The Taste of Betrayal

Droplets of sweat began to form on my forehead, as I foraged through my folder to verify that I'd brought my resume for the millionth time. I'd gone to several interviews before for various jobs such as a librarian assistant, babysitting, working at a cash register, and even a calculus- math tutor assistant (although, the last one couldn't exactly be considered as a pleasant experience, given that the students who came probably knew more complex math than I did), but none of these job interviews had been as nerve-racking as the one scheduled for today; they were just easygoing jobs that I'd chosen so that I could possess money of my own, that I could spend on my own will. However, simply pondering about today's interview made the butterflies in my stomach go haywire. If I was rejected, which could be as likely as not to occur, it would be the end of me and there was no way I'd be able to convince my parents to let me get another job after the fiasco from last month, at least not in this universe.

***

With having completed my end of year exams, the month of May felt more liberating than ever. The end of sophomore year was approaching and there would soon be no more time to waste on solving mind-numbing Physics problems or memorizing the endless elements on the Periodic Table. That afternoon, I was lounging on my bed mindlessly scrolling through my social, pausing occasionally to get a good look at the images, especially those from my best friend's lavish trip to Dubai. Katy and I had been besties since we met each other on the first day of school in Ms. Steven's Kindergarten class, it had become an unspoken agreement. We had been inseparable and honestly, there was no other person in my life, who understood me as well as she did. We had even exchanged our phone pincodes. There was something about Katy that made her easygoing; she seemed to have a sick sense, a telepathic connection of some sort. Whenever I was in a sticky situation, she was always ready to swoop in and save me and she always seemed to sense my discomfort in almost any situation, which was what made our relationship even stronger.

Nevertheless, of the two of us, Katy always got the better opportunities and chances thrown her way, which was likely due to her family's wealth and status. Her mother was the Brand Manager at Flavors&Beyond Fashion CO., the company behind every major trend. Hence, Katy always got the first pick at the latest fashion trends and had gotten the first opportunities to model with celebrities for the top brands, such as Gucci and Prada, and was practically a child-celebrity at our school. Due to her family's immense empire of wealth, she often got to go on the coolest vacations, as had been the case with Dubai, which often included a stay at the most expensive resort that existed. Her family's taste in vacations could never be paralleled by mine, which was merely a trip to the beach, not that I wasn't satiated by it.

Regardless of the disparities that existed between us, Katy's family had always made me feel welcome with them and treated me as one of themselves. Whenever we'd spend time together, I’d always feel like we were the same two peas in a pod, sharing our every moment together in life. As I was contemplating my life, I heard a subtle buzz coming from under me, shocking me out of whatever disoriented trance I was currently in. I twisted from side to side and pulled out my phone, which had ended up under me through the course of my daydreaming. I scrolled to the latest notification, which was a text from Katy, again using that telepathic sense of hers.

It read, ‘Hey, wanna get some boba? Meet me in five at the Cafe.’

I typed back a quick ‘Okay’ and rolled out of bed to change out of my pajamas. I raced down the stairs and headed out the door in a breeze, pausing to wave at Mom on the way out.

As I approached the Cafe, I walked around to the covered patio, where we usually sit, and scanned the crowds for Katy. I let my eyes wander searchingly, across the saucer chairs and beanbags to a handful of teens seated at a nearby table, two of whom I recognized from Katy’s social media posts. I began walking to them when a hand landed on my shoulder from behind me. I jumped and swung my elbow around, totally prepared to punch my attacker. To my shock, I saw a gawking Katy, who had dodged my hit, and was now staring at me with what could be easily considered a look of amusement.

She gawked at me and drawled out, “Tiaaa! Girl, ya almost punched me.”

I retracted my hand and raised my hands in surrender, “Whoops, didn’t see you there. Also, haven’t I told you so many times not to creep up on me like this ?!”

“Gosh Tia, try not to be such a klutz next time, huh” She smirked.

She led me towards one of the tables and we settled down, as a young girl with curly, Auburn hair, whom I’d assumed to be the waitress, stumbled towards our table on roller skates, clutching a small notepad and pen in her left hand.

“Can I getcha somethin?” She glanced at me and then at Katy.

We both said at once “Matcha Milk Tea!!” Katy made eye contact with me and we both started giggling, and like that our light-hearted camaraderie was back.

The waitress scribbled into her notepad and glided off to the kitchen.

I sat back and closed my eyes letting the warm breeze to wrap around me and took a deep breath, inhaling the diversity of scents that were present at the Cafe. Katy cleared her throat, which had me jerking upright. I raised a brow at her.

She fiddled with her phone case, “So, ya know my mom, and how she works at this million dollar fashion-wear company?” her eyes never leaving the screen.

