Post by Ayasha on Jun 8, 2006 21:41:51 GMT -5
Just a little short story I wrote. Tell me what you think.
There I had sat, pointlessly peeling off the label on my water bottle. Waiting for my friends to come and join me. To let the entire school know I wasn’t friendless just quite yet. The daily part of peeling off my water bottle label was construed from nothing other than mere habit. It didn’t bug me, but it seemed to annoy my friends.
“You can’t be seriously peeling that thing off again?” The shrill voice pierced the silence. This was Rachel, my red haired highly beautiful friend. The word friend though didn’t truly fit our relationship description.
“Why, does it annoy you?”
“Obviously not!” The “not” came out harsh, I knew she was angered with my ritual. She came to the other side of the table and sat. How I envied the way she primped her hair.
“Would it be too much to ask for you to not do that?”
“I guess not, but why does it bug you?” At my question she turned from me with a huff. If you knew anything about Rachel you would know this meant she had other ideas.
“There’s a party tonight. You’re invited, I’ll get you at eight.”
“I..I” But she was gone before I could protest. This happened often, especially when she was angered with me. Once again I found myself alone. Fear settled into my brain, I flinched at every sound. Noiselessly I stood facing the cold stares of students. I gathered my dignity and strode away.
Later that day I managed to bump into Cailey, my truer friend. She was my truer friend because she wasn’t thought of as beautifully as Rachel. No one was thought of as beautifully as Rachel was. I was only her second best. That meant no one was as beautiful as me, but that also meant that I was hated. People admired Rachel, not me.
“Rachel told you about the party then?” Cailey questioned, acknowledging my foul mood.
“Yeah, I couldn’t turn her down.”
“Peeling your label off the water bottle again?”
I nodded, not feeling like hearing my own voice. My voice was soft, but not as soft as Rachel’s, not even as soft as Cailey’s. This put me down the chart by four marks, our chart is known by every student. It wasn’t written up only known and everybody knew where I stood because of my voice.
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Rachel is hard to please. If you want I can come over before she picks you up?” The infamous get ready with your girlfriends game, why did we get together to dress and put on make up? Furthermore why did I say yes, I said yes because saying no would have plummeted me down the chart even further.
“Sure, why don’t you come over after school?” I smiled a fake smile; I knew Cailey saw it and she acknowledged it by touching my shoulder. She left me, as they all did. I never stood in company very long, people just didn’t enjoy me that much or something. So there I stood, unfortunate in my looks. Everyone knew me; they all hated me for being Rachel’s second.
The day ended, my last class had killed my mood and the last thing I wanted was company. But it would be social suicide to refuse Cailey’s company. So I waited for her outside by her car, which she drove every day. I knew this because often I would get a ride from her.
She approached me as she usually did, smile on her face and a skip in her step and the smell of sandal wood. She looked so cheesy there, no wonder she was Rachel’s third. How was it that I was Rachel’s second it couldn’t of been by my looks alone. There had to be some other reason for this. I turned off my thoughts to greet Cailey with a plastered smile.
“You don’t always have to smile Ronny.” She always called me by Ronny, my real name was Veronnica. Another thing that brought me down on the chart. Nothing I could really do about it though.
“Let’s go.” I felt sorry for her, dealing with me through all this, later in life she would leave me. Probably for the better, but I didn’t know that then. If I did maybe I would’ve done something differently. “Cailey, why am I going to this party?”
“Well, because you know that it would be social suicide if you didn’t.” Her look was that of sarcasm, I knew better than to believe what she had said. She didn’t believe in the chart or in being Rachel’s third.
We drove back to my house, my huge house that Rachel was almost jealous of, except that her house was bigger. I paused before going in, my mom was usually home but she wasn’t that day. Lucky me.
I took Cailey upstairs, though she had been here before. Up in my room Cailey picked out my outfit, my swanky red dress that Rachel bought me. She never bought anything for Cailey. But Cailey didn’t mind, she didn’t mind Rachel being obsessed with making me one of her.
