MY EX BEST FRIEND

Penelope•

I am Penelope Barnes, a regular jeans and plain tops girl and if I am feeling creative, I throw in a Tank top in the mix and run a hand through my bangs. I am from Brooklyn and I believe in love. I didn’t grow up with the finer things in life. No silver spoon, no sprawling estates—but I had love. Real love. My mom, Anna Barnes, was an Irish immigrant who fell in love with an American sea diver, five years after I was born he died, leaving Anna and me.

She worked herself to the bone to make sure I never lacked, she stretched herself extra hard to get me into Beverly High School, telling me, ‘I want you to see how big the world can be, so you can dream that big.’ And I did. I made it through Beverly, got into Bergeron University, and was on track for a degree in Writing and Journalism with top honors.

But then life happened. Mom died. My hero, my rock, my center—gone. After that, everything started spiraling. My grades, my moods, my heart. The emptiness was unbearable, like there was a gaping hole inside of me that I couldn’t fill.

It’s the first summer without her and everything seems hopeless. Spending summer alone in Red Brook would be unbearable, the small town would feel even smaller without her. Family? If I had any, Anna never told me. She never wanted to talk about her family or Dad’s family, so, I have no idea.

I am utterly single and haven’t had another boyfriend since Jeremy. I met Jeremy in junior year at Beverly High—he was a scholarship student like me, impossibly smart, and had this boyish charm that made him even more irresistible. We had so much in common—similar backgrounds, joined the same clubs, and always caught the bus home together. In senior year, he asked me out, there wasn’t a second of hesitation. There was no reason to refuse. He was my first boyfriend—my only boyfriend—and for a while, everything felt perfect. At least, I thought it was.

That illusion shattered when I caught him cheating on me with Tatiana Wyers, my best friend. Well, correction: ex-best friend. I blocked her, erased her from my life like she’d never existed.

Okay, I am not going to paint her as a total monster. Before the Jeremy saga, Tatiana wasn’t just a friend—she was the sister I never had. She liked me from the day she saw me and she shared almost everything with me. She had her excesses—a lot of them—which was to be expected, I mean she grew up filthy rich, but completely alone. Her father was always on some business trip, and her mother died giving birth to her. She needed me, and, for a long time, I needed her too.

But everything changed on my 18th birthday—two days before graduation—when I walked in and found her with Jeremy. In my bed. That kind of betrayal doesn’t just break you; it rewrites you. And yet, here I am, standing at her doorstep, knowing full well that she could break me all over again.

I know it’s a mistake coming here. But what do you do when you’re sad, lonely, and 70 percent suicidal, and the only person you can call is the one person you swore you’d never speak to again?

Have I forgiven her? Honestly, I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m drowning in my grief, and I need someone—anyone—to pull me up before I go under completely. And the sad truth is, no matter how complicated things are with Tatiana, no matter the betrayal—some part of me still loves her. She is my best friend and my worst enemy—I guess.

So, here I am, standing in front of her grand mahogany doors, hoping that maybe—just maybe—she can fill the emptiness, even if it’s only for a little while. As my mom used to say,

There’s no shame in asking for help, even if it means knocking on your enemy’s door, Penelope.

“Oh my God, Pen!” Tatiana bursts through the door, arms wide open, her voice a melody of excitement. She rushes toward me, and I barely have time to react before she wraps me in her usual over-the-top embrace.

I hug her back, feeling a sting of something—maybe bitterness, maybe relief. “I’ve missed you too,” I admit. Because I have. As much as I hate to admit it.

She pulls away, her eyes scanning me like she’s cataloging every detail. She still looks like luxury personified in her pink two-piece blazer and shorts set, the white blouse underneath crisp and pristine. Her short brown hair is perfectly styled in its classic side part, and her skin glows like she’s just stepped off the cover of some high-fashion magazine.

“You haven’t changed,” Her eyes sparkle as she grabs my arm and pulls me inside.

“Woah this must be heaven,” I say, my eyes wide as I take in the extravagance of her home.

“Oh, you should see the mansion in Spain. Now that’s heaven. This?” She waves dismissively at the opulent surroundings. “This is heaven’s waiting room.” She giggled.

“Wait, there’s something bigger than this?” I can’t help but laugh, despite myself.

She rolls her eyes playfully. “Oh, you’ll see Spain soon enough. Maybe you can come live out there with me! Forget school—there are these amazing things called chauffeurs, Pen. They’ll take you wherever you need.”

