“You Only Pretended You Didn’t Know Me Because You’re Insecure,” My Girlfriend Said After I

"You only pretended you didn't know me because you're insecure," my girlfriend said after I told her I truly didn't remember her from high school. She demanded an apology. I refused and ended it. Days later, she showed up crying right after her friends turned against her. Hey Reddit, I tried dating someone who was stuck in their high school glory days along with her two chaotic friends who treated drama like a full-time job.

Things went from petty to completely unhinged real fast. Before I tell you how it blew up, let me start from the beginning. I'm Logan, 25, work as a technician at a performance shop. I build engines, fix whatever people break, and spend most of my free time training martial arts or messing with cars.

I've been dating Arya for about 9 months. She's 24, works in marketing, and she used to be the it girl cheerleader in high school. She still talks about it like it happened last week. That night we were just hanging out at my place, nothing special. She was scrolling through her phone while I was sorting some parts on the coffee table trying to ignore whatever reality show she had playing in the background.

Then she goes, loud enough so I know she wants attention, "You know, it's funny how we went to the same high school and you were probably one of the guys who stared at me but pretended not to." I didn't even look up. "I didn't know you existed back then." She blinked at me like I'd slapped her. "Logan, come on.

Everybody knew me." "Nope," I said finally looking at her. "Not ringing a bell. Not even a faint one." Her face tightened. Arya hates when reality doesn't match the version in her head. "Well, you probably just don't want to admit it," she said crossing her arms. "Makes you feel cool now." I snorted. "Yeah, because lying about not knowing a cheerleader is exactly how I build my street cred.

" She rolled her eyes and immediately grabbed her phone. "I'm calling the girls. They'll back me up." Of course. Her two best friends, Kendra and Mira. Both permanently online, permanently loud, permanently in everyone's business. She FaceTimed them flipping the camera to me like I was on trial. "Tell him everyone knew who I was in high school," she demanded.

Kendra chimed in first almost shouting, "Logan, you're joking, right?" She was literally the most recognized person on campus. Mira added, "He's pretending. It's a guy thing. They do it to feel superior." I raised an eyebrow. "Superior to what exactly?" Kendra jumped in again. "See, he's doing that smug thing.

He totally knew you." I leaned back on the couch, rested my arm along the backrest, and said, "You all can relax. I didn't know her. I wasn't at games or rallies or any of that. I was busy doing real things." Mira scoffed. "Wow, so cheer wasn't real now?" "I didn't say that," I replied. "But if your whole personality is based on people remembering you from 10 years ago, that's between you and your ego.

" They hated that. I could see it instantly. Both of them started firing off comments like I'd insulted their careers, families, and wardrobes all at once. Arya stared at me like she didn't know whether to defend me or join them. Then she got quiet, too quiet. She pulled my old yearbook out of my bookshelf.

I didn't even remember keeping it. I'd stuffed a stack of prints in there after graduation and forgot the yearbook was just the nearest flat thing that wouldn't bend them. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Checking something," she muttered flipping through pages. Then she stopped. She found the photos tucked inside, pictures from martial arts tournaments, auto club events, road trips with teammates, and that one where I'm holding a trophy while covered in grease and sweat.

She stared at the pictures for way too long. Her face changed in the slow, uncomfortable way. Jealous, annoyed, offended, something like that. "I didn't know you did all this," she said voice tight. "Yeah, I was kind of busy," I said shrugging. She kept staring at one picture of me standing with my team looking tired but proud.

"You look so confident." Kendra, still on the call, suddenly said, "Oh, I get it now. He thinks he was above everyone, including you, Arya." Mira chimed in instantly. "Exactly. That's why he's pretending he didn't know you. He wants to act like he was too good." Arya's grip on the photos tightened.

"Is that true?" I laughed, not because it was funny but because the whole thing was ridiculous. "No, Arya, I didn't think I was above anyone. I was just doing my own thing. That's it." She kept staring at me like she didn't believe me. Her friends kept talking over each other adding more fuel. "He's downplaying everything.

