Chipped Heartz & Broken Smilez

Petty

Not thinking of her dim future, Monique had bought apple pies for everyone to show off her imagined wealth.

Craving something sweet, I left my comfortable seat and went to the food table. Monique blocked me from taking a slice, saying, "There's none for you."

"There's plenty for me."

There were six pies with eight slices each; if I took one, there would be plenty left over.

Her fake smile widened, and she shook her head in disbelief. "I saw your music video; I didn't know you were one of those. And to think I took off my jacket in front of you."

"Weren't you wearing clothes beneath it?"

"So, you were watching me? Ew." She mimed throwing up and covered her mouth with her hand, showing off her manicured fingernails. About ten people had gathered around us. Some young and videotaping with phones they had likely got from sleeping around with uppers who saw them as nothing more than holes for their penises.

Monique continued her idiotic display, "And didn't you get rejected by Olivia Golde? Did you honestly think an actress like that would ever date a loser like you? Did you really think someone like her with good morals and upbringing—someone so many girls look up to, would join your lot?"

My friend, Brittney, a tall, dark-skinned girl who wore her thick black hair in fine shoulder-length braids, opened the door to the breakroom. Once the stress of being on the floor was behind her, she smiled until she noticed Monique and me facing each other. Brittney inserted herself between us and said, "I don't know what's going on, but let's all calm down. Breathe." She turned to me, bowed her head, and spoke through gritted teeth. "Now, what did we say about fighting with others?"

"If you had heard what she said, you would want to hit her too," I countered.

Brittney didn't bother to respond with words and just stared at me, waiting for me to realize what a fool I was.

Monique gasped, looked about the room in a most dramatic fashion, and said, "Brittney? Are you gay too? I would have never guessed, but you two are so close."

Brittney turned to Monique and said, "Don't ever say that again; she is the last person I would ever date. Also, I wouldn't say she and I are close. I haven't seen this girl since she left for the army. She didn't even send me a text."

"I was busy."

Brittney rolled her eyes and murmured, "Well, I'm happy to know you came back alive."

"It was hard, but I did my best."

Brittney's lips twitched as she fought the inclination to smile.

"What were you two fighting about?" Brittney asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "And why are these fools videotaping you guys? Avah has already hit rock bottom, or she wouldn't bother crawling back here. So, you might as well leave her alone."

Monique said, "She put death threats in my locker."

"I would never threaten anyone like that. You think I sent you death threats?" I took off my glasses and wiped my eyes, pretending to cry. "Why would I go out of my way to hurt someone?"

Brittney saw through my act, rolled her eyes, dipped her hand into the front pocket of my apron and pulled out the crumpled page I had stuffed into it earlier. Brittney drew a hand down her face and whispered, "Really, Avah? I thought we had graduated from this."

"We did, but then I saw her face, and the urge returned."

Monique hmphed after proving her point. Before our fight got any more childish, Brittney apologized to Monique and dragged me outside through the emergency fire exit. Since the alarm wires had been cut long ago, it didn't go off, and we escaped the pressure of having to socialize with others.