I shake my head, grinning at Tati. “You’re still so hilarious.” My eyes are drawn to the glimmering diamond on her finger, and I can’t help but gasp. “Oh my God, did you get engaged?” I grab her hand, barely able to contain my excitement as a wide grin spreads across her face.

“Totally did!” she squeals, and it’s infectious.

“That’s a beautiful ring!” I exclaim, my gaze tracing the intricate details of the stone, how it sparkles in the light.

“Is it? I mean, I wouldn’t know…” She teases, holding up her hand and giving it a dramatic once-over.

“Oh God, Tat,” she laughs, her head thrown back in delight. “You are something else”

She laughs, that signature high-pitched laugh that used to make everything seem lighter. But the lightness fades when she looks at me again. “I heard about your mom. I’m so sorry, Pen. Are you okay?”

Anna was diagnosed with cancer right after high school graduation—just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse after my breakup, with Jeremy, life hit me with that. It was the darkest time of my life. I put everything on hold—college, my future—to take care of Anna and piece together my broken heart.

For a while, it seemed like the worst was behind us. The cancer went into remission, and I finally started at Bergeron College, trying to move forward. But a few months ago, it came back, and this time, Anna fought like hell. She gave it everything she had, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. She’s gone now, and I’m left with the silence she left behind.

I swallow hard, feeling the familiar ache in my chest. “No. I’m… I’m not okay. I just feel empty. Like I’m falling into this hole that keeps getting bigger.”

She pulls me into another hug. “Well, this summer is going to change all that. I promise. It’s going to be your best summer yet, and we’re going to have so much fun together.”

I want to believe her, but there’s a nagging voice in my head telling me I shouldn’t be here. But I need the distraction, so I nod. “Thank you, Tati.”

She hesitates, then pulls back and sighs. “You know, Pen, I really wanted to be there for you, when Anna passed. I loved her too. But you didn’t give me a chance, you shut me out.”

I narrowed my eyes on her. “You know why I shut you out, Tati.”

And yes the elephant in the room is out. I was hoping we could avoid it a little longer or….forever.

“Oh please,” she waves her hand, dismissing the gravity of what she did. “You mean Jeremy? You’re still mad about that?”

My jaw clenches. I am not as quiet as I used to be in high school, Anna’s sickness and her death toughened me up. I am learning to defend myself. No one else would.

“Tatiana you slept with my boyfriend on my birthday, in my bed. Ofcourse I am still mad about that. You broke the girl code, Tati!.”

She laughs, and it’s infuriating. “Oh, come on. Jeremy was basic. A total doormat. I did you a favor. I did him a favor!”

“But you still slept with him, he was my first boyfriend Tat!” I snap back, feeling the old anger rise in my chest.

She shrugs, completely unbothered. “He came onto me, Pen. I wouldn’t have if he hadn’t.”

“Oh poor you Tati, my boyfriend came on to you, whatever could you have done?”

“Oh come on Pen, if he could cheat on you with me, he wasn’t worth it. You know that.”

“That doesn’t excuse what you did,” I say, my voice trembling with frustration. “You were my best friend. He was my boyfriend. You should’ve never—”

“Oh, relax,” she cuts me off with a dramatic sigh. “It’s been five years. Are you seriously still hung up on him?”

I grit my teeth. “I don’t care about Jeremy. I care about the fact that you never apologized. Not then, and not now.”

She rolls her eyes again. “Fine. I’m sorry. I regret it. Can we move on now?”

I blink, stunned at the nonchalance of her apology. But before I can react, she’s pulling me toward the hallway. “Come on, let’s not dwell on the past. Trust me, this is going to be the best summer ever.. I’m going to spoil you rotten.” She eyes me up to down, ignoring the grimace on my face, she adds, “God, You need a spa day, Pen.” She observes my face like there’s a plague on it, “But don’t worry we will fix it….come on let’s get you settled,”

As I let her drag me further into her world of excess, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve made a huge mistake. Five years later, Tatiana Wyers is still the same selfish, spoiled girl who thought the sun rose and set at her feet. And I? I’m just a girl trying to fill the void left by my mother.

Maybe this summer won’t fix anything. Maybe I’ll regret coming here. But right now, I’m too exhausted to care.

“And oh my God, I can’t wait for you to meet him!”

“Meet who?” I ask in a tone like I don’t really care,

Because I don't

“My fiancé duh?” She thrums, linking my arm with hers.

“Oh,” I mouth, dragging a sigh as she bundles me up the stairs.

Whoever the hell the definitely rich, self absorbed blob her fiancé was— I was definitely going to avoid.

Tatiana is already enough to deal with.