He's lying to make himself look better." I finally stood up. "All right, enough. I'm not going to sit here and be lectured by your hype squad. I told you the truth. If you want to twist it because it hurts your pride, that's on you." Arya's eyes snapped to mine, defensive and angry. She wasn't used to me pushing back like that.

"You don't have to be rude," she said. "I'm being honest," I replied. "It's not my fault you want a version of the past that never happened." Kendra and Mira kept shouting in the background but I ignored them. I walked over, took the photos out of Arya's hands, and slid them back into the yearbook. "Logan, you're acting like this is no big deal," she said voice shaking a little.

"Because it isn't," I said. "You asked a question. I answered. You didn't like the answer." She didn't say anything after that but the way she looked at me said enough. The tension in the room was thick and sharp. She wasn't letting this go. Her friends definitely weren't letting it go.

And for the first time that night, I realized this stupid high school conversation was about to become a real problem. So you understand the full picture and what my life was like in high school, let me show you. People here didn't know the popular cheerleader and assume I must have been some quiet kid hiding behind books. That wasn't me.

I wasn't invisible and I definitely wasn't hanging around waiting for someone like Arya to notice me. My schedule was packed from the second I woke up. I was lead in the auto club by sophomore year. Not the we draw cars in notebooks type, the real one where we rebuilt engines, fixed teachers' cars, competed in builds, and spent half our afternoons in the school garage.

I'd be under a hood before first period half the time. Grease on my hands was basically part of my uniform. On top of that, I was a martial arts competitor. I trained 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day. I had trophies lined on my dresser, most of them from tournaments in other cities.

Every month I was traveling for some event, leaving school early on Fridays, sometimes missing entire pep rallies, games, whatever else the school thought was important. While the cheer squad was chanting on the field, I was either sparring in a different state or taping my knuckles before a match. And after all that, I worked part-time at a shop across town.

My boss there taught me more about real life than any class did. I'd go from lifting weights in training to lifting transmissions in the shop. Half my paycheck went straight into saving for my first car. The other half went into competition fees or road trips with my team. That was my routine, not glamorous but real.

So no, I didn't have time to stand around watching Arya flip in the air on Fridays. I was too busy building something for myself. I wasn't the type who looked up popular kids. I was the type who didn't need them. When I finished explaining all this to Arya the next day, she just stared at me like I'd told her dragons existed.

"So you're telling me you were doing all that while I was literally performing in front of the whole school?" she asked. "Pretty much," I said. She frowned. "It just sounds extreme, like you're exaggerating." I gave her a look. "Why would I exaggerate? What part sounds fake?" "It's just weird you were that busy and I never heard about you," she said shrugging like it made perfect sense.

"Someone would have mentioned you." "That's not how life works," I replied. "Your world wasn't mine." She paused, softer for half a second. "I mean, I noticed you but nobody talked about you the way they talked about us." Then her phone buzzed. Kendra and Mira had apparently been texting non-stop since last night.

Arya read something and immediately tilted her screen toward me. "See, they said you're probably acting like this because you're insecure. Because I had attention and you didn't." I actually laughed. "Insecure about what? I was winning tournaments in other states while you were shaking pom-poms for seniors named Chase and Braden.

" She hated the way I said it. In her mind, everything involving her had to be special. "You're being rude," she said. "No," I replied. "I'm being honest. You're mad I didn't orbit around you back then." She tightened her jaw. I could tell she wasn't used to anyone checking her like that. Most guys probably agreed with everything she said just to keep her smiling.

But I'm not most guys. Arya glared at her phone again and kept reading messages coming in from Kendra and Mira. "They said you're trying to rewrite your past because you don't want to admit you cared about the popular crowd," she said voice sharp. "Yeah, I'm sure they know everything about me," I said leaning back in my chair.

"Two people I've never met in my life apparently have my psychological profile ready." "You don't have to mock them," she snapped. "They're the ones talking trash about someone they don't know," I said. "I'm just not kissing their feet." Arya didn't like that either. She wasn't used to anyone pushing back against her friends. She crossed her arms.

