"Suzy, we need to talk. "

My heart was pounding. I could hear it thrashing through my chest. So loud I was sure she could hear it just as much.

"Hey, I was just waiting for you to..." Suzy had spoken too soon without looking at me. When she actually turned her head to look at me, her words trailed off, and instead, she opted to ask the question anyone looking at me would ask. "Oh, God. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." The tone of my voice came out so little, almost like I had whispered. "I mean, I don't know." I shook my head. "Look, we need to talk. "

Her brows furrowed for a moment as she took a good look at me. I let her see it. Everything. The worry, the anxiety, and the grimmer of how sorry I felt inside through my eyes. I let her see all of it. I hid nothing.

"Okay, this looks serious. Just give me a second, yeah?" She turned back to her locker and frantically finished whatever it was she was doing before she slammed the locker shut. "Okay, done. What's the matter?"

I looked around us. The weird vibe of students staring at me was still going on in the background, but thank God not as much as when I was outside. I couldn't talk there. Not when I had no way of knowing how she would react to the news.

"Not here. Someplace private."

Maybe it was the desperation on my voice, or the grimmer of tears on my eyes that made her took a step closer and grab both my arms, I don't know. But that's what she did. "Amelia, what's going on? You're scaring me."

I fought the urge to pull my hands away from her arms. Not because I didn't want her to touch me. No. But because I needed it. I would even say desperate to feel her touch, but at the same time, I wasn't sure she would still want to hold me the way she did. Or even look at me the same way she was looking at me after hearing what I had to say.

The possibility of any change from her scared me.

"Let's just talk," I said.

She bobbed her head. "Alright, follow me. I know a quiet place." She turned around and pulled me behind her as she led the way through the mass of students. My heart never stopped pounding. Every step closer to wherever she was taking me for that talk, was a step closer to our fate as friends.

The quiet and private place turned out to be the cafeteria. My eye wandered across the massive place, and I was glad it only had a few staggering students who looked like they were rushing to get out of there anyway.

I swallowed and let out a sigh of restlessness. "Okay, let's go sit down, "I said and led to the way this time to the furthest corner of the cafeteria. Away from any lingering ears that could be listening. I wasn't sure how this talk would go or what it would lead to, and I wasn't taking any chances.

I found the perfect place. As perfect as it could get. Whoever sat at that table must have been a loner. Maybe that was going to be me in a few days who knew? But at that time, it was the best table to serve my purpose.

"Here is fine."

Suzy sat down first. I didn't. The anxiety coursing through my quickening pulse didn't allow for a moment of sitting down. She watched me. I still had no idea how to start, so I just stood there watching her back.

"For God's sake, Amelia. What the hell is going on?" She threw her hand in the air. "Just tell me already. You are making me anxious."

I wanted to tell her everything. I just didn't know how to put it the way she would understand straight away. She was getting restless from the long wait, and I was getting closer and closer to bawling my eyes out.

"Ugh," I clasped my hands against my eyes. "Why am I crying?" I spat, irritated at myself. "I'm sick and tired of crying." My voice broke as I sat down and pulled myself closer to Suzy.

She stared at me; brows furrowed. I understood her confusion, I wasn't making any sense. Not yet, anyway.

"Something happened in the parking lot." I sniffed. "And I thought I should be the one to tell you about it. "

"Okay." She bobbed her head, encouraging me to continue. "Well, what is it?"

"Suzy, I'm sorry, but I don't know what happened." I choked a sob. "I was in a parking lot, and I don't know why, but everybody was staring at me and..." I sniffed again. "I don't know how it happened, but I think I had a panic attack." I stood up and started pacing. I had no idea how to tell her the rest.

"What?" She stood up and followed me. "You had a panic attack? Amelia, oh my God, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. But, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?" She quirked her eyebrows.

"Yeah, look. Luke was there and he... Well, he saved me from it."

"Well, then that's a good thing. Right?" She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Jesus, can you please tell me what the hell happened? Because I'm so confused right now."

"Okay," I said and pulled her to sit again. I took a deep breath and took her hands on mine. I made sure I looked her straight into her eyes. I feared the loss of eye contact would mean I was guilty, but even with that, I found myself lost for words.

"Listen." I took her arms on mine. "I decided to tell you this myself because I know you will come across some... rumors and maybe even video that might be a little confusing, and I didn't want you to found out like that." I paused to swallow the dread of the next few words down. "In the video, it might look like... well... like Luke was kissing me when we were in the parking lot..." Suzy's brows creased in confusion, so I hurriedly continued. "But it wasn't like that. I promise."

