❝Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money.❞

17 | fortunately i love money

time | late evening

"Why can't they come?!"

When I enter the hospital room, Justice is arguing with an older lady wearing a brown pantsuit with platinum blond hair. She's not Justice's mother. I've seen Justice's mother before; an older looking version of Justice.

This woman definitely isn't Mrs Moore.

"Your father is in a meet—"

"When is their office meetings held 7 o'clock at night!" Justice interrupted.

Her face is red and she's clad in a hospital gown, looking as tiny as ever in the hospital bed.

She doesn't notice me, but in typical Karen fashion—without trying to—I end up slamming the door behind me.

Both Justice and the woman turn around.

"Karen?" Justice says, surprise evident on her face.

I smile and wave awkwardly, and coming out of the shadows I go over and give Justice a hug which she gratefully returns.

"You're here!"

The smile she gives me is a 180 from the look of scorn she'd been giving the woman awhile ago.

"Anna leave!" Justice tells the woman in the pant suit. She obliges and gives me a tiny smile prior to exiting the room.

"That's my Dad's assistant. Doesn't she look old?" That's the first thing Justice says to me after the woman leaves.

I kind of laugh. I don't think I should comment. Justice had told me that her dad has had numerous affairs with many of his assistants. I don't agree or disagree with her comment towards Anna.

I'm just in no place to judge when I don't know the whole story. Who knows, Anna might be respectable.

"So why are you wet? Never Mind! So... what took you so long?" Justice asks. She's still smiling and I'm glad she goes pass the question about me being wet, but I'm able to sense the hurt behind her words.

"Uh... my dad and his companies..." I begin, not knowing where this is going. "Uh... There probably won't be a penny to my name come Midnight."

There's confusion written all over her face.

"I know you try harder than me in school, Karen," she says. "But please do speak English."

I sigh. "My dad's companies could go bankrupt when Midnight comes."

I close my eyes and hold my breath. I know this shouldn't be a big deal. But this is Justice Moore, the girl who's been my best friend since middle school. The girl who's been having me doubt our friendship ever since Gwen came into the picture. The girl I'm visiting in the hospital on a Saturday night cuz she has some serious issues that need to be dealt with.

She doesn't seem startled by my words. "I'll still be your friend," she says.

Why do I feel as if there's going to be a "but" to this sentence.

"But," here we go. "You're my best friend, Karen. You didn't even call me."

Justice isn't being serious.

"Gwen has your phone," I tell her slapping my hands at my sides. "I've been calling you. Okay? If I knew you were in the hospital sooner, I would've came right when I knew. But... Gwen was holding your phone hostage."

"You hate Gwen," Justice says, "you never gave her an opportunity to be your friend. Why do you have to use her holding my phone for me as an excuse?"

Justice IS serious.

"I'm not using her as an excuse," I tell her, I then think about Gwen having her phone. "Why is Gwen holding your phone?"

She rolls her eyes. "...I'm in the hospital, Karen."

I'll take that.

"I'll admit," I say, steadily. "I don't like Gwen. But no more than she already feels the same for me."

"Yeah... But you never gave her a chance."

Why is she defending Gwen?

"Has Gwen come to visit you?" I ask her.

I see an uneasiness flash in Justice's eyes as if I'd hit a nerve. That confirms to me that Gwen hasn't came by today. Wherever Justice had been when she'd passed out explains who was with her when it'd happened. Gwen most likely had taken her phone when Justice had been transported to the hospital in the ambulance.

"She probably didn't even ride in the ambulance with you," I say, causing me to instantly cover my mouth. When did I become brutal with my words? Right when she brought up Gwen, I answer for myself. And I remember the things Gwen had told me at the party about how Justice said things to her about me and my mommy troubles.

Is Justice truly my friend?

"Leave." That's the word that escape from Justice's mouth. She says it with a straight face, and for a second I don't know wether or not to take her seriously.

"Justice I'm sor—"

"You're acting like a bitch. Just go!"

My eyes widen. Justice rarely calls me names, and when she does it's not out of spite. It's usually when we're being dorks. But now, I see that Justice isn't being a friend and that she really means what she said. That I'm a bitch.

She's not only mad at me.

Obviously her parents haven't paid her a visit. And telling from the way she's acting, no other friends or family had even bothered to stop by except for me.

This revelation has me feeling bad for Justice, but if she's just going to mar me with bad words and insults, it's better best to leave.

Not saying anything, I shake my head and turn around. This isn't me just leaving, this is me done being friends with Justice. I've tried making our friendship work. Turns out it can't, that two people have to be willing to make it work instead of just one.

"Karen, wait!"

I stop.

"I'm sorry," she says.

I don't look back. I keep walking.

"Karen!"

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