The Peace Offering

TWENTY-SIX

Maxine

Gabby and Britt were in the middle of a passionate kiss in front of the mirror in their bedroom when I walked in on them. "Guys I said makeup, not make out!"

My two best friends giggled after they jolted away from each other. They turned to face me, with Britt placing her hands on her hips and Gabby folding her arms across her chest.

"Fine, fine. Sorry, moms," I rolled my eyes. "Actually I wouldn't even be in here if my mascara hadn't run out."

"I knew it," Britt spun around and reached out for a mascara from inside her drawer. She handed it over to me, and it was a brand new one still in its original packaging. "You owe me one."

I winked at Britt before she decided to finally get ready. Gabby wanted to do her makeup with me, so I invited her into my room. We were going out that Friday night for Club Monet's anniversary party. Britt and Gabby had bugged me to bring River along, so I invited her over. While waiting for our guest and my plus one to arrive, the three of us got dressed.

"So," Gabby started as soon as she entered my bathroom. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Well you will have to ask her personally," I snickered. "Cause I don't even know, Gab. I told her I love her and she told me she loves me too, but that's it so far."

I took out the mascara from its box and leaned in closer to the mirror before I began applying it onto my lashes. Gabby remained silent, as she worked on her eyebrows. We heard Britt nagging out loud to herself in the other room because she couldn't find the dress she wanted to wear. Both Gabby and I laughed.

When our laughing fits subsided, Gabby cleared her throat before she finally asked. "Max, how are you feeling?"

"I'm great," I chirped, feigning an excited smile through the mirror.

"Max—"

My smile faded and my jaws clenched. "Gab, I told you I don't wanna talk about this anymore."

"You can keep pretending but I can't, Max!" Gabby whisper-yelled, putting her eyebrow pencil down and turning to face me. "I can't just pretend I didn't come home one evening from work to find my best friend lying on the kitchen floor, white as a paper. Almost lifeless. You don't know how many times I thanked every god from every religion when I found that you were still breathing!"

"I hope you didn't tell Britt any of that," I deadpanned.

"No," Gabby replied. "She would freak out if she knew. She would freak out so bad."

"Good," I finally spun around to face my best friend. "So let's not tell her yet. Or anyone, for that matter. I'm really feeling fine now, Gabby and I'm figuring things out. Let me figure everything out on my own first and if it's really something that needs to be taken care of, you'll be the first person I'll come to okay?"

Gabby sighed, before she finally nodded, though hesitantly. I reached out and held her face with my right hand, caressing her left cheek with my thumb. She leaned into the touch and for a moment there I realised her eyes were glistening with tears. I shook my head lightly, as if mentally telling her not to cry.

We were both startled when Britt suddenly shrieked. Gabby and I peeked our heads out the bathroom door when Britt came running into my room panting and pointing back towards the living room.

"I think she's here!" Britt managed to speak, her back bent and her hands on her knees. She was already dressed in a pretty red bodycon dress. "Your girlfriend's here, Max."

"Okay so why didn't you get the door?" I arched a brow.

Britt grinned nervously. "I can't. I'm a nervous mess right now."

I huffed and jogged towards the living room, where the sound of the doorbell continued to echo through the apartment.