“Here, you can wear jeans under this. It will be too cold out otherwise.” She handed me the dress and a pair of jeans. “I hope you and Rachel have fun.”
“You’re not going?” Truthfully I wasn’t surprised.
“Ronny you know me better.”
Did I really know her better? “You weren’t invited.”
“No, but I wouldn’t go anyway. I don’t like parties.”
“Neither do I. Rachel knows I hate parties.”
“So then why are you going?” She turned from me to pick up our clothing mess. The makeup I was to use was laid out. Simple natural colors, things that Cailey wore often, colors that were flattering unlike Rachel's whore look. Had I hurt her with my comment? Was this where our friendship would part and I would be left to Rachel’s command? Cailey turned back to me; she held a pair of earrings and a necklace. “I’ll be downstairs working on homework. Come down when you’re dressed.” She left me alone, the third time that day I would be left alone.
I stood in my room, make up on. Dressed to kill, more like dressed to undress. This outfit would probably get me more than just a few looks. But that’s what Rachel said we wanted. Being Rachel’s second isn’t anything good, it’s terrible. Cailey would be down there when my mother arrived. She would greet her friendly like and my mother would enjoy such a refreshing attitude.
You couldn’t blame her though. In my family I hated almost everything, especially my carpet that felt like you were walking on an echidna. But who was I to talk, I was never happy. Finally I went downstairs, to show off my body that truthfully was better than Rachel’s. Cailey’s body was perfect. She used to be the most beautiful girl in school. Better than Rachel, but it was the fact that she didn’t want to be pretty that made her unwanted.
“Is my mom home yet?”
“No but Rachel just pulled up.” I hadn’t noticed that Cailey had her backpack on. “Goodbye Ronny.” She turned and left. Leaving me again alone. Rachel busted through the door after Cailey disappeared.
“Hot stuff Ronny!”
“Thanks, you look perfect.” I lied, her makeup was dark and her lipstick pale. Leaving her to look like a zombie.
“Duh. Let’s go.” She pulled me outside, Cailey had already left. From here on out the night was hell. The house where the party had been was old and run down. It looked like a shack. It smelled like a shack. I never understood why we came to this party.
“Here we are. I’ll pick you up later.”
“What? I thought you were coming too!”
“Not to this piece of s***. Please. I’m going to come back don’t worry.” I should’ve worried, she never did come back that night.
I found myself by the door, alone. There was no party here. I had been set up. Set up like my whole life had been, up to this point things were decided for me. I had no control and now I wanted that to stop. Tears welled at my eyes, alone. I sat there afraid; I didn’t think anyone would come to get me. It had been two hours and still I sat there. Up ahead I saw the faint headlight of a car. The head lights were familiar, their rusty color and painted on turn signals. It was Cailey, she had probably found out about the incident and came rushing to my aid. Her car pulled up beside me and the door was flung open.
“Hey Ronny.” She didn’t smile. She didn’t look happy.
“What are you doing over here?” I shut the door and had buckled my seatbelt when I saw her face harden.
“Can I take you home?” Her voice scared me, it was harsh and unlike her.
“Yeah. What’s the matter?”
“No one has to be happy all the time Ronny.” Her voice had returned to normal and I was less frightened.
“How’d you know I was out here?”
“I knew there was no party, Rachel lied to you as she usually does.”
“Why didn’t you stop me?”
“People have to learn these things on their own. You weren’t in any danger.” I never understood her. But I know that I am grateful for what she had done. She took me home, dropped me off and told me that Rachel would call in an hour or so. She had been right; Rachel did call me later that night. Asked me how the party had been.
“It was very fun, a lot of people showed up after you had left.”
“What?” I knew she was confused and I let her be. She deserved it after what things she had done in the past.
“Yep, Rachel you’re such a bitch.”
