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Lisa drove slowly as she approached the school, glancing in the rearview mirror at Mike, who was staring out the window. The silence between them was heavy, filled with the weight of everything they had been through. The town, with its unfamiliar streets and strange faces, still felt foreign to Lisa.
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She hoped the fresh start would help them heal, but she worried about Mike. Ever since his father’s death, he had seemed quieter and more withdrawn. Would he be able to make new friends? Would he feel comfortable in this new place?
As Mike hopped out of the car, she called, “Have a good day, sweetie! Be brave!”
When she picked him up later that day, his eyes were bright, and he practically skipped to the car. “Mom! I made a new friend! Her name is Sophie!”
Lisa smiled, relieved. Maybe this move would be good for them after all. Sophie became a regular topic of conversation from then on.
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One afternoon, Lisa picked Mike up from school. He ran over, grinning from ear to ear, and hugged her tightly.
“Hey, buddy! How was your day? You seem happy,” Lisa said, smiling as they walked to the car.
“Yeah! It was awesome!” Mike replied, still beaming as he climbed into the car.
“Really? What happened today?” Lisa asked, curious.
“Sophie invited me to her house to play!” Mike said excitedly.
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“Oh? When are you going?” Lisa asked, glancing at him as she started the car.
“She said tomorrow!” Mike replied, bouncing a little in his seat.
“Well, I’ll need to talk to her parents first to make sure it’s okay,” Lisa said.
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Mike rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. “Here! Sophie lives with her mom. She gave me her number,” he said, handing it over.
“Thanks, Mike. I’ll text her tonight,” Lisa said, tucking the paper away.
At home, Lisa sat down on the couch, pulling out her phone. She typed the number Mike had given her and began to text.
“Hi, I’m Lisa, Mike’s mom. He told me Sophie invited him over tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”
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After a few minutes, her phone buzzed with a reply.
“Hi, Lisa! Yes, Sophie already told me about it. We’d love to have Mike over.”
Lisa smiled, feeling relieved. She wanted everything to go smoothly. She quickly typed another message.
“That’s great! Is there anything I should bring with Mike?”
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The response came almost immediately.
“Maybe some wine, so we moms aren’t too bored!”
Lisa chuckled at the message. It seemed like Sophie’s mom had a sense of humor. She thought for a second and replied, “Sounds good! See you tomorrow.” Then she put her phone down, feeling a bit more at ease.
Lisa smiled to herself, feeling a small sense of hope. Maybe this could be her chance to make a new friend. Mike had said Sophie’s mom was also raising her daughter alone.
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Lisa thought,
Maybe we’ll understand each other. We’re both doing this on our own.
The idea of having someone to talk to, someone who understood her struggles, made her feel a bit more at ease.
The next day, Lisa and Mike walked up to Sophie’s house. Lisa held a bottle of wine in one hand and gave Mike a little smile. Mike knocked on the door, bouncing with excitement. When the door opened, Sophie stood there.
“Sophie!” Mike shouted, his face lighting up.
“Mike!” Sophie squealed, grabbing his hand. The two kids ran off inside, laughing.
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Lisa stood at the door, waiting. A moment later, the door opened wider, and Sophie’s mom stepped out. Lisa’s heart stopped. Standing in front of her was Alice. Alice from high school—her worst enemy.
Alice’s eyes narrowed as she recognized Lisa. “Lisa,” she said through gritted teeth, her smile fake.
“Alice,” Lisa replied, feeling her stomach drop.
Alice crossed her arms, looking Lisa up and down. “You haven’t changed. Still the plain, boring mouse.”
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Lisa’s face tightened as she shot back, “And you’re still wearing skirts so short, you’re practically giving everyone a show.”
Alice stepped aside, holding the door open just wide enough for Lisa to pass through. The tension between them was thick, and Lisa felt it immediately.
As she walked in, she clutched the bottle of wine a little tighter. The kids’ laughter echoed through the house, but the air between Lisa and Alice stayed cold. They sat down, poured their wine, and barely exchanged a word.
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Lisa’s mind raced as she sipped her drink. She couldn’t forget how Alice had treated her back in high school. Alice had been the queen of popularity, the one everyone admired, while Lisa had been invisible. Worse than invisible—she’d been Alice’s target.
She remembered all the times Alice had humiliated her. The teasing, the nasty rumors, the homework Alice would steal just to get ahead. But the worst memory was prom night when Alice stole her date. Lisa had gone alone, watching Alice dance and laugh, all while she wore the crown of prom queen.
