I literally had to drag myself up in the room. Suddenly my feet started feeling heavy and my vision got blurry.

I was sweating because I knew I had to tell them the truth. I couldn’t ask anyone else to do it on my behalf as I was the only one who knew what was actually happening so far.

I went near the window looking out at the picturesque scenery in front of me while my hands were in my pockets. I heard the door getting closed and this caused me to turn behind to see everyone in the room sitting nervously on the bed.

“What’s the matter?”, Alan asked with a frown on his face. I looked at Rebekah because I knew that whatever I had to say will affect her the most.

She nodded at me to tell that she was fine. I smiled faintly at her while rubbing my sweaty hands on my pants.

“Talia, why did you spike the martini that you brought to Rebekah’s room?”, I asked the red headed girl whom lately I felt I knew nothing about. She passed me a smile as if I was joking before looking at everyone else and then asked, “Wh…What do you mean by that? Why will I spike Becca’s drink?”

I laughed loudly looking at her attempts to act all innocent, “Cut the crap Tal. Do you remember when I saw you outside Rebekah’s room?” She nodded at me and this caused me to elaborate further.

“Your face turned pale as soon as you saw me but I dismissed it because I thought I was overthinking about things. Then I saw that martini glass on the table and I drank it. I couldn’t attend the goddamn party for which I travelled 17 hours because I couldn’t stop puking. This definitely means that you had spiked her drink because for some shitty reason you didn’t want her to attend the party.” I looked at her waiting for her to answer but she just folded her hands and said, “Yes. I definitely brought the drink but I did not spike it. It must be someone else who wanted to play some stupid prank.”

“Is this all you have to say Tal? And what explanation do you have for the simple fact that as soon as you left the room I was the one to go inside to meet her and in that interval there was no one else in the room except her and it is quite obvious that she won’t spike her own drink.” I looked at Rebekah and she was all in tears, her face looked numb and she just kept looking at Talia to get some answer that proves that she is a worthy friend and I am wrong.

To be honest when I found out about it I couldn’t believe she could stoop so low. “I…I have no explanation but I am not the one who did it. I can never do that to my best friend”, Talia said while her face was devoid of all colour.

“I really didn’t believe this first but everything was right in front of me and it would be stupid of me to ignore all the clues. I came to the party to tell Becca about this but then the DJ started playing rock music and Rebekah was out on the dance floor. I stood right beside the stage trying to figure out some way to tell her so that it could hurt her less. But then I saw something that swept the floor beneath my feet and suddenly I knew there was no easy way to do this because no matter how hard I try to sugar-coat it, it will hurt her. It hurts me to even say this right now but how could you do that to her? How could you make your own best friend feel exposed by cutting the straps of her dress?” Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked at her own hands to what I supposed was a look of embarrassment and guilt.

Rebekah covered her face with her hands and wept loudly. I was about to go comfort her when I saw that Rex was standing by her side and was doing every possible thing to make her stop from shedding those precious tears.

Yes, I love Rebekah from a very long time, long enough for me to even remember. She never knew this because she never really saw me that way.

For her, I was just a good friend with whom she used to sleep occasionally. I never really told her because I always thought that maybe now is not the time.

She never paid attention to anyone else and this kept me at peace as somewhere I was sure that she won’t fall for anyone else. But things changed when Rex entered her life.

I knew that she was serious about him when I saw her taking efforts for him and it was a big deal because this was Rebekah Williams I was talking about and she usually didn’t even jump a puddle for people no matter even if they crossed oceans for her. It hurt me to see her falling for him deeper and deeper each day, it broke my heart when I saw her crying for him and it was then that I knew that I had lost her forever.

It came across my mind a million times to separate them from each other but I knew it wasn’t in my strength to do that. No matter how much it kills me to say this but Rex is a nice person and he will always be a better partner for her than me and I also knew for a fact that he would always keep her happy no matter what.

I would never do what Talia did to her even if it meant that by doing that I could get her for the rest of my life. Because I have learned lately that love is something that you earn and no matter how much you love someone that person always has a choice to choose someone better over you.

I wanted Rebekah but not as someone who would always secretly be in love with someone else. I wanted her as a whole and I knew this wasn’t possible as she had already given her heart to Rex.

I knew I couldn’t hide it anymore and to be honest, somewhere I was relieved that I didn’t have to pretend anymore. I was done seeing her being everyone’s favourite, being the most angelic person in the room and being a sweetheart to all.

