Ex Best friend!

1

"Can I speak to your mum?"

***

(Y/N) felt her body relax slightly as she took a sip of the lemonade that was placed in front of her, a twinge of a feeling she couldn't quite name gnawing at her when she realised that Regina hadn't asked what she wanted to drink, simply bringing her what had always brought comfort as a child.

She felt simultaneously overwhelmed and comforted by the sight around her, Regina sitting in her usual seat as her hands toyed with the couch cushions. Only now an elephant sat between the pair of them, an awkward silence taking over every last air molecule in the room.

Memories flooded back to her as she let her eyes wander: the mantelpiece she had chipped her tooth on, the doors they would prance through as they pretended to be contestants on America's Next Top Model once everyone was asleep.

(Y/N) felt her hands starting to sweat, rubbing them against her jeans rather frantically. She'd always managed to cope on a morning or in school - sure, sometimes the sight of Regina sent her into a spiral of self-doubt and questions, but it was never something completely out of her control, never something that bothered her to such a great extent.

Maybe it was that she'd lost the privilege of her headphones to distract her from her past.

Maybe it was how familiar her surroundings were.

Maybe it was how natural it had first felt as she sat in Regina's living room.

Just as she heard the other girl start to speak, attempting to cut the tension that wrapped around the pair of them like thick green vines, they were saved by Mrs George entering the room again, phone in hand.

"So, your hot water tank has burst!" She looked at (Y/N) and let out a frustrated laugh. "The plumbers are starting to clear up now but they think it's going to take a full week. I'm sorry sweetie. I've called your Mum and she's happy for you to stay here with us and is going to try to leave her conference early."

Mrs George went on to talk about getting essentials after the day's work was finished and the logistics of their insurance but it soon became a gust of wind that swept right over (Y/N)'s head.

"I don't need to stay here, don't worry!" (Y/N) smiled at Mrs George, grateful for her generosity but feeling the prick of tears at the back of her eyes daring to fall. Her eyes looked absolutely anywhere but at Regina. "I can always go visit my family in Missouri for a week, I haven't seen them for a while."

"I dunno how your mum would feel about you missing a week of school, this is senior year now." Mrs George placed a tentative hand on (Y/N)'s, clearly sensing the anxiety that was shooting out of her like flaming arrows. "Don't stress! Think of it as one long week-long sleepover. Just like old times!"

(Y/N) couldn't tell if she was trapped in heaven or hell but she knew one thing for sure, it wouldn't be like old times.

***

(Y/N) found it crazy how Regina's managed to get her parents to switch rooms. The antithesis to (Y/N)'s walls of clutter, Regina's room had always been pristine and that hadn't changed. Placed on her dressing table were framed photos of her and her friends, one of her and Gretchen catching (Y/N)'s eye.

She'd never grown close to Gretchen. Even though a part of (Y/N) disliked her for the shit music she blasted from her sports car and for stealing away her best friend - the other, more loving side of her told her that (Y/N) didn't really seem to have a bad bone in her body and that she must be fun if Regina was so fond of her.

(Y/N) always found herself trusting Regina's judgement even though they were no longer friends, even though that judgment was cast badly upon herself.

Her eyes made their way to the other side of the room, a warm, fuzzy feeling taking over her body as she looked at Regina's huge world map that hung in front of her.