Graceila barely looked up from the sofa when the door closed and a set of keys were set on the table. She rolled her eyes when she saw Elizabeth enter the apartment. Elizabeth tried to smile at her friend but Graceila continued watching television as if Elizabeth didn't exist. Elizabeth sighed and headed for the kitchen.
She was going through the refrigerator, pulling out a fruit salad she had made earlier in the week and a bottle of green tea when Graceila walked into the kitchen as well. Elizabeth heard a chair scrapping on the linoleum floor before she turned around to see her friend staring at her.
"Did you run to Shawn?" Graceila asked. Anger still came off of her in waves. "Did you run to your precious little Shawn and tell him everything that happened? Did he hold you and comfort you? Or aren't you good enough for him? Is that why he sent you home? Because you aren't good enough for him?"
Elizabeth shook her head. The look on her face was passive and exhausted. "I don't want to do this with you, Gracie," she said with a heavy sigh. "Why do you keep turning this around on me? Why can't you just admit that you hurt me?"
"I hurt you?" Graceila spat. "That's funny, Lizzie. We're supposed to be sisters, familia. Instead, you seem more interested in a Center for 'gifted' people like yourself all because of some guy who came by to talk to you. When it was Jordan, you wanted nothing to do with the place. Then Shawn strolls in and you're all for it. You practically packed your stuff already!"
Elizabeth walked out of the kitchen, shaking her head. This was the last thing she wanted. "Why do you hate Shawn so much?"
"I don't hate him," Graceila replied. "I hate what he's doing to you."
Elizabeth sat down on a chair and set her food and drink on an end table beside her. "He's not doing anything to me," she retorted. "You want to know the truth? Okay. Here it is. You hurt me, Gracie. You hurt me bad so yes, I called Shawn. Yes, he comforted me and held me but I left on my own because I wanted to patch things up with you."
"So you can feel all better about this once you leave?"
Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply when Graceila rushed to the door, grabbing her keys from the table. She turned back to Elizabeth with a fiery look in her dark eyes. "When I get back," Graceila said in a soft voice, "I expect you to be gone."
Elizabeth hardly heard the door close behind Graceila. There were no tears left to cry as she sat, staring at the door where her best friend had just been standing. She couldn't believe it had come to this. She reached for the remote, feeling dead inside, and changed the channel. Without thinking, she opened the fruit salad and began to eat. She was on autopilot, hoping Graceila would walk back through the door and ask Elizabeth not to leave. Before she knew it, her tea and fruit salad were gone, the television was off and Elizabeth was in bed.
She hoped when she woke up in the morning she'd find out it was just a dream and that Graceila hadn't said anything close to what Elizabeth knew she had heard. Headlights flashed across her wall, lulling Elizabeth into a dreamless sleep. For the first time she could remember, Elizabeth fell asleep without her best friend in the bedroom just down the hall.
A/N: The last chapter's proper title is "Out of the Fire ..." but the site doesn't allow for that. Also this chapter's title should be "... Into the Frying Pan". It's backwards for the saying, I know, but it works. :)