The Sad Truth

Lindsay sat on the end of her best friend's bed, trying extremely hard to keep the tears brimming in her eyes at bay. It was no use, though, because as soon as David sat down next to her and put his arm around her, a sob escaped her lips and before she knew what she was doing, she was crying her eyes out on his shoulder.

"Shh, it'll be okay," David murmured, rubbing the small of Lindsay's back and resting his chin on top of her head.

She was gabbling something, too quickly and quietly for him to make out what it was. Gently, he prised her away from him and looked into her shining brown eyes.

"It was her, wasn't it?" he said grimly. She hung her head, unwilling to look at him, and said nothing. "It was Alyssa, wasn't it?"

Lindsay only nodded, the mere mention of her former best friend's name constricting the muscles in her throat.

"Why do you let her do this to you, Lins?" David sighed.

"She's my friend." Her voice was barely audible, and as small as she felt at that moment.

"Was your friend," he corrected her. "She ditched you four years ago for her new friends, remember?"

"Yeah," she muttered, crossing her arms. "But she said she missed being friends with me. She said she wanted it to be just like old times."

"And you believed her?" David was incredulous. Understandably so. "Lins, she feeds you this crap every single time."

"I have to give her a chance." Her voice is stronger this time, determined.

"You're too nice, you know that?" David sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do I want to know what she did this time?"

"She invited me to this party at someone's house earlier today," Lindsay replied quietly. "That's why I blew you out, not because I had to go see Aunt Maureen. I didn't want to tell you where I was going. I knew what you'd say."

"And I'd be right, wouldn't I?" he said darkly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, drawing her knees up into her chest. "When I got to the party, I knew something was up. They wouldn't let me in for starters. I told them Alyssa invited me, but they wouldn't believe me. They called her and she said she did nothing of the sort, but since I was there, I may as well come in.

"I was so embarrassed, I just wanted to leave. But they wouldn't let me. Alyssa dragged me inside and dumped me in the living room. Everyone just looked at me like I was... nothing. I just wanted to leave but Alyssa said she had something for me.”

“What?” he asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know.

“she told me it was in the cupboard under the stairs and after I got it I could go home.”

David’s eyes filled with understanding. “tell me she didn’t.”

Lindsay squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t know who it was but when I opened the door someone shoved me in and locked the door behind me. I kept banging on the door, screaming for them to let me out, but they wouldn’t.” She choked, like she was trying to dislodge something painful from her throat. “they left me in there for six hours. Someone finally let me out, I don’t know who. I think they felt sorry for me. I didn’t care; I just grabbed my stuff and ran.”

He hugged her tighter, knowing how terrified she was of the dark. He knew Alyssa knew it too, and that just made him angrier.

“I came straight here,” she finished, pulling away to look up at him. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

"Oh, Lindsay. Let's just agree that we both hate her, okay?" David said gently, rocking his best friend back and forth. "It's easier that way."

Lindsay didn’t reply. She just buried her head in his shoulder and resigned never to leave the safe comfort of his embrace.