Lele

                                    

                                          
I blink, trying to piece together everything that happened, but it's all a blur. One minute, Blair and I were asleep, and the next—chaos. Joe stormed in, his voice thundering through the room, accusations flying left and right. Blair stood there, wide-eyed and confused, and before I could even think to defend her, she was gone. They told her to leave. Told her she didn't belong.
Now, I'm sitting on my couch, numb. Seven pairs of eyes are on me—Kyra, Steph, Caitlin, Lia, Beth, Alessia...and Katie. But Blair isn't here. The emptiness in the room is deafening. They don't understand. They think she hurt me, used me. But I know Blair better than that. She wouldn't. 
I shift in my seat, wincing as a sharp pain shoots through my side. My hand instinctively presses against my rib, and I feel the dull ache beneath the surface—remnants of Joe's outburst when he shoved me aside. The adrenaline has worn off, and now the pain is seeping in, slowly but surely.
"You alright, Leah?" Steph asks, her voice soft but laced with concern. I try to mask my discomfort, but there's no hiding the wince that comes as I shift again.
"I'm fine," I lie, though my rib disagrees. My elbow stings too, and I glance down to see a smear of blood where I must have scraped it in the chaos. It's nothing serious, but combined with everything else, it feels like too much.
I nod, though I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel. Everything is too much. My head's pounding, my body aching, and I can't shake the image of Blair being pushed out the door, her face hurt and confused—like she didn't know what was happening either.
"What even happened?" Lia says, glancing around the room. "Did you two...?"
I flinch at the question, heat rising to my cheeks. Did we? I search my memory, but everything's so foggy. We drank, we danced, we talked—but did we cross a line?
"I think ... yes ? maybe" I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't remember."
A murmur of disapproval ripples through the room. I can feel the judgment settling in like a thick fog around me. They think she played me, just like they think she played everyone else.
Kyra sits silently, arms crossed tightly. She hasn't said a word since Blair left. I glance at her, but her face is unreadable. There's a history between Blair and Kyra—something deep and complicated. Whatever it was, it's left Kyra cold. Distant.
I shift again, biting back a groan as the pain in my side flares. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to push through it, but every little movement sends a fresh wave of discomfort through me.
"She's not good for you, Leah," Caitlin says suddenly, breaking the silence. "You know that, right?"
"I don't think Blair ever cared," Lia adds, her voice sharp. "She just wanted... you know. To get in your pants, like she does with everyone."
My heart sinks. I shake my head, but the doubt is creeping in. Blair and I have always been close. She's my friend—
"Leah," Beth says gently, "We're just looking out for you. Blair has a way of making people feel special, but she's... complicated."
"Complicated?" I repeat, feeling a flicker of frustration. "Or misunderstood?"
Katie's sitting next to me, quiet but supportive. I can feel her eyes on me, but she doesn't join in with the others. She's the only one who doesn't pile on, and it makes me feel a tiny bit less alone in all of this.
"You're too good for her," Alessia says, shaking her head. "She's toxic."
Kyra's head snaps up slightly, but she stays silent, still rigid on the other side of the room. She doesn't look at me, though. She hasn't since Blair left.