**Wiped from the Ledger**
“They’ll kill me. They wont let me come home… Nick, you *know* them. I didnt get in… I dont know what to do now.”
Lily stood in the hallway, smudging mascara and tears across her cheeks. Her bag slid off her shoulder and hit the floor. She swayed unsteadily, barely keeping her balance. Her best friend, Nicky, pulled her close, smoothing a hand down her back.
“I didnt make it. Not even close. My parents” Lily choked on a sob. “Dad already said if I didnt get in, Id be working construction. And Mum… I told her this morning, and she hasnt spoken to me since.”
Nicky guided Lily to the kitchen without letting go, sitting her down and setting a glass of water in front of her.
“Dont be scared. Youre not alone,” Nicky said firmly. “Well figure it out. We always do.”
“But I thought… We were supposed to be together… In the same class…”
Nickys mother appeared in the doorway. A woman in her mid-forties with a sharp bob and steady eyesa schoolteacher who always knew how to talk to kids.
“Whats happened?” she asked, pressing just enough to make it clear she expected an answer.
“I didnt get in,” Lily whispered, staring at the table.
Nickys mum moved closer, sat beside her, and tipped Lilys chin up to meet her gaze.
“Well, nothing to be done now. Youll try again next year. As for your parents… Well think of something.”
And she *meant* it. That evening, the family gathered.
“We were planning to rent you a flat there anyway,” Nickys father said. “Lily can stay with you. Study in her own time. And you wont be alonewell sleep easier knowing that. Sound fair?”
Her mother gave a quiet nod. Nickys grin was instant. Lily could barely breathe.
“Wait… Really? You dont mind?”
“Weve known you since you were knee-high,” Nickys mum smiled. “Youre practically family. Well just need to talk to your parents, but I doubt theyll object.”
Lilys hands shook. She turned away so no one would see the tears, but Nicky noticedjust didnt say a word.
…Theyd met in Year Two, when Nicky first moved to their neighbourhood. She knew something was off the moment she spotted Lily lingering outside school in scuffed sandals two sizes too big, watching the other kids rush home.
Lily never hurried.
There were no warm dinners in her house, no cosy chats about the day. Five siblings. A father who drank. A mother whod slap her for scuffed shoes. No wonder she dawdled.
Nicky was the one who approached her firstoffered a chocolate bar, then shared pencils in art class. Thats how it began.
From then on, Lilys life unfolded beside Nickys. They visited Nickys nan in the countryside together. Fought off bullies side by side. Got scolded by the headmistress in tandem. Nickys parents even bought Lilys prom dress, knowing shed show up in something plain otherwise.
That autumn, Lily moved to a nearby town with Nicky, just as planned. Their flat was smalla bit worn, with a scratched-up kitchen, but the oven worked perfectly. On Sundays, Lily baked apple crumble. Nickys mums recipe.
She got a job at a bookshop so she wouldnt be a burden. She cleaned. Cooked. Studied maths in her free time.
“Nick, dyou want pasta or soup?” shed ask when her friend trudged in late.
They lived almost like sisters. A whole year of sunlit days.
When the acceptance letters came, Lily told Nicky first.
“I got in. On the grant. Third on the list!” she beamed.
Tears came unbidden. Nicky hugged her tightjust like she had that day in primary school when Lilys dad threw her out for ripping her coat. Only now, they were happy tears.
But joy had a bitter edge. Lily was moving into halls”to bond with coursemates.” Nicky felt like they were saying goodbye forever, but she kept her voice steady.
“Well talk less now, wont we?” Lily sighed.
“Maybe. But it doesnt matter. Distance doesnt change us.”
Lily nodded. Her eyes held quiet sorrowand something resolute. She wanted a fresh start.
Nicky never imagined *fresh* meant *without you*.
…Years later, Nicky stood at a bus stop, shivering. Fifteen minutes with no bus. Her phone lit upanother message from Lily.
“Cant make it tonight. Teams hitting the pub for a project wrap-up. Rain check?”
Third time this month. No new date set. Nicky didnt reply. She pocketed her phone and stared at the road.
They barely saw each other now. After uni, Lily dove into techall *networking* and *onboarding*, words Nicky barely understood. Shed tried, nodding along, but it got harder each time.
No more laughing over trashy telly. No confessions at 3 a.m. No flipping through old school photos. All of itgone.
Even Lily looked different now. Polished nude nails on her Instagram. Fuller lips. A sharper nose. Tailored suits. Hair always sleek.
Stylish. Beautiful. But not *her* Lily.
Then Nicky saw the comment under Lilys profile pic: *”Best decisions are made with you.”* She clicked. Some bloke named *Daniel*her boss, twenty years older.
Weeks later, Lily mentioned it offhand:
“Congrats are in order. Ive got a man now. Older, but brilliant. Different crowd. With him, Im finally *living*, not just surviving.”
Nicky congratulated her. Meant it. But something curdled in her gut. Not jealousyjust the sound of something breaking.
Lily was sprinting forward. Nicky? Just living. Work. Films with her husband. Saving up for a bathroom renovation.
Then worse. An old classmate sent a screenshot. *”Look at this. Draw your own conclusions.”*
*”God, Nicky keeps begging to meet up. Shes not bad, but being with her feels like being stuck in the past. So glad I got out.”*
No outright cruelty. Just that word*begging*. Nicky stopped asking.
A month later, Lily called. Her voice was crisp. No warmth left.
“Nick. Hi. I… just wanted to say. Im changing my number. Deleting all my socials.”
“Something wrong?” Nicky asked carefully.
“No. Just… starting fresh.”
“And?”
“Look… Youre part of the old life. I dont want to drag that with me.”
Silence. Lily waited. Nicky didnt speak.
“Sorry. Were not friends anymore,” Lily added, softer now. “Goodbye.”
The line died.
Nicky sat there, phone in hand. She couldnt name what she felt. Anger? No. Hurt? Not that either. Just hollow, like someone had emptied the house of furniture, leaving echoes.
Yet, deep down: *This isnt over.*
Life went on. Nicky laughedjust not with Lily. With her husband. Her daughter. Her parents. She still thought of her sometimes but never searched for her online. Lily had cut her out. Her choice. Choices deserve respect.
…Two years passed. Nicky was layering potatoes for a bake when her phone rang. An unknown number. She answered without thinking.
“Hello?”
“Nick? Its me… Lily.”
Her voice was rough. Shaky. Familiar. Nicky went still. Old wounds split openbut only cold seeped out.
“Sorry to just… call. Didnt know who else to ring. Im… in a bad way. Really bad.”
A pause. Waiting for Nicky to ask. But they werent friends anymore.
“Danyou know, the onehe left me. Found someone else. My fault, probably, but… Anyway. He sacked me. Didnt even pay my last wage.”
Nicky listened. Said nothing. She knew where this was going.
“You… could you lend me some? Ill pay back. Just got the mortgage… Maybe three grand? Four?”
“Who is this again?” Nicky asked, calm.
“Its… Lily, remember? We went to your nans, shared that flat… Nick, come on. You *know* me.”
Her voice frayed. The girl whod run to Nicky to hide from her parents was back. But that whimper couldnt turn back time.
“Ah. The Lily who said we werent friends? Not even in a fightjust *decided* it. Yeah. Vaguely recall
