"Lyra. Long time no see," Suzie said with a polite smile, her voice warm, pleasant—almost too pleasant.
Lyra offered a faint smile in return. "Yeah… how've you been, Suzie?"
"I'm fine," she replied quickly. The words tasted bitter. She wasn't fine. Not really. But she wasn't about to admit that. "You?"
"Mm." Lyra let out a small breath, hesitating before answering. "Just... busy lately."
"Yeah, you look it." Suzie gave a casual shrug, trying to ease the tension. "Where's that guy of yours? Not with you?"
Lyra blinked. "That guy?"
"Robin," Suzie said flatly, the name practically dragged out of her mouth.
A faint smile flickered across Lyra's face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "He's busy too."
"Huh." Suzie scoffed. "Figures. You're running on fumes and he's off doing God knows what instead of, y'know... being there."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Suzie..." Her voice was cautious. "Why do you hate Robin so much?"
Suzie faltered, caught off guard by the question. "What? I don't—what are you talking about?"
"You just... always look so angry when he's around," Lyra said, her gaze sharpening. "Even the last time we talked, it felt like you were mad at both of us."
Suzie bit her lip. "I just... I don't like how he's pulling you away from us."
"Pulling me away?" Lyra's jaw tensed. That word again. Like she'd simply drifted without reason. Like it had nothing to do with how Suzie had treated her. "You act like it's all on me."
Lyra had forgiven her. She really had. But that didn't mean she'd forgotten. And every time Suzie brought up the past, that old wound reopened, raw and stinging.
"Robin's been there for me, Suzie," she said, her voice tired. "He made me feel like myself again. And it was my choice to take a step back from everything."
"That's exactly why I don't like him!" Suzie snapped before she could stop herself. "He's got you so wrapped up in his version of reality, you can't even see what he's doing to you."
"Suzie!" Lyra's voice rose, sharp, startling.
Suzie froze. She had never heard Lyra raise her voice like that—ever. Lyra was the calm one, the steady one. The one who never snapped.
"Lyra…" Suzie's voice cracked, barely audible. Her chest tightened as panic bubbled up. Her eyes stung, but Lyra's face was unreadable.
The girl took a deep breath, trying to rein herself in. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "But please… stop inserting yourself into things that aren't yours to fix."
Suzie clenched her hands. "What do you mean? I'm your friend, Lyra. I'm trying to help you. Walter, Arlo—we've known you longer than he has. Shouldn't we be the ones you trust?"
"You mean the same Walter and Arlo who support my relationship?" Lyra scoffed. "They've both told me Robin's good for me."
Suzie's heart sank.
"What? Walter?" she asked, stunned. Arlo maybe, sure. But Walter?
"Of course." Lyra nodded. "They both said he's exactly what I need."
The words hit harder than Suzie expected.
Why was everyone taking his side? Why was Robin suddenly the golden boy? Why was she the only one who saw something was off here? Or was this really about something else entirely—something she didn't want to admit?
Before she could respond, Lyra cut in, her tone cooler now, more pointed.
"So why are you the only one still fighting this? Unless... maybe this isn't about me at all. Maybe you have something for him?"
That one landed too deep. Suzie's breath caught. Her eyes widened.
No. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to make Lyra question Robin—not the other way around.
"Suzie! That's enough!"
A voice—firm, cutting—slashed through the air between them.
--------
Suzie spun around—and there they were.
Three figures stood just a few feet away, tension written all over their faces. Robin stood in the center, jaw clenched, eyes blazing with barely contained fury.
"Y-You guys…" Suzie stammered. Her voice caught in her throat. What was this? Why were they here?
Robin strode forward, his gaze locked on her like a blade. "You hurt her once. And now you're trying to do it again?"
Lyra turned toward him, surprised by his sudden presence—and by the fact that Walter and Arlo were right behind him.
Robin gently slid an arm around her shoulder, protective, grounding.
"What the hell do you even want?!" he snapped, his voice raw and loud, anger bubbling to the surface.
Suzie flinched. She wasn't used to being yelled at. People usually handled her gently—even when she was in the wrong.
