Frienemies?

"Why do you have to be difficult? Now of all times! I don't get it. Why do you want to make trouble?" (pg. 148)

Although Ruth and Kathy are "apparently" the best of friends, I believe they are also the worst of enemies. In fact, I would name Ruth as the antagonist of this novel. Yes, sometimes Kathy can depend on her. But overall, she tends to put Kathy, Tommy, and Hailsham down. She is definitely doesn't have what I look for in my best friends, that I know. Overall, she also seems to block Kathy from what Kathy is destined to do, which is to be different and discover what others haven't been able to find out. Two-faced, obsessed with popularity, and disloyal are all words I would use to describe her. So why does Kathy stay all buddy-buddy with her? In some ways, I believe it is because she is too afraid to move on, too afraid of what her life will be like without Ruth. But my more reasonable, less angry side tells me that Kathy and Ruth really do care about each other like true friends do, and don't want to abandon one another in their trying times. Deep down though, I hope Kathy will toss Ruth to the side and move on to bigger and better things.