Chapter 31 - Broken Friendship

As soon as she reached home by taxi, Amber headed straight upstairs to her room.

When she opened the door, the darkness embraced her. Only the rays from the window give light. She dragged her heavy body towards the bed and slumped there. Instead of laying, he slid down and leaned.

When she turned her gaze towards the wall. Her favorite bow and arrow hanging near the frame caught her sight. Her chest tightened more and, along with that feeling, he remembered someone.

Amber once again felt the anger roasting her body, so she grabbed something near her and threw it to the wall. It was her alarm clock. It flew straight and hit the bow so it fell down. This is not the time to remember that first friend she had.

She didn't even want to remember her again. However, the situation she was in right now made her do it. Everything flashes right back into her mind that her eyes started to wet again.

***

The strands of her black hair in the middle of the summer air as she was running through the garden in the backyard. Her smile was sweet and genuine.

"Amber! Come here!!!"

Amber followed her and immediately frowned as soon as she saw what it was. "Really? Sam, it's just a stray cat!" she pouted.

Sam picked up the chubby gray cat and rubbed it against her cheeks. "Look at how cute it is! Kyaa~" she was so happy about it.

The girl with blonde hair snorted at her. "You're not a kid anymore, Sam. Why are you hyped up with just a cat?"

Sam put the cat onto her chest and ruffled Amber's hair. "And why are you so angry? Are you jealous? Don't worry, even though you're not a cat, I will give you my attention," then she laughed.

With this, Amber couldn't refute. She grew up with Sam by her side all the time since kindergarten. Their parents were friends in high school and decided to let their kids meet, too. Amber and Sam were childhood friends, like a true sibling to each other.

They're at Amber's house right now because of summer break. After two months they will be going to enter highschool too and both of them were planning ongoing to the same school together.

"Today's weather is so hot, let's head inside.." Sam left the other girl there, who hurriedly followed her.

"Hey! Don't tell me you're going to bring that cat in my house?!" Amber protested. "You can't do that!"

Sam laughed at her and told her that she will be leaving it on the porch.

"Amber, what were your plans when you got admitted to high school?"

Amber halted and pondered. That question was so sudden that her mind turned blank. "How about you? What do you want to do?"

Getting her question back, Sam pinched the cat's cheeks. "I'm going to learn archery and play in the nationals." She said it with a cheerful smile and beaming eyes. She's always saying that ever since they were little.

Amber walked forward. "Archery? You're really serious about it?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, I want to be an archer. Don't you want to try it too?"

By this, Amber paused. She always follows Sam everywhere and always believes in what she says. So this time, she wanted to give it a try, too.

"Sure! I will do that!"

Sam slowed her pace and held Amber's hand. "Don't worry, I will not leave you. We're in this together if we both failed.." then she chuckled.

***

"Always together? Don't fuck with me!!!"

Amber gritted her teeth. She once again picked up something and threw it on the wall. "I don't want to hear it anymore!!! You're all going to leave me!!"

All she felt was anger and pity for herself. Those words were still heavy for her. It was like a broken diss she kept on hearing every time. Lies that cover one's friendship.

Her words trembled, and she found herself crying again. She gasped and clenched her chest. "Where were you when I needed you the most, Sam?" she felt the pain again.

The pain of being abandoned. The regret and loneliness she endured for a year. She was alone when she succeeded. The person she's expecting to be there wasn't beside her.

Amber curled and hugged her knees. Then a frame from her desk fell straight in front of her eyes. It shattered slowly and the small glasses got scattered on the floor. The photo behind that frame went in her line of sight.

It was when both of them entered the archery club at school. Sam was holding the bow while Amber was holding the arrow.

Her trembling fingers picked up that photo and caressed Sam in it. In this moment, she felt that the world was so unfair. Leaving other people to suffer for someone's regrets.

Amber clenched the photo as small sobs escaped her lips. Even though she wanted to curse Sam as if she's here, she couldn't. She crumpled the photo. It was the only one she had with her first friend in it.

Didn't Sam tell her that they were in this together? Wasn't she the one who's always by her side?

Amber was too tired to cry anymore. All she felt was the burden pulling her from stepping forward. She just stared at the thing she was holding until her eyes dried up and it fell from her hands.

She completely became a different person after what happened. After she experiences something she shouldn't be feeling. She was still young at that time, and some things were still unclear to her.

There were so many questions that she wanted to ask, but couldn't.

Is this the punishment? If she didn't become the best and remained on the bottom, will Sam still treat her as her friend? If she didn't join the archery, will Sam still comfort her in times like this?

"You are so cruel, Sam." Amber cursed out.. "I hate…you."