Lunette had been navigating two separate worlds at Westbrook High—the familiar yet strained dynamics of her original friend group and the newfound camaraderie she had discovered with Mia and her friends. As she walked through the halls, she couldn't shake the feeling of impending collision between these two worlds.

One afternoon, during lunch break, Lunette decided to introduce Mia and her friends to Lisa, Grace, and Josie. She hoped that bridging these two groups could mend some of the fractures in her life.

“Hey, guys,” Lunette said tentatively as she approached her original friend group’s table. “Mind if I sit with you for a bit?”

Lisa glanced up, her expression guarded. “Sure, whatever.”

Lunette took a deep breath. “Actually, I wanted you to meet someone. This is Mia, and these are her friends.”

Mia and her friends smiled politely, trying to break the ice. “Nice to meet you all,” Mia said cheerfully.

There was an awkward silence as the two groups sized each other up. Lisa finally spoke, her tone clipped. “What’s this, Lunette? Trying to replace us already?”

Grace chimed in, her voice tinged with bitterness. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with these new friends of yours.”

Josie remained silent, her eyes flickering between Lunette and the newcomers.

Lunette felt a knot form in her stomach. “No, that’s not what this is about. I just thought…”

“Thought what?” Lisa interrupted, her voice rising. “That we’d be okay with you ditching us for a new group?”

Mia stepped in, sensing the tension. “We’re not here to replace anyone. We just wanted to get to know Lunette’s friends.”

Grace scoffed. “Well, we don’t need new friends. We’re fine on our own.”

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, each word uttered deepening the rift between the two groups. Mia and her friends exchanged uncomfortable glances, realizing they had unintentionally walked into a minefield of unresolved emotions.

Lunette’s heart sank as she watched her attempt at reconciliation backfire. She hadn’t meant to hurt her original friends, but her efforts to bridge the gap had only widened it.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, standing up abruptly. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Without waiting for a response, Lunette hurried away, feeling tears pricking her eyes. She retreated to a quiet corner of the school grounds, trying to make sense of the mess she had inadvertently created.

Back at the table, Lisa, Grace, and Josie sat in stony silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The encounter had left them feeling even more betrayed and resentful towards Lunette.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, they dispersed without a word, leaving behind a palpable tension that hung in the air.