Chapter 1- Laughter Mixed with Sadness
"Hey, Sarah," I call excitedly, while getting into my car, "Think coach is going to cancel the rest of the practices for this week?"
Jumping into the passenger seat, she runs her hands under her deep brown ponytail quickly, "I don't know Rose, but if he does, I might just buy that big devil a Christmas present next year... if I remember." Laughing, I turn on the car and blast the air conditioning and crank the windows down. "So…to your place? Or mine?"
"Mmmmm…I was thinking your place. Remember? We have to take Toby to his play date?"
"Ah, you're right. Reminding me of things I forget again I see," she teases me while nudging me.
Retaliating I push her arm away, laughing, "Awe can it missy. Just because I can remind you of your commitments doesn't mean I can forget them just as quickly…when is your job interview again?"
We both continue to laugh until our breath runs out and our faces could be mistaken for tomatoes. Pulling into her driveway, parking, turning off and exiting my car, I jump up, grab my track-and-field gear, and dash into the air conditioned house. Laughing I wait for Sarah in her doorway, "Come on slow poke! Though you where one of our best runners in school!"
"I am! But you run quicker when you have an incentive waiting for you at the finish, Rose!"
"And what is the incentive I wanted?"
Walking up the steps and closing the door behind her, giving a tired burst of laughter, "Air conditioning."
"Sarah, for once, I think you are right." Smirking I run up her stairs before I can get another hard nudge, and plop down on her bed, spreading my golden brown hair into a fan from my own ponytail.
Dropping her sports bag onto the floor of the room, she says, "I'm going to go check on Waldo."
"HEY I'm not Waldo…" cries out a stubborn seven year old voice.
"Awe Toby," I comfort as I grin, gently tossing my legs over the side of the bed as I start creeping towards him. "No you're not; because…I just found you silly!" I exclaim as I pick him up onto my shoulder while he squeals in fun.
Sarah joins in the fun, tickling him right after I sat him down on her bed, "Wait a second…this isn't Waldo…this is a little piggy! Waldo doesn't make noise!" Laughing, as that is all we seem to do, we have a tickle fight, ending up with us all in a tangled bundle of limbs and hair. "Okay okay guys, we need to get going or we'll be late," chastises Sarah as goes to get the phone we heard ringing which had interrupted our fun.
"Fiinnneee mom," I tease as I untangle myself from the tickle fest. Starting to walk with Toby back to his room to make sure he has all the toys he wants to take to his playdate, Sarah comes to us.
"Guys that was Freddie's mom; she said she would pick up Toby. Apparently she was running a couple errands close by. So, Mr. Piggy, that doesn't change the fact that you need to get you toys ready," she ends with a smile as she shoos him back off into his room. As Toby proceeds to get ready, Sarah turns to me, "Rose, still wana stay over? I want to find out about what's going on between you and Chris," this time ending with a wink.
I laugh, "Sarah, if I have told you once, I told you one thousand times, nothing, I repeat, nothing is 'going on between' me and…that…," I growl softly. "I'll explain soon, "I finish to her worried face.
She nods and continues to hurry along Toby to the front door and out to Freddie's mother's car. After they've gone down the stairs, I go into Sarah's room for the few fleeting moments of peace I have to collect my thoughts before she comes rushing back. "So what is going on? Did he do something to you, 'cuz if he did, I swear I'll kick his…"
"Sarah!" I interrupt, "He didn't do anything to me. That is the problem."
"Huh?"
"So he came and picked me up from my home, okay? Then he drove me outside to the Dairy Queen on the other side of town. We parked and went inside. Then, to my dismay, he left me to go to flirt with other girls…I was so embarrassed, angry, confused, you name it…" I trail off, leaving us to our own thoughts.
"Wow Rose," she says in a soft voice, "I would never have…well I guess I would have, imagined he would do that." I look up with a hurt expression. "Wait! I didn't mean it like that…"
I respond acidly, but quietly, "I know how you meant it…but it still hurts all the same Sarah." She reaches over across the bed and hugs me like one does when confronting a crying child. I start tearing up, "I just thought he would be different…" The droplets slowly make a path down my cheeks, onto the bed cover, falling into a shape vaguely resembling a broken heart.