Her breath hitched as her eyes found Walter and Arlo, who were now stepping closer.
"Walter…" she whispered, almost pleading.
But the young man in the polo shirt merely exhaled sharply, irritation clear in his tone. "Can you stop stirring shit up for once?"
"Walter? What do you mean?" Her voice cracked, panic creeping in.
"Stop, Suzie!" he barked, louder now. The last thread of patience had snapped. He had spent so long trying to be understanding, to keep the peace—but enough was enough.
"I'm tired," he said, his voice low but bitter. "Tired of pretending you're the victim every time. You never listen. You always think you're right. And worst of all? You never even realize when you've hurt someone."
Suzie staggered back slightly, her breath caught in her chest. She wanted to respond, to fight back, but his words struck something deep—too deep.
"So you're blaming me too?" she asked, her voice trembling. "You know I'm doing this for us. For our friendship! So we can go back to the way things were!"
"Bullshit," Arlo snapped, his voice slicing through the tension like a whip.
He'd had enough of Suzie's performance. Enough of the fake concern, the manipulation disguised as care.
"You always say it's about Lyra. About our friendship," he said firmly. "But the truth is—you just can't stand that you're not with Walter anymore. You hate that he moved on, that he owned up to how he treated Lyra while you're still busy blaming Robin for everything."
Right on the mark. Suzie's jaw tightened. Her fists clenched at her sides. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" she nearly screamed, her voice shaking with a mix of rage and panic.
But Arlo didn't flinch. "I do know. I'm your friend. Isn't that what you always say?" His voice was unwavering now. "And as your friend, I can see that this isn't about Lyra. Or any of us. This is about you."
Suzie's eyes went wide. Her heart pounded—not just from anger. There was something else. A gnawing feeling she couldn't push away. A part of her that knew… Arlo might be right.
No. No. He didn't understand. None of them did.
"That's not it!" she shouted, losing her grip. "I just want things to go back to how they were! Just the four of us, no outsiders messing it all up!"
Robin scoffed. "Funny how you say that after you're the one who blew it all to hell."
Suzie's head snapped toward him. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?!"
"You say you want the friendship back? Please." His voice was ice. "What you want is control. You want everyone to fall in line with your version of how things should be—screw how anyone else feels."
He stared at her—fierce, exhausted. "You can't stand that the world doesn't revolve around you anymore."
And that—hit harder than anything else.
Suzie said nothing. Her mouth parted, but no words came. Her chest rose and fell, but she couldn't breathe.
"Enough." A sharp, steady voice sliced through the chaos.
Everyone turned.
Lyra stood there, eyes sharp, voice clear. No longer quiet. No longer small.
--------
"Thanks for standing up for me," Lyra said quietly. "I appreciate it. And... I know."
She turned from Walter and Arlo to face Suzie, her gaze sharp, unwavering. For the first time, Lyra let the mask drop—no more smiles to soften the truth, no more patience for this exhausting game.
"Tell me something," she said, voice steady. "Weren't you the one who used to call Robin a loser? Said he was awkward, boring, not your type?"
The words hit like a lightning bolt—loud, sudden, impossible to ignore.
Robin blinked, stunned. He searched her face, trying to make sense of what he'd just heard. 'How did she know that?' As far as he could remember, only Nelson ever heard her say that—and there was no way he would've told Lyra.
Walter and Arlo both looked rattled.
But Suzie… her face went pale. She never thought Lyra would throw that out in front of everyone. Maybe Robin had told her? But judging by the look on his face… clearly not.
Lyra's eyes bore into hers. No hesitation. No doubt.
"If you're so obsessed with good-looking, popular guys," her voice cracked slightly—not with fear, but with the strain of everything she'd buried, "wasn't Walter good enough for you? So why are you still chasing my relationship? Why do you always get in my way? Why is it so hard for you to let me be happy?"
Her chest rose and fell as the words tumbled out. She'd spent her whole life being quiet, being careful. Not anymore.
"I've always stepped aside for you," she said, louder now. "I cheered you on. I supported you because I loved you—like a sister. I gave up on Walter because I thought you mattered more than some stupid crush. I didn't want to lose you over some guy."
