Leaves and twigs crunched under my feet. I followed Becca with Lauren close behind. To my right, woods. Rows of green and brown with an occasional bird or squirrel. To my right, a thin lining of trees and brush, I could see the blue speaks of the lake poking through the trees, and thick black rocks that peaked over the water line. I could see the yellow rays of evening sunset burn through the trees into my eyes. The air filled with warmth, yet I could feel the cool night air rolling in like fog. It all felt so familiar. Lauren, Becca, and I had just reached the other edge of the camp, and we walked down the man-made hiking trail as we arrived at our favorite rock. Bigger than any other rock there, big enough for all three of us to sit on and watch as boats swept over the darkening water. Looking over at the beach from where we had come. At families, couples, young children, watch the final sunset of the day. This was my favorite time of summer.

“I’m gonna go walk around.” Said Becca standing.

“Me too” Lauren added quickly before starting after. I shrugged turning my attention back the lake and its mesmerizing beauty full of color, the only place that seemed to make sense. Only five minutes or so had passed when I spotted Lauren coming back through the woods. With a nervous look splattered across her face, I figured they bumped into Steven.

“Hey” I called out. “Hey” Lauren replied in a shaky voice. She walked over and sat next to me. Lauren then stood up and said. “I need to tell you something.”

“Oh?” “Ok what?” I replied a little startled.

“It’s about Becca I mean I don’t even know if I should be sharing this-“

“So you can’t tell me?” I cut her off.

“I don’t think I should, but I want to…” Lauren continued. “What, is she drinking or doing drugs?” I asked quickly jumping to the worst scenarios.

“Well...” Lauren replied shifting from one foot to the other, it was then I remembered that she hung around with Steven who smoked a lot, I looked at Lauren with concern. As she looked over her shoulder she answered “Yeah”.

I felt a force drag me down, I knew she might, but now that I knew…. It made sense all of a sudden; sneaking off all the time and going off into the woods with Steven

“Have you told anyone?” I asked and checked to see if Becca was around.

“No” Lauren replied, her head down, “We went walking in the woods the other day, and straight up said to me, you care if I smoke? And pulled out a cigarette and lighter right there!” Lauren continued, “She said not to worry, that she only smoked two packs in the last six months.” But I did not agree.

“You don’t know if she’s telling the truth she could be addicted, if not already.”

“We don’t know that, Becca said that she was fine, that she didn’t need any help.” Lauren argued.

“That is exactly what people say when they do need help!” I yelled frantically and a little hysterical while thinking of what we were going to do.

It had been a week since Lauren told me about Becca and now whenever I look at her all I see is her smoking, and the fact that she lied about it constantly to her family and friends. I woke up Friday morning, my eyes slowly finding and focusing on my clock I could just make out 9:30. But my mom was home from work and we would be leaving for the campgrounds at 12 so I had to get a move on. Checking my phone before I got up I noticed 3 new messages from Lauren.

8:00-“Hannah I need your help if you're up text me back.”

“What?” I asked myself what could be the problem, the answer was in the second text right under the third.

8:10-“Hannah me and Becca are in a fight and I’m not sure what to do, you know I’m not good at these things, text me back soon.” Right under that one, a final text that sealed the deal.

8:30-“Hannah me and Becca aren’t friends anymore.” I stared, because that was all I could do.

It was all I could think about and nothing else, the fact that after 12 years of them they had just broken up like “that” and I slept through it, I was astonished. Of course after I had gotten up, showered and dressed, I texted her back with a big “WHAT?!” she replied, “yea not taking it so well.” I filled with frustration, “that’s all I get!” I screamed into my phone, I had billions of questions bumping around inside my head like bumper cars and I get no feedback. “Well when did it happen, how did it happen what were you fighting about, was it about the smoking thing?” only getting about a fourth of my questions out to her. “I’ll tell you about it at the campgrounds. See you then.” I screamed in frustration ready to throw my new Samsung into the wall, I was not one who liked to be kept in the dark; I remained calm until my mom and I were in her jeep top down 45 minutes away from finding out what had happened.

As we pulled up the dirt road, I could see cars pulled up to check in, because that’s what you did, you rode up in our car with your campsites tag on it and you were checked in for the weekend. I waved to the woman at the desk who saw us through, giving her a meek smile but I had other things on my mind starting with Lauren and Becca and what had happened between them. As we pulled into the campsite I whirled around getting everything unpacked from the car, after giving my mom a quick peck on the cheek, I sprinted across the field towards Laurens camp site. I could see her Toyota in the drive so I knew she was there and I walked into her camp site.

“Hey” Lauren greeted me at the door of her trailer,

“Hey” I managed to stammer; completely out of breath from running.

“So what happened?” Lauren pulled out her phone and flipped to the messages, she gave me her phone as I flipped through the messages.
The conversation went on as Lauren confessed to Becca that she had told me about her smoking. And Becca reacted by telling Lauren that she could not believe what she had done, what surprised me the most was how badly she talked about me. How she never trusted me, how she never thought I could keep a secret even though I was never to tell anyone without Laurens consent. And as I read on Lauren defended me saying I was completely trustworthy, Becca was not having it. Becca said that she could no longer trust Lauren and it was that then she sent, “This friendship is over bye.” Those were the final words on the matter; I stared at the texts for what seemed like an eternity before turning to Lauren. I could see the hurt in her eyes, her friendship with Becca lasted 12 years, and now it was over. And I was feeling the same, I knew Becca and I were drifting but I had no idea that she had no trust in me and that she had no faith I could keep something such as that.