Former Friend

Flashbacks from the previous day still play in my mind. How Mireille had changed.

A letter had come from the government. We were applicable for positions of the government. One that offered riches and higher ranks.

“You don’t need to do anything,” the letter had claimed. We just had to be willing to push around our “inferiors”, people who we were presently.

“No!” I had exclaimed. “Mireille, we cannot accept! This is not how we should behave.”

But Mireille, ever the adventurous, outspoken one (or at least that’s how she told me she felt), had brushed the comment away with a twinkle in her eye.

“Come on, Elysia! Don’t be dramatic! Haven’t you had enough of being ignored? We can finally do something about it! Besides, imagine the drastic change in money we will have! No longer scrambling,” she had said, a frightening look on her face, one so different from the Mireille I knew.

“Mireille, you know better! This is how they create loyal, arrogant followers!” I had pleaded. Why was she being so unreasonable?

She turned her dangerous gaze on me. “Come with me or don’t. You will not change my mind.”

I had shivered at the coldness that radiated from her actions. What had happened to the Mireille I knew? What would she be willing to do to make sure I wouldn’t stop her?

“But you wouldn’t like pushing people around. You didn’t like it when they pushed you around.” I had said.

“Oh, believe me, every person who personally offended me will find themselves uncomfortable. For every shove, every order, every bit of arrogance,” she had given a humorless chuckle. “And if you think I wouldn’t push around anyone for any price, you never knew me at all. Think of how much more comfortable life will be.”

I had frozen in place. It appeared that all these years, Mireille had suppressed her feelings of superiority, her quiet rage at being treated like an inferior.

I felt the words, “How did you hide it from me?” bouncing around inside my mouth, never finding an opening, an answer.

I had not known her at all.

I had backed away, suddenly terrified of my best friend. All arguments on the tip of my tongue had shattered from the sudden cold.

She had marched out the door, a smug, satisfied expression in the way she had walked.

I jolted back to the present, aware of a mission that awaited me. I had not had the courage then, taken aback and stunned by my former friend’s actions.

Former friend. The words echo around my thoughts, filling me with grief. Hopefully, she will soon be my best friend again.

Resolution takes over and, with renewed determination, I swiftly run to my friend’s house. Time to convince her to back out of the agreement. Her threats this time will be useless, for I have my own plan up my sleeve.

There is no turning back now.