Feral Attraction

My phone fell off my hands involuntarily as I saw the sight before me.

Locked between each other's arms were my own boyfriend, Evan and the person I called my best friend, Sai.

"Gal..." Sia stammered, unsure of what to say.

They probably didn't know they were going to get caught because my mum had initially refused to let me attend the party until my granny interfered.

"Evan, you son of a bitch!"

I stormed up and slapped him hard. "What are you doing with my friend?"

His arms were wrapped around the last person I expected him to cheat on me with; Sia, my best friend.

Their lips were locked in a kiss. Her hands were in his hair. His fingers dug into her waist like no other person existed.

"Oh my God, Gal," Evan jumped like he'd touched an electric fence. Sai turned around, her face draining of color so fast it was almost funny.

"Gal..." she started, her voice all breath and guilt.

"No," I snapped back at her. "You don't get to say my name like that. Not after what I just saw."

"It's not what you think," Evan mumbled, eyes wide, guilty.

"Oh, so you didn't have your tongue down my best friend's throat? Should I go back and get a replay? All because I told you I wouldn't be able to come to the party?"

Sai reached out for me. "It was a mistake.... please, please, Gal."

"Don't touch me!" I flinched, taking a step back. "You don't trip and fall into someone's mouth, Sai. How long have both of you been sneaking around behind my back?"

"I'm so sorry, babe," she begged, looking like she wanted to cry. Good. I hoped it burned.

"Pookie, please I can explain." Evan tried to do that thing where he made his voice soft like it could calm me down. Not this time around.

"Don't," I said. "Don't look at me like you're the victim. I was such a fool to believe that you love me."

Evan has the audacity to look guilty.

I laugh. Loud. Ugly.

People are looking now. The music feels quieter somehow. Sai's mascara is running. Evan's trying to reach for me.

I pushed him away with all my strength. "You don't get to touch me. You don't get to be sorry."

I didn't wait to see his reaction. Didn't need to. I turned on my heel and walked straight through the party like I owned the damn place. People stared, whispers followed me like perfume, but I didn't care. Let them talk. Let them watch, I didn't care.

I couldn't believe the two closest people to me had betrayed me. Evan was everything to me, we'd been together since ninth grade. We'd made it through awkward phases, bad grades, weekend fights, and even the weird two-week break last year where he thought we "needed space."

And Sai? She had been my best friend before Evan even entered the picture. She knew what he meant to me. We'd stayed up on video calls, gossiping and giggling about him back when he barely knew my name.

I felt like such a fool, I grabbed the first drink I saw and drowned it. Then I drank another and another... And another. I didn't ask what was in them. Didn't care. My chest burned, I didn't want to go back home in that state, so I danced.