Amy

Henrietta: do you want to go on a walk today?
The text came through at eight in the morning and by eleven I was outside her house, with my walking boots firmly on my feet. It hasn't been the easiest place to find considering that you had to walk up a single track road to get to it but Google maps had served me well and I hadn't been run over.

"Amy! So glad you came!" Henrietta said as soon as she opened the door. I noted again how much posher she sounded compared to most people at college.

"Yeah - glad you suggested it!" In truth, all I wanted to do today was curl up on my bed and watch Love Island with Verity, something we'd done pretty much every day this week after school but I knew Henrietta was probably becoming suspicious and I didn't want to paint an extra target on Verity's back right now.

We started walking, nearly immediately climbing upwards and Henrietta chatted along about mundane school stuff mostly. I hadn't realised we'd be going up a steep hill - to be honest I didn't even realise we were in an area with steep hills in the first place - so I was mostly focused on keeping up with Henrietta who was some sort of walking professional at this pace.

"Can I ask you a question?" She suddenly said and immediately I felt her tone change. I felt a small twinge of anxiety, but dismissed it quickly.

"Yeah go ahead."

"How come you're still spending time with Verity? Like I know you're neighbours and stuff but seriously you don't have to hang out with her in school if you don't want. I will happily tell her if you're too nice to." It suddenly hit me; this was the whole point of the walk. I knew she could probably sense that me and Verity had become closer but I didn't anticipate it would bother her so much. Why was she so intent on seeing her miserable and friendless?

"Oh no please don't do that. Me and Verity are friends - I like hanging out with her." I shrugged - there wasn't exactly much more to it.

"Come on Amy. I know you're really kind and everything but you can tell me the truth."

"I am! Verity's a really nice friend to have - I don't know why you think I'm lying about that."

"Amy, I've known Verity literally my entire life. I mean you were in maths yesterday, she's an absolute embarrassment." She was referencing to the incident in our maths lesson where the teacher had made Verity stand up to answer and explain a question to the class. She was clearly nervous, but started off okay until the teacher kept correcting her, saying she wasn't speaking loud enough or writing clearly enough on the board, and it phased her to the point where she just said she didn't know and went to sit back down. The teacher decided to use it as an example of 'clearly not doing the homework properly' - the same homework that she'd helped me with immensely.

"That was the teacher, that wasn't her fault though."

"Right, look you clearly just haven't spent long enough with her to know what she's actually like. Not even her own family like her - her mother constantly complains to mine about her. I mean when her dad was still alive, he used to call her a family humiliation - he'd be absolutely mortified to find out what she's like now I'm sure." She didn't leave me time to respond, and I didn't know how to. That last sentence felt like a slap in the face; it was possibly one of the nastiest things you could say. "What I'm trying to say is that Verity isn't like me and you. She's not normal and she never was. I know I sound mean, but she practically begs for it the way she acts sometimes."

"Why do you care so much if I'm friends with her?" I'm so done with her and I'm suppressing a lot of anger right now. I think back to how Verity's been since I've known her; how lovely she's been to me, how funny she is when she opened up a little bit more, how kind she is as a person. She doesn't deserve Henrietta telling her all these things. It makes me feel sick.

"I'm trying to protect you! What part of that can't you see? I'm just looking out for you - I am your school helper after all, and your friend." She responded "you don't want her helping you round school, I can tell you that."

"Henrietta will you just stop - I don't want your help especially when it comes to Verity! You're not helping me - you're just being a complete and utter bitch and I really don't want to be a part of that!"

"Seriously? After everything I've done for you the past few weeks? You have the audacity to call me a bitch? Come on, I'd maybe respect it if you were normal but you're not - you need me in school. You literally can't be independent." I bunched my hands into fists at the comment - I couldn't believe she'd just say that outright.

"Really? Is that what you think of me? Some vulnerable person to look after like some sort of personal project?"

"We'll, aren't you?"

"No." I expected a response back, but there's just silence. "Henrietta?" Silence again. It suddenly dawned on me; she'd left me here. She'd gone and left me here alone, in the middle of nowhere, in a place where I don't know where I am. My stomach flipped and panic quickly took over my body.