And She Cried

It only recently happened.  It changes everybody and gives everyone a new head start.  It’s challenging, frustrating, and brutal, but will be one of the most significant 4 years of your life.

High school.

They’ve been best friends since they were senseless toddlers who lived across the street from one another.  They had sleepovers, play-dates, and birthdays.  They shared germs, toys, and memories.  He was her best friend, and she was his.  

She recalls that one time when they were going to have a sleepover on a warm, summer night.  Her mother helped her cross the street over to his house.  The mothers chatted, oblivious to the two children.  He grabbed his stuff and she beckoned him.  They both began to run across the street and suddenly, a car flew past, inches from scratching their noses.  The mothers gasped the two in their arms, screaming while crying.  They just looked at each other questioningly.  Once they were safely crossed, they laughed and giggled in unison, “mothers…”

He moved a good 20 minutes away years later and she didn’t see him that often, but they were still close.  They somehow found time to hang out.  His family would come over for dinner as a little “reunion” and it would make her so happy, and the same went for him.  But then it all changed.

She realized it happened over the summer before becoming freshman.  He had distanced himself from her and didn’t seem as…open.  He began to hang out with his new sophomore friend, who happened to know a lot of girls.  Him, his friend, and the girls began an inseparable clique.  He began dating sophomore girls, and he even drank!  She just watched from the sidelines as he started to become one of those typical “high schoolers.”  Her mother noticed her depression and told her, “it’s just a phase.” She’d sigh and mimick “yeah…just a phase…”

Then, he never hung out with her.  It just stopped, and that crushed her.

When school started, she found out while wandering that his locker was in the west wing of the school, while hers was in the north.  She walked over and spotted him walking down the halls.  He looked…different…His hair, his style, his…expression…It frightened her how much he changed since she last got to actually talk to him.  

She walked up to him, smiled, and greeted him like how you would greet an old friend you haven’t seen in years.  He simply nodded and kept walking past.  

She kept trying and trying for months to get something out of him.  Nothing.  Her effort was futile.  

She came home depressed, as usual, and, as usual, her mother noticed.  She asked her what was wrong and got the usual answer: “Him…

Then, her mother had a brilliant idea.  “It’s a Friday, let’s have them over!”

This seemed to perk her up a bit.  Her mother smiled, and she smiled back.  “That’d be great!”

This was her chance to respark their friendship.

Her mother called his mother.  “Yes…yes…You too.  How about you guys come over for some appetizers and dinner?  Yes…How come?  The Larks’?  Oh…That’s too bad, she really wanted to see him…”

Her smile faded.  How could she have ever believed he wouldn’t be with his friends?

The next day, after school, she decided it was time to talk to him.  She checked the west wing, but he wasn’t there.  She tried the wing next to it, the east wing.  Nothing.  Then she tried the south.  Nothing.  By that time, she had missed the bus.  “Dammit…”

One last time, she checked the west wing.  Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!

Suddenly, a thought popped into her head.  “Maybe he’s waiting…for me!”

She ran to the north wing, her footsteps echoing throughout the empty school.  She ran like never before.  She turned the corner and found her locker.  No one.

At this, she cracked.

She put her back against the lockers, and slowly slid down to the ground.  She had failed.  All the wanted was her friend, the only one she was not willing to let go.  He was always there for her when she was little, he cared, he cared so much.  

A tear streaked down her cheek, and soon following, was many many more.  She started sobbing.  She buried her face in her hands and let out what she was holding in for so long.  She was crying so hard, she didn’t notice the sound of footsteps echoing through the empty hall.  She looked at the way end of the hall and haw him.  He stood there, staring straight on.  After what seemed like an eternity, he walked towards her.  Step…step…step…

It took him forever to reach her.  When he did, in an emotionless voice, he asked “What’s wrong?”

“You!” She shrieked.

This started him a bit.  What was up with her?

“What did I…?”

“You left me!”

“When did I leave you?

“Somewhere along that path…You just…abandoned me…Abandoned our friendship…”

“People move on.”

This shocked her to no end.  This wasn’t her best friend…This wasn’t the boy she used to know and share secrets with.  There was no way in hell this was him!

She bowed her head in defeat.  He stood there for a second, then started to walk away.

“You know…”

She started to stand up, and supported herself with the lockers, her face looking at the ground.  He turned around, surprised that she was still putting up a fight.

“You know…All I’m living on is memories…What used to be…I’m…”

She lifted hr head up and screamed, “I’m living in the past!”

New tears filled her eyes and flooded her face.  The only change in his expression was a pair of raised eyebrows.

“You’re walking too fast and I’m still holding on…I’m holding on tight, but you’re walking too fast…You’re…Letting go…”

“Letting go?”  He questioned.  “…I already have.”

At that, he walked down the hall, leaving her utterly perplexed.  

”Letting go? I already have…”

She dropped back down to the ground and she cried.