My Childhood Friend Mocked My Scar at a Party

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At the class party after the SATs, someone suggested playing a game of Expose Your Friends.

In the first round, the bottle spun and pointed at Chloe Jenkins and me.

She jumped at the chance to speak first.

Sera never wears skirts because she has a massive, ugly scar on her thigh that looks like a giant centipede.

In an instant, everyone's eyes locked onto my legs, covered by my long jeans.

Only Ethan Sinclair knew about that scar.

He had promised me he would keep it a secret forever.

Yet right now, he was laughing the loudest.

"Yeah, it's honestly super gross!" Ethan chimed in.

When it was my turn to speak, Ethan suddenly covered my mouth.

The crowd started teasing us.

"Oh, come on! You're being way too protective, Ethan. Sera hasn't even exposed Chloe yet, and you're already shielding her."

"No way, you and Chloe have to kiss as a penalty!"

With a flushed face, Ethan grabbed Chloe by the back of her neck and kissed her deeply right in front of everyone.

The air conditioning in the room blasted cold air over me, making me shiver.

I placed my hand on my thighthe exact spot where I had received forty-two stitches years ago to save Ethan's life.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Lucas Vance:

[Come to Harvard with me. Let's go to the same college, please?]

I typed back:

[Okay.]

After returning from the restroom, I overheard people chatting and mentioning my name.

"Ethan, did your little childhood friend run off to cry because her secret was exposed? By the way, have you actually seen her scar?"

Ethan had a look of pure disgust on his face.

"Yeah, I've seen it. Trust me, it's the kind of scar you only want to see once in your life."

Chloe leaned close to Ethan's side.

"How about you purposely lose the next round? Choose 'Dare' and pull her pants up so we can all get a look."

Ethan carelessly wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Why waste a game on that? I don't even need to ask twice. One word from me, and she'll take them off and show me herself."

Chloe's eyes lit up with excitement. "I want to take a picture!"

"Me too!" another classmate yelled.

Ethan stood up, clapping his hands.

"Anyone else want to see? Let me know, and I'll make sure she shows you for a little longer!"

I gripped the door handle, my knuckles turning white.

When I was ten, Ethan and I went to the grocery store. A sudden gust of wind blew a heavy metal billboard down, heading straight for him.

I pushed him out of the way. The sharp metal sheet sliced deep into my thigh. Blood wouldn't stop gushing, and I almost lost my leg.

I cried for two days and nights in the hospital. Ethan stayed by my side, carefully helping me apply my ointment.

The boy who swore he would never find it ugly, the boy who promised never to tell a soul, was now using my pain to entertain the crowd.

Seeing me walk back in, Chloe gave Ethan a look.

Ethan looked at my thighs with a playful smirk.

"Sera, this might be the last time we all hang out. Since we're classmates, why don't you let everyone see your scar?"

I tightly shielded my legs.

"No."

Ethan's face hardened, and his brows furrowed.

"It's just a scar, what's the big deal? Stop being so dramatic."

Chloe stepped in to play the peacemaker.

"Sera, are you mad because I took your turn during the game earlier?"

"You really don't know how to take a joke."

She playfully tapped Ethan's back and turned to me. "Sera, see? I hit him for you. Are you happy now?"

"I said no."

Ethan pulled Chloe back.

"Don't waste your breath on her."

Two minutes later, everyone's phone buzzed.

Except mine.

Everyone stared at their screens for a few seconds, then looked at me, stifling their laughter.

Chloe patted my shoulder. "Sera, the scar isn't even that bad. Why are you hiding it? Girls need to be confident."

She shoved her phone in front of my face. Ethan had posted a photo of my freshly stitched thigh from years ago into the Snapchat group.

The photo was so high up it even showed my underwear.

A wave of anger and humiliation washed over me.

"Ethan, you spoil Chloe too much. But her SAT scores aren't as good as yours. When she gets bullied in college, are you going to fly over to save her?"

"It's just a matter of skipping a few math questions on purpose so we end up at the same place," Ethan said casually.

Chloe spoke in a sweet, whiny voice. "Did you change your college application without telling Sera? She's going to cry herself to death if she doesn't go to the same school as you."