"You're acting like you were too good for high school." "I just didn't care about the stuff you cared about," I said plainly. "It's not an insult. It's just different paths." "No," she insisted voice raising a little. "It feels like you're trying to say you were better than everyone back then.

" "Or," I said, "you're so caught up in being the center of attention that you can't handle the fact someone didn't notice you." She paused for half a second just long enough for me to see the hit land. Then her expression switched to full offense. "You think you're funny?" she asked. "Usually," I said. "Right now I'm just being blunt.

" She rolled her eyes and got up off the couch. "Whatever. I don't get why you have to act like you're above the whole experience." "I'm not above anything," I said calmly. "I just didn't live in that world and I'm not changing my story because it makes you uncomfortable." She grabbed her phone and stormed toward the hallway. "I'm calling the girls." Of Of she was.

I stayed seated, arms crossed, watching her pace around as she dialed them. She kept throwing glances at me, waiting for me to back down or soften up. I didn't. She talked loudly on purpose, repeating everything I told her, twisting a few parts for dramatic effect. I could hear Mira's shrill voice on speaker saying, "He's totally downplaying it because he's intimidated by your past.

" Arya looked at me again, waiting for my reaction. I just shrugged. "Believe whatever helps you sleep." Her face tightened. The friction that started yesterday wasn't cooling down. It was growing, fast, and she had no idea how close she was to pushing me right out the door. By the next day, Arya was still riding the same argument like it was a competition she needed to win.

She walked into my place acting like nothing was wrong at first, but it took all of 3 minutes before she circled back to the same accusation. "So, you're seriously sticking with this story?" she asked, arms crossed. "Yes," I said, "because it's the truth." "You're telling me you just didn't know me at all?" she repeated for the 20th time.

"That's how not knowing someone works," I said, "pretty straightforward." She glared. "You were in the same building as me for years." "E, and I was also in the same building as the janitor," I replied, "doesn't mean I memorize their life story." She let out this annoyed noise, the kind she does when she's not getting her way. "You're lying.

You just don't want to admit I was popular." "I don't care who you were," I said, not raising my voice. "It doesn't matter now." She didn't like that either. She snatched her phone and typed something aggressively. I already knew who she was messaging. Seconds later, her phone buzzed non-stop. Kendra, Mira, the peanut gallery.

Arya read their messages out loud like a script. Kendra says you're doing this because you're intimidated. Mira says your ego can't handle being wrong. Kendra says if you respected me, you'd just admit it. "Good for them," I said, "still doesn't make them right." Arya glared harder. "You're seriously acting like they're not making valid points.

" "They don't even know me," I said, "they're just hyping you up because that's what they do." Arya She stood up straighter, like she was delivering a big demand. "Then prove them wrong." I raised an eyebrow. "How?" She held her phone out like a referee showing a card. "You can apologize to them, on call, so they can hear you admit you were wrong.

" I stared at her for a few seconds, not because I was thinking, but because I couldn't believe she was serious. "You want me to apologize?" I said slowly, "to two people I've never met, over something I didn't do, so they can grade my honesty like judges on a panel?" She nodded like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "Yes.

" I laughed once, short and sharp. "I'm not auditioning for your little fan club." Her mouth dropped open. "Logan, that's disrespectful." "Good thing I wasn't aiming for respectful," I said, "I'll own that one jab." After that, I kept it level, straight facts, no heat. Her phone lit up instantly with replies. They must have been listening, or she was texting live updates.

Arya read every message out loud like gospel. Her phone pinged again. She glanced at it, nodded to herself, and then spoke the next line exactly as written. Kendra says you're manipulating the situation. I tilted my head. "Is Kendra in this relationship with us? Should I be dating her instead since she clearly has more influence over you?" Arya went bright red, partly in embarrassment, partly in anger.

"You're being mean on purpose." "No," I said calmly, "I'm pointing out the obvious. You can't think without checking your group chat first." That was the moment something snapped in her. She stepped closer, voice raised. "You're trying to make me look stupid." "I'm trying to get you to think for yourself," I said, "but every time I say anything, you look at your phone before responding.

