Forever (Original)

Forever [14: Dear Maria, Count Me In]

Mmkay, so unlike usual, the update is at the beginning. So I know that this chapter is really, really short, but I haven't really been able to get anything done theses past few weeks. I'm now back at school, juggling three stories, still going to church on Wednesdays, and having to deal with some of the stupidest drama a 13-year-old girl has too put up with. Thank goodness I don't have a boyfriend right now, or I would be dead by now and you wouldn't have anyone to update your beloved story (jk bro lol). And if you think that's not much to juggle, go rain on someone elses parade because you have no clue what kind of douchebags, idiots, and rumors that I have to put up with eight hours a day. I imagine PRISONS that are better than this.

PS. Not posting until five votes ;3

~x~

Forever: Dear Maria, Count Me In

“She’s so stuck up.”

Maria stopped, hearing the hushed whispers of a few other sophomore girls in library. They sat huddled at a table and though they tried to keep quiet, they failed horribly at it. She kept still, listening to their conversation, concealed behind a shelf full of books.

“I know!” hissed the voice of Lucille Thompson, a frail, but pretty blond girl with sadly a large mouth for gossip. “It’s like she thinks that she’s the only one affected by Will’s death.”

“Is that really what it seems like?” said the first voice, which Maria couldn’t recognize. “She acts like it never happened.”

“I bet she never even cared about him,” scoffed the unmistakable redhead Kirsten. “And she acted like they were best friends! Please! She probably just pretended for popularity!”

“Exactly!” Lucille squealed, but was shushed by the other three girls in the group.

“You guys,” came basketball star Megan Tanner.  “Maybe she’s in denial. She could be just grieving, but just not getting moody. I mean, you guys heard what she said at the funeral.”

“I’ve known Maria for years,” Kirsten whispered. “Half the things that come out of her mouth are just random babbling.”

At that moment, Alex came up behind Maria and said cheerfully, “Hi, Maria.”

Jumping back, she hit the shelf and knocked a few books onto the floor.

“Maria?”

“Do you think she heard –?”

“Shut up, Lucy!”

Picking up the books quickly and putting them back into their place, Maria wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks and rushed from the library. Alex stood there, dumbfounded, as she ran from the scene. Out in the hall, she got out of the door when she slammed into a female figure.

“Maria?” Brookelle exclaimed. “What’s wrong?”

Tears refilled Maria’s eyes and gushed out as she sobbed quietly.

“Oh, dear,” muttered Brookelle, who took Maria’s hand and led her through the halls blindly. She heard the sound of a door shutting silently and felt Brookelle let go of her hand.

Wiping her eyes, Maria peered around the white-tiled bathroom and sniffled.

“What happened?” asked Brookelle, taking a paper towel and wetting it under the facet. She turned back to Maria and gently wiped under her puffy eyes and down her flushed cheeks.

“Th-they think I didn’t care about Will,” Maria said in a watery voice. “Lucille, K-Kirsten, and them. They said that I probably was never really his friend. That I was his friend for popularity.”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” Brookelle exclaimed, causing Maria to jump. “Why do you listen to what they say? You know it’s not true.”

“I’m sorry,” groaned Maria, her eyes welling with tears again as she grasped her hair close to the root and yanked as hard as she could.

“Stop it,” Brookelle cried, prying Maria’s hands away from her head. “You’re not doing anyone any good by making yourself bald!”

“I bet Kirsten would be pleased,” Maria muttered darkly. Then her eyes widened and she burst into tears once again. “She was one of my best friends! And then she turned her back on me just because I got mad that she was worrying about me. I’m so bloody stupid!” She leaned against the wall and buried her face in her hands.

“You’re not stupid, you’re human,” said Brookelle. “Not everyone needs someone worrying about them, and you’re one of them. Trust me, she’ll come around eventually.”

“That’s not very likely,” Maria murmured as Brookelle wiped down her face once more.

~x~

“So,” said Jane, her face unusually stern.

“So,” Maria repeated, staring at her friend with a bewildered expression. She shifted in her seat nervously. The city library that was usually surprisingly comforting for her was now eerie to her and the silence seemed deafening.

“There are two things I would like to discuss,” Jane stated, brown eyes wide and blank.

“Um, okay then.”

“Brook told me about Kirsten and the other girls,” said Jane.

“That’s lovely,” Maria grunted hollowly.

“Maria, don’t listen to them. They’re just being stupid.”

Silently, Maria packed up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

“I’m going home,” she said before standing and turning on her heel.

“Wait, Maria –!”

But she was already walking towards the door and exiting the building. The moment she was outside, she came face-to-face with the last person she wanted to see.

Sean just smiled at her and went into the library.

What the… Maria thought, still standing there a moment later, completely bewildered. He just… But he always… What? She hadn’t even noticed that she had started to walk again until she slammed straight into someone.

“Oh!” she said as she fell to the ground. “Why does this keep happening to me?”

“Why does what keep happening to you?” chortled a male voice above her. Ian reached his hand out to her and helped her to her feet.

“I always run into people at this stupid crosswalk,” she exclaimed. “Literally… Although, I guess that’s not an entirely bad thing as this is where I first met Nigel.”

Ian raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re that Maria?”

“What do you mean?” Maria looked up to see a thoughtful look on his face.

“Well, it’s just that two years ago, Nigel kind of went a bit head over heels for a girl he met at a crosswalk. We tried to get him out of if; since we kind of figured he’d never see her again. But then, here you are.” He gave her an amused look. The pair had begun to walk away from the crosswalk, and towards the park, which happened to be next to the library. “And he’s still as crazy for you as he was back all that time ago.”

Maria didn’t say anything as she crossed the green grass to the jungle gym, Ian not far behind. With his help, she climbed to the top and settled herself into a safe position, Ian next to her.

“I think there was a time in those two years that I felt like I could’ve liked Nigel,” she admitted. “But there was the issue of me not knowing who he was or where he’d gone to that day. After a while, I figured that I’d never see him and just… moved on.” Maria started at the blue sky, the memories of the days where she would just come to the library to see if she could catch a glimpse of the boy again replaying in her head. “But now that I actually know him… I don’t think that I can deny that I’m head over heels for him. And I don’t know why.”

Ian smiled at her, and then also looked at the sky. “When you two get married, who do you think Nigel will want to be his best man?”

Maria just sighed.

© 2011 Sean Thornton