Help Me Remember (COMPLETED)

Chapter 40 Part 1

I wrinkled my nose at her. Before my eyes glanced over to Sienna who also seemed to have become unusually giddy because of the professors' complements, grinning and nodding at Elise's words.

"That's two-months-worth of work we're finally done with," she added, grinning.

I started shaking my head, "You go ahead, I have to—"

The arm around my shoulders tightened on my neck, "Nope. Not gonna hear it, Scarlett. We're probably never going to see you after your graduation. Come on! It's my treat."

"Yeah, Scarlett." Sienna chimed in, "please?"

My gaze went back and forth between the two girls, seeing pleading expressions. It had been a too-long period of always smelling like paint that the end of the project put an obvious bounce in their steps. A sigh left my lips.

"Fine," both cheered and I couldn't help but chuckle at their antics, "But I'm paying." More squealing matched with jumping up and down before pulling me into two sets of crushing arms.

Sarah didn't have a class at this hour, I could just ask her to join us.

Elise pulled away, "Gotta pee."

I burst out laughing, rolling my eyes before pointing to the signage just behind her. She ran off in a flash. I pulled out my phone and immediately dialed Sarah's number. When it started to ring, I turned to Sienna, "You wouldn't mind if my friend joins us, would you?"

"Nope," She beamed.

But the cell only continued to ring, before going to her voicemail. I stared at my phone for a second.

"That's odd..."

Sienna peered at my phone, "Not picking up? Do I know which friend?"

"Sarah," I answered, still looking at my screen, dialing her number again. "Normally she picks up after the first ring."

"Sarah? You mean Sarah Wilson?"

The squeaked alarm in her tone made me look up, "Yeah. Sarah Wilson. Why?" I made sure to articulate the name slowly as I watched the freshman's face.

Sienna blinked a few times, the smile she wore looking forced, "N-nothing. I'll check on Elise first." Without waiting for my reply, she pulled her backpack higher on her shoulder and fled. I watched her disappear the same way Elise went. My second call went to the voicemail.

I looked up at the empty hallway and then my phone again, "Uhm, okay then?"

Shouldering my own bag, I decided to follow the two girls to the washroom. I glanced down at the phone still in my hand. Fine, one last call. I'll see her this afternoon before her shift at the local diner.

Just as I rounded the corner, I noticed Sienna merely standing on the door of the washroom.

"Sienna—!" I started to say when I heard a familiar ringtone. Sienna obviously heard me, and her eyes widened, glancing quickly at whatever was inside the door.

"What?" I asked, quickening my pace. Glancing down at my phone again before focusing on her.

Her head shook, "No, Don't—"

But I was already beside her, peering at whatever was inside the washroom. Just inside the door stood Elise, wearing a furious expression and glaring at whatever was inside. And before I called to her, I heard the voices. And that ringtone again. It was Sarah's.

I pushed in quickly, bumping into Sienna who grabbed me back. "L-let's wait outside."

That shaky whisper made Elise glance back. She jumped, her eyes mimicking Sienna's panic when she saw me. "Scarlett..."

I felt like the next seconds after that was going to be forever branded into my head.

But there will always be people you're completely in-tune to.  The person your eyes immediately find in a crowd. The voice you're never likely to mistake. It happens when you've been best friends for four years.

In front of the cubicles, Sarah stood taller than the three girls closed in in front of her. The right side of her face in my full view and those blonde locks shining in their curls as they talked animatedly.

"Do you really think we'd be stupid to believe Scarlett Noble would do that for the Senior Scene? Why the hell would she do that?"

At the mention of my name, my heart throbbed painfully and even before I heard the reply, I just already knew how this was going. I'd subconsciously shrugged off Sienna's hand and stepped inside fully. My ears needed to hear what my mind had repulsively suggested.

I didn't see the horrified expression of the two with me as I fixed my whole attention to my best friend.

My whole body tense, I waited.

The girl I'd known for the whole of my college life wore and expression I'd never seen on her before. Her eyes meeting that of the accuser's head on. It was anger, determination... yet it also looked rabid. It was an expression akin to a cornered animal. But to see such thing on a person... it was those few seconds before you saw her drop everything for self-preservation.

Damn, in my head that sounded so reasonable.

"And you think I would do something like that?" Sarah's voice was hoarse, shaking and frankly, quite mad in my ears. This was eavesdropping, and I knew it was going to be such a stab but I stayed. Waiting. Waiting. Hoping. And knowing—the worst part of it all—just how this was going to play out.

"Why wouldn't you? You're dirt poor, recently lost your scholarship because you couldn't maintain your grades and the guys are willing to pitch in to pay for a live show. You acted so innocent this whole time but it's always the quiet ones you have to look out—"

"I SAID IT WASN'T ME!" Sarah shrilled, her whole face red, the veins on her neck popping out with her words.

It was followed by cackling laughter from the women cornering her. Were they really humans? Feasting at another person's suffering? Inhaling their pain?

My feet started on their own, the agonizing sounds from my best friend doing things to my heart. Tears sprung to my eyes. I was feeling my throat close up. The need to protect—

Elise dragged me back. Sienna too.

"And you're saying it was Scarlett instead?" I froze, watching the scene.

"That rich girl? I heard you're close. So what are you doing? Throwing your friend under the bus—?"

"YES, IT WAS HER! Her! It was her!" Angry gestures, burning desperate eyes followed by a weak crazed laugh, "Do I look stupid? I'm a graduating student! How could I risk four years of education by doing that? I know the school rules!"

I'd heard this before. No, these were my words bouncing back at me.

"And your schooling fees just paid itself like that? Don't—"

"I borrowed that money!"

"Let me guess? From the guys during the Senior Scene?"

Morbid, morbid laughter.

"From Scarlett!" The arms holding me back dug in deep but I couldn't feel it. Not as I watched the fiasco unfolding in front of me. Sarah buried her face in her hands, sobbing. "Scarlett wanted to do the Senior Scene! We're friends, yes, but had I known she would lend me money just so I could cover for her this way, I would've never asked—no, begged her for money."

Sarah sobbed then. The sounds coming out of her mouth, chilling me to the bone.

Shout-out to all the best friends out there✨

I hate what this chapter represents. Bad memory, go away. Shoo

Happy 1 Million reads btw.