The Old Friend

GIANNA

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" I asked the person beside me, wide-eyed, smiling at me. It was strange to see her in this state, but I can see the sincerity in her actions.

"We're going to get Bon-bon in her place," she replied. She appears to be overjoyed.

"Really? Wow. So you were successful in persuading her?"

"Anna, you underestimate my persuasion skills. Just to let you know, that's one of the skills I still have to this day." She boasted.

I laughed.

"I am not dismissive of it. I was pretty convinced when you said Bon-bon was coming with us," I told her.

She gave a thumbs up and proudly tapped her chest.

"I know, I know. I want to catch up with you and Bon-bon. And I truly meant what I said before. I know I can't go back in time, but the least I can do now is correct my mistakes while I still have time. You are aware that life is fleeting," she went on to explain.

I'm the one who's looking at her proudly now. Is she back? Is my other best friend, aside from Aria from elementary school, really back for good?

I know you are hinting at who she is. She's no other than my number one bully in high school, Scarlett Moore.

"I believe you, Scar. I am glad you are back."

"It's all thanks to you, Anna. I would still be that immature bitch if that shoving incident did not happen. I know I have caused a lot of pain these past few years, but please allow me to make it up with you. Anything that you want me to do, I will do it."

"Hey, I am thankful that we are friends again. You already got my trust back. You'll maybe encounter some difficulties with Bon-bon, but I am sure she will come around when she sees your genuineness with this." I said and smiled at her. "And don't worry, I will help you, too. You know Bon-bon is soft-hearted."

"Thank you, Anna."

Scarlett hugged me. She was sniffing. The Scarlett I know was a cry baby. She's an emotional kind of person. That's the Scarlett I know from grade school, and I can say that Scarlett still has those characteristics. She never changed, but I understand why she had to do the bullying during middle school. Scarlett explained it to me, and I accepted that explanation. She has proven enough as well to earn my trust again.

A smile crept into my lips, and I hugged her back.

I can't help but remember our conversation the first time she approached me at school after I finished the practice session for the Local Inter-school Quiz Bee.

A FEW DAYS AGO...

"I'm sorry, Anna." I overheard her say. I can hear the sincerity in her voice. She hugged me so tightly, and she was silently sobbing before I could say anything. "Anna, Anna, I'm so sorry. I miss you so much. Anna, please take me back. Please take me back."

I'm at a loss for words because I was astounded to see my greatest bully pleading for forgiveness and pleading with me to take her back. Yes, it's Scarlett. Scarlett, the charmer bully's leader.

"W-wait..." I pushed her away from me. "What are you doing?" I was perplexed as to why she was acting in this manner. "Where is the camera? Bullies, get out! I'm not going to fall for this prank!" I screamed angrily.

Scarlett was in tears, and as I heard her sob, I waited for the other girls to appear. But no one showed up after a few minutes.

"What do you demand, Scarlett? I am completely exhausted. Can you bully or prank me tomorrow instead?"

I can't deal with her right now. I'm not feeling well, and my heart is aching. I wanted to punch someone or release these disturbing emotions I'm experiencing right now. Then my mind doesn't help when it flashes back to the earlier flirting scene between Isabella and Jack. I want to murder someone right now. Let's call him "Jack." That's the person I wanted to kill right now.

"Please, Anna. This isn't a joke. I sincerely beg for your forgiveness. Please. I've been missing you terribly. I sincerely apologize for being such a b*tch since middle school. I cannot go back in time, but I humbly request a second chance."

"Why, Scarlett?"

"Believe me when I say that I tried a lot of times to change my treatment with you. I tried to go back to the same us before, but my pride was bigger than the thought of asking forgiveness to you and Bon-bon." Her eyes are glistening with tears again. "But when I saw how mad you are earlier and when I saw how you glared at me, which you never did even when I was annoying and bullying you since middle school, I realized that I don't want you to hate me so much because I will surely regret that for the rest of my life."

"Are you afraid that I might snap again like when we were in middle school? Are you not going to be happy if I will break? That's what you want that the whole school will think that I am like my mother. That I am crazy and will soon hurt other people. That's what you want to achieve, right?"

"No, Anna. That's not the case. I---"

"Then what, Scarlett? Just cut the bullshit. I am exhausted now." I said and was about to walk out, but she stopped me by holding the hem of my school blazer.

"I-i... I was jealous," she softly said. But I heard that we were just inches apart from each other.

I was looking at her, but she was looking down; I couldn't see her eyes and tell if she is telling the truth.

"What did you say?" Though I heard her, I let her repeat what she said.

"I was jealous." She repeats.

"Why?" I softly said. I don't have the energy to argue now.

Then she revealed that Scarlett's parents were constantly comparing me to her even when we were in elementary school. They will tell Scarlett straight in the face that I was their ideal daughter and that they wished I was their own instead of Scarlett.

Scarlett didn't mind because we were friends and she adored me. Scarlett tried her hardest to improve her grades and do other things so that her parents would notice her and be proud of her. She took up ballet, music, and other activities and excelled. But no matter what she does, they will not acknowledge it unless Scarlett is ranked first.