If Kendra and Mira want someone to boss around, let them date each other." She gasped like I'd committed a crime. "I'm done with this conversation." "You've been done since you started," I said. Her breathing changed, that sharp, shaky inhale she does before blowing up. "You know what? Maybe you do think you were too good for everyone." I didn't take the bait.

"Believe whatever helps you stay consistent." She stormed out of the room, phone clenched like a lifeline. I could hear her yelling to her friends in the hallway, twisting the story into something dramatic while they piled on. I didn't chase after her. That was the first moment I felt myself step back from her, not physically, but mentally.

After the whole "apologize to my friends" disaster, I knew there was no point arguing with Arya based on logic alone. She needed proof, not because she'd accept it, but because I was tired of hearing the same accusation on repeat. So, I grabbed my phone and messaged the old high school group chat. These were the guys I trained with, worked with, and traveled with.

They were straightforward people, no filters, no fake politeness, no interest in high school popularity contests. I typed, "Random question. In high school, did any of you actually know any of the cheerleaders' names?" Within seconds, the replies came in. Elias, "Mostly no, lol. I barely knew half our class existed.

" Ramon, "I knew like two cheer names because my sister cheered. Outside that, faces, not names." Theo, "Fridays we were on the road for tournaments. Pep rallies equals early checkout for us." Gabe, "If they weren't in the shop or the dojo, they weren't on my radar." Nate, "I remember seeing posters, homecoming spirit week, but couldn't tell you who was on them.

" Ramon, "Arya's name rings a bell now, but I can't say I knew her." A minute later, Elias added, "Bro, the only popular person I knew was the lunch lady who gave extra fries." Arya was sitting across from me, arms folded, tapping her foot like she was waiting for a confession. I handed her the phone. "Here, read it.

" She grabbed it, scanned the messages, and her expression changed in real time, irritation, confusion, then a kind of stunned embarrassment. "What? This doesn't even make sense," she said. "It makes perfect sense," I replied, "we lived different lives." She shoved the phone back at me. "You set me up." I raised an eyebrow.

"How did I set you up by asking a simple question?" "You asked your friends something that you knew they'd answer this way," she snapped, "because it's the truth," I said. "No," she insisted, "because you made them feel like they had to side with you." "It's a group chat, not a hostage negotiation," I said, "they don't care enough to pretend.

" She didn't hear me. She was too busy pulling out her phone and typing at lightning speed. I already knew who she was messaging, Kendra and Mira. A second later, her phone buzzed like a broken alarm clock. She read the messages aloud because of course she did. Mira, "He did that on purpose to embarrass you." Kendra, "He's trying to make you look irrelevant so he can feel superior.

" Arya sucked in a breath, ready to explode again. "See, they get it." I leaned back in my chair. "Of course they do. That's all they do, validate whatever version of the story makes you feel like the victim." Arya glared. "Stop pretending like you didn't know exactly how they'd respond." "I'm not pretending anything," I said, "I asked my friends one question. They answered.

You don't like the answer, so now I'm the villain." She paced the room muttering, "This is humiliating. I look stupid. They're laughing at me." "No one's laughing at you," I said, "they just don't remember you. That's not an insult, it's normal." Wrong thing to say. Her face went bright red. "Normal?" she repeated, "you're calling me normal?" I blinked.

"Yes, because you were just another student, like everyone else." She gasped like I'd insulted her entire existence. "I was not just another student, Logan." "There were hundreds of kids," I said, "we weren't all lined up ranking each other every morning." Her phone lit up again. Kendra, "He's attacking your worth. This is messed up.

" Mira, "He's pretending like you weren't important. That's toxic." Arya swallowed their words whole. "They're right. You're attacking me." "I'm telling the truth," I said. "That's it." She stomped closer. "You're making me look stupid. You're basically saying my entire high school experience meant nothing." I held her stare.

"Your experience meant something to you. That doesn't mean it meant something to everyone else, and that's okay." "No, it's not okay," she snapped, "it makes me look irrelevant." "You're irrelevant to who? Teenagers from a decade ago?" I asked. That pushed her over the edge. She grabbed my phone off the table and shoved it toward me like evidence.

