I Was the Fifth Friend, Until They Made Me Nothing

On the eve of graduation, the custom puzzle my brother had ordered for our group of five finally arrived.

Owen called Caleb, my childhood friend, Mason, my boyfriend, and Claire over so we could open it together.

Once we’d finished the puzzle, Claire pointed at the four lifelike figures in the picture. She covered her mouth in exaggerated surprise and gave me a timid look.

“Oh. Why are there only four of us? Did the shop mess up and forget to include Nat…?”

The living room went silent.

Owen froze for a second, then scratched his head casually.

“The draft was based on that beach photo from last month. You were off to the side tying your shoe, Nat, so you weren’t in the picture. The seller just drew the four people they saw.”

Mason patted my shoulder, gently trying to smooth things over.

“It’s fine. It’s only a puzzle. Nat’s never cared about sentimental stuff like this anyway, right?”

I stared at the tightly interlocking puzzle. There wasn’t even space for a fifth person. Inside, I felt nothing.

Right. I didn’t care.

I didn’t care that whenever we went to an escape room, the four of them piled into the car and drove off without me.

I didn’t care that every group-chat conversation died the second I joined in.

I didn’t care that on group trips, they gave the only room with a window to Claire and left me in the basement.

If their world had already locked perfectly into place around four people, then it was time for the extra piece to quietly disappear.