"I know her," Ethan sneered. "She'll follow me no matter what."

"A genius girl going to a local community college for love? That's going to be front-page news."

Three years ago, he told me, "If you tutor me so we can go to the same college, we never have to be apart."

Because of those words, I chased after him for three years.

Every single weekend, rain or shine, I went to his house to tutor him.

The dark circles under my eyes were the result of staying up late for three years, preparing study guides, organizing his mock exams, and making study plans.

But my three years of hard work had turned into a joke in his mouth.

My phone alarm went off, reminding me to finalize my college enrollment.

I opened the portal and changed my choice to Harvard University, thousands of miles away.

To each their own.

This time, I was done chasing him.

"What are you looking at?"

Chloe suddenly leaned over.

I locked my screen. "Nothing."

"I clearly saw you changing your college portal. Sera, are you really retaking the SATs just for Ethan?"

Before I could argue, Chloe patted my shoulder. "It's fine, I know you're embarrassed. You want to surprise him, right? I won't tell."

The party ended quickly.

When I walked out, Ethan was nowhere to be seen.

I waited for half an hour until everyone had left, but he still didn't show up.

"Has Ethan not come out yet?" I asked a classmate.

"He left ages ago. He got in an Uber with Chloe."

But before the party, he had told me to wait for him at the entrance.

Just then, Ethan called.

"Are you out yet? It's late, and it's not safe for Chloe to go home alone."

"I'll drop her off first and then come back to get you."

Chloe's voice came through the speaker:

"Sera, if you're in a hurry, I can let him go back for you right now."

"What rush could she possibly be in?" Ethan snapped. "Besides, it's about to storm, and you're terrified of thunder. I need to stay with you."

A sudden crack of thunder sounded, and the line went dead.

When we were kids and I was terrified of thunder, I begged Ethan to walk with me to school. He complained I was a nuisance and walked faster to leave me behind.

Now, not only did he remember Chloe's fear of thunder, but he also insisted on staying with her.

I bit my lip hard to keep the tears from falling.

Chloe's house was only seven miles away, but an hour and a half passed, and Ethan still hadn't returned.

I opened Instagram. He had posted a story.

"My little greedy girl got hungry again, so I had to take her out for round two."

The picture showed the two of them feeding each other at a restaurant.

I stared at the food on the table.

Ethan had never cooked for me, nor had he ever taken me to a nice dinner. He only ever criticized my UberEats orders, telling me, "Stop eating junk, it's bad for you."

I looked down at my soaked dress, laughed at my own stupidity, and called an Uber home.

By dawn, my body was aching. I checked my temperature100.8F.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Ethan.

A tiny spark of hope flared in my chest.

[Chloe's swim goggles broke. Buy a new pair and bring them over.]

No explanation for why he never came back for me.

No question about whether I made it home safe.

Just treating me like an errand girl.

[Go directly to the pro shop downtown. Don't get the rubber ones, Chloe is allergic.]

Going downtown and back would take two and a half hours.

To make sure they had them when they woke up to go swimming, he texted me before the sun was even up.

I didn't reply and closed Snapchat.

I slept again, and when I woke up, my fever was gone.

Ethan called again.

"Why aren't you replying? Did you get the goggles? Chloe is waiting. Can you hurry up?"

In the past, when I asked him to teach me how to swim, he always said he was too busy with school and we would do it after the SATs.

It had been weeks since exams ended, and he hadn't mentioned it once. Instead, he was teaching Chloe.

"I have a fever."

Silence on the other end.

"Don't you have anything else to say?" I asked.

"You clearly have enough energy to argue with me, which means you're fine."

"Drop them off at the pool near Chloe's house. Don't go to the wrong one."

I didn't go. I warmed up some food instead.

I remembered my library books were due today. After returning them, I checked out two more books. Walking out of the library, I saw Chloe and Ethan buying matching bracelets at a boutique.

Ethan threw the braided friendship bracelet on his wrist into a trash can and replaced it with a pink one that matched Chloe's.