"You wanted them to say all that. You knew they'd agree with you. You wanted to prove I wasn't" "I wanted to end the argument," I cut in, "but clearly that's impossible." "You're being cruel." "I'm being real." Her voice cracked. "You're making me feel small." I shrugged. "I can't make you feel anything. That's on you.

" She stood there breathing hard, like she was deciding whether to yell or cry. Kendra and Mira kept sending long paragraphs, flashing on her screen non-stop, each one dragging me harder. Arya read another line, trembling. "They said you're manipulative. They said I shouldn't let you talk to me like this." "You don't need their permission to think," I said, "try doing it on your own for once.

" That's when the meltdown fully hit, tears, yelling, accusations, the whole thing spiraling in 10 directions at once. Arya asked me to come to dinner at her parents' place that Friday, probably to reset the energy or whatever she called it, but the moment I stepped in, I could tell the whole thing was staged. Her parents were polite, but Arya kept giving me these pointed glances, like she was waiting for me to say something specific. The table was set perfectly.

Her mom had cooked this whole spread. Arya sat beside me way too stiff, like she was preparing a speech. While her parents made small talk about work and traffic, Arya kept shifting the topic back toward high school every single time. "Mom, remember how busy things were during homecoming season? Dad, remember how everyone used to talk about our squad? Oh, Logan probably remembers hearing about it, too.

" I kept answering politely but simple. "I don't remember much about school events." Calm, direct, no attitude. She wasn't satisfied. Halfway through dinner, she excused herself to check something. Her phone was blowing up in the other room. I heard the notifications. When she came back, she had that look that guaranteed trouble was loading.

She sat down and slid her phone across the table to me like it was evidence Kendra and Mira had gone full detective mode. They'd stalked my old social media, posts from years ago, dating them, circling them, writing captions. Homecoming night? I was at an auto competition two states away. Pep rally day? I had a tournament.

Friday night game? Working at the shop until midnight. Arya whispered sharply. Kendra found all this. She said it's obvious you avoided school events on purpose. I kept my voice low, respectful in front of her parents. I wasn't avoiding anything. I had commitments. Her dad looked confused. Is this a problem? Arya didn't even hear him.

She pointed at the photos again. You weren't just busy, Logan. You were never at any of our events. Because I was competing, I said. You know this. Her parents watched quietly now, forks paused midair. Arya continued anyway. Mira said it looks like you thought you were too good for the school, for us. And Mira is what, a historian now? I asked.

Her mom coughed into her napkin. Arya glared at me. This matters, she said. You skipped everything, on purpose. I shook my head. Not on purpose. It wasn't even on my radar. That's exactly what makes it insulting, she said, voice cracking. You didn't care at all. I set my fork down. I didn't care because I was focused on other things, not because of you.

She locked onto that sentence like a heat-seeking missile. So I wasn't important. You weren't part of my life, I said. Neither were most people. Her dad cleared his throat. Arya, maybe No, she said, shutting him down. He needs to admit it. Admit what? I asked. That I mattered more than you act like I did. Her mom looked uncomfortable.

Her dad looked annoyed. Arya didn't care. What exactly do you want me to say? I asked. I want you to stop pretending you never heard of me, she snapped. I didn't, I said, still calm but firm. And I'm not going to lie because your friends need something to gossip about. Her mom gently said, Arya, maybe dinner isn't the time. It is the time, she snapped.

He thinks he can downplay everything I was back then. I looked her straight in the eyes. I'm not downplaying anything. I'm telling the truth I didn't know you. I wasn't thinking about you. That's all. She stood up suddenly, napkin falling off her lap. You make everything sound like I was nobody.

You were somebody, I said, just not somebody to me. That was the breaking point. She made this frustrated sound, almost like a choked yell, and walked out of the dining room. Her parents followed her with their eyes, but didn't get up. They were stunned. I sat there quietly, waiting. I wasn't going to chase her, not anymore. Arya texted me two days after the dinner meltdown.

