Facade [h.s]

five

"I did, what's the issue?" I asked her, finally nearing her but sitting on the soft cushion on her windowsill, considering that she wouldn't have liked me sitting on her bed while she was mad at me - no matter how weak her reasons were.

"Well!" She exclaimed, before sighing and bringing her knees to her chest, hiding her face in her hands. "You should've seen it, oh my goodness."

"Seen what?" I asked her gently, even more puzzled than before.

She shrugged, turning her body to face me. "Everything was just perfect" she started, "like, he was so nice, he started complimenting me in every dress I tried on! He also told me the blue one fit me best because it matched the colour of my eyes!"

I gave her a confused look. "What's wrong with that?"

She scoffed, the reaction taking me by surprise coming from her. "Well, I started getting my hopes up you know? After I bought the dress we went out and he bought me a strawberry smoothie like, that was nice."

"It definitely was" I said, waiting patiently for her to continue. There had to be something that had gone wrong at some point, she wouldn't have gone into hiding if that wasn't the case.

She looked down, scratching her short nail on the wood of the footboard. "At that point I was so sure he liked me, how could he not, after everything he'd done! It makes sense, right?" She looked up again, waiting for my confirmation.

I nodded. "It does."

"Then he told me he wanted to talk to me about something!" She exclaimed, and then let out a sigh. "He said there's this girl he likes, really likes, loves maybe, even, but that they've been friends for such a long time and he doesn't know if she likes him back and he's scared he'll ruin everything if she asks her!"

I pursed my lips, starting to get worried about where it could possibly be going. "That's... good, right?"

"Well I thought so, until I asked him who it was" she replied, "and he said it's Indigo!"

"Joel likes Indigo?!" I said instantly, shock in my voice, straightening my back instantly. There was no way one of my best friends liked another one of my best friends, and I didn't know anything about that. That was just crazy to think about. I was supposed to notice that kind of things.

She shrugged, acting as if she wasn't affected by it even though we both knew that she was."I mean I understand it, like she's just perfect! Perfect body, perfect hair, perfect big blue eyes, she's funny and she's open to doing almost anything!" She blurted out. "I get that, I really do. But it's so unfair!"

"Don't put yourself down like that! If he wasn't able to see the amazing person you are, it's his loss" I told her quickly, even though I knew it couldn't have helped her much in that moment.

"Yeah, okay, but she's literally your best friend, Raine. You know she's amazing" she replied, sighing and looking away. "What's it like?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding what she was exactly referring to. "What?"

She nervously twirled a strand of golden hair between her fingers. "To be friends with her. Like she's always gonna be the crazier one, funnier one, and so on." She looked up instantly, realising what she'd just said. "No offence to you, Raine, because you're pretty great and I honestly prefer you because you're way more responsible and trustworthy, and kinder, but she's always going to be that one, you know?"

I frowned at her words. "I don't think of it like that. I mean, as you said, our strengths rely on different aspects of our personality, and that doesn't mean that one is better than the other, you know?" I replied. I'd never compared myself with Indigo, probably because we'd been friends for such a long time that it didn't make sense to do that. We were different people, and that was fine. I would've never wanted to be like her, and I would've never wanted her to be like me. "The same thing goes to you, Callie. Just because she's funnier and open to do crazy stuff it doesn't mean she's better than you. And it doesn't mean that you're better than her. You're just different people."