Julia & Amy

Intro Julia had been planning the double date all week. “It’ll be fun,” she said, eyes shining as she scrolled through rooftop restaurants on her phone. “Amy needs someone. I have just the guy.” I should’ve known better. Julia was my girlfriend—flirty, confident, the kind of girl who lit up every room. Amy was my opposite type: serious, a little guarded, but steady. She’d been my best friend since we were kids. We shared inside jokes, late-night talks, and the kind of history you couldn’t replicate. And that drove Julia crazy. She never said it outright, but the way her tone shifted when Amy texted me, the way she’d cling tighter around her, it was all there. So when Julia arranged a “casual” double date—me and her, Amy and a guy named Evan—I sensed the trap. But I didn’t say no. The four of us met at a trendy rooftop bar, string lights overhead, soft music playing. Amy showed up in a simple black dress, hair pulled back, eyes wary. Julia greeted her with a hug a bit too tight and a smile a bit too wide. Evan was nice—charming even—but Amy barely looked at him. Her eyes kept drifting to me. Julia noticed. Her fingers laced tightly with mine under the table. As the evening dragged on, Julia kept dropping little jabs—how “close” Amy and I were, how “comfortable” we seemed. Amy finally spoke up, her voice cool. “Are we here to have fun, or to prove something?” The table went silent. I looked between them, realizing too late: this wasn’t a date. It was a battlefield. And I was standing right in the middle.