I nodded. She briefly glanced up at me and continued ‘They’re offering an internship for those interested to work with Laura Gomez!!’

I froze. ‘Wait, you mean THE LAURA GOMEZ?! Like the one that got featured in Vogue!?!’

‘Jeez, stop yellin’ will ya?’ Her face broke out into a grin, the kind that crinkled her eyes at the corner. ‘Oh yeah, and ya know what’s even better, they’re accepting teens!!!’ She bounced up and down in her seat and waved her phone at me, as if it were made of gold and diamonds.

I squealed, overjoyed at the thought that I might be able to not only meet, but work with the role model of my life. “Can you send me the application?” I grinned hard at her. Katy’s smile faltered briefly before she winked at me and went back to vigorously tapping at her phone. Then, she froze.

I frowned “What’s wrong?” She turned her phone screen towards me and I read aloud “The application window closes at seven today.” I glanced at my watch and noticed that the time was already six. I gasped as we both sprung up from our seats and raced down the porch towards the sidewalk. I heard the sound of wheels rolling on the deck and swiftly turned to glance over my shoulder as I ran and smiled apologetically at the waitress, who stood with a tray of drinks, utterly confused.

As soon as I got home, I rushed upstairs, opened my laptop, and pulled up the application forms Katy had sent. By seven, everything was submitted. I sank back in my chair, exhaling a long, relieved breath as the pressure finally lifted.

***

One week later, on the bus ride home, I was scrolling through my social media when a notification popped up, an email from Flavors&Beyond Fashion Co. As I opened it carefully, my heart thudded once, hard, as the screen loaded. Then, I nearly screamed. I’d been accepted into the internship. The internship. I was finally going to work with my role model!

Once the bus stopped at my stop, I hopped off and it was on the walk home that the huge realization hit me. Katy hadn’t called me to say anything. I mean, if she really got in, wouldn’t she have been the first to call me and celebrate. Hold up, what if Katy had gotten rejected? No, that couldn’t be true, her mom works with that company.

As I entered through my door, I fought with my nerves and sent Katy a text, as my joyous demeanor took over, ‘Hey, any news about the internship?’ I put my phone into my pocket and got situated on the couch with a bar of chocolate and hit play on a movie to rejuvenate myself.

Ten minutes into the movie, my phone buzzed in my pocket with a new text. ‘I’m at your door.’

I was puzzled by this response. It wasn’t like Katy to randomly show up at my door without reason. I hit pause on the movie and stood up, dusting the crumbs of chocolate that were smeared over my shorts. I opened the door and was utterly shocked by what I saw. Katy had a pained expression on her face. I let her in and asked in a low voice, “Are you okay?” noticing her puffy eyes and the black trails of mascara stained on her cheeks. She nodded stiffly, remaining tight-lipped, as she stormed in and plopped down on the couch next to me.

I immediately knew what this was about. “Did you, uhh—”

She groaned “Yes, I was rejected. Let me guess, you got rejected, too, didn’t you?”

I winced at her egotistical comment. “Actually I, um, got in.” I replied choosing my words carefully.

She gaped and stared at me in disbelief, “You WHAT?! You’ve got to be kidding, right?”

Okay, now I was beginning to get irritated. Why was her demeanor suddenly so condescending? I looked away briefly and gritted out “You heard me, Katy, I said I got in. I thought you’d be happy for me.”

Katy gulped and nodded, her gaze wandering to anywhere except for my face. She slowly stood up, her face still a mask of indifference, and deftly spun on her heel and walked out the door.

***

A few weeks later, my internship finally began. I was so excited I could barely sit still as Mom drove me to the office. After signing in, I was led to the second floor, passing rows of breathtaking dresses in every shade and design I’d ever imagined.

I entered the office to find Katy’s mom, Mrs. Sinclair, seated behind a desk staring intently at her computer screen. When I approached, she rose with a bright singsong greeting. “Hello, my dear—Tia, right? We’re delighted to have you. Ms. Gomez will be here shortly.”

I offered a poised smile, “Yep, that’s me Mrs. Sinclair. I’m equally excited and I can’t wait to get started.”

Over the next few hours, Mrs. Sinclair walked me through my role and the editing tools I’d use to help Laura Gomez refine her raw designs. Then, the doors swung open. Every head turned as she entered in a white silk blouse, a fitted royal‑blue blazer, and a matching tailored pencil skirt. I could hardly believe that my idol—someone I’d only ever seen online—was now sitting just inches away.

Ms. Gomez introduced herself and asked a few questions about my goals and why I’d applied. I answered carefully, sharing my journey with her. It was nerve‑racking, but deeply redeeming to feel like I’d truly earned my place.

