Chapter 13: Super Shy Friends Forever
(At Gym class outside…)
Rita blew her whistle, pressing the girls to keep going. The whole time the girls sprinted across the field. They were sore, tired, and panting for breath, clearing having been at this for a while. The girls eventually broke into pairs while they continued their suicide drills.
"She can't do this to me." Chris grunted.
"Just let it go, Chris." Sue insisted. "We're almost done."
"Then every day this week? All because of Carrie White? Like hell I will." Chris shouted.
"Keep moving, Hargensen." Rita ordered. "Keep running or you're not going to prom."
"Fuck you!" Chris snapped. "This is child abuse."
Rita stopped in her tracks, she glared toward the girl. Even Sue, Chris's closest friend, was shocked by her choice of words. Rita approached Chris, who merely got right up in her face.
"What did you say to me?" Rita asked in concern.
"I'm not going to run another goddamn inch because Carrie White got her period and was too stupid to know what it was." Chris replied.
"What?" Sue asked, in disbelief.
"You're suspended. You're out of prom and you're out of my class. Now." Rita shouted, turning to leave.
"No." Chris snapped.
"No?" Rita whipped around.
"You can't decide that." Chris declared, facing the girls for support. "She can't do this to us."
"Goodbye, Chris. The rest of you, keep at it." Sue replied.
"Someone could die of dehydration. Tina, you have a heart condition, right? If we all stick together, they're not going to suspend all of us. They're not going to keep us all from prom. There would be no prom. Nicki, Lizzy?" Chris asked in concern.
But sadly, the other girls didn't appear convinced at all.
"Let's go, ladies!" Rita called out.
"Heather? This is bullshit!" Chris insisted. "We didn't do anything wrong."
It was then Chris started to realize she's truly alone in all this. Not another girl among the group was budging an inch.
"All right, let's go." Rita shouted again.
"Right, Sue?" Chris begged, taking her arm. "You're with me on this, right? Come on."
"Sue." Chris replied.
And almost immediately, Sue pulled her arm from Chris' grip. Her facial expression was more than enough to tell Chris, 'No!'.
"Come on." Sue told the girls.
"Keep going, ladies." Rita replied.
Soon Sue and the other girls kept with their sprints, while Rita encouraged the group to keep going. It didn't take long for Chris to realize what she had gotten herself into. It wasn't enough that she got suspended from school, but now she won't be going to the prom. And all because of one practical joke against Carrie White.
"This isn't over." Chris shook her head. "This isn't over by a long shot. That's Carrie White."
Chris soon stormed off the field, shedding her tears while the other girls kept exercising. But brewing deep within that sadistic mind of hers, a plot of revenge was slowly developing.
(At the School library…)
At a table in the school library, Little Carrie sat on one side of the table with her aunt Carrie sitting by herself reading a book. Among the group, Little Carrie felt bad for the girl. A child bullied her entire life just for being socially awkward, so different compared to everyone else. Something Little Carrie could relate with personally, like watching a mirror of her past playing out before her eyes. Eventually, she approached Carrie's side at the desk and casually sat next to her.
"What are you reading?" Little Carrie spoke.
"Nothing!" Carrie replied awkwardly, hiding the book. "I mean... you guys wouldn't be interested anyway. Just some research for homework-"
"Oh, I'm into research myself." Little Carrie replied. "Can we at least have a look?"
At first Carrie didn't know how to answer the question. It felt so unreal: These girls and a boy, a group she only met a few days ago, were speaking with Carrie as if they've known each other for years. Slowly Carrie turned her head toward Little Carrie.
"I don't normally get these conversations." Carrie spoke quietly. "I mean... who'd hang out with a girl who can't even have a normal life... or even be good at 'anything'."
The majority of the group started toward Carrie sympathetically. Little Carrie gently placed her hand upon Carrie's, the latter releasing a heavy sigh of sadness.
"I know what you are going through." Little Carrie said sympathetically. "Growing up, I didn't have many friends. Even when I had one, I still felt like I had no pon-no one to rely on... I felt alone most of my life."
"She's not exaggerating, kiddo." Carrie replied.
"I was there through it all when we were at school together. All those kids, picking on her just because she wasn't... strong as they were. I couldn't stand that behavior... so we know how you must feel." Little Carrie replied.
Carrie was rather surprised for several reasons. The first was clearly Little Carrie's own confession, and the next was how they all seemed to understand Carrie's upbringing. Little Carrie in general couldn't even imagine what the blonde-haired teen had gone through, or if her condition were any worse than hers. Yet somehow, it felt exactly the same as the path Carrie had gone through.
"Why are you helping me?" Carrie asked in concern. "I know I asked the first time, but..."
