Alice felt like the walls were closing in. Every conversation with her family had become a maze of questions she didn't know how to answer. "Why are you so quiet these days?" her mother would ask, her voice tinged with concern. "Is something wrong, Alice?" her father would probe, his sharp gaze cutting through her fragile composure.
She tried to smile, to laugh at their jokes, to assure them that everything was fine, but her efforts felt hollow. The sadness beneath her smile wasn't something she could explain—not to them, not to anyone. It was a silent storm raging inside her, growing stronger each day.
The weight of their questions was unbearable. Every "Are you okay?" chipped away at the walls she had so carefully built around her emotions. She couldn't bear to see the worry in their eyes anymore, nor could she risk them uncovering the truth she was trying so hard to hide.
And so, she made her decision. The only place where she felt she could escape their probing eyes and relentless concern was college. It wasn't perfect—it never had been—but it was far enough. Far enough to keep her secrets intact, far enough to let her emotions settle without the constant pressure of being seen.
Alice paced nervously in her room, the phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, sadness, and a deep sense of betrayal. James's actions had shattered her, and the weight of keeping it all inside was becoming unbearable.
She knew she couldn't face this alone anymore. There was only one person she could trust with her truth, one person who wouldn't judge her or dismiss her pain: Query, her best friend from school. Query had always been her rock, the one who understood her like no one else.
Taking a deep breath, Alice dialed her number.
"Hey, Alice!" Query's voice was warm, as cheerful as always. "Wow, it's been forever since we talked. What's up?"
Alice hesitated, her voice shaking slightly. "Hi, Query. Can you come over tonight? I… I really need to talk to you."
Query paused on the other end, sensing the tension in Alice's voice. "Of course. Is everything okay?"
"I'll explain when you get here," Alice said softly.
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Query arrived at Alice's house. Alice's family greeted her warmly, their smiles a stark contrast to the heaviness that lingered in Alice's demeanor. Query chatted briefly with Alice's parents, but her eyes kept darting toward her friend, who seemed quieter than usual, her shoulders slightly slumped.
Finally, the two of them retreated to Alice's room, where the atmosphere shifted. The casual warmth from earlier was replaced with an almost tangible tension.
Query sat on the edge of Alice's bed, her hands folded in her lap. "Alright, Alice," she said gently. "What's going on? You've been acting… different. And honestly, it's starting to worry me."
Alice sat across from her, her hands twisting nervously. Her eyes avoided Query's, instead focusing on a small tear in the fabric of her jeans. "It's about James," she began, her voice barely audible.
Query leaned forward, her brows furrowed. "James? Your boyfriend? What about him? Did something happen?"
Alice nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Slowly, haltingly, she began to tell Query everything—about the lies, the betrayal, and the devastating discovery of his infidelity. The words spilled out of her like a flood, each one chipping away at the facade she had been holding together for so long.
By the time Alice finished, her voice was hoarse, and tears streaked her face. She looked up at Query, afraid of what she might see—judgment, pity, or perhaps disbelief.
But Query's expression held none of those things. Instead, her eyes burned with quiet anger on Alice's behalf, and her hand reached out to clasp Alice's tightly.
"Alice," Query said firmly, "you didn't deserve this. Not any of it. And you're stronger than you think. I'm here for you, no matter what. We'll figure this out together."
For the first time in weeks, Alice felt a spark of hope. Query's unwavering support was the light she desperately needed to navigate the shadows that had consumed her life.
And as the two friends sat together, sharing quiet words of comfort and understanding, Alice realized that she wasn't as alone as she had feared.
Alice stood at the door of her family home, her suitcase packed and her heart heavy. It was time to leave, but this goodbye felt different. She had made up her mind to move on, to leave behind the shards of her broken relationship with James. Yet, deep down, she knew the memories would follow her, haunting her in quiet moments. Every movement, every small thing, would remind her of him.
Query had stayed by her side through her breaking point, offering her words of comfort and encouragement. "You're stronger than this, Alice," Query had said the previous night. "And while it hurts now, I promise you'll heal. One step at a time."
