My Best Friend

Growing Up

Mindy wrapped her arms around her schoolbooks. Luda Mae meant it when she said Thomas wasn't going back to school. He dropped out of school and never returned. School just wasn't the same without him. Mindy spent her school days alone with no friends. After that incident with Jesse and his friends, she was branded as the "Hewitt bitch".

Mindy was now 17 and in her final year of high school. She hated everyone there: Jesse's friends, the girls who whispered behind her back. Mama and Jeremy paid her no mind, they were happy with Mindy's half-sister, Francis.

Thomas and Mindy continued to be friends in all the years they were apart. She would go to his house and see him every weekend when she wasn't busy with school. He would continue to give her art lessons like he promised. The more Mindy and Thomas saw each other, the more they fell in love with each other. He watched as she grew more beautiful from a girl to a woman. Not once was she ever mean to him or stopped seeing him for anything else. Thomas' love for her grew stronger as they grew up.

Mindy's feelings for Thomas grew as well. She only liked him when they were kids, but now that they were teenagers, she was feeling something more for him. Thomas' hair grew long til it reached his shoulders. His body grew stronger and a little buffer, probably from working around home. He continued to hide his face with a leather mask that he only took off for Mindy. His deep brown eyes remained the same which always drew her in for a kiss. Mindy never told anyone, but she knew she was in love with Thomas.

----------------------------------

"Tommy!" Luda Mae called. "Tommy, Mindy's here!"

She hugged Mindy as Thomas came running.

"How are you, dear? You doing good in school?"

"I suppose", Mindy sighed. "It's just not the same without Tommy."

"I'm sorry, but you know I had to do what was best to protect my boy."

Thomas ran toward Mindy and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Hi, Tommy!" she said. "I've missed you."

He pointed at himself and then at her as if to say "I missed you." Mindy untied the leather mask from the back of his head and leaned in for a kiss. He pulled her upstairs where they picked up pencils and paper to start drawing.

"How are things around here?" Mindy asked.

Thomas shrugged. Same old, same old. Nothing new happening.

"Same here", she said. "I'm almost done in school you know. I don't know what I'll be doing after I graduate. What'll you be doing?"

He turned the pages of his sketchbook to show her one of his drawings.

"The meat factory? You're going to work there?"

Thomas nodded. Mindy sighed.

"So, you already have a job. You'll be too busy for me then."

He shook his head. He pointed at her and then at himself. He pointed at the picture and hugged her.

"You want me to work at the factory too?"

He nodded.

"That way we'll be working together and always be together?"

He nodded again. Mindy smiled as she kissed his cheek.

"You're so smart, Tommy. I never would've thought of that!"

Thomas smiled as he turned the pages to show her his drawing of the house. He pointed at her and at the drawing.

"What are you saying now?" she asked.

He pointed at her again and the drawing again.

"You... want me... to live here?"

Thomas nodded excitedly.