Bittersweet

Tears of joy?

EMILIA'S POV

"You. Are. Dead. Meat." I seethed glaring at my supposed best friend, Kate while hurling everything within a 5m radius at her head hoping for a clear shot.

"I've told you I'm sorry Em, Please put down the tissue box let's just talk about this" she pleaded stumbling around our small apartment almost falling flat on her face after walking into our beloved coffee table which held more stories than the bible itself while trying to avoid my outburst.

"Ok, ok, f- fine." I sighed willing to give her a chance to explain herself as well as being completely worn out from what I like to call redecorating the apartment, when I said I wanted change this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but I had to say it was growing on me, the pillows scattered randomly over the floors added further character to the already vibrant room.

I plopped myself down on the bright red sofa sighing with exhaustion, while Kate shuffled onto the edge not quite believing I was finished raining down on her with household objects. Once she felt assured that I was done, her body slid down the worn-out seat heaving in relief as her butt met the soft padding of the seat.

"I'm sorry." she mumbled remorsefully her hands twiddling with her thumbs a clear sign she was nervous

"buuut....." her eyebrows rose inquisitively "You should be thankful I quit for you because that woman was Satan's incarnate." She mumbled the ending sucking in a harsh breath before apprehensively turning her head in my direction.

We looked at each other in complete silence, my mouth quirked upward before we both burst out in laughter, our howls travelling through the apartment bringing it to life, I held my stomach as tears pooled in my eyes trailing a path down my cheek and falling almost effortlessly onto the carpeted floor, I couldn't remember the last time I had been so happy and so carefree, yes I was upset that Kate had quit for me because that awful job was my primary source of income however the feeling of freedom was significantly overpowering the fear as I no longer felt bound to that presumptuous, pathetic old woman who regarded me with as much interest and respect as I did the cow manure that was yet to be moved from outside our door after being there for nearly 3 months.

After a few minutes we finally managed to calm ourselves down and I sunk further into my seat, grasping a pillow from nearby basking in the warmth it provided me, I unconsciously began playing with a loose thread hanging from the pillow and the cogs in my brain began turning. How would I pay rent? yes, there were two of us but I'd be damned if I was about to make kate increase her rate, especially with the salary she currently received.

"I'll have to pick up extra shifts at the bakery till I find another stable job" I voiced breaking the silence, Kate turned to me her eyes full of regret and she held my hands tightly in her own

"Em... I need you to know I only did this because I'm sick of seeing the way she treats you and she has no goddamn right to make you feel like the gum stuck underneath her overpriced designer heels." she ended her voice wavering as her bright green eyes prickled with unshed tears.

I held her close as she stifled a sob or so I thought until I heard her mumble "you're the one with the shitty boss yet I'm the emotional one, how does that even work and when did I start crying for others? damn I don't even have enough tears for my own problems yet here I am wasting them for no apparent reason"

"Go back to crying at least it kept you quite" I chuckled "but tears cannot be faked and therefore neither can your friendship to me, that's why I love you." Kate looked up at me her eyes full of sincerity.

"I love you too Gandhi" she sighed before leaning back onto my shoulder, and just like that the troubles that I held only moments ago had now vanished into thin air leaving me with a newfound determination to overcome them.