priorities-2

30

Two Months Later

Carrie calls me for the first time in ages, "Mya!" She says excitedly yet quiet."Carrie!" I gush, "It's been so long! Why are you whispering loudly?" But the line isquiet and I don't know if she's distracted or contemplating telling me something."I think Hunter's cheating," she continues whispering into the phone, only morequietly now.

"Where are you?""I'm outside our bedroom door," she whispers. "I hear noises inside.""You think he's with someone right now?" I ask."Ya," she murmurs. "I'm scared to open the door."I hear it creek open over the line, a gasp, it's hard to tell if it's Carrie or another girl,"It's what you think!" a male voice challenges."Who's she?" Demands Carrie.Scurrying and then a door slams. "Oh my God," Carrie cries to me, "I was right!" A door opens again,"That's what you get if you don't attend to my needs," Hunterarrogantly tells Carrie. Obviously she's not giving him attention from what I interpret."Get away from me," Carrie yells at Hunter not me."Just come to Florida," I say into her ear, "Just come."She doesn't hang up letting me listen in, "We're supposed to be getting married,how could you?""I have needs," Hunter spells it out for her."So you know I'm busy with school and writing, you're just going to stray," shesays to him way more calmly than I would ever be."Why shouldn't I?" There's an intense moment of silence and I'm dying to hearwhat her response will be."So you're punishing me for studying and writing?" She clarifies."Interpret it as you will," he says casually.My own blood is boiling right now, but I don't want to say anything into thereceiver that he will hear.

Carrie is clearly crying, I can hear the other girl, and Hunter. "I don't, please no,"Carrie whimpers, erogenous noises as my imagination gets the best of me, I hang up.Two hours later she calls me back, "He cheated on me," she explains miserably."And that's okay? He can do whatever he wants with whomever he chooses," Iquestion."He made me, he's in control," she explains."What did he make you do?" I ask."I had to watch her please him," she confides."Your' dignity?" I point out. Not that she has any."In the garbage," Carrie admits."Leave him," I advise."I love him, it's my fault. I spend too much time studying and writing. I don't makeenough time for him." she self-blames and believes it, ridiculous! She's never been likethis before. Where's her backbone, she never tolerated guys cheating on her."You're not married to him yet, you can still leave him. You should have chosenBrandon," I tell her."No, I'll make more time for Hunter, then he won't do that anymore," she places theburden on herself."Is that Carrie?" John asks."Yes," I answer. He leaves the house without telling me while I'm on the phone."Bye," I call out after him sarcastically."How's John," she asks."He's okay, he just took off, at least he doesn't do crap like what Hunter does toyou. He does smaller things like bringing the guys over late at night without telling mefirst.""I don't want to talk about it," she sweeps under the rug, "Hunter gave me tickets toSlasher's concert in T.O. because he's going to be in Manchester. Ted can't come, he'sworking, I know it's ridiculous asking you, but do you want to go?"I can't ask John because he left, but I figure why the heck not, it will be fun, "Sure!"We hang up soon after and I book a flight, coincidentally John happens to be playing inCarolina, so I tell him I'm visiting Carrie but I chose to leave out details regarding theconcert we're attending