Breathe

Her breathing became heavier as she put in more effort to chase behind me as I hurried from her flat.

"AJ! AJ WAIT! I NEED YOU!" She screeched, immediately letting sobs take over. My insides heaved with sadness for my friend, but I kept going. "AJ!" She cried. "AJ COME BACK!" I twirled around to face the girl I once called my best friend.

That's all she was anymore. Just a girl. She'd been downgraded from the beautiful radiant woman she once was, to a scared little girl, all by one awful boy.

"I'm sorry Isis, I really am. I have no more advice for you! I've given it all I got. It's time for you to figure out your relationship for yourself!" Saying those words hurt me, and I turned away from her, continuing on down the walk way.

"Wait, AJ please. Please." I stopped and turned my head. Isis's eyes were huge and round, and through them I could see how vulnerable she was feeling. I closed my eyes for a moment, slowing my heart rate.

"We accept the love we think we deserve." I murmured softly before I hurried on to my car.

"AJ WAIT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! PLEASE GIVE ME A CLUE!" She cried frantically.

"Okay. Sophomore year. Remember I was in the hospital, suffering from an awful eating disorder. What love did I accept?"

"You didn't accept anyone's love." My friend spoke with a puzzled tone.

"Why." I shot back.

"Because you felt like you weren't worth it. But it was just the eating disorder talking Aims! You're worth it! Are you having trou--"

"What love are you accepting?" I cut her off, looked into her eyes one more time, then climbed into my car.

As I drove, I thought.

Isis and I had been best friends since the third grade when she pushed over the boy who kept tugging on my pony tail. We'd been through a lot together. Always had each other's back. Then, my junior year, my family moved to London. Stayed until I came to the states for college. In the time I'd been gone, Isis had gotten lonely. She met a guy and fell in love. She'd never admit it, but he hurt her. I could tell he did. She always came up with silly excuses for why she had bruises. She had become so much more reserved. It didn't sit well with me.
A few hours ago they'd had a fight, and Isis was totally lost.
It made me feel like an awful friend to just abandon her in her time of need, but I knew even if I'd stayed she wouldn't listen to me. She needed to figure things out on her own.

I walked into my own little apartment and dropped my things on the floor next to the door way, sinking down next to them.

"Tough day?" My roommate Claire wondered, walking up to me and offering me a glass of orange juice. I took it, then took her out stretched hand and stood up.

"Is there alcohol in this?" I wondered, ignoring her question.

"Who do you think I am? Mother Teresa? Of course." She laughed, walking to the kitchen and hopping up on the counter. I followed her and plopped into one of the chairs.

"I feel like an horrible friend." I muttered. Claire's facial expression went soft.

"I'm sure whatever happened was for the best." With that, she raised her glass of orange juice into the air. We exchanged small smiles and gulped it down.