Scribble

Forgetting the And

First chater of an idea I had called Forgetting the And. The blurb and more book ideas are in the external link. Enjoy! <3

5 years ago

"Elliot!" I shriek as I tumble forward. Unable to stop myself, I fall face-first into the sandbox, poofs of dust flying up and falling back down onto my back. My pink dress is ruined, but I don't care. I struggle up and throw a fistful of sand into my best friend's face, covering it in white powder. Elliot stands there for a second, shocked, then grins, shakes the grit out of his hair and walks toward me slowly.

Realizing what's about to happen, I turn and run. Elliot is close behind, but we both know I'm faster. However, Elliot isn't trying to push me over again. He kneels down and scoops up a handful of dirt and hurls it at the back of my head, coating me with muck.

I squat and pick up some earth of my own. I pull my hand back ready to throw, but a claw-like hand grabs my arm. "Emerson Vallie! What on earth are you doing? You're covered in dirt and sand!" My Sunday school teacher is standing above me, holding the hand that was about to toss mud into Elliot's face.

"I fell, Miss Haymer." My lie must have sounded pretty believable paired with my light brown hair and huge green eyes (out of proportion in my petite face), because she "humphs" and drops my hand. Just then, my mom yells down the street "Elliot!  Emerson! It's snack time!"

We run towards my house, but Elliot slows before we reach it. I walk too, and Elliot whispers to me, "She forgot the 'and'." I giggle and whisper back "Best friends?"

"Best friends."

Elliot and Emerson, best friends.

Now, 7th grade

"Elliot Karr! Emerson Vallie! Get inside my office, now!" The principal's sharp voice and clicking heels make for a pretty imposing sight, but I've seen it often enough that it's not frightening anymore.

Mrs. Atkins sits down across her desk from us and starts talking. "I don't know why, but you two are by far the worst students I have ever met. Not because of your grades; your scores are superb in every class, except one: Science. I know that this is the only one you two have together this year, and I believe that you to in the same classroom have something to do with it. Now, what seems to be the problem?"

I glance at Elliot sitting across the table from me. He's been growing his dark hair out, so it nearly covers his eyes and he flicks it to the side every so often. In some ways, it's almost like he hasn't changed.  But in other ways, he's a whole new person.

"Miss Vallie? What is going on between you two?" 

I pause, staring up at the principal before answering. "Ask Elliot. I don't know." My hair has darkened, but my eyes are still big and emerald-colored and they can still soften anyone's heart. Well, maybe not anyone's but certainly Mrs. Atkins's, because she turns to Elliot and asks "Well, Mr. Karr?"

He glares at her for a while before answering "I don't know, and I don't particularly care."

"Mister Karr, I am the principal of this school and I will not be spoken to in that manner!"

"Whatever," Elliot sighs. He pushes back his chair and announces "I'm out of here."

"Elliot Karr, you take one step out of my office and you will be in detention for the rest of the month!" Mrs. Atkins is almost screeching.

"See if I care." Elliot calls back over his shoulder as he jogs back towards the cafeteria. Mrs. Atkins sinks down into her chair, defeated.

I wait a beat before asking "May I go back to the lunchroom, ma'am?"

She nods yes, and I slip out of my chair and hurry down the hall, hoping I can catch up to Elliot. "What?" He asks when I'm barely next to him.

"I was wondering if you had something to say after science today." 

"You mean after you got mad at me for reading your friend's diary aloud to the class?"

"Um, yeah, that'd be it."

"Come on, Emmy, it was just a joke."

I sigh in frustration. Elliot and I start walking towards the lunch room again. "Elliot, Miriam has been my friend since 3rd grade."

"That's not as long as we've been friends" he points out. It's true. Elliot and I have been best friends since kindergarten when he knocked over my block tower and I responded by smearing Play-doh over his face and shirt. We both had to sit in time-out for 5 minutes, and we both found a new friend.

"True, but could you still try and be nice to her?"

"Me being nice to your best friend? That'd be awkward. You and I hate each other, remember?" I laugh. For the past few years, we've been trying to make people think we're not friends. Ever since Elliot was riled about having a girl best friend by Ryan and a few of his other friends, we've denied that we ever knew each other.

Of course, now people are gossiping about how we had a huge fight a few years back and now won't speak to each other again but that was kind of what we wanted. Girls and boys just aren't best friends at Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts. Here at MESA, we're supposed to let our creativity show, so there's no dress code and there are lots of classes like art and band and lots of study halls. I'm a pianist, and Elliot is an amazing artist. That's how we both got in; I played a song I wrote and Elliot sent in a portfolio of his best work.

However, even though our school is supposed to be open-minded and all that, they really aren't. So, Elliot and I just hang out whenever there's no one else around. Like now. Everyone else is eating lunch. 

We're almost at the cafeteria and Elliot hangs back to let me go in first. Us two going in together would be weird. People think we hate each other, and I'm fine with them believing that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After school that day, Miriam and I walk home. It's Friday, so cookies is the snack.

We rush inside giggling and sit down, our cheeks flushed. I greedily take three cookies and pour a huge glass of milk from the pitcher on the counter. Suddenly Miriam smiles.

"What?" I ask, but with my mouth full it sounds something more like "Wuh?" However, Mir understands.

"I was just thinking that this is like how we used to act in fourth grade, except then Elliot was with us." She glances at my face, which is now hidden by my hair. "Do you ever miss Elliot?"

I almost choke on my food. After two years of "hating" each other, now someone asks this? I gulp down more milk before answering. "No, of course not. I can never forgive him for what he did."

Miriam leaned forward. "What did he do? I mean, it must have been pretty mean."

I shrugged. "I don't even remember, but it was horrid." In actuality, he did nothing and I was just trying to cover up the fact that I had no answers for the questions she was asking me.

I drained my milk and stood up. "C'mon Mir, let's go up to my room." I ran up the stairs, but I still couldn't rid my mind of the thought that if people kept asking question, Elliot and I would be found out. And that was definitely not good.