Billie's Doubts Emerge

Billie, usually a whirlwind of enthusiastic if misguided energy, found herself adrift in a sea of quiet contemplation. It was a rare state for her, akin to a hummingbird suddenly deciding to meditate. She sat perched on the edge of Laura’s bed, a half-eaten bag of chips beside her, the salty scent mingling with the faint lavender of Laura’s room. Laura, bless her shy heart, was meticulously organizing her bookshelf, a task that seemed to require the utmost concentration, as if the Dewey Decimal System held the secrets to the universe.

“So,” Billie began, the word feeling like a pebble dropped into a still pond, creating ripples of unease. “Kate’s being… a lot.”

Laura’s hand stilled mid-alphabetization. She didn’t turn, her voice soft, “She’s always been a lot, Bill.”