The Lies We Told- EJ and Nancy

I’m coming. I need to talk to you.

Eun-Ji, “EJ”, you met her freshman year of college, became fast friends, moved in together as room mates in off campus housing. You were close to besties. She was a karaoke fan, making you listen to her belt out k-pop tunes in small karaoke booths over in Korea-town.

When you met Nancy sophomore year in the student lounge EJ helped you plan dates. She made sure you dressed nice. Made sure you didn’t make a fool of yourself. Made sure you got the girl.

Nancy was all fire, and rainbow hair. She was expressive, carefree, adventurous. The volatility wasn’t always healthy. You fought off and on, usually small ones. By senior year the fights got worse. It became a cycle of her picking a fight with you over everything. Dinner plans? Fight. Party or club? Fight. It came to a point where there were more days with fights than without.

One night, after a particularly bad fight she broke it off. Told you she just couldn’t be with you. That together the two of you were just too toxic. She left. You were newly single. EJ, was there. She listened. She told you about this guy from one of her study groups. Brandon. She said he was nice enough. A little awkward, but he had been crushing on her.

A few nights after your breakup EJ asked you for advice on if she should go out with him over wine. You talked about how your relationship ended… then the drinks… made something happen. It was just that night, a drunken hookup. You were single after all. So was she. A few nights later, sober, you had sex a second time. The chemistry was there. You weren’t sure if this was a rebound or something else… until the next day. Two weeks after your breakup with Nancy she came back.

Nancy was a mess of tears and remorse. These two weeks had been hard for her. She’d gone to see her sister hoping for validation, to hear she made the right move. Her sister set her straight. Sat her down and told her the problem wasn’t you, it was Nancy. Nancy was the one who caused fights. Nancy was being toxic. Nancy needed to fix this before she lost the one real thing she had.

She pleaded. She promised change. You told her about the nights with EJ. Nancy didn’t care, Nancy wanted you. Sh