Alphabet Girl

Chapter 1

"Do you have to go?" she asked.

It was a selfish thing to ask, but she couldn't help it. Eighteen year old Paisley Ashton was helping her best friend, Carrie Geode, pack for the big move. Carrie's dad got a job offer across the country the month before summer began, and she got accepted to this big university that was nearby. Normally, Paisley would be thrilled that Carrie got in seeing how she also applied and still waiting for her letter, but she wasn't feeling it.

Carrie and Paisley had been best friends since the Geodes moved in, and Paisley's dad thought it would be a good idea to invite them over for a barbecue. Paisley was eight at that time, and Carrie was nine. Things between the two girls were awkward at first, but they eventually became inseparable. Their moms would find one girl missing and found in the other's bedroom since their windows were so close together they could sneak into each other's room. They didn't mind their sneaking out seeing how they know where the girls were.

Ten years later, the girls are still the best of friends despite Carrie being one year older than Paisley. They both agreed to attend the same college together if Paisley managed to graduate in her junior year at , but that obviously never happened. Paisley made the mistake of not attending summer school, so she had to make up the credits the hard way: attending her senior year.

Carrie said it wasn't that big a deal; Paisley was still going to be able to make it into the same college. But it was a big deal. Paisley wanted to be with her best friend. She wanted to sleep in the same dorm as her, attend the same classes with her, be the first friend to be introduced to Carrie's boyfriend, and just about feel like they're real sisters instead of best friends. Now that was never going to happen.

"You know I do," Carrie said. She taped one of her "Keep" boxes and pushed the carton toward the other four.

Like any other normal person when the time came to pack, Carrie organized her belongings in four categories: "Keep," "Donate," "Garbage" and "Paisley's Favorites". "Paisley's Favorites" were boxes that held some of the stuff Paisley wanted. Not that she was being greedy or anything. Carrie did say she could have anything she wanted that was hers since Carrie could only take ten boxes with her. Everything excluding the furniture could probably fit in like twenty or more boxes. That girl had a love of clothes and books.

"But do you have go this summer?" Paisley clutched the penguin plushy that was from her waist to her neck big, resting her chin on top of its head.

Carrie pushed her brown hair back. "I have to go this summer because Dad starts in July. The company knows I graduated a week early, so they're expecting him earlier to start." She gave Paisley's foot a comforting squeeze and started sorting through the next pile. "'Sides, doesn't art camp start earlier this year at Rhododendron?"

Both girls were going to major in arts. Carrie loved painting portraits while Paisley enjoyed getting her clothes covered in paint despite her mom's constant complaints. In middle school, Carrie and Paisley were thrilled to hear the school their parents wanted them to attend, Rhododendron Academy for Girls, had an art camp where they got to stay at Willowsmith Academy for Boys, a school that is under the same superintendent as Rhododendron, for two weeks. They automatically agreed to enroll just for the art camp.

"Yeah," Paisley admitted. "Camp won't be the same without you, though."

Carrie's hands started to shake, so she gripped the newest "Keep" box. "School," she slowly said, "won't be the same without you."

Her throat tightened, and Paisley released a breathy laugh. "Come on, Car. Let's not start the waterworks."

The girls stared at each other for a bit, their lips in a tight line. Paisley jumped from the bed to the floor and wrapped her arms around Carrie who returned the hug.

Ever since Paisley found out Carrie was moving, they made an email account, took lots of pictures and videos for Scrapbook, sketched pictures together, and took turns eating dinner and sleeping over each other's houses. They shed their tears, were still shedding some tears, but they always laughed it off at how silly they were acting. Even their moms would joke about how she and Carrie were acting so much like two sisters preparing to go to college. In a way, it did feel like that.

Paisley let go of Carrie and resumed to her spot on the bed while Carrie started to sort through the pile again. "Do you think there will be cute boys at Ridge?" she asked.

"Of course there's gonna be cute boys!" Carrie laughed. "I wouldn't be going if they didn't."

The girls' boys experience were practically ripped from their hands the moment they enrolled into Rhododendron. Save for the occasional events with the Willosmith, Carrie and Paisley had no idea how to talk with boys. They were different with girls in how they acted, ate, talked, treated people. Carrie going to Ridge would give her the boy experience they both wanted, but Paisley still had to wait an entire year.

Carrie pushed the new set of boxes to their piles and stretched. "That, and I'm hoping to become an art teacher sooner."

Her mom was a third grade teacher and had taught Carrie and Paisley. Under her influence, Carrie decided that she wanted to be a teacher. She loved children. She loved art. It was the perfect job for Carrie.

But the not so perfect job for Paisley. Children never liked her. She couldn't teach someone anything even if her life was on the line. Instead, Paisley just wanted to become a famous painter and have her own art museum like her all time favorite painter Denise Amalgam. Unlike normal painters, though, Paisley wanted to remain anonymous. Her paintings would be exposed, but her identity wouldn't. Carrie thought her plan was a good idea and would support her all the way. And Paisley would support Carrie with her dream to become a teacher. Even if she was moving.

"Are you done yet?"

Half the room was already put away in boxes, but the closet still needed to be sorted as well as the side with her bed. There was still a lot to do, and they had to be done by July first. Carrie was supposed to be sorting from April to June twenty-fifth, but she got busy with her schoolwork, graduating, and being with Paisley.

Carrie rested her head on the bed and smiled up at Paisley. "We can take a break." Real meaning: "Let's stop here and go out for dinner."

"Sounds good to me." Paisley climbed off the bed while Carrie opened her window, and she jumped over, Paisley followed close behind. Doors were overrated.