There was a pause before I heard her talking to someone else. “What do you mean I’m a bitch?”
“Well you’re a bitch for not taking me to that party sooner. John Hyback was there. We had a lot of fun.” I hung the phone up. There was no need to talk to her anymore. John Hyback would leave for College tomorrow and not be in contact with anyone. It would work out, Rachel would believe me.
My mom opened the door and came to talk to me, as she usually does. “So how was your day Ronny?” she sat down as she usually did.
“Fine, do you think you and I could go shopping tomorrow?” It was rare that I would ask her to do so. But I felt I owed it to my mom to be nicer to her. Cailey didn’t have a mom, she had told me that mothers are more precious than anything in the world. At first I wouldn’t believe it, but come my twenty third year of life I would understand.
“I’d love to.” Her expression told me that she was happy, that even though my father wouldn’t be home for another week she had something to look forward to. I didn’t want any special recognition for turning over a new leaf. I wouldn’t hang out with Rachel, I wouldn’t even see her till I was graduated from College.
I would be the graduating class and Rachel would be the incoming freshman. After High School she would wind up with a baby that put her out of school for years. When I would see her I wouldn’t be angry with her, I wouldn’t talk to her. But I would acknowledge that she had failed in life, and that I had succeeded. But that was later in life and right now I had to face my failures.
Of course this turn of events would bring me down the chart to the status of nothing, but what should I have cared? Cailey would be there and together we could ruin the chart. But I would slowly begin to lose Cailey, lose the grip of friendship with her. I would selfishly take everything she knew. I would become what she had stood out as.
“Cailey, hey.” I called to her, she sat, with her fingers laced in between one another.
“Hey Ronny.” She didn’t look up to me, didn’t really acknowledge I was there.
“What’s wrong?” She turned to look at me; eyes were solemn in the way that a dying animal stares off into space.
“You and Rachel aren’t friends. Congratulations.”
“Yeah, I told her a couple of things and today I haven’t seen her.”
“Ronny, it’s good that you have asserted yourself and that you are finding where you belong. But you aren’t me.” I stood frozen at her words; I didn’t understand what she had said.
“Excuse me?”
“You are not a solitary animal such as myself. I like you, and you’re a wonderful friend. But you would fall back into habit with me. I would become your Rachel.” I stared at her for what to me seemed like hours. I couldn’t, wouldn’t let this happen. But I had known she was right, I had known that from when I first met her that our friendship would never last past High school. “You can’t be serious?”
“I know you have thought of this before. Ronny let’s be reasonable. We both knew this friendship would be short lived. Now is just the time to end it.” There were no bitter words, she fully wanted me to understand and I knew she had enjoyed my company when we had been friends.
“But where will I go, who will I hang out with?”
“You have to decide that for yourself.” She stood to leave, but before she had gone she returned to me and hugged me. “There will be others.” She turned down the hall and forever left me alone. I would never see her again, till her name appeared in the obituaries. She was killed by a drunk driver, leaving her husband to care for their two daughters.
“Cailey.” I had whispered her name twice more before I gave up. Knowing she was gone forever. I wouldn’t take advantage of things like that again.
I returned home from school early, claiming I had a cold. My mother took care of me and soon I actually did get sick. I had come down with pneumonia and my mother took me out of school. I graduated by home school, earned my GED and shortly after would go to college. But while I was sick I took the time to look at my life. I realized that Cailey had been right. I was nothing more than a copied image of my friends. So while I was sick in bed and until I emerged from Home School I worked to become an original. I became a solitary nature lover relying on my knowledge of human instinct and the fact that my mother and I had grown together. I really enjoyed my individuality and the way nature appealed to me.
Now I sit in my earth colored house in the depths of the mountains. With a family that loves me, I thank Cailey everyday for what she did. She allowed me to find the patience I needed to be able to cope with the insecurity that college life had given me. When the world brought more than I could handle, I would peel off the label on my water bottle. I still do that, but only because it makes my kids laugh.
