III. Divorce

I'm really not sure why I see her again. I would have completely noticed if Azula Shohona was hanging out at the mall all time. I figured she had way better places to shop, but I see her again the next Sunday, and I have no idea why she's here.

But do I care? Totally not! I'm really excited and nervous and everywhere in between as I sit at my table alone with my lipstick-stained soda straw scraping against my lower lip. There's no way she's gonna eat Panda Express in front of all these people. She's a country club person and I've always been like enamored with that entire fact about her.

She is so many amazing beautiful wonderful things. And she always seems to totally know that, which I, duh, admire and can relate to. But these past three times I saw her ever since she remembered that we did ballet together as kids, she's seemed kind of sad.

I never was sure if I wanted to make-out with her or be her, if you know what I mean. Finally, Suki gets here and sits down in front of me, discarding her tiny tote bag with some weird character thing on it beside her.

"Are you staring at her again?" Suki asks, raising her eyebrow all condescending and I stick my tongue at her.

"I'm sorry that you're soulless and have never been in actual love with anybody," I snap, crossing my arms and trying to see around her and figure out where Azula Shohona has disappeared off to. "Do you know why she's at the mall the past three weeks?" I ask, since Suki would know; she does like two clubs with Azula Shohona, and hates her.

"I'm sure she's just trying to escape her house," Suki explains as she steals a fistful of fries from beside the finished Chinese food. "Her parents are going through a horrible divorce."

My eyes are huge like glowy saucers or something. I can't believe I didn't know that and I also can't believe that Azula Shohona is going through that. It's so sad.

"Do you think I can do anything?" I ask dreamily and Suki rolls her eyes and pops two of the fries into her mouth.

I gaze at Azula and see her drinking Starbucks and staring at her phone. She still looks way too good for the world around her, but I now can see that glossy type look of her eyes and a flicker in her aura.

Azula Shohona clearly, obviously, clearly, in her really sad and hard situation needs a new best friend like me.

(or more than best friend)

(or more than best friend like me)