Chapter 6:-A Friendship in Trouble

The weeks leading up to Mikey's exams had been a test of patience for Rose. He had warned her that he wouldn't be online much, explaining the weight of his studies. Rose understood, and though she missed him, she told herself that it was temporary. After the exams were over, they'd get back to talking like they always had. They'd be close again.

But when Mikey's exams finally ended, something was different. Days passed, and still, he didn't reach out to her. At first, she reasoned that he was probably catching up on rest, or hanging out with friends, unwinding from the stress. But as more time went by, the silence became harder to ignore. A gnawing unease began to grow in her chest. She'd scroll through their group chats, hoping to see his name pop up with a message for her, but there was nothing.

That's when Emma told her what she didn't want to believe: Mikey had been active in the group, not just talking, but openly flirting with other girls. Rose's heart sank. The disappointment was crushing. She had waited for him, supported him through the quiet, and now, it seemed like he had forgotten her altogether.

Her stomach turned with a mix of hurt and confusion. Why hadn't he messaged her? Hadn't their time together meant something to him? The questions looped in her mind, unanswered, until she couldn't take it anymore. Rose needed to confront him.

She opened their chat and sent a message, her fingers trembling with frustration.

Rose: Hey, your exams are over, right? Why haven't you messaged me?

A few minutes later, his reply came, but it was far from what she had expected.

Mikey: Yeah, I've been busy.

Rose stared at the screen, incredulous. Busy? He'd been talking to everyone else, just not her?

Rose: Busy? You've had time to flirt with other girls in the group, but you couldn't even send me a message?

There was a long pause before Mikey responded.

Mikey: I told you I was busy. I didn't say it was only exams.

The casual indifference in his words hit Rose like a slap to the face. Her hands trembled as she typed, her hurt spilling over into anger.

Rose: So what, you just decided I wasn't worth talking to? After everything? You don't think I'd be upset seeing you flirt with other people while ignoring me?

Mikey's response came quickly this time, and it was the one that broke her.

Mikey: You're overreacting. It's just talking. I don't see what the big deal is.

Rose felt a wave of anger wash over her. How could he be so dismissive? After everything they'd shared, the long conversations, the quiet moments where they had opened up to each other, he was acting like none of it mattered. Like she didn't matter.

The fight that followed was brutal, with each message driving a wedge deeper between them. Rose tried to explain how hurt she was, but Mikey's indifference only fueled her frustration. He accused her of being overly emotional, while she struggled to make him understand why it hurt so much. The argument spiraled out of control until both of them were left angry and raw.

When the fight ended, Rose was drained. It felt like the foundation of their relationship had cracked, and no matter how hard she tried to patch it, the damage was done. In the days that followed, they barely spoke. The silence that had once felt temporary now felt permanent.

Not knowing how to cope, Rose decided to create a new group, one where she could escape the tension and pain that hung over her interactions with Mikey. She named it "Free Peoples," and slowly, she began to reach out to others. The group became a distraction, a place where she could talk without the weight of her failing relationship dragging her down.

But things didn't get easier. Mikey's best friend, Lana, was still in their original group, and while Rose had always considered her an acquaintance, she didn't realize the extent of Lana's loyalty to Mikey. Lana was shrewd, knowing exactly how to manipulate situations to her advantage. She started subtly turning Mikey against Rose.

It began with small comments, casual remarks that seemed innocent but carried venom. Lana would mention things Rose had said in the "Free Peoples" group, framing them as attacks on Mikey. She showed him screenshots of conversations where Rose had vented her frustrations, twisting her words to make it seem like Rose was bad-mouthing him behind his back.

Mikey, still hurt from their argument, took the bait. He began to see Rose's words as betrayals, further feeding into his anger. Lana continued to fuel the fire, positioning herself as the one who truly had Mikey's back, all while driving a wedge between him and Rose.

One day, Rose logged into the group chat and saw that the entire tone had shifted. Subtle digs and passive-aggressive comments filled the space, and though no one mentioned her name directly, it was clear they were talking about her. Lana had turned everyone against her, including Momo, someone Rose had once considered a close friend.

It hurt more than she could put into words. The people she thought would stand by her were gone, their loyalty swayed by lies and manipulation. Even Momo, who had been a voice of reason in the past, had taken Lana's side. The isolation was suffocating, and Rose felt trapped, unable to defend herself against the tidal wave of hostility that had swept over her.

In one particularly painful moment, she saw a message from Mikey that made her stomach drop.

Mikey: It's not like she's been loyal. I'm done with her.

Rose stared at the words, her vision blurring with unshed tears. After everything, he had written her off so easily. The person who had once been her closest confidant had turned into someone she barely recognized.

She couldn't take it anymore. With trembling hands, she typed a final message.

Rose: I'm leaving the group. I can't do this anymore.

And with that, she exited the chat. There were no goodbyes, no explanations. She simply left, the weight of the betrayal pressing down on her like a heavy stone.

As Rose sat alone in her room, staring at her phone, she felt the full force of what had happened. She had lost more than just Mikey. She had lost her friends, her sense of belonging, and any semblance of normalcy. The people she had trusted had turned their backs on her, and now she was left to pick up the pieces on her own.

For the first time in weeks, the reality of her situation hit her fully. She was alone. The group she had once leaned on for support had crumbled, and there was no going back.

The pain was sharp, a deep ache that settled in her chest, but there was also a strange sense of clarity. Rose realized that she couldn't keep chasing after people who didn't value her. If Mikey and the others had chosen to believe lies over the truth of who she was, then maybe they weren't the people she had thought they were.

She wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath. It wasn't going to be easy, but she knew she had to move forward. The friendships she had once cherished were gone, shattered by misunderstanding and manipulation. But Rose was still standing, and even though it hurt, she would find a way to rebuild.

It was time to let go of what had been and focus on what could be.