini cat fight they just had. And Holly wanted to get away from her before her connections became a circuit.

She needed to get somewhere private and away from this mess.
Somewhere like a black hole.
After she'd finished packing her bag up in a rage with Cassie still standing awkwardly over her, she swung it over her shoulder and walked confidently away from Cassie until she was no longer in sight of her.

And then Holly ran away and burst into tears.