There I had sat, pointlessly peeling off the label on my water bottle. Waiting for my friends to come and join me. To let the entire school know I wasn’t friendless just quite yet. The daily part of peeling off my water bottle label was construed from nothing other than mere habit. It didn’t bug me, but it seemed to annoy my friends.
“You can’t be seriously peeling that thing off again?” The shrill voice pierced the silence. This was Rachel, my red haired highly beautiful friend. The word friend though didn’t truly fit our relationship description.
“Why, does it annoy you?”
“Obviously not!” The “not” came out harsh, I knew she was angered with my ritual. She came to the other side of the table and sat. How I envied the way she primped her hair.
“Would it be too much to ask for you to not do that?”
“I guess not, but why does it bug you?” At my question she turned from me with a huff. If you knew anything about Rachel you would know this meant she had other ideas.
“There’s a party tonight. You’re invited, I’ll get you at eight.”
“I..I” But she was gone before I could protest. This happened often, especially when she was angered with me. Once again I found myself alone. Fear settled into my brain, I flinched at every sound. Noiselessly I stood facing the cold stares of students. I gathered my dignity and strode away.
Later that day I managed to bump into Cailey, my truer friend. She was my truer friend because she wasn’t thought of as beautifully as Rachel. No one was thought of as beautifully as Rachel was. I was only her second best. That meant no one was as beautiful as me, but that also meant that I was hated. People admired Rachel, not me.
“Rachel told you about the party then?” Cailey questioned, acknowledging my foul mood.
“Yeah, I couldn’t turn her down.”
“Peeling your label off the water bottle again?”
I nodded, not feeling like hearing my own voice. My voice was soft, but not as soft as Rachel’s, not even as soft as Cailey’s. This put me down the chart by four marks, our chart is known by every student. It wasn’t written up only known and everybody knew where I stood because of my voice.
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Rachel is hard to please. If you want I can come over before she picks you up?” The infamous get ready with your girlfriends game, why did we get together to dress and put on make up? Furthermore why did I say yes, I said yes because saying no would have plummeted me down the chart even further.
“Sure, why don’t you come over after school?” I smiled a fake smile; I knew Cailey saw it and she acknowledged it by touching my shoulder. She left me, as they all did. I never stood in company very long, people just didn’t enjoy me that much or something. So there I stood, unfortunate in my looks. Everyone knew me; they all hated me for being Rachel’s second.
The day ended, my last class had killed my mood and the last thing I wanted was company. But it would be social suicide to refuse Cailey’s company. So I waited for her outside by her car, which she drove every day. I knew this because often I would get a ride from her.
She approached me as she usually did, smile on her face and a skip in her step and the smell of sandal wood. She looked so cheesy there, no wonder she was Rachel’s third. How was it that I was Rachel’s second it couldn’t of been by my looks alone. There had to be some other reason for this. I turned off my thoughts to greet Cailey with a plastered smile.
“You don’t always have to smile Ronny.” She always called me by Ronny, my real name was Veronnica. Another thing that brought me down on the chart. Nothing I could really do about it though.
“Let’s go.” I felt sorry for her, dealing with me through all this, later in life she would leave me. Probably for the better, but I didn’t know that then. If I did maybe I would’ve done something differently. “Cailey, why am I going to this party?”
“Well, because you know that it would be social suicide if you didn’t.” Her look was that of sarcasm, I knew better than to believe what she had said. She didn’t believe in the chart or in being Rachel’s third.
We drove back to my house, my huge house that Rachel was almost jealous of, except that her house was bigger. I paused before going in, my mom was usually home but she wasn’t that day. Lucky me.
I took Cailey upstairs, though she had been here before. Up in my room Cailey picked out my outfit, my swanky red dress that Rachel bought me. She never bought anything for Cailey. But Cailey didn’t mind, she didn’t mind Rachel being obsessed with making me one of her.
