"And your still going to dance!?" Faith almost yells, as we lock the doors to the building.
Thank goodness Ms Blakeson wasn't feeling well today, so didn't stay long enough to see my bandaged hand. I took the sling off, and pulled my hoodie sleeves down enough to cover it so no one could see.
"Life goes on Faith. Joel said they scheduled the surgery for Tuesday, so what can I do? Stuff it up more?" Faith just looked at me, bewildered, as we got into her car.
"And all this, because you fell down the stairs? One mighty fall there Miss Norm. One mighty fall." I chuckle.
Of course, the girls know I have anxiety. It would be an extremely hard thing to hide. But I never let them know the extent of it. The reasons I couldn't drive, and my need to be surrounded. I think they all got the idea during my downfall last year, when they came into hospital and saw their best friend hooked up to 20 machines, with constant nurse supervision. But they never said anything.
"What can I say?" I chuckle, although I know soon the 2 painkillers I popped will wear off and I will be in no talking mood.
Our ride to Joel and Christina's was filled with Faiths objections to me dancing at the concert.
"Faith." I say, stepping out of the car, "we are not reblocking 7 dances, and you guys learning 6 song's just because I have an owie." Faith, who by this point had given up, huffed, and waved goodbye, driving to her house a couple of blocks over.
Walking in the door, instantly Christina gives me a massive hug.
"You stupid, stupid girl." I laugh, feeling the warmth of her embrace. Joel stomps down the stairs, obviously just off the phone with our parents.
They are the only ones that could every get either of us truly riled up. Ever since we were little, and our parents went away, coming back with gifts to buy back our love, Joel and I started to distaste the family fortune. Taylor, loved it. Her requests for gifts only became more extravagant with age. First it was stuffed toys, then trinkets and knick knacks. Suddenly they would bring her home designer bags and jewellery.
We only every got small things, not because they didn't offer to get us more, but because we didn't see the value in objects. We didn't ever ask for a weekly allowance, let alone for them to give us more money on top of that. When Joel started to work, our parents were furious, saying that 'they didn't work this hard so their own son could throw away his education and become a checkout chick for the rest of his life'. Joel, of course, proved them wrong, getting a scholarship for well over what he needed to pay for his university course. The only present he has ever willingly accepted, was his house. For his 21st birthday, our parents gave him a hefty cheque to move out of the crappy apartment he and Christina were staying in and into a small townhouse.
"Mum and Dad won't be home until Friday, at the earliest." Joel huffs, tucking his phone into his pocket.
"That's very..." I pause, thinking of the right word. "Expected." Joel chuckles.
"Well, I'm going to bed." I give them both a small hug, trodding up the stairs, to the guest room.
Sitting on the bed, with the clothes strewn around in small piles, I look out the window, something I rarely did. The room across from me glowed pink. Definitely not Connor's room. His younger sister's room for sure. I have never really met her, she came into the picture after we stopped being friends.
Taylor, Rachel, Connor and I became friends in kindergarten. Literally the first day of school. Connor was upset because we was stuck on a table with three girls, while every other table had two girls and two boys. Taylor and I were ecstatic, being on a table together, and Rachel instantly was drawn to Taylor, the two of them becoming best friends within seconds. I suddenly got upset because Rachel was talking to Taylor. Connor realised, and tried to make me feel better. Somehow at lunch time directly afterwards, we all sat in a circle together, and started talking.
The four of us would hang out all the time, watching movies at each other's houses, or having play dates where we would all play families. We stayed friends, obviously until that fateful day. AFterwards, Taylor hardly spoke to me, Rachel obviously followed suite. Connor, he tried, but soon gave up, Taylor and Rachel keeping him pulled tightly to them. Without my dead weight, the three rose to popularity, a big deal for primary schoolers... I got swept away in the crowd, not like i wanted to be close to them.
When we got to high school, it was exactly the same. Taylor had this ora around her, she pulled people in, and suddenly they were stuck, until she decided to let them go. When puberty hit and the growth spurt started, she started to wear makeup and care about her appearance. It was a big deal for her, when she started to curl her naturally dead straight dark brown hair. Mum introduced her to getting highlights, which she now gets religiously. She suddenly turned from being my identical copy, to my polar opposite.
Dragging my eyes from the window, I hoist my school bag onto my bed beside me, pulling out my partially dying computer, ready to start the homework for tonight.
YOU ARE READING
In Your Company
Teen Fiction--Re-written-- When I was 8 we were playing hide and seek in the little park surrounded by bush down the street from my house. It was a large group of us. It was always fun down at the park, since our parents never really came and checked on us. Bei...