"Wait—you?" Suzie choked out. "You liked Walter?"
Walter froze. He'd never heard this before.
Everything in the air shifted.
Robin and Arlo? They stayed quiet. Because they already knew.
Lyra let out a soft, bitter laugh. "You just figured that out? Wow." Her voice was laced with irony, and maybe just a hint of pain. "Yeah. I did. Way before you even noticed him, probably. But when I saw you fall for him, I stepped back. I buried those feelings. Because I thought our friendship was worth more."
Her throat tightened, but she kept going.
"I watched you date him. Watched you fall in love. Pretended it didn't hurt. I smiled for you even when I was falling apart."
She took a long breath, grounding herself.
"Then Robin came along... and I started to breathe again. He didn't just make me feel seen—he helped me find me. He made me happy. He made me feel like I mattered."
Suzie just stood there, stunned, like her voice had left her.
"So why," Lyra pressed, her voice rising again, "why do you keep trying to wreck that? Because you think I'm confused? Because you think I need to be saved from someone like Robin?"
"I…"
"Do you even know who I am?" Lyra cut in, sharp and fast. "Do you know what I want? What I need?"
Silence.
Lyra took a step closer. Her voice dropped, but every syllable hit with force. "Don't think I'll always be the girl who backs down. I'm not some side character in your story who'll keep crawling back no matter how many times you hurt me."
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I can break, too, Suzie."
Her voice softened, but there was steel in it. "I want to be selfish for once. I want someone to notice when I'm hurting—without me having to scream for help. I want you to notice. If I ever really mattered to you at all."
"Lyra…" Suzie's voice came out small. Barely a whisper.
"I'm not mad at you because you used to date Robin," Lyra said, her voice low and deliberate. "I'm mad because you won't stop dragging your bitterness into my life. You won't let me be happy."
Suzie had no answer. No excuse.
"A real friend," Lyra continued, "is someone like Walter. Like Arlo. Not because they're defending me right now—but because they actually care. The same way I used to care about you. Even when it hurt."
She stared straight into Suzie's eyes, her own filled with tears. "So I'll ask you just once… Did you ever really care about me? Or are you just scared of being alone—because I'm the last person left who still understands you?"
Suzie couldn't speak. Her throat felt like it was closing.
Lyra turned and walked away. The tears she'd been holding finally spilled, but she didn't stop. Her pace quickened. She didn't want anyone to see her fall apart—not now.
Behind her, Robin clenched his fists, eyes burning. "I'll never forgive you for this," he spat. Then he turned and ran after Lyra without looking back.
Silence settled over the group.
Arlo looked at Suzie, expression unreadable. "That's enough, don't you think? The world doesn't revolve around you. And maybe this time, you'll finally learn that the hard way."
Suzie's knees felt weak. Her hands trembled at her sides, but she didn't move.
Walter sighed, his voice low, calm—but distant. "I never really understood how your mind worked," he said. "But maybe that was the problem. Maybe we all spent too long trying to protect you. And maybe that's why you think you deserve everything."
There was a pause.
Then Walter looked her in the eye and said firmly, "We're done, Suzie. I don't want to be with someone like you."
And just like that… her whole world collapsed.
--------
Robin ran after her, heart pounding, breath ragged. His legs moved faster than his thoughts, driven by a single, aching truth—Lyra was hurting, and it was his fault.
"Lyra, wait—please!" he called out.
But she didn't stop.
He pushed harder, his chest tightening until he finally caught up and grabbed her wrist. She froze, but didn't turn around. Her shoulders were trembling, rising and falling with the storm she was holding inside.
Robin swallowed hard, trying to steady his voice. "I can explain—"
"What is there to explain?" Lyra cut in, her voice cool, detached. She turned slowly, meeting his eyes with tears still clinging to her lashes—but behind them, a sharp, piercing disappointment. "I didn't even yell at you."
"I… It's about Suzie," he started.
"Oh, so you knew you messed up." Her voice cracked slightly—not from volume, but from everything she was holding back. "Then why didn't you just tell me she was your ex?"
