"What are you doing here?" Demi exclaimed, breaking the silence.
"If you must know, I was invited."
"By who?" She raised an eyebrow, the party was exclusive.
"A friend."
Demi rolled her eyes, she was always so secretive.
"What friend?"
"A friend who isn't ashamed to let me into their life."
Demi scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You abandoned me the moment you signed that record deal. I didn't hear from you for months, you couldn't even bother to call me on my birthday."
"I was really busy, I had my career to focus on."
"Oh you mean the career you've been trying to throw away by getting high all the time."
"I bet your high right now," she laughed darkly. "Don't tell me? Cocaine or heroin?"
"You think you have everyone fooled, you've done this routine before." Selena shook her head. "You sober up and then the second you get out, you start to self medicate and pretend to be okay when you aren't."
Demi's hand tightened into a fist, she wasn't going to let her ex-best friend talk shit about her. She began to step forward and noticed how bloodshot her eyes were, champagne lingered on her breath.
Alcohol brought out the worst in people and Selena was no different, all that anger and resentment resulted in below the belt comments. She couldn't let her words affect her like that when Demi knew deep down she didn't mean them.
Sure there's the saying drunk words are sober thoughts but she knew Selena well enough to know she was just angry. Angry at her for leaving.
Unclenching her fist she walked past her and let her feet carry her out into the halls and to the balcony.
"Ditching already?" Joe asked upon spotting Demi at one of the balcony tables. He leaned up against the doorframe.
"I needed air." She shrugged her shoulders.
"What happened?"
"I got into a fight," she sighed. "Not a physical one." She added upon seeing the look on his face.
"With Selena right?"
Demi gasped. "How'd you know? Did you see? Are you psychic?" She raised her eyebrows.
"No! She's my plus one for the evening. I was hoping to mediate but you got to her first."
"How do you know her?"
"We live together, we met a few years ago at a concert. We've been friends ever since." He smiled reminiscing on the memory.
"I brought her here to try to patch things up between you too."
"That's sweet but I don't know if that's possible." Demi sighed.
"What happened between you too?"
"It's a long story."
"I've got time." Joe replied, he truly wanted to get to the bottom of his best friend's dislike of Demi.
"Maybe I can tell you once we've gotten to know each other."
"Right, that's fair." Joe held his hands up in agreement.
"Don't let whatever she's said about me freak you out. I hate being judged by people who don't know me."
"Hey, this is a judgment free zone." Joe said.
Demi stood up from the table and made her way to the terrace doors, she could hear Joe's chair scratch the pavement and then he was by her side.
"I have to endure at least another hour of this before I can leave, you sure you wanna spend it with me?" Demi asked.
"Yeah."
"What about Selena?"
"She'll cool down, eventually."
Demi smiled to herself as they entered the party again. It was nice to have someone on her side for a change.
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