Her phone rang, making her sit up immediately. Vanessa. She exhaled, her heart sinking in disappointment, but she still swiped to answer."Hey, Vee," she said, forcing a smile into her tone."Cheryl! God, it's been forever! How’s the new school? Any hot gossip?" Vanessa’s voice was cheerful, but Cheryl could hear the hesitation beneath it.Cheryl chuckled, twirling a strand of her hair. "It’s fine. Just... different. No one here knows me like you do, though.""Aw, I miss you too, babe." Vanessa sighed. "But it’s good, right? A fresh start?""Yeah," Cheryl murmured, but she wasn’t sure she believed it.A pause stretched between them before Cheryl found herself blurting out, "How’s your dad?"The line went quiet for a moment. Cheryl could hear the slight hesitation before Vanessa finally answered, "Oh, you know... busy. He, um, went on a business trip."Cheryl’s fingers clenched around her blanket. "Business trip?""Yeah," Vanessa said quickly, too quickly. "You know how he is. Always w
Last Updated : 2025-04-03 Read more