Not the usual flood of paragraphs she sends when she's worked up. Just one line. Can we talk? Just us. I agreed, mostly because I wanted this whole situation settled once and for all. She asked to meet at a small park near her place. I got there first and waited by one of the benches. Arya showed up 5 minutes later, walking slower than usual, wearing that tight, uneasy expression she only gets when she's not in control of the narrative.

She sat down beside me, but not close. She kept ringing her fingers, staring at the grass. For once, she didn't start with attitude. She started with a shaky breath. Logan, I need to explain something. I nodded. Go ahead. I I didn't mean for everything to get this bad, she said. It wasn't supposed to turn into this.

I stayed silent, waiting. She looked down at her lap. I actually had a crush on you in high school. I didn't react. Not because I wanted to be cruel, but because I already felt drained. She glanced at me, searching for something on my face, then looked away when she couldn't find it. I remember seeing you walking through the hallways, she continued quietly.

You were always moving fast, focused, like you had somewhere important to be. And you didn't look at anyone, not like the other guys. I kept my arms crossed. Okay. You were different, she said. Not in a weird way, just you weren't trying to impress anyone. I thought that was cool.

She let out a small laugh, but it wasn't happy. I used to tell myself, if he ever talked to me, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But you never did. You didn't even look. I didn't say anything. She kept talking. So when you told me you didn't know me at all, it hurt, she said. It felt like I didn't even exist to you.

That part sounded honest, not manipulative, just raw. But honesty didn't erase what came after. She swallowed. And then Kendra and Mira kept telling me you were acting like you were better than me. They said you were just pretending you didn't know me so you could have the upper hand now. I raised an eyebrow. And you believe that? I didn't want to, she said quickly.

But I felt stupid. Like I'd made up this whole thing in my head, and you were shoving it in my face. So you decided to shove back, I said. She winced. I know. I know I messed up. They got in my head. They kept saying you were mocking me, that you didn't respect me, that you were doing everything to make me look small.

And instead of asking me, I said, you double down on them. She nodded slowly. Yes. There was a long pause. Arya finally looked up, eyes already filling. Logan, I'm sorry I shouldn't have treated you like that. I shouldn't have listened to them. I just When you said you didn't know me, it brought up all this old insecurity I didn't even know I still had.

I let her words sit for a moment, not because I needed time to think, I already knew where I stood, but because I wanted her to say everything she needed to say before I ended it. She reached for my arm, but I moved it slightly out of reach. She froze. I looked her in the eyes. Even if everything you just said is true, it doesn't undo the disrespect.

Her lips trembled a little. Logan. You don't get to swing at me for days, I said, then suddenly act soft and expect me to pretend it never happened. She blinked fast, trying to keep the tears from falling. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I was scared. I was embarrassed. And instead of owning that, I said, you let your friends build a whole fake version of me.

Then you treated me like that version. She wiped her cheek. I know. I know I messed up. But it wasn't just me. They kept pushing. I cut her off. Stop blaming them. She froze again. You're an adult, I said. You make your own choices. If Kendra or Mira jumped off a roof, that doesn't mean you follow. But they influenced me, she whispered.

And you allowed it, I replied. That's the problem. She swallowed hard, finally understanding what I was saying. I just want to fix it, she said quietly. I don't want to lose you over something so stupid. It wasn't stupid, I said. It was revealing. She shook her head, tears falling now.

Can't we just start over? Please? No, I said. I'm done. A small gasp escaped her, like she wasn't expecting that final drop even after everything. I don't trust you anymore, I said simply. And I'm not going to spend my time proving myself to your insecurity committee. She pressed her hand against her mouth, crying harder. I didn't mean I know, I said, but you did it anyway. Her breathing hitched.

So that's it? That's it. Arya stood up slowly, wiping her face, trying to hold herself together. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say more, but nothing came out. She finally turned away, shoulders shaking, and walked down the path toward the parking lot. She didn't look back, and I didn't chase after her.

Not because I wanted to hurt her, but because chasing after someone who only sees you through other people's opinions isn't love, it's a trap. When she disappeared around the corner, I stood up, took a deep breath, and walked the opposite direction. Three days after the breakup, I was at the shop working on a customer's engine swap.

