Theyll murder me, wont let me back in the house… Nick, seriously, 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 thudded onto the floor. She swayed slightly, barely keeping her balance. Her best friend, Nicola, pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing her back in soothing circles.
I failed. Not even close. My parents… Lily choked back a sob. Dad already said if I didnt get in, Id be stuck working on a building site. And Mum… I told her this morning, and she hasnt spoken to me since.
Nicola guided Lily to the kitchen without letting go, sat her down at the table, and handed her a glass of water.
Dont panic, youre not alone, Nicola said firmly. Well figure it out. We always do.
But I thought… We were supposed to be together… In the same class…
Nicolas mum poked her head into the kitchen. A woman in her mid-forties with a sharp bob and the steady gaze of someone whod spent years wrangling teenagers as a schoolteacher.
Whats happened? she asked, gentle but direct.
Didnt get in, Lily mumbled, staring at the table.
Her mum walked over, sat beside Lily, and tilted her chin up.
Well, thats that. Youll try again next year. As for your parents… Well think of something.
And she meant it. That evening, she called a family meeting.
We were going to rent you a flat there anyway, Nicolas dad said. Let Lily stay with you. She can study quietly. And you wont be aloneputs our minds at ease. Sound good?
Her mum nodded in agreement. Nicola grinned. Lily looked like shed been handed a lottery ticket.
I… Really? You dont mind?
Weve known you since you were knee-high, Nicolas mum smiled. Youre like a second daughter. Just need to smooth things over with your parents, but I doubt theyll object.
Lilys hands trembled, and she turned away to hide fresh tears. Nicola noticed but didnt say a word.
…Theyd met in Year 3, when Nicola had just moved to the neighbourhood. She knew something was off when she spotted Lily lingering by the school gates in scuffed sandals two sizes too big, watching the other kids scatter home.
Lily never rushed back.
Dinners in her house werent warm or cosy. Five siblings, a dad who reeked of booze, a mum whod slap her for a loose button… No wonder she dragged her feet. Nicola was the one who approached her firstoffered a chocolate bar, then shared pencils in art class. Thats how it started.
From then on, Lilys life ran parallel to Nicolas. They spent summers at Nicolas grans in Cornwall, fought boys who picked on either of them, got told off by their form teacher in unison. Nicolas parents even bought Lilys prom dress, knowing shed otherwise show up in something from the back of her wardrobe.
That autumn, Lily moved with Nicola to a nearby city as planned. Their two-bed flat by the bus stop had scuffed furniture and a scratched-up kitchen, but the oven worked like a dream. On Sundays, Lily baked apple crumbleNicolas mums recipe.
She got a job at a bookshop to chip in, cleaned, cooked, and studied maths in her spare time.
Nick, dyou want pasta or soup? Lily would ask when Nicola trudged in late.
For a year, it was perfect.
When the acceptance letters came, Lily called Nicola first.
I got in. On a full grant. Third on the list! she crowed.
Tears spilled over. Nicola hugged her just like she had years ago, when Lily had been locked out for tearing her coat. Only now, they were happy tears.
But joy had a bitter aftertaste. Lily was moving into hallsto “bond with coursemates.” Nicola felt like they were saying goodbye for good but kept it together.
Will we… see each other less? Lily asked quietly.
Maybe. Doesnt matter. Distance wont change us.
Lily nodded. Her eyes held quiet sadness and something steely beneath. She wanted a fresh start.
It never crossed Nicolas mind that “fresh start” meant “without you.”
…Years later, Nicola huddled at a bus stop, shivering. Fifteen minutes late already. Her phone buzzedanother message from Lily.
Cant make it tonight. Teams hitting the pub to celebrate a project wrap. Rain check?
Third cancellation this month, all vague. Nicola didnt reply. She pocketed her phone and stared at the road.
They barely met now. After uni, Lily landed a flashy tech job. She babbled about KPIs, networking, onboardingwords that made Nicolas brain glaze over. At first, shed nod along, but it got harder each time.
No more giggling over rubbish telly, sharing fears, or cringing at school photos. All gone.
Even Lily looked different. Her socials showed manicured nails, plumped lips, a nose suspiciously tidier. Always in sharp suits, hair flawless.
Polished. Beautiful. And nothing like the Lily she knew.
Then Nicola spotted a comment under Lilys profile pic: “Best decisions are made with you by my side.” The mans profile? Director of her company. Twenty years older.
Weeks later, Lily dropped it casually on the phone:
Congrats are in orderIve got a bloke. Older, but brilliant. Different crowd. With him, Im finally living, not just surviving.
Nicola forced congratulations, but something curdled in her gut. Not jealousyjust the crack in their friendship widening.
Lily was sprinting toward “different crowds.” Nicola? Just living. Work, cosy nights in with her husband, saving up for a new bathroom.
Then a mutual friend sent screenshots.
Ugh, Nicola keeps bugging me to meet up. Shes… not awful, but being with her feels like being stuck in the past. So glad I moved on. Lilys words.
No outright cruelty, but it stung. “Bugging.” Nicola stopped asking.
A month later, Lily called. Her voice was all business.
Nick, hi. Just a heads-upIm changing my number and deleting all socials.
Everything okay? Nicola asked carefully.
Fine. Just… starting fresh.
And?
Youre… part of the old life. I dont want to drag that with me.
Silence pulsed in Nicolas ears. Lily waited.
Sorry, but were not friends anymore, she added, quieter. Goodbye.
The line died.
Nicola sat frozen, phone in hand. Not angry. Not hurt. Just… hollow, like someone had cleared out a room and left echoes.
Yet somewhere deep: This isnt over.
Life rolled on. Nicola laughedwith her husband, their little