I wanted to tell her how I felt about her always. I looked at her and I could see how hurt she was.

“Tal, is this true?”, she asked me while wiping those tears that didn’t seem to stop. What a naïve person she is!

Everything is right in front of her and she is fucking asking me if this is all true? Was she this dumb always or is this her borrowed trait from her boyfriend Rex?

I stood up from the bed and placed my hands on my hips and walked in the room front and back laughing as if I had heard the funniest joke. “Yes …it is sweetheart! And don’t behave as if you didn’t deserve it.”

I stood right in front of her and with the most cruel smirk that I could afford I continued, “Yes I was the one who spiked your drink, yes I was the one who wanted to embarrass you in front of everyone at the party but like always someone scooped in and saved your ass. Yes, I was the one who sent your dad to meet Rex at the airport, yes, I was the one who told the peon that you and Rex were the students who were sneaking in the library and yes, I was the one who spiked Rex’s drink in the frat party to make you small in his eyes. I did everything to destroy you and yet here you are standing like a queen with her head high than ever.” She gritted her teeth at me and her once sad eyes were now replaced by anger boiling in them.

This made me feel good as I knew it affected her and so I further continued to tell her how I have taken all the possible efforts to make her life a living hell. “You remember the thanksgiving of two years back when my mother found her gold bracelet in your bag? And you being the goodie you are, thought that it must be Tommy who would have dragged it from the room and dropped it in your bag. Well guess what? That was me! But my stupid parents thought of it as some misunderstanding as they trusted you so much and didn’t do anything about it. And also do you remember when Nick from 9th grade asked you for a date but stood you up at the café. Ah…yes! That was me again. I told him that you were a lesbian and so he didn’t turn up.”

I passed her an evil grin and finally she dropped her act and spoke, “Why did you do this to me Tal? I always considered you as the closest person to me after my grandma. I have seen you being mean to me the past days but I just brushed it off thinking that maybe somewhere it’s my fault. I felt guilty for even thinking that you could be doing wrong to me. But I guess I wasn’t wrong. I never believed when many of the other girls in school used to say how you were using me to be an attention seeker , how you were digging pits for me whenever something good happened in my life. I still can’t believe that it is happening. I was always there for you no matter even if I was going through shit in my personal life. I thought that I always had your back and that you will stand with me no matter what! I considered you as my sister that I never really had and this is what I get for trusting someone so much? Because of you I will never be able to trust any other person in my life. Congratulations Tal! You are successful in destroying my emotional self.” That asshole Austin hugged her as soon as she was done with her bragging about how she believed in me and blah blah blah!

I looked at Austin and a chuckle escaped my mouth. I knew I would be leaving Santorini in the next few hours and also that I won’t be friends with any of them once I am done.

So I decided to let it all out. “You Austin!”, I said while pointing my finger at him.

He shot daggers at me and I was truly enjoying it. “Get a life of your own. Till when are you planning to run behind her when all she does is kick you in the ass once she is done with you? You know that you can’t be sleeping with her now when she has a real boyfriend. So you better invest your charms somewhere else. If you would have tried maybe I would be interested”, I said while biting my lower lip and looking at him seductively.

“Fuck you”, he muttered loudly while showing me his middle finger. I glared at him before a smirk crept on my face.

I looked at Rey and he was standing quietly eyeing me disgustingly. I made my way towards Alan and Stella and said, “Congratulations once again. And thank you for having me here.”

It was then that Rebekah spoke again, “You didn’t give me the reason Tal.” I sat on the chair while folding my legs before speaking, “You always took away things and people from me that were mine. My parents loved you more than me and imagine if it happened to you? I have always heard how good you are and how I am nothing when compared to you. You remember the time when we both called dibs on Austin at the same time? We then waited for him to see whom does he approach? It was you Rebekah. It has been you every fucking time. Be it in the case of Austin or any other boy, they all love you for I don’t know what and I am tired of being rejected every damn time.”

Rebekah came towards me and sat on her knees right in front of me. She held my hands before saying, “I am so sorry Tal. I never knew you felt this way.”

I pushed her aside before grabbing my purse from the bed and said, “Stop saying that as if you really understand how I actually felt. No one knows it other than me. I don’t want your sympathy so buzz off!” Just then Rex caught me by my elbow and said, “You have said enough bitch. Now just fuck off from here before we call the security to drag your ass out.”

I passed him a glare before leaving the room, closing the door behind me with a loud thud.

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😘