My Dearest Enemy

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❝When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.❞

—Viktor E. Frankl

F O U R T E EN

"How's Mira doing?"

"She's been better." I shut my locker.

Eli frowned. "I wanted to come over after the car wash to check in on you two but I figured you'd both want some space."

A small smile. "I appreciate it."

"Did you end up actually getting in trouble?"

"I met with the principal this morning. Considering I'd never caused trouble before, he 'let me off' with just a week of detention."

He had tried to make it very clear that I wasn't getting punished for mouthing off to a customer but for disobeying Coach Hayes' orders. Couldn't make it too obvious that the school sided with bigots and racists.

"Either way, I'm sure I'll hear an earful about it when I get home."

He hooked his thumbs under the straps of his backpack. "This is so messed up. What that woman did...still pisses me off knowing she got away with that."

I shrugged. "If I had a penny for every fragile white woman I encountered...I care less about what she did to me and more about what she did to Mira."

"I know you probably meant that to be comforting but it all still rubs me the wrong way."

I desperately wanted to tell him that he could afford the energy it took to get angry about these little things. People like me didn't have that luxury. We had to pick our battles.

"I kinda just want to let it go."

He nodded. "Fair enough." His eyes drifted to the side. "So, uh, that guy who came to get you...Spencer? Seemed like there was some history between you two. Is he like...an ex or something?"

I choked on a laugh. "Oh God, no. He wishes. He's more like a thorn in my side." Just then, something came to me. "Speaking of Spencer, you were going to ask me something right before he showed up."

He looked at me, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh. I, uh, I don't remember." He smiled. "Probably wasn't important."

As I walked out of class, I caught sight of a familiar curly-haired boy among the crowd of students and I moved fast to catch up with him.

"Hey, Noah."

His face brightened. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Fine." I gripped the strap of my bag. "Listen, I wanted to thank you for looking out for Mira on Saturday. If you hadn't found her and thought to call me...well, I'd rather not think about how much worse things could've gotten."

"Oh. Well, that's nice of you, but you should be thanking Spencer."

I made a face. "Err...for what exactly?"

"Well, he's the one that saw everything unfold. He recognized your friend's name and I told him to go find you while I waited with her."

That was impossible. That would mean...

"You're lying."

He emitted a cheery laugh. "I have many vices," he said, leveling me in a mischievous stare, "lying isn't one of them."

My phone buzzed in my hand on my way to detention.

Mira: Ugh. I can't stop feeling bad about you getting in trouble. It's so messed up.