It was junior year. I was standing by my friend Lyssa, reading something or other, in US history. Out of nowhere Jacob said to me, “Emma. How much do you wanna bet that if you chill a little, your life would be much easier?â€?

“Probably,â€? I replied, agreeing with him.

“I mean,â€? he went on. “You look like you’re about to cry all the time.â€?

“What?â€? The idea was absurd!

“You’re always worrying about something or someone.â€?
I remember that conversation. Of course, it didn’t help that Aidan and I had just stopped talking to each other. Two years of best friendship down the drain.

The fight started out as a joke. I don’t think either one of us thought it would end in silence. Complete silence. I suppose Jacob and Hunter were right. The argument built up on insecurity—Aidan’s and mine—from the past and that exact time. Dwelling had a lot to do with it too. We had changed, that summer before junior year. It wasn’t for the worst or for the better. We were just different—no longer on the same side.