Sarah On Life

Tia - On Friendship

Tia - On Friendship

Tap

Tap.

Tap.

I often use hyperbole -that's a language device meaning over exaggeration - and I do tend to over exaggerate. The thing is though, this time, I wasn't simply over exaggerating. Right then; right there, I knew I was going to die.

Tap.

T-

Sarah and I have been friends for a long time. An extremely long time. I chuckle as I remember the personality deconstruct we did for a Careers class once. I was doubly 'people' orientated; she doubly 'task'. We complimented each other, even then. When we first met, I had no idea that our friendship would one day cost me my sixteen year-old life. In that moment I wished for many things.

I wished for Mitch.

I wished that I would have had the courage to break up with Nato.

And I wished, oh, how I wished, that Sarah would go to fucking hell.

"Tia, I."

"Fuck you."

~*~

Bang!

"Argh!"

Sarah and I screamed at the sudden explosion of a single figure through the door, afraid that the source of the dreaded tapping had finally made its way to the bedroom we were hiding in. The figure stepped out into the light and we gasped. How or why they were here was irrelevant. Irrelevant and impossible. At that moment, all we knew was that they were. That perhaps we had a chance for survival after all...

"Mark!" Sarah screamed. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Tap.

Tap.

Rattle.

Tap.

Tap.

A new noise had entered the fold; the rattling of the outdoor windows, rattling our nerves in an almost ironic way, yet still leaving us frozen with fear. A sudden wind whipped up around the house, choking, strangling.

"I think we should really talk about this later."

Sarah looked ready to argue. Of course she did.

"Sarah, for once in your life, let it go! We've got to get out of here!"

Oh. My god. Looking between the two teammates, I could only hope that my life would be worth more to them than a cheap lovers tiff. I focused, looking particularly to the handsome brunette; my only real-life knight in shining armour.

I smiled at my little joke.

 "What do we do, Ubersmife?"

Mark looked stunned at that; Sarah herself even closing her mouth at the familiar way I addressed her competitor. Ha. Mark reacted quickly though, and though he looked a little unnerved at the prospect, it didn't stop him from immediately taking charge and addressing me directly. "We run. We hide in the car that I have waiting outside and Sarah and I go back to training. If we lead them away, they shouldn't come back. The Bishops are completely one minded in their purpose- so much so that they should forget about you almost immediately. If not-", at this Mark flicked his hair, and raised a hand in a completely uncharacteristic phone gesture. "-call me."

I blushed but Sarah merely nodded, turning my previous anger to guilt. She was still my friend, no matter what happened. Well, maybe not if we died.

Crash!

The loudest explosion of all finally made itself heard. And then... there was silence. Silence echoing through the eerily bright room and somehow becoming more frightening than all of the tapping, rattling, crashing and banging combined.

"Fuck!" yelled Mark, seemingly oblivious to the enchantment that had been cast upon both Sarah and I. "They're here!"

I shook my head, breaking myself of the trance and leaving myself no time to feel stupid. Grabbing Mark by the hand, guiding him through the house, I allowed not even a single pause to look back at Sarah, following not three steps behind us. Of course, it never even occurred to me that Mark needed no guidance, that he had already found his way to us with no assistance. When we reached the car and I spun around, I dropped his hand and realised one more thing that had never occurred.

Sarah never did leave the bedroom.

Mark realised our mistake at the same time I did. The only difference was, there was really never any question about what he would do next. He would be the one to go in after her, even though she had treated him like shit. He would do it because he loved her.

Because that's what you do when you're in love.

Mark looked at me and I nodded. Though non-verbal, our message was clear.  I would wait for him to come back with Sarah.

Because that's what you do when your friends are in love.

Mark turned and I watched his back retreat towards the house, tearing my heart with its hopelessness. Suddenly, I couldn't take it anymore. On impulse I called out to him, my voice ringing through the silence. I ran to him, knowing that what he had with Sarah was so precious, so pure. For a moment we stood there, our friendship - formed only recently in a few crucial moments - like an unbreakable vow, holding us. I reached up, those sea-green eyes pulling me in. I continued reaching. I pulled him down, pushing myself up on tiptoes to meet that entire one foot of height difference.

And I kissed him.

Because that's what you do.

When you send someone to their death.

We stayed like that for over a minute, knowing we were wasting time but neither wanting to be the one to break the spell. For right now, we were just two teenagers; safe and happy. Our lips worked together, worked in perfect harmony, and it... it, too, was perfectly heartbreaking. Finally, finally, it was time to say goodbye. Mark would leave to break the silence that still held Sarah, and I would wait in the car. Yes. That was right. I would... wait. I looked back to Mark's full, soft lips. Lips that had unfrozen even Sarah, no matter what the lasting timeframe. I thought back to the way he had held me in our embrace, and looked away almost immediately. It had been a, a somewhat lingering, gesture between friends. That was all. Dropping my shoulders, I jumped into the beat up, rusted, old Honda parked outside, and stared gloomily out the opposite window.

A few more moments passed and, once again, I couldn't help myself. I looked back to Mark.

I looked for Mark but I saw so much more.

For mere metres away from where Mark and I had stood together, was Sarah. Holding my mother princess-style and her mouth open wide, Sarah looked many things. Shocked, surprised and ... betrayed.

Funny, I never knew she could do that.

What had I done?

I looked to Sarah.

And Sarah walked away.

Just as the car doors were locked.

Just as the Honda lurched and sped away.

~*~

You were everything

Everything that I wanted

We were meant to be

Supposed to be

But we lost it

All of the memories so close to me

Just fade away

All this time you were pretending

So much for my happy ending