She glanced down at it quickly and swiped to decline.
It rang again.
Sonia stared at the name on the screen, panic flickering across her face. As if terrified I might see it, she straightened up and stepped back.
"Noel, I already made plans with my best friend. I can't just bail on her, can I? She's in a bad mood today. It'd be even worse if I canceled."
"You should just take a cab to the hospital and get a scan. It's an old problem anyway. It's probably nothing serious."
She grabbed her purse and turned to leave.
My voice cut through the room, sharp and loud.
"Sonia Henson. Is it really that urgent? If you don't go, what, your best friend is going to cut you off?"
I stared into her eyes, unblinking, wanting to give her one last chance.
Sonia's gaze darted away. She fumbled for words, her voice climbing with barely concealed panic.
"You don't know what she's like. She's sensitive and pushy. She'll seriously get upset."
"Besides, all these years, she's never once broken a plan with me. How can I be the one to bail?"
She paused, then added, "You know she's my only real best friend. If we had a falling out, I'd be devastated..."
"How about I just call you a cab? It'll be quick, I promise..."