Suzy blinked. Her mouth hung open then closed. And then hung open again.

"I'm sorry, what?"

I panicked, and said the next best thing. In my mind it was, at lest. "He had to save me."

"By kissing you?" She raised her eyebrows. "Like, on the lips?"

"I swear, it may look like that, but it wasn't. It wasn't a real kiss. He just placed his lips against mine to stop me from breathing," I explained. Or tried to explain. Believe me, I knew everything I said sounded more and more incriminating.

And Suzy took it all in just the way it sounded.

She shook her head and let go of my hands before she stood up. There it was, what I was afraid of the most. She didn't want to hold me anymore.

"Suzy, I'm sorry. It really wasn't anything. It didn't mean anything." I stood up and tried to reason with her. "It was a matter of life and death, and he had to act."

"Yeah?" She whirled her head back. "Then why did you come to tell me? If it didn't mean anything? Why did you feel the need to come and tell me?"

I was baffled. I thought it was obvious the reason why I had to tell her.

"Because I didn't want you to hear it from anybody else." My voice broke. That was it. The moment she turned her head around and looked at me, something was different in her eyes. "I wanted you to hear it from me. Because you are my best friend. I love you, and you deserved to hear it from me."

Tears rolled down, wetting both my cheeks. My eyes pleaded with her. I was sure she could see it, but it felt like she was choosing not to. I wanted her to understand me so much I just didn't know how to make her see everything from my perspective. So, I tried again.

"Please, listen to me. It didn't mean anything to either one of us." I took a step and reached my hand out, trying to take her hands on mine, but she averted them. My heart shattered. The paralyzing pain spread out through every part of my body, and it hurt. Her rejection stabbed deep.

"Suzy, please. Even he was on his way to tell you exactly what I am telling you now, but I beat him to it. You've got to believe me."

She scoffed. "You know? I've always known Luke had some kind of feelings for you. He tries to hide them, but I've always known. A girl always knows. But, as long as he didn't act on them, it was fine by me. And now..." She turned around, facing me completely. "Now this?"

"What?"

I listen to everything she just said, but my best friend wasn't making any sense. How could she think that? The way she and Luke were, how could she even entertain that thought? Luke was Logan's best friend and my best friend's boyfriend. How could she think he had any feelings for me?

"Come on, Amelia. Don't act like you never noticed anything. That's my boyfriend." She pointed her entire arm towards the exit door. "I love him, and you are my best friend. Yet, here you are, telling me that you two kissed. Now what? Did he finally decided to act on his feelings?" she shouted. For the first time since I knew Suzy, I saw tears brimming in her eyes.

"You are wrong, Suzy. There's nothing like that with him. He was just trying to save my life, nothing more. He loves you. I love you. "

She scoffed and shook her head, and took a step backward. "I can't listen to this right now," she said. "My boyfriend and my best friend kissed. What do you want me to think, huh? Tell me, what do you want me to think?" She shouted more. "I just... I need to be alone."

"Suzy, "I whispered her name and took a step closer to her.

"No." She shot her hands forward. "I need time to process all of this. For now, just leave me alone."

I staggered. I didn't know what else to do. I expected her to be mad, confused, but I also expected her to understand. She knew me. She was my best friend, and she knew I would never do anything to hurt her.

"Go! Now," she screamed, bringing me out of my confused moment.

"Suzy, please, "I cried, but she didn't want to hear me. She turned her back away from me instead. She was supposed to hear me. That's what I would have done. I would have listened to her if the tables were turned.

I raised my hands and planted them firmly against my mouth to cover my sobs. Her rejection was too much to handle. Slowly, timidly, I removed my right hand and crept it closer to her shoulder to try again, but before I could touch her, I stopped midway. My mind raced. What else was I supposed to tell her? She didn't try to listen or understand me. Dropping my hand back down, I closed my watering eyes and took a deep breath. Accepting my defeat.

"I'm sorry," I whispered before I turned around and walked away.

Away from the only best friend I've ever had. Out of the cafeteria and out of the school entirely.

I wasn't going to stay in a place where I felt like my heart was getting closer and closer to combustion.

I wasn't going to stay in a place where I couldn't breathe.

*****

A short chapter. I know, I'm sorry.

This chapter got me in a weird mood. I never wanted Suzy to also be the reason for her misery, but oh well, Shit happens and for some reason, the story took me to this direction.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

Thank you.