That braided bracelet was a good-luck charm I had spent hours making for him before the exams.

"Sera? What are you doing here?" Chloe asked.

Ethan pulled her back. "Stay away from her. You might catch whatever she has."

Chloe pointed at the books in my hand.

"Oh, I really wanted to read that book! But they were all out. Do you mind if I borrow it first?"

Before I could answer, Ethan snatched the book from my hands.

"Go read something else," he told Chloe.

Then he turned to me. "Besides, you need to study to retake your exams next year. Reading novels will only distract you."

That book was out of print, and I had waited on a waitlist for months to get it.

I stepped forward to grab it back, but Ethan blocked me and shoved me away.

My body was still weak from the fever. My legs gave out, and I fell hard onto the concrete. A sharp, needle-like pain shot through my lower back.

"You claimed you had a fever, and I let the goggles slide. But I didn't expect you to be healthy enough to wander around and fight over a book. Sera, I really underestimated your ability to lie."

"Go home and think about what you did. Don't contact me until you've cleared your head."

As I applied ointment to my bruises at home, I told my mom I wanted to pack our things and move early. I asked her to come with me to Boston.

My mom didn't ask a single question. She just nodded and agreed.

Once I left this place, I was never coming back.

And I never wanted to see him again.

The next morning, Ethan's mom, Karen Sinclair, came over to chat with my mom. Ethan and Chloe came along too.

He walked into my room without knocking and threw the book onto my desk. The cover smelled like spicy Cheetos, and there were greasy fingerprints all over the pages.

The book was checked out under my name. Any damage meant I would have to pay for it.

"You need to pay for this," I said.

Ethan picked it up, sniffed it, and said with annoyance:

"It's just a few grease spots. Why are you being so dramatic? Anyone can make a mistake. Is it really necessary to make a big deal out of a stupid book?"

I didn't hold back this time.

"The library rules state that if you damage a book, you replace it. Buy a new copy and return it to them."

Chloe nodded submissively.

"Okay, Ethan, it was my fault anyway. Don't yell at her. Sera, how much is it? I'll Venmo you."

As Chloe reached for her phone, Ethan snatched it away, his voice cold.

"Don't pay her. I don't believe she doesn't have the money for this. Let her figure it out herself."

I couldn't stand looking at them anymore, so I walked into the living room.

Karen Sinclair glanced at me. "The book is still readable, isn't it? It's just a book. Don't ruin your friendships over something so small."

She had always treated me poorly.

When I was in the hospital after getting forty-two stitches, she came to visit, saw that Ethan was fine, and said, "Thank god you're okay, sweetie. Her scar doesn't look that bad anyway. You don't need to feel guilty, Ethan. She chose to push you. We didn't force her. Let's get out of this hospital, it's full of germs. I'll make you a nice steak at home."

From beginning to end, she only glanced at my leg once. She never offered a single word of thanks or comfort.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Lucas.

[Sera, I just got my official Harvard admission letter! Did yours arrive yet?]

I replied with a photo of my own Harvard admission letter.

[Awesome! You should fly out early. I can show you around the campus.]

There was indeed no reason for me to stay here any longer.

I replied: [I booked my flight for next week.]

I had no energy left to argue with anyone in the living room. As I turned to leave, Karen grabbed my sleeve, stopping me.

"You tutored Ethan every single day. How did he only get into a community college while you did so well? Did you not actually put any effort into helping him?"

Ethan added, "She was probably too busy focusing on her own studies."

He was the one who threw the exam on purpose, yet to save face, he threw me under the bus.

Chloe blushed and said, "Mrs. Sinclair, Ethan and I are going to the same college. I'll make sure to watch over him for you."

Karen patted her hand, smiling warmly. "I feel so much better with you around. You're such a sweet, honest girl. Not like some girls who only care about themselves and don't care about anyone else."

I clenched my fists so hard my fingernails dug into my palms.

All those three years of devotion felt completely worthless.

Every time I went to Ethan's house to tutor him, his mother would either chop vegetables loudly or blast the TV. She always made so much noise.

I couldn't teach him at a normal volume, so I had to strain my voice and yell.

