Sweet Caroline

Chapter 3

"Now, tell me what's going on, Caroline," Rebecca said softly.

Caroline took a seat on top of one of the tables in the room, and Rebecca sat down next to her. Then she took a moment to gather her thoughts as she began swinging her feet back and forth slowly. "I've had a crush on Andrew for what seems like forever, yet except for a passing nod and taking his order at the Tasty Treat, he's never spoken to me. Well, actually, I suppose that isn't quite true."

"You told me about your crush on him, and you're right; he doesn't talk to you. Of course, to be fair, I don't think I've heard him talk to any other girls, not even Reva when she's hanging all over him. So, tell me about this time he did talk to you," Rebecca said as she gave Caroline her full attention.

Digging deep into her memories, Caroline began to explain, "Well, I moved here in second grade, but you and I didn't become friends until..."

"Fifth grade!"

"Yeah, fifth grade," Caroline agreed. "Anyway, back then, believe it or not, Reva and I were friends. When we were in fourth grade, it all ended, though, and it didn't end well, which is possibly why she messes with me now."

"How did your friendship end?"

"We were on the playground, swinging," Caroline began, staring at her feet and frowning. "Even then, Reva had an eye for the boys, all the boys, and considered most of them to be hers."

"No surprise there since she's still that way," Rebecca said with a snort.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. So, anyway, she happened to spot Andrew and his friend Darryl coming out of the building and started talking about how one day he would be hers. Honestly, Rebecca, I'd heard the same spiel so many times before I had tuned her out and was watching the clouds go by as I was swinging. I guess she noticed I wasn't paying her any attention, though, so she reached out and grabbed the chain of my swing. When she did that, I went flying!"

"Ouch," Rebecca hissed as she cringed.

"Yeah, ouch is right," Caroline agreed. "So, I'm on my knees, on the ground, crying, and Reva says, 'Oh, you're fine, you baby.' I remember looking up at her, hurt that my friend wasn't even concerned about me and found she wasn't even looking at me." She snorted. "No, she was still busy staring at Andrew and Darryl after tossing me out of my seat."

"Wow, even at ten, she was completely heartless," Rebecca said, shaking her head.

Caroline nodded. "I looked down at my hands first, and they were fine, a little scratched but fine. So, I'm thinking, okay, I'm good, I'm okay, nothing to be upset about. Then I sat down, getting off my knees so that I could look at them. I'd worn a skirt that day, and so my knees had no protection, and both of them were pouring blood."

"And you hate the sight of blood."

"Yep."

"And you started crying harder," Rebecca said as she commiserated with Caroline.

"More like I started wailing," Caroline muttered. "I didn't care that I was too old to be screaming like a toddler having a tantrum, I was bleeding and I wanted everyone to know about it, I guess. They hurt so bad and Reva had started to laugh at me... but then suddenly, Andrew was next to me. He asked me what was wrong, and he looked so concerned, almost... worried, about me, someone he'd never even talked to."

"Ooh... I bet Reva didn't like that one bit," Rebecca crowed.

"No, she didn't. She stood there, telling Andrew it was just a little blood, that I was just a drama queen seeking attention," Caroline said with a sigh.