untamed - Weebly

"Well, this particular time you said something about the fact that power changes
people and that it makes them mess up."
"Oh, yeah. It's coming back to me now. I said power changes people, but I was
talking about the people around you."
"Well, you were right about them and me, and I understand that now. I also
understand a lot of the stupid things you've done." I smiled and added, "Not all of the
stupid things you've done, but a lot of them. Because now I've done my share of stupid
things, and I kinda think I'm not done doing stupid things—as depressing as that is."
"Depressing, but true," she said. "Oh, and by the way, while we're talking about
power changing people, you need to remember that when you're dealing with Stevie
Rae."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. She's changed."
"You're gonna have to do better than that," I said, getting a sick feeling in my
stomach.
"Don't pretend like you didn't notice anything weird about her," Aphrodite said.
"She's been through a lot," I justified.
"My point exactly. She's been through a lot, and it's changed her."
"You've never liked Stevie Rae, so I don't expect you to suddenly start getting
along with her, but I'm not going to listen to you talk crap about her—especially after she
just offered to let you come with her so that you don't have to stay here and pretend to be
something you're not." I was working myself up into getting really pissed, and I couldn't
tell if that was because what Aphrodite was saying was hateful and wrong, or because
what she was saying was a scary truth I didn't want to face.
"Did you ever think that maybe she wanted me to go with her because Stevie Rae
doesn't want me to spend any time with you?"
"That's stupid. Why would she care? She's my best friend, not my boyfriend."
"Because she knows I've seen through her little act and that I'll tell you the real
deal about her. The truth is that she's not what she used to be. I don't know exactly what
she is now, and I don't think she knows either, but she's definitely not good ol' whitebread
Stevie Rae anymore."
"I know she's not exactly like she used to be!" I snapped. "How could she be? She
died, Aphrodite! In my arms. Remember? And I'm a good enough friend that I'm not
going to turn my back on her just because going through something life-changing
actually changed her."
Aphrodite stood there and stared at me a long time without saying anything—so
long that my stomach started to hurt again. Finally she lifted one shoulder. "Fine. Believe
what you want to believe. I hope you're right."
"I'm right, and I don't want to talk about it again," I said, feeling weirdly shaky.
"Fine," she repeated. "I'm done talking about it."
"Good. So finish drawing in your Mark and let's go to the meeting."
"Together?"
"Yep."
"You're not caring that people know we don't hate each other?" she said.