“Here, you can wear jeans under this. It will be too cold out otherwise.” She handed me the dress and a pair of jeans. “I hope you and Rachel have fun.”
“You’re not going?” Truthfully I wasn’t surprised.
“Ronny you know me better.”
Did I really know her better? “You weren’t invited.”
“No, but I wouldn’t go anyway. I don’t like parties.”
“Neither do I. Rachel knows I hate parties.”
“So then why are you going?” She turned from me to pick up our clothing mess. The makeup I was to use was laid out. Simple natural colors, things that Cailey wore often, colors that were flattering unlike Rachel's whore look. Had I hurt her with my comment? Was this where our friendship would part and I would be left to Rachel’s command? Cailey turned back to me; she held a pair of earrings and a necklace. “I’ll be downstairs working on homework. Come down when you’re dressed.” She left me alone, the third time that day I would be left alone.
I stood in my room, make up on. Dressed to kill, more like dressed to undress. This outfit would probably get me more than just a few looks. But that’s what Rachel said we wanted. Being Rachel’s second isn’t anything good, it’s terrible. Cailey would be down there when my mother arrived. She would greet her friendly like and my mother would enjoy such a refreshing attitude.
You couldn’t blame her though. In my family I hated almost everything, especially my carpet that felt like you were walking on an echidna. But who was I to talk, I was never happy. Finally I went downstairs, to show off my body that truthfully was better than Rachel’s. Cailey’s body was perfect. She used to be the most beautiful girl in school. Better than Rachel, but it was the fact that she didn’t want to be pretty that made her unwanted.
“Is my mom home yet?”
“No but Rachel just pulled up.” I hadn’t noticed that Cailey had her backpack on. “Goodbye Ronny.” She turned and left. Leaving me again alone. Rachel busted through the door after Cailey disappeared.
“Hot stuff Ronny!”
“Thanks, you look perfect.” I lied, her makeup was dark and her lipstick pale. Leaving her to look like a zombie.
“Duh. Let’s go.” She pulled me outside, Cailey had already left. From here on out the night was hell. The house where the party had been was old and run down. It looked like a shack. It smelled like a shack. I never understood why we came to this party.
“Here we are. I’ll pick you up later.”
“What? I thought you were coming too!”
“Not to this piece of s***. Please. I’m going to come back don’t worry.” I should’ve worried, she never did come back that night.
I found myself by the door, alone. There was no party here. I had been set up. Set up like my whole life had been, up to this point things were decided for me. I had no control and now I wanted that to stop. Tears welled at my eyes, alone. I sat there afraid; I didn’t think anyone would come to get me. It had been two hours and still I sat there. Up ahead I saw the faint headlight of a car. The head lights were familiar, their rusty color and painted on turn signals. It was Cailey, she had probably found out about the incident and came rushing to my aid. Her car pulled up beside me and the door was flung open.
“Hey Ronny.” She didn’t smile. She didn’t look happy.
“What are you doing over here?” I shut the door and had buckled my seatbelt when I saw her face harden.
“Can I take you home?” Her voice scared me, it was harsh and unlike her.
“Yeah. What’s the matter?”
“No one has to be happy all the time Ronny.” Her voice had returned to normal and I was less frightened.
“How’d you know I was out here?”
“I knew there was no party, Rachel lied to you as she usually does.”
“Why didn’t you stop me?”
“People have to learn these things on their own. You weren’t in any danger.” I never understood her. But I know that I am grateful for what she had done. She took me home, dropped me off and told me that Rachel would call in an hour or so. She had been right; Rachel did call me later that night. Asked me how the party had been.
“It was very fun, a lot of people showed up after you had left.”
“What?” I knew she was confused and I let her be. She deserved it after what things she had done in the past.
“Yep, Rachel you’re such a bitch.”
There was a pause before I heard her talking to someone else. “What do you mean I’m a bitch?”
