Page 86 of Falling

“We’re going out tonight, and you’re coming with us,” Scarlett demands.

“I want to stay home. I’m exhausted,” I say.

“You’re always exhausted. A night out will wake you up,” Kennedy adds with a shimmy.

“The showcase is in less than two weeks,” I say, sighing. As much as their friendship means the absolute world to me, sometimes, I just want to be alone. Most of the time, they allow me to do that until it gets to a point like this where it’s non-negotiable.

“No, Wren. You're going to speak to us because that's what friends are for. You’re not going to shut us out because you’re stressed. Let your stress becomeourstress,” Kennedy relays, gesturing between us. “This ignoring shit you’ve been doing is pathetic.”

“Okay, rude,” I mumble.

“It’s true,” Scarlett says, “We know you have things going on, but pretending we don't exist is low, Wren. We need you, too, you know.”

I take in a rush of air and blow it out. These girls have always had my back. They’ve sat through every awkward stage I’ve had, held my hair back while I threw up, and have been by my side every day since I met them. I’ve been a grade-A asshole to them over the past week, and we all know they deserve better.

“You guys really don’t want to know what’s been going on,” I whisper, everything that has happened in the last few weeks coming rushing back to me. I’ve managed to fuck up whatever Miles and I had going on by running away, but these girls won’t stand for that to happen, I’m sure of it.

Scarlett rolls her eyes. “Try us.”

“What the fuck? Are you serious?”Scarlett exclaims once I’ve finished explaining everything to them. Everything from fooling around with Miles to finding out about Austin to whatever the hell it was at Sophia’s house. It feels good to vent even though most of what I’m saying doesn’t make much sense to me anymore.

We’re at a secluded bar that Scarlett managed to get us into because of her family’s access to getting away with drinking with our fake IDs. This is the first time I’ve drank something other than a sip of wine since Barcelona. I don’t want this to become a habit, and I’ll make sure it doesn’t. Being around these two, Ifeel safe enough, and hell, I’m going to need liquid courage.

“Unfortunately, I’m being very serious,” I say, sipping more of my cocktail.

“No wonder you’ve been so distant,” Kennedy says quietly, shaking her head. “Does she really just expect you to tell your mom for her?” I nod. “Jesus. If Mia ever asked me to do something like that, I’d tell her to suck it up and do it herself.”

“I tried, but she cut me off and isn’t answering any of my calls,” I admit, feeling helpless.

“So what are you going to do?” Scarlett asks.

“I don’t know. I’m going to wait it out and see if she’ll tell her herself. I just know that this whole thing is going to come crashing down on me, no matter who tells her.”

As if they had planned it, they both trap me in a hug from both sides, and I melt into them. We have always done group hugs like this: the person who needs it the most is almost suffocating in the middle with the others acting as the anchor, keeping us together. When we pull apart, I can still feel them around me, making anywhere become a home with them in my arms. I’m convinced it’s their superpower.

“Tell you what you need, Wrenny?” Scarlett asks.

“For you to stop calling me that nickname?”

“Shots!” she shouts.

So we drink.

I don’t think I’ve ever consumed this much alcohol in my life, but it’s making me feel alive. As if all my problems can be dealt with tomorrow and all that matters is being in this moment with my friends. My friends who are screaming Taylor Swift lyrics at the top of their lungs. I try to make a mental note to apologize to the bar staff who have had to put up with our atrocious singing for the last two hours.

“I love you guys so fucking much,” I scream whenBlank Spacefinishes. They pull me into a tight hug again, their microphones jabbing into my stomach. “Like, so,somuch.”

“Oh no,” Kennedy says, frowning as she pulls apart from us.

“What is it? Have I had something in my teeth this whole time?” Scarlett asks, frantically searching for her mirror in her purse.

“No. Your teeth are perfect, babe. I just realized that Wren is an emotional drunk,” Kennedy says, pouting at me.

“I’m not emotional, and I’m not a drink,” I slur, waving her off.

“Drunk, babe. You mean you’re notdrunk,” Scarlett says, patting me on the back. Thank God she knows how to speak. “And you are. Watch.”

She pulls her phone out of her back pocket and clicks on her home screen, and it’s a picture of the two of us at our kindergarten graduation. We look so tiny and small and so cute. We’ve got the biggest grins on our toothless faces with our graduation caps and gowns on. Then she clicks the screen, and the worst thing happens. It changes to a picture of all of us, Kennedy now included, at our high school graduation, smiling as we hold our diplomas.

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