"My dad told me helping someone in need is like caring for a flower." Little Carrie explained. "You can either ignore it and let it suffer... or you can take care of it to ensure it has a better future. And... Well, I'd like to help the S.S.F.F."
"S.S.F.F.?" Carrie asked, confused.
"Super Shy Friends Forever." Little Carrie translated. "And I'd like to be your friend... forever."
"Super Shy Friends Forever." Carrie replied.
"We'd all be willing to, Carrie." Little Carrie added. "You look just like the type of dear who can surely use some friends right now."
For whatever reason, the way they were speaking to her, Carrie felt this warmth she hadn't felt her whole life. It was like a pack of angels had come to her aid, seeking nothing more than mere companionship.
"Sure!" Carrie smiled happily.
"That's the spirit!" Little Carrie replied, with a smile.
Then she saw Little Carrie clench her hand into a fist, raising it slightly into the air. Carrie also clenched her fist and slowly raised it toward her level.
"Super..." Little Carrie spoke.
"Shy…" Carrie added.
Little Carrie and Carrie smiled as two fists collided with each other, and in the midst of their 'fist bump' the girls in question declared:
"Friends Forever…" Little Carrie & Carrie both replied.
(Later that day…)
Carrie started toward the window in class, not paying much attention to the course. Yet she couldn't remove the smile that was growing on her face. On one hand, she was getting the knack of her newfound gift performing some as simple as making a ghost. On the other hand, a group of kids and one mysterious teenage boy all wanted to extend a hand of friendship toward her without reason to judge her. As if for the first in a while, she suddenly felt the way almost every other student felt when they're surrounded by friends. Seemed perhaps things were slowly starting to look up. That the English Teacher: Ulmann.
"All right, who's next?" Mr. Ulmann the teacher spoke. "Uh, Carrie."
Soon as her name was called, Carrie looked up to face the teacher.
"Favorite poem. Did you bring one?" Mr. Ulmann asked in concern.
All the kids turned toward her, several of them laughed. The only ones not laughing were Little Carrie and Sue, who had taken seats along the back of the class to keep tabs over Carrie. To even suggest that Carrie was nervous was without question an understatement.
"Yeah." Carrie murmured.
"Why don't you come to the front of the class and share it with us all?" Mr. Ulmann asked in concern.
Carrie slowly got up from her seat and cautiously made her way down toward the front of the class. Little Carrie, Sue, and Tommy whose desks are next to Carrie's, could see how uncomfortable she appeared to be. The other students quietly snickered as she approached the front. Soon as she stood at the front of the room, facing the entire class, she kept her eyes on her book and read her poem of choice.
"'This unfrequented place to find some ease, ease to the body some, none to the mind. Times past, and what once I was and what am now o wherefore was my birth from Heaven foretold. Twice by an Angel, who at last in sight of both my parents all in flames... ascended.'" Carrie said.
"Uh... did you get that?" Little Carrie whispered to her mother.
"Do I look like a poet to you?" Sue whispered harshly.
"Okay, uh, that was, uh..." Mr. Ulmann stammered. "Disturbing."
The other kids laughed, especially Tina, who clearly had Mr. Ulmann's ear. Tommy, sitting between the students, merely glared toward Mr. Ulmann angrily.
"This is the most you've said all year," Mr. Ulmann continued. "Anything else you wanna add or are you done scaring us for the day?"
"Asshole." Tommy muttered, under his breath.
The other students turned and gasped toward him. There was no doubt everyone heard him, especially the teacher.
"Excuse me, Mr. Ross." Mr. Ulmann spoke up. "Did you say something?"
"I said, 'Awesome.'" Tommy lied. "I just thought what Carrie read was awesome. Didn't you, Mr. Ulmann?"
Carrie hurried back to her desk, trying to avoid further trouble.
"All right, who's next?" Mr. Ulmann asked, looking around. "Uh… Nicki. I mean, Lizzy."
Carris sat back down, keeping her head as low as possible. She pushed some hair in front of her face hoping to stay hidden. She peeked over toward Tommy, who just smiled at her with an assuring wink. Little Carrie and Sue spotted this right away, immediately realizing what was going on.
"Sue." Little Carrie spoke up. "I think Carrie has a crush on Tommy."
"I did so." Sue nodded. "Tommy's got a awesome?"
"I did hear someone speak to your boyfriend in passing." Little Carrie confirmed. "I can't believe, Dad never told you."
"What was that?" Sue asked in concern, as she turned her head to Little Carrie.
"Nothing. It's been a really weird day." Little Carrie replied.
"Yeah, weird." Sue replied.
To Be Continued…