My throat would be burning by the end of the night, and I was never even offered a glass of water.

Now, I had to carry throat lozenges with me everywhere because my vocal cords were permanently damaged.

The next day, I saw Chloe's TikTok video of her at an exclusive, invite-only art exhibition.

Our classmates were commenting in envy.

[I tried getting tickets to this three times with twenty friends and couldn't get one! How did you guys get in?]

[So lucky! Are you two secretly dating? Where's Ethan's little shadow today?]

Ethan replied: [She didn't have a ticket. It's better this way, she's annoying anyway.]

I zoomed in on the background of the video.

It was an exhibition by a famous European painter that I absolutely adored.

The ticket included a private signing session and limited-edition merchandise.

I had begged my mom to use all her connections just to secure two tickets.

I had planned to ask Ethan to go with me.

I guess I would be going with my mom instead.

I went to find the book where I had tucked the tickets. The book had been knocked over, but I didn't think much of it. However, when I flipped through the pages, the tickets were gone.

I remembered Ethan entering my room to grab something before he left yesterday.

A surge of anger rushed to my chest.

I was about to comment "Thief" under Chloe's video, but when I hit submit, the video vanished.

Her profile showed she had blocked me.

I opened Ethan's chat.

I remembered when we first officially became a couple, he had kissed me gently on the cheek.

I had waited three years for that day.

But only two months had passed, and I wanted nothing to do with him.

I typed out a line:

[Let's break up.]

I left my suitcases in our front yard while my aunt and I went out for a two-day trip. When I got back, my suitcases were gone.

I walked over to Ethan's house. Chloe was there too. They had my suitcases open on the living room floor, going through my things and making a complete mess.

"Ethan, I love this limited-edition t-shirt! It'll look so good on me for freshman orientation," Chloe squealed.

"Take it," Ethan said carelessly.

"She has so many nice toiletries here. I'm going to save so much money on college shopping."

I pushed the door open.

"Who gave you permission to touch my suitcases?"

Ethan scoffed.

"Oh, stop acting. Chloe told me you're planning to retake your SATs anyway. You won't be needing these things this year. You can just buy new ones next year."

I screamed at them.

"Going through my personal property without my permission is theft!"

They ignored me and kept digging through my clothes.

Suddenly, Chloe gasped.

"An admission letter? From Harvard?"

Ethan laughed, snatching it from her hand.

"Wow, this fake looks pretty realistic. Did you print this out to motivate yourself? Honestly, you'd be better off printing out my acceptance letter and hanging it on your wall."

I lunged to grab it, but Ethan stepped back, threw the letter onto the floor, and ground his dirty shoe into it.

The mud from his sneaker stained the words "Harvard University."

"Give it back!" I screamed, my voice raw with rage.

Ethan smirked, twisting his foot back and forth on the paper.

With a loud rip, the letter tore in half.

That letter was my late father's biggest dream for me. I hadn't even had the chance to bring it to his grave to show him, and Ethan had just destroyed it.

"Sera, I'm just trying to help you face reality. Stop living in a fantasy world," Ethan said.

He kicked my suitcase over, grabbed a bucket of dirty car-wash water nearby, and poured it over everything.

My admission letter, along with all the rare, out-of-print books my father had left me, was completely soaked in muddy water.

I threw myself forward to stop them.

"Don't go! You're going to pay for this!"

Ethan stuck his foot out.

I tripped and fell face-first onto the gravel. My loose pant leg rolled up, exposing the long, ugly centipede-like scar.

Ethan immediately spun Chloe around to shield her eyes.

"Don't look, it's disgusting."

He picked up a wooden broom nearby and jabbed the end of it right into my scar.

The sharp splinters pierced my skin, and blood quickly began to seep through.

I winced but didn't cry out.

"You don't need to keep using this scar to guilt-trip me," Ethan sneered. "It just makes you look desperate."

I stood up, holding the torn pieces of my admission letter tightly against my chest.

My phone buzzed.

A notification popped up: Your flight departs in 24 hours.

I handed our house keys to the real estate agent, grabbed my ruined suitcase, and left for the airport with my mom.