rm free from

f your busin

se years, you think you can just

d almost

e him, looking cur

guy? We've never even he

aleb's, but the underlying

you everything," I said, my

to fit into their world, to be the cool

ere old money, but "old" wa

Cartwrights – their families were

place in their tight circle,

their casual cruelties, pretended the

r slowly, his exp

sk about th

at me, a long,

ou oka

, and for a momen

a painf

en there for

r had be

spring formal, a part

ppeared online, m

through the school, through

ut, a drun

the ones who weren't

elentless, anonymous me

ol for a week, hiding in m

who had shown

ith me, not saying m

al fallout, who had quietly used his influ

ed like a

lier words, "too impulsive, unfocused," echoed in

always told us we were your best friends, Ava. I

your 'cool older sister'," I snapped, the bitte

d someone who

ng there, an

h, come on, Ava.

l dismiss

ually misunderstood, perpetually relegated to a r

that flicker of understanding, of

s expression thoughtfu

formed in

ying was still so raw, a wo

being exposed,

me of my fair-weather friends had gleefully

en my rock. O