Chapter 25: Shadows Beneath the Magnolia Tree

Allie stood silent, her thoughts a whirlpool of emotions. Cher’s voice, soft yet sharp, pierced the quiet:

"Do you remember, Allie? Back then, you were like a white swan to me. Everyone adored you—boys, girls, teachers—it didn’t matter. You were perfect. And I was nothing but a shadow. But when I stood beside you, I felt like I could shine, too."

Allie’s lips tightened. "But you never really saw me as a friend, did you?"

Cher shook her head, a fleeting vulnerability flashing in her eyes. "No, Allie, that’s not true. You were my best friend.

Do you remember the wishing box we buried? Under the magnolia tree?"

The words hit Allie like a wave. Of course, she remembered. It was during their last year of middle school—a time when innocence hadn’t yet soured. They’d buried a tiny box beneath the third magnolia tree outside the playground, vowing to dig it up in ten years. It was supposed to be their secret treasure.

Cher led the way to the tree, her steps deliberate. Picking up a jagged stone, she began scraping at the earth until the box emerged, rusted and worn but intact.

Allie’s chest tightened as Cher pried it open. Inside were two folded slips of paper, untouched by time. Cher unfolded one and read aloud:

"‘I hope to travel the world with Cher and be best friends forever.’" She looked up, a bittersweet smile curving her lips.

"AL, this… this really moved me."

"Don’t call me that," Allie snapped, snatching the note. She stared at the words, written in her own childish scrawl, and muttered, "I was young and naive."

Cher ignored her and held out the other note. "And do you want to see what I wrote back then?"

Allie hesitated but curiosity won. She took the paper and unfolded it. Cher’s handwriting was neat but unpolished, a heart doodled in the corner.

"I wish for my best friend, AL, to always be happy."

Allie’s vision blurred as tears welled up. For a fleeting moment, she was transported back to the days when their friendship had felt unbreakable. "Why?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Why did it all change?"

Cher stood, her gaze distant as she pocketed the old notes. "Because of Nick."

The name sent a cold shiver through Allie. "What does Nick have to do with any of this?"

"Come with me," Cher said, her tone unreadable.

Allie followed reluctantly as Cher led her to the old bleachers by the playground. Step by step, they climbed to the highest row, where the entire field spread out beneath them. Memories surged forward, unbidden. This had been their favorite spot in junior high—watching Nick dominate the basketball court after school. Even then, Nick had been the

golden boy, and Allie... his princess.

Cher’s voice broke through her reverie. "I stood here, day after day, watching you hand him water after every game, laughing with his friends, basking in his attention. And me? I was just the girl who tagged along. The ugly duckling no one noticed."

"You never said anything," Allie murmured, still grappling with the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

"What was I supposed to say?" Cher’s tone turned venomous. "That I envied you? That I hated how easy everything came to you? You had Nick, you had the admiration, you had everything. And I had nothing but this view."

Allie’s voice hardened. "So you decided to destroy me? That was your solution?"

Cher’s laugh was bitter. "Destroy you? No, Allie. I wanted to be you. And the closer I got to you, the more I realized that the only way to have what you had was to take it. So I did."