X PARTNER/FRIEND - BETRAYAL

Hayley had just lost her boyfriend, Rob.

To her so-called best friend, that was.
If she had lost him through death, at least then she could feel empty, upset, lonely, despaired.
Instead she felt annoyed, betrayed, deceived and like she wanted to rip someone's head off. She couldn't do that, though; she couldn't make up her mind who she would attack first.
Should it Rob; the partner she thought she could trust and who she thought she meant something to.
Or should it be Danielle; her friend, who she thought she could trust and who she thought she meant something to.

Hmm, hard decision.

"Oh, bugger the pair of 'em," sighed Hayley, "They deserve each other. I don't. I'm too damn good."
She slammed down the empty wineglass; which was now empty for the second time running.
She sniffed, grabbed the bottle again, about to pour herself another.
"I don't need this," she frowned, putting down the bottle. "What I need is..."
She laughed, to stop herself from crying "...a friend."
The phone rang.
"Who the hell is that?" said Hayley. She stood up, reluctantly, and made her way towards the phone.
"Hello," she snapped.
"Hi Hayley. It's Julie."
Julie was Hayley's sister. She often seemed to mean well, but what she'd put across didn't usually go down too well.
"Oh, Julie."
"Sorry about you and Rob."
"Yeah. Cheers."
"What a scumbag, doing that with your best friend; I mean, of all people, he had to go with your best friend!"
Hayley shook her head in disbelief. "Yeah, right."
"Still," said Julie, "You're better off without him, anyway."
"I know," said Hayley. "He let me down. I don't let anyone let me down twice."
"No," said Julie, "I meant that, well, I always thought he was a bit of a creep when you first started seeing him."
Hayley sighed.
"Well, that's what I thought!" said Julie. "And I was right all along, wasn't I?"
Hayley snapped, "Julie, you're not helping."

A silence.

"Well, I'll best, leave you to it," said Julie. "But if there's anything I can do..."
"Yeah, thanks," said Hayley. She thought to herself; but if there is anything you can do, you'd probably make a cock-up of it anyway.
Hayley put the phone down.
She walked back to the wine bottle, rubbing her forehead. "What a mess," she said, "What an absolute, hideous, appalling mess."
Hayley smiled, "Well, at least I can trust my sister. She puts her foot in it, but at least she wouldn't go putting it about with someone else's fella." She laughed, "Then again, any bloke with half a brain wouldn't want to touch her with a barge pole!"

Hayley reflected. "So, this is what betrayal feels like."
She suddenly seemed to realise something, like she'd come to a conclusion.
She straightened her clothes, grabbed her handbag, and opened the front door.
The sun was shining.

Hayley had been given a taste of betrayal. It wasn't a feeling she liked or wanted to feel ever again.
Hayley made up her mind it was time to go and find a better feeling.

28 March 2002