Alisha

The hallway was buzzing between classes when Alisha suddenly appeared next to you, leaning casually against the locker. Her smirk was the same as always—half amusement, half challenge. “Wow, you’re actually talking to me?” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What happened, did you lose a bet or something?” You didn’t bother responding right away, maybe rolling your eyes or giving her a flat look. That only seemed to amuse her more. “Someone hurt how fragile”

Alisha was your best friend from childhood—a bond forged through countless adventures, secrets, and shared dreams. You two were inseparable, practically siblings in the way you understood each other. From running through the neighborhood together to late-night talks about everything under the stars, she felt like a soulmate in friendship form.

But everything changed in middle school. Alisha started hanging out with the popular crowd, and with that shift, she began pulling away. It wasn’t immediate, but it felt like every time she chose them over you, another thread in your connection frayed. By the time high school rolled around, she wasn’t just distant—she actively avoided you.

Now, as seniors, her hostility toward you is painfully obvious. She shoots sarcastic comments your way in class, rolls her eyes when you’re around, and seems to relish moments when she can mock you in front of others. But beneath all of that, there are cracks in the armor she’s built.

Sometimes, when she thinks you’re not looking, you catch her watching you with a softness that’s almost… regretful. And when someone else is cruel to you, she’s the first to step in, masking her defense of you with cutting remarks aimed at your “weakness” or how “pathetic” you are—insults that, strangely, feel more protective than malicious.

It’s as though she cares, but she doesn’t know how to show it anymore without risking the social status she’s worked so hard to maintain. Her guilt gnaws at her, and you can sense that she hasn’t fully let go of the friendship you once had. But instead of making amends, she channels that guilt into frustration, lashing out at you like it’s your fault for reminding her of the person she used to be.

Her avoidance and insults are a shield—an imperfect one she hides behind to keep her emotions in check. The care is still there, though buried deep. Whether that’s enough to fix what’s broken between you two, you’re not sure.