I wasn’t one to judge anyone for their choices. Everyone had their reasons and motivations for the decisions they made. But as Dania grew larger it was becoming harder and harder to watch her screw up not only her life, but also the life of the tiny person she carried inside her.

When the waitress came over, she gave us a small smile. I recognized her from high school. Her nametag said Emily. Though I couldn’t recall anything else about her.

“Hi Ellie! Dania,” she said, pulling a pen from the top of the bun that secured her messy brown hair.

Dania frowned, obviously not knowing who Emily was. “Yeah, well I’d like a cheeseburger and fries with a coke. Ellie will have a club sandwich and chips. And bring her a slice of Ma’s Key Lime Pie,” she said, giving me a smile.

Sometimes she made it so easy to overlook the uglier parts of her personality.

Emily wrote down our order and left, if not a little put out that we didn’t initiate conversation. Dania leaned over the table and dropped her voice into an intimate whisper.

“Who the fuck was that and how did she know our names?”

I smirked and shrugged. “She went to school with us I think, but hell if I remember her.”

Dania smoothed her long black hair that hung limply around her shoulders. She still looked like crap. Pregnant women were supposed to glow. Dania most certainly was not glowing. Her light had gone out a long time ago.

“So do you want to come with me to pick out some things for the baby’s room? We could also use the gift card to get some stuff for the apartment. Like a microwave or something,” Dania giggled and I tried to smile but my mouth stuck in a grimace.

“Oh my god! There’s Freaky Flynn! I still can’t believe he moved back here!” Dania hissed and I looked over my shoulder to see Flynn come into the diner and head to the counter.

He looked the same as the last time I saw him. I’m not sure why I expected him to look differently. It had only been a week but I felt like a lot had changed since then.

The biggest being the realization that Flynn had no idea my part in the fire that killed his dog and burned down his house. The repressed guilt stuck in my throat and blossomed with a violent force in my gut.

“Yep, there he is,” I said mildly, hoping Dania would let it go. Dania’s past cruelty towards Flynn rivaled my own. She had taken a lot of joy in torturing him. The fact that he was different made it all the easier for her to make his life miserable.

And I had been right there beside her.

But then, as if by chance, I had gotten to know him. It had started innocently in English class and had grown into a friendship that I hadn’t been expecting. But it hadn’t stopped my abuse. In some ways it made it worse.

I had been able to compartmentalize my behavior back then. I had created all sorts of insane justifications to feel okay about the way I had treated him. This sad, lonely boy who had become my only real friend.

But I had been weak and pathetic and unwilling to stand up to the people who tormented him, no matter how much I wanted to.

And I had joined in. I had bruised and hurt him. Wounding him with maliciousness that he had never deserved.

I had cared about Flynn. So much.

It had scared me. I was terrified to feel anything for anyone. I had spent most of my life shutting everyone out. I hadn’t a defense against a quiet boy who was just as lost as I was. I had opened up.

I had let him in.

And then I had pushed him away in the only way I could.

By destroying him.

And in doing so I had destroyed a part of myself that had only started to flourish in the warmth of his affection.

And these feelings hardened and solidified, freezing my heart and numbed me to everything. Then I had only survived. Only existed.

Until he had reappeared in my life.

I had hated Flynn Hendrick for so damn long that I was almost hollow without it. My hatred had warmed me, kept me going. Even if it had been ill placed and unreasonable. But now, seeing him again, with the eyes of someone older and perhaps a bit wiser, I couldn’t hide behind illogical emotions.

Things had started to change for me the minute he walked into JAC’s with his shuffling feet and awkward smile.

“Look at him, Ells. He’s still so weird! Isn’t his brain messed up or something? Isn’t that what you told me?” Dania was gaping at Flynn like a fish.

“He has Asperger’s, Dania. It’s not like he’s brain dead or something,” I said with irritation.

Dania snorted and took a drink of her soda. “Well he acts brain dead. Look at him. He just acts like a freak.” Something lit up in Dania’s eyes that only meant trouble.

“Maybe we should invite him over. I could use a good laugh,” Dania snickered.

What the hell was wrong with her? We weren’t fifteen with ignorant youth as an excuse.

“Just leave him alone, Dania,” I said harshly.

Dania swatted the back of my hand and grinned. “Come on. It’ll be fun. Promise.” How many times had she said that before and we had ended up in the worst trouble imaginable?

“Flynn!” Dania called out, waving her arm over her head, trying to get his attention. I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t help it.

Flynn glanced our way and caught sight of Dania flinging her hand about.

He ignored her and I had to chuckle at my friend’s agitation.

“He is so rude!” she complained.

Before I could stop her, Dania was up and out of the booth, heading toward Flynn. I got to my feet and hurried behind her. The last thing I wanted was for her to cause a scene. She had a short fuse these days and Flynn and his perceived disrespect would definitely trigger it.

“Freaky! It’s so good to see you again! Isn’t it, Ells?” Dania said, winking at me and biting her bottom lip so she wouldn’t laugh.

I felt like I had jumped into a time machine and transported back seven years. Dania hadn’t matured much in the years since graduation. In fact, since her pregnancy, I felt as though she had backtracked to near infancy.

She was playing schoolyard mind games and I didn’t want anything to do with it.

“Come on Dania, Emily’s going to be bringing us our food soon,” I used my best no nonsense tone in hopes she would listen.

“I just wanted to talk to Freaky Flynn. We used to be buddies right?” Dania slung her arm around Flynn’s waist and he stiffened instantly.

“Don’t touch me,” he demanded, moving out of her hold.

“Come on. I just want a friendly hug.” Dania reached for him again and he threw his arms out to stop her, knocking over a napkin dispenser, sending it crashing to the floor.

The diner became deathly quiet. Everyone was watching their exchange with vivid interest.

“Dania, enough!” I said, gritting my teeth. Flynn’s normally placid face looked almost panicked. He hated being touched. Everyone that had ever interacted with him knew that. And Dania most definitely knew that. What was she trying to do? This seemed so juvenile and beneath someone who was five months pregnant.

“Come sit with us, Flynn. Let’s talk for a while,” she said, her voice smooth as honey.

Flynn shook his head and took a step backwards.

“You don’t like me. I don’t like you. I won’t sit with you,” he said firmly and I was sort of proud of him. He was standing up for himself in a way he never had as a teenager.

Life had clearly taught him some harsh lessons. And I was sure that Dania and I had been his teachers.

Dania frowned, taken aback by his blunt candor. She looked at me and I shrugged. Then she laughed, a high trilling sound.

“Well you don’t need to be a dick about it,” she huffed. But I knew she wasn’t finished. Dania didn’t take rejection well. And she took public embarrassment even worse.

“Hold on, you have a piece of lint,” she said and reached up to swipe her hands across his face in a long, exaggerated gesture. Flynn flipped out. He lunged backwards so quickly he tripped over his feet and crashed into a table behind him.