Her best friend's unwavering support had been the push Alice needed to face her pain and take the first step forward.
As the morning sun filtered through the windows, Alice hugged her family tightly, trying to etch the warmth of their love into her memory. Finally, she turned to Query, who stood near the gate, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Take care of yourself," Query said, her voice steady but soft.
"I will," Alice replied, giving her a small smile. "Thank you for everything."
As the car pulled away, Alice watched the figures of her family and Query shrink into the distance. She wiped a tear from her cheek, steeling herself for the journey ahead.
---
Later that day, as Query prepared to leave Alice's home, Alice's mother approached her. There was a gentle concern in her eyes, one that only a mother could have.
"Query," she began hesitantly, "I know you and Alice are very close. You've always been like a sister to her. I just… I need to ask. Is everything okay with her? She's been so distant lately, and I can see the sadness in her eyes. Please, if you know something, tell me. I'm her mother—I just want to help."
Query's heart tightened. She had promised Alice that she wouldn't share the truth with anyone, and she intended to keep that promise. For a moment, she hesitated, then forced a reassuring smile onto her face.
"Aunty," Query said gently, "there's nothing to worry about. Alice is just stressed about her studies and her future. You know how she is—always overthinking everything. But trust me, she's fine. She just needs some time to focus and adjust."
Alice's mother sighed, the worry in her expression easing slightly. "You're sure? I just want her to be happy."
"She will be," Query assured her. "You raised an incredible daughter. She's strong, and she'll be okay. Just give her some space to figure things out."
With that, Query hugged Alice's mother goodbye and walked out of the house, the weight of her promise heavy on her shoulders. She knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy for Alice, but she also knew her best friend was stronger than she gave herself credit for.
As Query stepped into the quiet street, she whispered to herself, "You've got this, Alice. And I'll always be here when you need me."
The train rattled along the tracks, its rhythmic hum a stark contrast to the storm of thoughts in Alice's mind. She sat by the window, her chin resting on her hand, watching the world blur past her. But her focus wasn't on the scenery. It was on two names that kept circling in her head: William and Amile.
They were her closest friends in college, her anchors in a world that often felt overwhelming. Amile, with her kind heart and empathetic nature, would undoubtedly understand. Alice could already picture her leaning in, listening intently, and saying, "It's okay, Alice. I'm here for you."
But William...
Her heart sank at the thought of him. William had always been her rock, her steady presence through every challenge. He had been patient, even when she had ignored him. She had chosen to prioritize James over their friendship, pushing William aside in her desperate attempt to prove her love and loyalty to someone who didn't deserve it.
And now James was gone—leaving behind nothing but heartbreak and regret.
"What will I even say to William?" Alice murmured under her breath, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her bag. "How do I explain why I pushed him away?"
She couldn't shake the memory of the last time they had spoken. William's face had been a mixture of hurt and confusion as she dismissed his attempts to spend time together, brushing off his concerns with hollow excuses. He had cared for her, and she had repaid him with silence.
"Will he even forgive me?" she wondered, the thought sending a fresh wave of anxiety through her.
The train's whistle pierced the air, jolting her slightly. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Amile would be her first stop when she reached college—she needed the comfort of her friend's understanding presence before she faced William. But even as she planned her steps, doubts lingered.
Amile would listen, yes. She would console Alice, tell her that it wasn't her fault, and remind her that she deserved better than James. But what about William? What would he say when she finally confessed how much she regretted the way she had treated him?
The scenery outside grew darker as the train sped forward, mirroring the weight in her chest. She hated how much James had consumed her life, how her blind devotion to him had cost her so much.
But there was no going back now. When she arrived at college, she would have to face both Amile and William. She owed them the truth, no matter how hard it was to say.
And if William didn't forgive her? She would have to live with that. She had made her mistakes, and forgiveness wasn't something she could demand—it was something she had to earn.
As the train neared her destination, Alice closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "I'll make it right, somehow. I have to try."
The journey ahead wasn't just about returning to college. It was about repairing what she had broken and finding herself again amidst the ruins of her past.