Falling for my Best Friend’s Bully

"Ellie, please stop crying," Moana pleaded softly.

I burrowed deeper under my duvet, the fabric damp from the mix of tears and sweat. My chest heaved silently, my sobs muffled as I replayed the moment over and over in my head. I had slapped Noah.

I had slapped him.

In all our years together, even during the ugliest of arguments, I had never crossed that line. And yet, today, I had done it.

I was no better than Aiden.

The thought tore through me, and I cried harder, squeezing my eyes shut as if it would erase the memory. Faintly, I felt Moana shaking my leg, her presence a dull reminder of the reality I wanted to escape.

I had hoped she'd be asleep when I returned from my classes, that I could quietly slip into my misery unnoticed. But luck wasn't on my side tonight.

"I baked cookies!" she had chirped earlier when I walked in, her voice brimming with excitement. "Let's eat and catch up! I feel like I've barely seen you lately."

Her smile had faltered the moment I broke down in front of her.

"E-Ellie!" she had stammered, panic replacing her earlier cheer.

"Don't be nice to me!" I had wailed. "I'm a horrible person, Moana!"

Fast forward to now.

Moana shook me harder, her voice firmer. "Ellie, hiding under your blankets won't fix anything. You need to go apologize to Noah. Actually, scratch that—you both need to apologize to each other."

I peeled the duvet away and turned to face Moana. My voice was hoarse, my eyes swollen and raw from crying. A dull, relentless headache throbbed at my temples.

"He looked at me like he didn't recognize me," I croaked. "Not Noah. He's never looked at me like that before. I've ruined everything—our friendship, everything."

Moana's gaze softened, but her tone was steady. "You've been friends since you were kids. That's what you told me, Ellie." She took a deep breath before continuing, "A slap won't destroy that."

But it might.

It wasn't just the slap—it was Aiden.

Moana didn't understand, couldn't understand. How could she? I hadn't told her anything.

As if she could read my thoughts, Moana spoke gently. "I know I don't understand everything that's going on between you two, but I do know one thing—in situations like this, communication is key. Talk to him, Ellie. He's only a floor away."

I slowly got up from bed, my legs feeling like jelly. I cracked my knuckles and sniffed hard.

"For this mission I'm gonna need a hot shower and about seven cookies."

"Aw hell yeah Ellie! Go salvage your friendship with Noah Net!" Moana yelled as she ran to the kitchen to pack the cookies.

I wobbled unsteadily as I stood, grabbing my phone from the desk. Just as I was about to collect myself, the screen lit up with an incoming call from an unknown number.

Without thinking, I answered.

"Hello?"

"It's Aiden."

My breath hitched, and I closed my eyes. A strange, unnameable emotion swirled in my chest—anger, dread, regret, maybe all three tangled together.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice flat.

"Can we see tonight? It would be nice to—"

I ended the call before he could finish, my hand trembling slightly as I stared at the phone screen.

Noah had been right. Aiden wasn't even trying to be subtle anymore. He wanted me.

But why?

Something about it didn't sit right. This wasn't just a harmless crush—it felt calculated, deliberate.

"You're not the one I want, Aiden," I whispered to myself, the words barely audible. "I just want my best friend back."

With a deep breath, I switched off my phone and headed to the bathroom, desperate for the clarity a cold shower might bring.