I felt a pang in my chest as Scarlett described her childhood experiences. I didn't know about it until now because the Scarlett I saw in school when I was in grade school was just as silly as Aria. That's why the three of us get along so well in elementary school because we're the most friendly, most fantastic kids in the class. We three were the ones who always inspired our classmates. The teacher adores us. We also had healthy competitions. I was always number one, then Scarlett, then... Aria falls into the top ten.

That was our ranking until we graduated from elementary school.

"So, when your mother died in middle school, and my parents told me the truth about your mother's mental conditions, they came up with the idea that I should bully you so that you would drop out of school. If you do that, I will be number one." She was looking at me now, and I could tell she was telling the truth.

What horrible parents she has! I'd never seen this side of The Moore before. They were very nice to me before when Aria and I went to their mansion to play with Scarlett. But I felt more sympathy for Scarlett. The things she had gone through with the people she called her family were the ones who were bullying her. Not just strangers but her own family.

"Did you know that my parents were so desperate that they tried to pay the principal at that time so that I would get the top one? But your scores were way too far from me. My parents threatened the principal, but the principal was an honest man too. Gladly, he was backed up by Bon-bon's father, so my parents can't do anything about it. Ever since we were kids, the Lee's were really on your side." She revealed.

I am fuming now. Not with Scarlett but with her parents. How can they let an innocent child do this?

"So, the last resort was to bully you, persecute you, and use your mother's sickness for you to quit. They have used me and taught me things I don't want to do. Since I was still a minor, I will not be sued for doing that as long as I won't hurt you physically because that's the last thing I couldn't do to you, Anna. But when I saw that the other kids were bullying you, too. And some of them even physically hurt you; I became guiltier each time. But I had to suck those feelings because that's the goal. My parents will be happy that you will quit, and I will be number one."

"But I was lucky. Someone saved me. The video of that person saved me from the bully, and luckily, the other kids did not bully me again. Except you and the other two girls." I said to her,

"Yes, you are right. I was about to help you back then, but the words from my parents kept repeating in my mind that they would be happy if I were number one. So I discouraged myself from doing that. But I took a video, and the purpose is to send it to my parents to see how our plans are coming through. And then that incident happened."

"It was you who sent the video to the principal?" Shocked, I asked.

"Yeah. I could hide it or have someone edit it to show that you pushed the boy and deleted the audio, but I couldn't bear it. That's why I secretly sent it to the principal."

"I don't believe you." I was looking into her eyes as if I was looking for the truth. She didn't avert her gaze; instead, she was looking at me with confidence.

"If you don't believe me, we can ask Mister Carson," she said. Mister Carson was our middle school principal.

"What if you paid him?" I wasn't convinced.

"Come on, Anna. I can do that to the other kids. That's why they stopped bullying you. But you know Mister Carson isn't like that. His integrity as a principal and person is more important than money."

I agree with her, but what if Mister Carson has changed?

"And I can show you the original copy of the video I shot previously. I still have it in my gallery, and the date and year are still there. I can also show you the previous message I sent to Mister Carson. There's plenty of evidence," she said as she took out her phone.

I waited for her to search her gallery for the video. As she stated, the date and year are correct. Then she showed me the video message she sent to the principal. I was taken aback and didn't know what to say. Because my feet had turned to jelly, I sat on the floor. Scarlett did the same thing.

"Anna, please believe me. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize our friendship's importance over my selfish goals. Please forgive me, Anna," she said while holding my other hand. I saw her tears again as she looked down. "I wanted to hug you and ask for your forgiveness every time I saw you are crying or hurting as a result of what I did or said, but I couldn't until now. Because I had no idea how to do it."

I felt the urge to hug her, but I prevented myself. She has suffered a lot too. But I am not sure how to respond.

"My parents stopped urging me after middle school because I fell behind. They were disappointed. I stopped trying to get their approval too. I became rebellious. I couldn't concentrate back then because I was hurting as much as you. So I focused on cheerleading, but karma was a bitch because the captain role I wanted to have was not given to me. I screwed up ever since I bullied you, Anna. Nothing was working well with my life after my selfish acts tainted our friendship." She disclosed. "But regardless of that, I don't care anymore about the ranks or fame or being popular; what I only need now is your forgiveness. I know it might be difficult for us to be friends again, but I will do my best for you to take me back as your friend. But first, please forgive me."

Silence.

"Can you give me time to think about it?" I asked.

I only said those words, but it made Scarlett happy, and she nodded with a smile from ear to ear while her tears were flowing.

FLASHBACK ENDS...

"We're here!" Scarlett exclaimed excitedly as we approached Aria's mansion. She was the first to get out of the car after the driver parked it in front of Aria's house.

Scarlett was excitedly ringing the doorbell. I returned her smile. She was ecstatic to see Aria. Scarlett wanted to be friendly even at school; I just told her that she could do so if she could persuade Aria to forgive her as well.

Aria walked out the door, scowling. She looked at the smiling Scarlett, and she raised one eyebrow when she looked at me. I just smiled at her. So, Scarlett still has a long way to go before she can beg Aria's forgiveness. I hope she can hold out until Aria forgives her.