Robin faltered. He'd been bracing for this, but now that it was happening, he was at a complete loss.
"I… I didn't want to upset you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, ashamed. "I thought if I brought her up again, it'd just make everything worse."
Lyra let out a short, humorless breath. "That's your reason?"
"Yes," he said quietly. "And honestly… it barely even felt like a relationship. It was brief, and it never meant anything. I don't even consider her an ex. Not really."
"But you still kept it from me," she snapped, her voice rising before she could stop it. "You still hid it. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
Robin stayed quiet. He could tell she wasn't finished.
"Did you think you could lie to me?" she whispered, her voice suddenly small, brittle. "I heard you, Robin. That day with Nelson."
His eyes widened. "Lyra…"
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," she said, her voice rough around the edges. "But you were yelling. I couldn't not hear."
Robin looked down, shame burning in his chest.
"I wouldn't have cared if it was Suzie," Lyra went on. "I wouldn't have been angry that you had a past. But you lied. You chose not to tell me. And that—that's what hurts."
Robin opened his mouth. Closed it again. He wanted to say something. Anything. But nothing felt right.
"I don't ask for much, Robin," she said, quieter now. "I just wanted the truth from you. Not from an argument I overheard. Not from anyone else."
Robin clenched his fists at his sides, feeling like the walls were closing in.
Lyra looked at him for a long moment. "If this is how it starts… if this is what we are now…" Her voice trembled. "What else are you going to hide from me next time? What else do you think I shouldn't know?"
He shook his head. "No, Lyra, it's not like that. I didn't mean—"
"I don't know." Her voice cracked. She looked down, trying to hold herself together. "I don't know if I can trust you after this."
The words hit like a punch to the chest. Robin reeled, silent.
And for the first time since they met, he had absolutely nothing to say.
--------
The late afternoon was as quiet as ever—but somehow, it felt heavier.
Walter and Arlo walked side by side with no real direction, just putting distance between themselves and where they'd left Suzie behind.
Neither of them spoke. Each was lost in his own head. Walter stared straight ahead, hands buried in his pockets, while Arlo occasionally glanced at him, catching the storm of unease swirling around his friend.
Eventually, Walter broke the silence. "How long?" he asked, his voice even, but there was something tightly coiled beneath it. "Did you know?"
Arlo glanced at him, the expression on his face unreadable. He could've played dumb, but he knew that would only make things worse.
"Just tell me if you knew."
The guy in the bomber jacket exhaled and dragged a hand down his face. Then, finally—"Yeah. I've known for a while."
Walter stopped walking.
He turned slowly, his face blank but his eyes filled with a complicated mix of shock, frustration, and something else even he couldn't name. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?"
Arlo scoffed, his tone sharp. "You think I'd tell you while you were still dating Suzie—who, by the way, was also Lyra's best friend? Are you outta your mind?"
Walter didn't answer. The logic was sound. It made sense.
But still…
"You have no idea what this feels like," he muttered—half to Arlo, half to himself. "I didn't even notice how she felt."
Arlo shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "Maybe that's a good thing."
Walter turned to look at him, confused.
Arlo sighed, voice a little softer. "Because if you had noticed… maybe you would've just ended up hurting her even more."
Walter looked away, jaw tightening. He ran a hand through his hair, then down the back of his neck. "God, I'm such an asshole."
Arlo studied him for a beat, then gave a half-shrug. "I'm not gonna say yes. But I'm not gonna say no either."
That got a dry laugh out of Walter. It was hollow, but it was something.
"Feelings aren't something you can control," Arlo said quietly, glancing up at the fading sky. "But I did see how hard she fought to hide hers. How much it hurt."
Walter didn't reply, because Arlo was right.
No matter how things turned out, he could never return Lyra's feelings—not in the way she probably wanted. To him, she was… family and that was all she ever would be.
But that didn't make her pain any less real.
The two of them continued walking, this time in silence again. But the quiet between them no longer felt suffocating.
It felt… understood.
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*** TO BE CONTINUE ***