Hey Monday

k n o w i n g

 -ellen-

"Who's out there?" Noah cried frantically, clambering over me so that he could stick his head out the window. "I see Kate, and... oh. Whoa." 

I shoved him aside and poked my head back out of the window. It was a rather nice December day, actually, the crisp wind kissing my nose and painting my cheeks a rosy shade of pink.There was a desolate strip of grass on either side of the road, poking up through the light sprinkle of snow. It was a mild winter, which I was endlessly thankful for. 

We had parked hastily and carelessly on the side of the road, cars whizzing past us in a blur of color. Sometimes I could peer into the windows and make out a befuddled look.

Everyone behind me was whining and pawing at the windows like rabid dogs who hadn't eaten all day.
"Ellen, what's going on?" Logan urged, noting my silence. 

Squinting into the harsh sunlight, I could just barely make out Kate's blue car parked behind us. Sitting in the front seat was David McNally, a boy from the infamous house party; and perched on the hood of the car was Sarah Sangster, one of my only friends from high school. 

Sarah was a petite Asian girl who walked soft and talked loud. She was your regular social butterfly, dragging me to this party and that; a total extrovert. As I saw her there, sitting with Kate of all people, I felt so many things at once that I couldn't even separate or identify the different emotions. Confusion. Realization. Annoyance. White-hot anger. 

It hit me suddenly that even though I considered Sarah to be one of my best friends, she and I were never actually that close at all. Sure, we walked to our classes together and sometimes had a sleepover; but she had so many other people that she would choose over me. She was friends with everyone at the same time, it's just the kind of person Sarah was.

My hands curled into fists. I looked at Sarah again, just barely able to make out her figure. Then I pivoted on my heel, my hair a swirl of brown behind me, and stalked out of the RV. 

Nearing the car, I struggled to keep my cool. I wasn't exactly mad, but I was definitely confused. As far as I knew, Kate and Sarah weren't even close to friends. 

"Kate," I said coldly when I reached her, keeping all emotion out of my voice. "What are you doing here?" 

She looked bad, gaunt and sallow. I studied her closely- she had a plethora of acne splashed across her face and deep bags carved under her eyes. There was something desperate in her eyes. 

"I... I came to apologize," she whispered. With a humorless bark of laughter, she leaned up against her car and shook her head. "God, Ellen, I am so sorry."

"What?" 

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I was such a bitch, huh?" 

I shook my head. This did not add up. 

"Okay, what is this?" I asked after a long, pregnant pause. "Another strategy to make our lives hell, hm?" 

Sarah joined us then. Seeing her made my stomach twinge a little- she wore the same beat-up converse that she did back in high school. We'd bought them together, actually, she got a white pair and mine were black. 

Sarah's hair was always perfect. It flowed down her back perfectly straight and ended just above her waistline. People were always asking to touch it because it was unbelievably shiny and sleek. Today it was twisted back into two braids. 

"El," Sarah said softly. "How've you been?" 

I squinted at both of them with a scrutinizing gaze. No one spoke for a minute.