"Why can't you tell me the truth? You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"But I am telling the truth!"

"The proof proves otherwise."

Liar.

"Why do you have to treat me like crap?"

"Because to put it quite simple-You let me."

Manipulative.

"Do you even care about our friendship?"

"You can't care about something that was never there."

Careless.

From what I had learned, it's a cold world inhabited by liars, hypocrites, and back-stabbers. The only way I was able to keep myself warm in this harsh blistering-cold world was because those bastards were like pyros. It seemed like if I had extinguished a problem, a new one would ignite and the flames would lick at my emotions rather than my skin. At these times, I wanted to huddle up and succumb to the heat produced by pressure and choke on the smoke that was fueled by regret. I was sick of being lied to and betrayed, but the worse part was that I couldn't do a thing about it. I might as well burn since I was so powerless, However, I guess they weren't the only ones fascinated by fire. Within my body was a self-produced flame of my own that was flaring rage and anguish.

I had never thought of my life at high school to be Degrassi-esque until now. I'm amazed those kids never ended up in an asylum. At this point I was starting to envy the psych ward patients. They knew they had to escape from this harsh cruel world and allowed the madness to flood their minds so they could be forever confided in a place where there was no hurt or betrayal, the key elements that had driven them to go mad in the first place. I must be crazy at this point if I was considering to retreat at an asylum with mentally-ill patients. But if a place like that had offered security and hope, then why not? I'm sorry, I should be filling you in on what's wrong with me, shouldn't I? Well, from what has happened it seemed like I had to gamble for my friendships and Lady Luck didn't seem to have a soft spot for me.

Hot tears of frustration ran down my red cheeks as my hands shielded my face. I had an image of being strong and resilient, but the stress of my friendships crumbling before me was overwhelming. I buried my sobs into the palms of my hands. My eyes were stung and puffy by my mascara dying my tears black and staining my cheeks. I had felt alone, but I knew that wasn't true because I had my other close friends and I knew they would be there for me, but they couldn't erase the heartbreak that I have experienced. They have tried ever so hard to get me back on my feet, but we all knew that only time could help and how long will that time last before they decide to leave me too? How long will it be till I find out a horrible secret about them that will end up breaking us up, or maybe they'll throw me away like I'm a piece of trash. In this dark, morbid world, there was no such thing as 'best friends forever'. There was no such thing as 'trust'. Forever? Trust? They're words that can only comfort us for so long till something bad happens and they turn into empty promises. Lies-

"Charlotte?.." I looked up when I had heard my name in that soothing, but familiar voice that I had adored once before. His eyes were filled with concern and worry and his lips formed a frown. He stretched his hand forward to comfort me.

I spun on my heel when I realized I had been exposed at my weakest state to the very person who I would never ever allow to see me fall apart. "I have to go!" I yelled. Long fingers wrapped around my forearm that protested against my resistance. My hits were futile against his built. I screamed at him to free me. I demanded for him to let go, but I didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. My swings became weak and my arm lowered in defeat. I allowed him to lead me away from this horrid place.

Winter air blew towards us as we seated on the concrete sidewalk. My feet touched the road pavement as we stared at the line of houses in front of us. Donnie knew the whole story. He was there for everything. He could barely look me in the eye. I wasn't sure if it was because my eyes were pink and my make up was ruined or if it was because he secretly thought I was a bad friend and deserved what was coming to me. I couldn't bare to look at him for I was much too embarrassed that he had caught me when I was most vulnerable. He was my best friend and I felt like if I were to lose him, I would go mad. I was traumatized enough, I don't know much I can handle. I felt like my heart was split into small fissures and if he were to leave me right here and now, I would be taking a trip to the psych ward.

"Hey, remember what Anthony said? Don't cry because it ended. Be happy because it happened." He told me. I remembered those words, how can I not? He said those words to me when I had broken up with the Liar. However, his words didn't fully sink in until now. It wasn't because Donnie was saying them, it was because I was too depressed that everything went through one ear and out the other. Donnie then added, "You had your fun with them, now, you have to move onto your next adventure."

"But.. What if I want them back? I don't want it to end, but it seems like there's nothing I can do at this point Oh, Donnie, I tried everything, but my patience was running thin and they left me no other option!" I felt like I didn't try hard enough to keep them, but they left me no other choice.

"If they aren't here now then that just means they were not to meant to be in your future." He responded simply, but I frowned at it. They might not have been destined to be there forever, but what about everyone else? Sooner or later, our naïve high school relationships are not going to matter from now. Everything from our social status to our friends were no longer going to matter because once we graduate, we become adults and we have control of who we are and where we want to go. Most of time, it's away from home, it's away from the memories we have created. Even though we'll have those memories in our hearts, we might not continue to have the friends that we designed those memories with.

"You'll leave me just like everyone else." That was actually meant to remain in my thoughts and not outside.

He couldn't help, but frown at how pessimistic I sounded. He was bothered a bit my insensitive comment, but he kept a calm demeanor and said, "As long as we stay together, it can be forever." I couldn't argue with that. He had done the impossible and left me speechless, and I was glad he did. It was a saying I did not want to fight.

When he took note of my silence, he looked to me and said, "You be the best friend, ever. Don't ever stop because you'll never be the one leaving them, they'll be leaving you. You'll never be one to stop loving them, they do. You are the better person. Never let them see you cry, never let them see you falter."

There was no doubt in my mind that the world was still cruel and unfair. Friends become enemies or drift apart, but you make new ones. Sometimes, if you're lucky, your friendship with that person can withstand anything from distance to fights. I looked over to Donnie and we have been through so much. No matter how much we fought and no matter the distance, we were always going to be friends, that I was actually sure of. We have been friends since finger-painting days and over time we had become a part of each other and nothing can change that.

"Because true friendship never stops."