the dog was born without a collar

my best friend was fun. we talked all the time, paid less attention in class and more to each other, and told the other things kept to only ourselves.

but i never really understood why it was fun to put me down.

the backhanded compliments, the easy comfort in revealing my insecurities to others in front of me, to openly shunning my interests as if they were war crimes.

the exclusion.

i believe i took it with stride, addressing how it made me feel and solving the conflict together.

but it never really stopped. she pretended to, but it was so much fun wasnt it?