When Barbie Takes Over

28- The Truth Hurts More

“You don’t have to do this,” I said to Garrett once we were on the street.

“Yes I do,” Garrett said without looking at me.

“No. I’ll just tell our parents you did. You don’t need to be stuck with me for the day.”

“I’m not leaving, Bridget,” Garrett said. I was surprised by the seriousness of his tone.

“Oh, um, okay,” I said.

Our conversation stopped then. Garrett continued to stare blankly down the road, and I focused on using my crutches.

My fingers slowly went numb from the cold air. I hadn’t thought to bring gloves since I usually have my hands in my pockets when I walk to school. My bag kept spinning around my body and getting in my way. I had to keep stopping to reposition it. I vowed to myself that I would look for a backpack to use from now on.

If Garrett noticed my struggles he didn’t say anything. I didn’t know if he noticed because I refused to look at him. Besides, I needed to look at the ground because now that I was on crutches I wasn’t too sure where exactly the ground was.

“You can go now,” I said quietly to Garrett once the spot I usually met Quinn came into view. She was already next to the stop sign, bouncing away to keep warm.

Garrett sighed. “I told you Bridget, I’m not leaving,” he said. If I wasn’t mad at him being so confusing lately, I would have totally ‘aww-ed’ at that.

“Whoa!” Quinn exclaimed when she saw me. “Were you hit by a truck or something?” I was about to explain what happened, but she continued talking.

“Because I can't think of any other reason why you would be walking with him again,” Quinn continued.

“Wait, what?” I asked her.

“You must have been hit by a truck if you didn’t even understand that!” Quinn shook her head. “So are you guys back together now? How’d it happen? Did he show up with flowers or something and declare that he’s an idiot?” Quinn asked with a sneer.

“What? No!” I said. “Nothing like that happened!”

“So then what was it?” she probed.

“We’re not back together,” I stated.

“Then why are you guys walking together?” Quinn asked. She was walking in between Garrett and I, and she didn’t even seem to notice that I was using crutches.

“Please don’t tell me you guys are friends again!” Quinn said, her voice getting high as she spoke.

“We aren’t,” I said. Garrett still stayed silent.

“Then what’s happening here?” Quinn asked a small smile played at her lips like she knew something we didn’t.

“Well, yesterday I-”

“Oh yeah!” Quinn said, interrupting me. “Where were you? I was calling you and texting you all day but you never answered. I waited for you, you know. But you never came and you made me late for school.”

I flinched. I was a bad best friend. I had turned off my phone on the way to the hospital because I had wanted to left alone, but I hadn’t even thought to call her and tell her I wasn’t meeting her. I hadn’t even called her afterwards to tell her what had happened.

“Sorry about that,” I said. “But yesterday I fe-”

“Don’t you dare say fell,” Garrett growled. I winced at his sharpness and Quinn jumped in surprise.