Truth Feed

Maya stared at her iPhone screen, her thumb hovering over Chloe's Instagram story. They'd been best friends since seventh grade, but lately something felt off. Chloe was ditching plans, acting distant, and always protecting her phone like it held nuclear codes.

"You're literally doing it again," Maya said at lunch, sliding her tray across the cafeteria table. "Every time I look at you, you're on your phone. Are we cool or what?"

Chloe locked her screen and gave Maya that tight smile. "You're being dramatic. It's nothing."

That night, Maya couldn't sleep. She grabbed her iPhone and started scrolling—checking Chloe's tagged photos, her likes, her followers. She felt like a total spy, but something didn't add up. That's when she saw it: Chloe in someone else's post, at the party she'd claimed she was too sick to attend.

Maya confronted her the next morning by their lockers. "So you were at Jake's party Friday?"

Chloe's face went pale. "What? No, I wasn't—"

"Bull," Maya cut her off, pulling up the photo on her phone. "I saw you tagged. You've been lying to me all week."

Chloe's defenses crumbled. "I knew you'd be mad, okay? Jake's friends are... different. I thought you'd judge me."

"For wanting to hang out with different people?" Maya's voice cracked. "I'm your friend, Chloe. I want you to have other friends. I just want you to be honest with me."

Chloe looked at the floor, then back at Maya. "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't want us to drift apart, so I hid everything instead of just talking to you."

Maya sighed, the fight draining out of her. "We're not gonna drift apart unless you keep lying. Just tell me next time. I'll support you."

The bell rang, and they walked to class together—not fixed, but trying. Maya checked her phone one more time before shoving it deep in her pocket. Some things were more real than any feed.