Pushed Off the Cliff by My Best Friend

On a graduation trip with my best friend, I lost my footing and fell off a cliff. Both my legs were paralyzed.

My boyfriend comforted me. "From now on, I'll be your legs."

Out of guilt, my best friend enrolled in the same university as me, the same major, the same dorm room.

She said, "I'll be by your side forever."

That day, as always, my best friend set the breakfast my boyfriend had sent on my desk.

"Nelly, eat it while it's warm."

I didn't touch it.

A breakfast sandwich and an iced latte. Those were what she liked. My stomach couldn't handle them.

At the same moment, a message from my boyfriend popped up on my phone.

"It's going to rain today, and getting around is hard on your legs. Let's see the movie another time."

I was about to tell him I could go, that my legs were showing signs of recovery, that the doctor had me practicing walking every day.

My best friend reached over and took the 3D glasses off my desk.

"Godfrey Dickerson said he wants to thank his little future mother-in-law for taking care of you all this time. He asked me to a movie."

By the time I came back to myself, she'd already left the dorm.

A close-friends alert popped up on social media.

In the photo, she stood beside my boyfriend holding a single rose, smiling sweetly.

"A little someone told the big brother to buy his pretty girlfriend a flower, so a certain person did."

Below it was a notification that my boyfriend had liked it.

I tapped like too.

Then I deleted the messages in our chat.

From here on, I'd walk my own road.

...

I'd just set the phone down when Godfrey called.

"Nelly, don't be upset. The post May Cox put up didn't mean anything. She just thought it was funny."

"When we're done with the movie we'll bring you back some blueberry cake, the kind you love."

The movie had already started. I could hear the music through the phone.

That film everyone called a must-see for couples. I'd waited so long for it. I'd even stayed up late camping out for tickets.

"Godfrey, you've got it wrong. May's the one who likes blueberry cake."

My voice carried nothing.

"I've always liked chocolate cake."

"Same thing."

He brushed it off, distracted.

"Okay, the movie's starting. I'll come find you when I'm back. Be good."

He hung up.

Same thing.

In the three months since the semester began, I'd heard that line more times than I could count.

I looked over at May's bed.

It was covered with the gifts Godfrey had sent to thank her for taking care of me.

Every one of them, I had a matching copy in my own cabinet.

When Godfrey sent me a gift and had May bring it up to the dorm, he'd get her one too.

Back then I pretended to sulk, to be jealous.

He'd crouch in front of me, holding my hand, coaxing me.

"I just want your best friend to look after you a little more, that's all. Getting her one was just a bonus. It's really for you."

But little by little, the gifts started being chosen to suit May's taste.

I became the bonus.

If I could just stand up, I wouldn't need May wedged between Godfrey and me.

I clenched my teeth, braced both hands on the desk, pushed myself up, and inched along with a hand on the wall.

In my hurry I stepped in a wet spot and went down.

At the hospital.

May crouched in front of me, her face full of blame for herself.

"Nelly, it's all my fault for leaving the dorm. If I hadn't, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Godfrey stood behind her, frowning at me.

"I didn't take you to the movie because it was pouring today. I already explained that. Did you really have to hurt yourself on purpose just to make May feel guilty?"

Thick bandages were wrapped around my forehead, and scrapes covered my arms.

They came all this way, and not one word of concern.