The next few hours flew by as I worked with Ms. Gomez’s breathtaking designs. The editing tools were fascinating; I could adjust shades, patterns, textures, and styles with just a few clicks. Watching her raw sketches transform into lifelike outfits through the simulations was genuinely impressive.

Later that week, Ms. Gomez and Mrs. Sinclair made me sign a legal contract to promise that I’d keep the designs confidential and would not share them before they got featured in this month's promotion. I signed them without hesitation, as I knew I wouldn’t ever even think to hinder my idol or my career.

That evening, Katy stopped by again, something that had barely happened since the internship results. She asked to borrow my phone for a few days to edit a video, and I handed it over without a second thought. As she crossed the street back to her house, her smile tightened, just a faint, almost devious curve I couldn’t quite read.

***

A few days later, I was painting in my room after school when Mom suddenly burst in, her face tight with worry. She insisted we go to Mrs. Sinclair’s office immediately. I just stared at her with a blank stare, but from her expression alone I knew something was wrong.

We rushed to the office and after knocking twice, Mrs. Sinclair let us into her office. As we entered to be seated, I noticed Ms. Gomez was present, as well as a few of her office assistants. Mrs. Sinclair explained that there had been a violation of the confidentiality contract and that Ms. Gomez’s exclusive designs had been shared on social media.

My eyes went wide, as I declared in a defensive tone, “I never posted or shared anything regarding the designs on social media. I’m sure this has to be an error, Mrs. Sinclair.”

She gathered a stack of papers from a drawer and placed them in front, “Well, that’s what I thought as well, until I saw these posts from earlier today.”

I keenly flipped through the pages of screenshots and my jaw dropped open from what I saw. Ms. Gomez’s designs had been tagged on the Flavors&Beyond social media page. When I saw the name of the tagger, my gut clenched. It was Katy. But who had posted it first? I flipped through more pages and saw the original post. A wave of nausea washed over me, as I noticed the sender. Me. I gripped the table to steady myself, as my thoughts raced in my head.

I shook my head in disbelief, “No, no it can’t be. I never posted this,” my breathing got faster as I spoke in short bursts.

Ms. Gomez glared at me with a pained expression, “I never expected this from you, Tia. I trusted you and this is what you gave me?! There will be legal consequences for this.” With that, she stormed out of the room.

Tears blurred my vision, as I shook my head again, processing what had just occurred. Mrs. Sinclair looked at me with pity in her eyes, as she spoke to Mom and me, “Tia, you’re a good child and I know you didn’t do this, knowing how much working with Laura means to you. This has to be a mistake and I’m sure we’ll get through to the truth,” she smiled reassuringly.

***

One week later, Mom and I were summoned to the office again. When we reached, I was spellbound to see Katy sitting on one of the chairs in Mrs. Sinclair’s office. Mrs. Sinclair said with a sigh, “Look, I don’t know what is going on between you girls, but I’d like to get this cleared. I caught Katy talking about the designs on a call with her friend yesterday, hmm..Katy..?” Mrs. Sinclair looked at Katy, who then hesitantly confessed, “I, um.., made the posts.” She explained that she had done them out of jealousy when I’d been accepted for the internship and Katy hadn’t. She explained that she borrowed my phone for this very reason, to access the designs and post them from my own account.

Her words hit hard, leaving me stunned. My hands trembled against my knees, heat rising under my skin. My chest tightened, and for a moment I couldn’t breathe. The world around me felt as though it were all spinning. I simply couldn’t believe that my decade-long best friend had betrayed me like this. Mrs. Sinclair stated that she could handle the legal complications, but that I needed to quit the internship, in order to provide closure for the case and save the company’s name.

I was reluctant, but agreed as long as I would be free from the legal issues that came with it.

The next morning, I received a call from Mrs. Sinclair. “Hello darling, I’m so sorry for the internship mishap, please, allow us to make it up to you,” she insisted.

I fidgeted with the hem of my dress, ”um...that’s oka—”

“No, please it was our mistake, so we absolutely must compensate, my dear,” she interrupted. She cleared her throat, “I can offer you a position as an assistant at my office, which means you’ll still get to assist in designing, although you may not get to work with Ms. Gomez again.”

It took a tremendous amount of effort to keep myself from squealing out of joy. I singsonged back “Thank you, Mrs. Sinclair, that would be perfect!!”

***

I closed my eyes and drew in a slow, steady breath, letting the weight of everything settle. The memory of her betrayal splintered through my calm, reminding me my trust would never look the same again. I opened my eyes and flipped through the papers in my lap, grounding myself in the future I was building, one she no longer had the power to shake.

The door opened and a blonde‑haired woman stepped into the room. “Tia? You’re next.”

I stood, noticing the faint warmth in my palms— not fear this time, but something steadier. I followed her inside, leaving the past where it belonged and stepping into the stronger version of myself I was finally becoming.