Though it had been years, the pain still lingered. And Alice, sitting across from her now, had never said she was sorry. By the end of the night, the bitterness still hung in the air. They parted ways with just a few cold words.
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Mike and Sophie stayed close friends, but Lisa avoided Alice. That was, until one day, when Lisa got a call from Mike’s teacher, Miss Terry, asking her to come to the school. Lisa arrived, nervous but unprepared for what was waiting. As soon as she stepped into the office, she saw Alice sitting there.
Lisa’s stomach dropped. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice tight.
Miss Terry gestured to the chair. “Please, sit down, Lisa.”
Once she sat, Lisa glanced between Alice and Miss Terry. “Now will you explain what this is about?” she asked again.
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“Mike has been bullying Sophie,” Miss Terry said, her tone serious.
Lisa blinked, stunned. “What? That’s impossible. They’re friends!”
Alice sighed loudly, putting on her sorrowful face. “Sophie has told me about it several times. I tried to handle it, but when nothing changed, I had no choice but to get Miss Terry involved.”
Lisa could barely contain her frustration. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”
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Alice’s eyes hardened as she sneered, “Maybe you’re not paying enough attention to your son. You haven’t been taking care of him, and now he’s becoming a horrible person!”
Lisa’s anger flared. “How dare you? You can insult me all you want, but don’t you dare speak about my child like that!” Her voice shook with emotion.
“Please, calm down,” Miss Terry said, trying to diffuse the situation. “Lisa, I know it’s been tough managing things alone after your husband’s passing. Maybe you should think about getting some help?”
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Lisa straightened, her voice firm. “I am managing. We’re managing just fine. Mike is even seeing a specialist.”
Miss Terry nodded, but her expression stayed serious. “I see. But if this behavior doesn’t stop, we may have to consider expelling Mike from the school.”
Lisa couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “She’s making all this up! Can’t you see that? Mike and Sophie are friends! Has anyone even seen him bullying her?”
Miss Terry hesitated. “No, but Sophie has told me…”
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Alice smirked and added, “Maybe you need a specialist too if you can’t see what your son is doing.”
Lisa couldn’t hold back anymore. “Oh, go to hell! I’ve had enough of this!” she shouted, storming out of the office, her heart pounding.
Tears streamed down Lisa’s face as she drove home, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. She couldn’t believe it. After all these years, Alice was still stirring up trouble, just like in high school.
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But this wasn’t high school anymore. They were grown women, mothers with kids to care for. Lisa thought
Alice should’ve learned by now. We’re not teenagers anymore. Why is she still acting like one?
A few days passed after the tense meeting at school. One evening, Lisa was startled by a knock at the door. She opened it to find Alice standing there, her expression different from the cold one she usually wore.
Lisa crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. “What do you want? Come to throw more insults at me?”
“No,” Alice said quietly, looking down at her feet for a moment. “I came to apologize.”
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Lisa stood frozen, shocked. Those were the last words she expected to hear from Alice.
Alice nodded, her face troubled. “Sophie’s been crying non-stop. She misses Mike. She wants to be friends with him again. I hate seeing her so upset. She’s all I have, Lisa.”
“So, you’re admitting you lied?” Lisa asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and anger.
“Yes,” Alice replied, meeting Lisa’s gaze. “I’m going to tell Miss Terry the truth tomorrow.”
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“But why?” Lisa asked, still confused. “Why lie in the first place?”
Alice sighed deeply. “For the same reason I did in high school. I was jealous of you.”
“Jealous?” Lisa asked, her voice rising. “I lost my husband. I’m raising a child alone.”
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Alice bit her lip, looking ashamed. “But at least you had a husband who loved you,” she said quietly. “I married Scott. Remember him? The guy I stole from you at prom?”
Lisa nodded, memories of that awful night rushing back.
Alice continued, “I don’t want to get into the details, but he wasn’t a good husband. Not a good father either. Two years ago, I finally got the courage to leave him. Sophie and I ran away.”
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Lisa raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk forming on her lips. “So, I should be thanking you for stealing him, huh?”
Alice gave a sad laugh. “You were always better than me—smarter, braver. You had a good family. And when I saw how strong you were with Mike, how well you were doing on your own, I couldn’t handle it.”
There was a long pause before Alice added, “Can you forgive me?”
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“Come inside. Let’s start with some wine. We have a lot to talk about,” Lisa said, stepping aside and holding the door open for Alice.
They stood there for a few moments, awkward and unsure, before Alice suddenly leaned forward and hugged her.
It caught Lisa off guard, but she hugged her back. All the anger Lisa had been holding onto started to fade at that moment. She realized Alice had been carrying her own burdens too.
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