It was loud, greasy, and exactly the kind of place where no one should show up crying, which of course meant someone would. Around noon, I stepped out of the garage to grab a part from storage. When I turned the corner, Arya was standing there by the entrance, hair messy, eyes red, holding her bag like she'd sprinted the whole way.

The front door's always open during the day, walk-ins, parts runners, lost delivery guys. But this wasn't that. Logan, she said, voice already shaking. Please, please talk to me. I didn't move closer. You shouldn't be here. She stepped forward anyway. I just need 5 minutes. Just 5, please. I crossed my arms. This is my workplace. I'm not doing this here.

I know, I know, she said quickly. But you won't answer my texts, and I didn't know where else to go. I'm losing my mind. That's not my responsibility, I said plainly. She flinched at that, but pushed on. I want to explain things better. The other day, I didn't say everything right. I was nervous, and I panicked.

And I know I looked pathetic. Arya, I cut in. I heard you the first time. I understood you. And I still ended it. She blinked rapidly. But you didn't let me explain everything. You explained enough, I said. The details don't change the outcome. She shook her head desperately. Logan, you don't understand what these last few days have been like.

Kendra and Mira keep telling me you're trash, that I dodged a bullet, that you were manipulating me. That sounds like them, I said. And I fought with them, she continued, ignoring my comment. I told them to stop talking about you, and they laughed at me. We got into this huge fight yesterday. They said I embarrassed myself by crying in front of you.

They said you were never good enough for me anyway. I didn't react. I wasn't giving her anything. She swallowed hard. I told them they needed to back off, that they made everything worse, and they said I was being dramatic. We ended up yelling at each other in the middle of the mall. Good, I said.

Maybe now you see what I've been dealing with. She looked down, voice small. They ruined everything. They pushed me into every bad reaction. They made me think things were happening that weren't. You let them, I corrected. That hit her harder than anything else. Her shoulders dropped. I know, she whispered. I know I did and I'm sorry.

I've said it a thousand times. I just I didn't realize how much they controlled things. They made it seem like you were attacking me every second and you didn't question it, I said. Not once. She stepped closer because I was scared Logan. Scared of what? That I wasn't enough for you. I shook my head and instead of working through that you tried to tear me down.

I didn't want to, she cried. I was confused and jealous and stupid. I stayed silent. She took a shaky breath. Please, can we try again? Just start small. Just talk. Just something. No, I said. Her voice cracked. Why not? Because nothing you say changes the fact that you treated me like I owed you something, I said. Like I should feel guilty for who I was before you.

Like your friends opinion mattered more than mine. I'm not signing up for that again. Tears spilled over. Logan, I love Don't, I cut in. Don't turn this into some dramatic confession. She started reaching for me then stopped when she saw I wasn't moving. You can't just shut me out like this. I can, I said and I am. Her breathing got heavy.

I don't understand how you can be so cold. It's not cold, I said. It's final. She stared at me like she finally realized I wasn't bluffing. Like she finally reached the point where her words couldn't fix anything. And then the anger hit. So that's it? She snapped. You're done? Yes, I said. I She let out a shaky bitter laugh.

And you don't even care. I cared until you gave me every reason not to. She stood there for a long moment shaking trying to keep herself together. Then she turned away, wiped her face and walked out of the shop without looking back. I didn't follow. Didn't call after her. Didn't regret it.

10 minutes later my phone buzzed. Not from Arya but from Gabe. One of my old high school friends. Gabe, heard what happened. Man, you dodged an entire circus. I smirked and put the phone away. Over the next week Kendra and Mira went nuclear online. Vague posts, dramatic stories, passive-aggressive quotes aimed at me. Everything short of tagging my name.

I didn't respond to any of it. I kept working. Kept training. Kept living like usual. Arya stayed quiet at first then quieter then completely silent. I heard through someone else that she cut ties with Kendra and Mira after their fight. Apparently things got ugly. Blame, insults, the whole thing.

She told them they ruined her relationship. They told her she ruined it herself. Eventually they all blocked each other but none of that changed anything for me. Arya didn't lose me because of her friends. She lost me because she never left the mindset they kept her in.