“Well you’re a bitch for not taking me to that party sooner. John Hyback was there. We had a lot of fun.” I hung the phone up. There was no need to talk to her anymore. John Hyback would leave for College tomorrow and not be in contact with anyone. It would work out, Rachel would believe me.
My mom opened the door and came to talk to me, as she usually does. “So how was your day Ronny?” she sat down as she usually did.
“Fine, do you think you and I could go shopping tomorrow?” It was rare that I would ask her to do so. But I felt I owed it to my mom to be nicer to her. Cailey didn’t have a mom, she had told me that mothers are more precious than anything in the world. At first I wouldn’t believe it, but come my twenty third year of life I would understand.
“I’d love to.” Her expression told me that she was happy, that even though my father wouldn’t be home for another week she had something to look forward to. I didn’t want any special recognition for turning over a new leaf. I wouldn’t hang out with Rachel, I wouldn’t even see her till I was graduated from College.
I would be the graduating class and Rachel would be the incoming freshman. After High School she would wind up with a baby that put her out of school for years. When I would see her I wouldn’t be angry with her, I wouldn’t talk to her. But I would acknowledge that she had failed in life, and that I had succeeded. But that was later in life and right now I had to face my failures.
Of course this turn of events would bring me down the chart to the status of nothing, but what should I have cared? Cailey would be there and together we could ruin the chart. But I would slowly begin to lose Cailey, lose the grip of friendship with her. I would selfishly take everything she knew. I would become what she had stood out as.
“Cailey, hey.” I called to her, she sat, with her fingers laced in between one another.
“Hey Ronny.” She didn’t look up to me, didn’t really acknowledge I was there.
“What’s wrong?” She turned to look at me; eyes were solemn in the way that a dying animal stares off into space.
“You and Rachel aren’t friends. Congratulations.”
“Yeah, I told her a couple of things and today I haven’t seen her.”
“Ronny, it’s good that you have asserted yourself and that you are finding where you belong. But you aren’t me.” I stood frozen at her words; I didn’t understand what she had said.
“Excuse me?”
“You are not a solitary animal such as myself. I like you, and you’re a wonderful friend. But you would fall back into habit with me. I would become your Rachel.” I stared at her for what to me seemed like hours. I couldn’t, wouldn’t let this happen. But I had known she was right, I had known that from when I first met her that our friendship would never last past High school. “You can’t be serious?”
“I know you have thought of this before. Ronny let’s be reasonable. We both knew this friendship would be short lived. Now is just the time to end it.” There were no bitter words, she fully wanted me to understand and I knew she had enjoyed my company when we had been friends.
“But where will I go, who will I hang out with?”
“You have to decide that for yourself.” She stood to leave, but before she had gone she returned to me and hugged me. “There will be others.” She turned down the hall and forever left me alone. I would never see her again, till her name appeared in the obituaries. She was killed by a drunk driver, leaving her husband to care for their two daughters.
“Cailey.” I had whispered her name twice more before I gave up. Knowing she was gone forever. I wouldn’t take advantage of things like that again.
I returned home from school early, claiming I had a cold. My mother took care of me and soon I actually did get sick. I had come down with pneumonia and my mother took me out of school. I graduated by home school, earned my GED and shortly after would go to college. But while I was sick I took the time to look at my life. I realized that Cailey had been right. I was nothing more than a copied image of my friends. So while I was sick in bed and until I emerged from Home School I worked to become an original. I became a solitary nature lover relying on my knowledge of human instinct and the fact that my mother and I had grown together. I really enjoyed my individuality and the way nature appealed to me.
Now I sit in my earth colored house in the depths of the mountains. With a family that loves me, I thank Cailey everyday for what she did. She allowed me to find the patience I needed to be able to cope with the insecurity that college life had given me. When the world brought more than I could handle, I would peel off the label on my water bottle. I still do that, but only because it makes my kids laugh.