Page 26 of Dare to Fall

“Dreeeeema!” Caroline yelled again, slurring Drema’s name.

Drema leaned forward, smiling. “Yeah?”

“I’m so glad you finally decided to come out with us!”

I watched Caroline closely, knowing something bad was about to happen. She was never this nice to anyone.

“Thank you! I’ve been really busy with some of my art pieces lately, so I haven’t gotten out much,” Drema said.

“Well, that much is clear,” Caroline slurred before going into a fit of giggles.

The sweet smile on Drema’s lips fell, and I watched as her shoulders drooped.

“You know, you should be totally pissed at Eva for not helping you with your choice of outfit.”

“Caroline!” I seethed, glaring at her from across the table.

“What, Eva? If she’s going to start hanging out with us, the least she could do is dress the part.” Caroline leaned back with a devilish smirk on her face, completely satisfied with herself. I turned my back on her, scooting closer to Drema.

“I’m so sorry, Drema.” Grabbing her hands in my own, I gave them a gentle squeeze. “Caroline can be a massive bitch sometimes. It has nothing to do with you. She just likes to pick on people to make herself feel better.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Caroline and Paulina huddled together, snickering about something. I glared at them both, but they didn’t notice. Completely wrapped up in themselves, they didn’t pay any attention to those around them. It was difficult to see Paulina cozying up to Caroline, knowing that when they had their moments of closeness, it always brought out the worst in Paulina. The whole dynamic was fucked up and had gotten worse over the years.

I turned back to Drema who somehow looked even smaller than she did just moments before. I hated how women like Caroline found joy in making other women feel small.

“Hey,” I said as I placed a hand on Drema’s shoulder. “Seriously, don’t even worry about her. She only has a pass in our group because she’s dating Connor’s best friend. We wouldn’t keep her around otherwise.”

Right after the words left my mouth, I doubted if they were still true. It started with just the four of us. Paulina, Brent, Connor and me. We had met during homeroom in middle school, and everything just clicked. We had a blast together, causing trouble in classes and spending almost every afternoon on the beach. But once freshman year rolled around, Caroline had moved to our school, and Brent fell hard for her. So, she automatically became part of the group, and Paulina was left as the fifth wheel once Connor and I started dating.

Caroline had never been my favorite person, because she was always one to pass judgment without any restraint. The longer I knew her, the more I couldn’t stand to be around her for any length of time.

Drema looked up at me with her big round eyes, and my heart ached for her. For the three years we lived together, I watched her struggle in social situations. She wasn’t like most college-age women. She was shy and reserved, often keeping to herself, which didn’t make it easy for people to get to know her. But I knew that the person underneath that timid layer was kind, thoughtful, smart as hell, and beautiful.

“She’s not wrong, though,” Drema said. “I mean, look at me. I’m a hot mess and have no idea how to dress myself.”

Her fire-red hair was unruly, the curls shooting out in all directions. The blue eyeshadow she chose worked against the bright aqua of her irises. And her frumpy shirt and too-big skirt did nothing to highlight her slight figure. But her porcelain skin was radiant, and when she smiled, she could hold the attention of everyone around her. I knew she would be able to find her own style if she paid a little more attention to herself instead of the art she created. But then again, not everything revolved around outward appearances.

Although, Caroline certainly thought so.

I gave Drema a warm smile and wrapped her up in a quick hug. “Youarebeautiful, Drema, and don’t let anyone make you think differently—especially Caroline.”

Her face lifted slightly, and I realized how good it felt to help someone else feel good about themselves. It had been a while since I really paid attention to just how judgmental my group of friends were. After watching how Caroline’s words had just affected Drema, I felt another tug in my heart that things in my life needed to head for a major change. I wasn’t quite sure how it would all unfold, but I knew that the life I had been leading was starting to fall away.

I hoped I was making room for somethingbetter. But either way, it was terrifying and not something I wanted to give any more thought to tonight.

“I didn’t drag you out tonight for you to feel like total shit. I wanted you to take a break from your hard work and have fun! Let’s go dance!” I bounced up and down on the plush cushion, a shit-eating grin plastered to my face.

Drema shook her head, but she couldn’t help the smile that curled the corner of her lips.

“Come on!” I urged, scooting closer to her so we could get out of the booth.

“Okay, fine.” She laughed.

“Do you want to come with us?” I asked Connor.

Already glazed over, Brent leaned over him, his words a drunken slur. “You know he doesn’t dance, Eva. We’re gonna go smoke.”

I looked to Connor, and he just shrugged. He was already in deep too. I leaned toward him to give him a kiss, and just as our lips were about to meet, he shied away, my lips pressing into his cheek. It was like a punch straight to my stomach. I pulled back, brows furrowed. Embarrassed to meet his eyes, I dipped my head low and scooted out of the booth with Drema. My stomach was in knots from the constant ups and downs with Connor, our status seeming to shift like the wind, leaving me frustrated and out of sorts.

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