“Can I have one?” she asks, pointing to a cupcake.
I nod, reaching out to the frosting. “Let me frost it.”
She turns around, leans her hips against the counter with her arms crossed.
“What’s going on, Rya?”
“I’m exhausted,” she says with a sigh.
“Like in general, or right now?” I ask, finishing the frosting on two cupcakes. I set the piping bag down and hand her a cupcake.
“Right now.”
She dives right in, taking a huge bite, and I can’t help but smile at the expression on her face. She’s enjoying something sweet, something she usually avoids to watch her figure.
“Oh, this is good,” she says as a hum escapes her lips. She nods, taking another bite.
I giggle and grab my cupcake. “Let’s go to the couch,” I say, walking out of the kitchen.
She slumps down onto the couch with an exhausted sigh.
“You want to go for a walk after?” I ask with my mouth half-full.
She eyes me hard, brows knitting together. “I said I’m exhausted, not energized.”
I sit back, unfazed by her response. “It’s a clear day. A walk with the sun shining down on you will help energize you.”
She scoffs. “No,” she says, chewing a bite of her cupcake. “What will energize me is an energy drink.” She licks a bit of frosting off her finger. “I’m not into all that voodoo shit you’re into.” She waves her hands in the air as if she’s doing a spell or something.
I narrow my eyes at her. “It’s not voodoo.”
She waves her hand, dismissing me. “Seems like it.”
“How?”
Rya sighs dramatically. “Like how you say your gut has a lot to do with your mental health. Blah, blah, blah,” she says, rolling her eyes.
I tighten my jaw. “Because it does. Everything connects. Your gut health is connected to your mental health.”
She lets out a laugh.
It’s frustrating how the closest people to me never believe what I say. I’m no expert, but with the research I did, I know how much gut health affects you both mentally and physically. They brush it off like it’s some made-up shit. I’ve had so many conversations with Zayn, and he looks at me like I’m crazy. It’s even more frustrating that I’ve learned to keep stuff to myself, so I don’t get laughed at by him and now Rya.
“You think all the chemicals you eat are helping you physically and mentally. It’s all synthetic. It’s not helping.”
“You’ve changed,” she says, looking me over. “A lot.” Her gaze lingers.
I lift my chin, meeting her gaze. “Yeah, I have, and it’s for the better.”
“Whatever,” she says, shaking her head.
I’m so blindsided by the way Rya has been acting toward me lately. Her sharp responses. It’s not like her. We’ve always been able to talk about anything. Even if we don’t agree. Now it feels like the way she feels about me is changing.
“What’s going on with you, Rya? You’ve been acting different lately?”
She squints her eyes. “How?”
I shift in my seat. “Like this past weekend. What was that all about? It’s not like you to keep us all wondering where you were?”
