The Summer of My Life

10.

HOW MANY BUTT FREAKING TIMES DO I HAVE TO GET SICK IN ONE MONTh I SWEAR

IM AT 400 READS WAHT

ahah @shrutifruti84 said fans are noraddicts

AHAHA YES CREATIVITY

IM SO SORRY PEOPLE UGH thIS TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE IM ON MY PHONE

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I'm sitting at home alone shoving mouthfuls of cereal into my mouth when Becca calls.

"Huwo?" I try to prevent the milk from dripping out of my mouth.

"Have you eaten lunch yet?" she sounds as if she had just woken up. I swallow.

"Does having eight bowls of cereal since I woke up this morning count?" I hear ruffling. Probably getting out of bed. I spoon more crunchy goodness down my throat.

"Meet you at the park at one." she hangs up.

"I didn't even get to finish my bowl!" I whine. There's ten minutes to one. I drag my sorry self up the stairs, trying to get the last bits of my cereal out of my bowl. Ten minutes later, the bowl clatters into the sink and I grab my board. Becca's already there.

"What's up?" I stop my board, picking it up. Becca stands up.

"You're late."

"By like, two minutes!" I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Probably would be early if it was Benedict," she gets up, repositioning her board with her black lace flats. What? She said it coldly, or maybe I was just imagining it. Her voice returned to normal.

"Where are we going?"

"I was surfing the web and I discovered this new place. Café. I wanna try it."

"Sounds good to me." I shrug. "Let me go get some money." So we both go over to my house and grab thirty dollars from my wallet, slipping it into the front pocket of my shorts. I run back downstairs, lugging my board.

"It's about half an hour past the gas station, but I wanted real food without cooking so..." I knew Becca couldn't cook at all. Last time she tried, the police came. I laugh.

"Okay, show me the way," I curtsy to her as we set off. We chat along the way.

"So, what did you do yesterday?" she's slightly ahead of me.

"Nothing really. Volleyball. More cereal."

"Nora, really? I think we need an intervention for you and cereal. There's a problem." I catch up to her, and we're riding side by side.

"Aw, come on, nothing's wrong with cereal. Besides, I beat my new record. Fifteen bowls in a day, compared to the previous twelve." I say, matter-of-factly. Becca sighs and gives up, because, frankly, I am not giving up my cereal. There's a few moments of silence, where neither of us know what to say. Eventually, I just ask her how soccer was.

"Not bad, just been boring lately. Not game season, so just tons of drilling, you know? I hate drilling."

It is then I drop my attempts to talk to her. When we finally get to the café, Becca is intrigued by all the fancy names and the assortments of food you can't get at a gas station. It takes her ten minutes to decide what kind of bread she want on her sandwich.

We sit there eating, our conversation not exactly the most energetic.

"So what about you? Volleyball?" she says, her mouth full of food.

"Same as you. New girl joined. Don't even understand how she got in. No talent whatsoever."

"They were desperate maybe."

"I don't know any other way she could've gotten in besides money."

"Well, is she any good at anything else?"

"Nope. There is not one single thing she is good at except suck. Seems to me she's made purely of suck."

"Mmm," Becca says, chewing. I laugh at her. "What?"

"Noth-ing," I say, clutching my stomach in laughter. I would get a six pack at this point. To be honest, I'm not sure why I was laughing. Becca was just so intrigued by this place, a piece of tomato was everything to her. She groans.

"Okay, if we go back home do you want to stop laughing at me?" she looks seriously irritated.

"I- I- g-uess." I'm still doubled over in maniacal laughter. Heck, people probably thought I was possessed. We set off at a leisurely pace. After a moment, Becca asks me about Benedict.

"I dunno. Normal?"

"Oh, come on, you guys spend every freaking second possible together."

"I'm with you now, aren't I?"

"Because you know Benedict has class."

"Actually, I didn't. How did you find out?" Becca shrugs at this. Was she turning red? I sigh.

"Becca, seriously. We aren't dating, or in love, or anything. Okay? He doesn't like me. No way in hell."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so quick to say that."

"Oh really?" My tone a bit too harsh.

"He doesn't. Ever. Shut. Up. About you." Her voice was steely, sharp, like the teeth of a wolf.

"Oh yeah sure." Now my voice was way too sharp, almost challenging. Becca blew up then.

"Okay seriously. You wanted an exciting summer? So did I. And now that your stupid boyfriend out of a television show has taken over your life, I don't get to spend time with my best friend anymore. How do you think that makes me feel? I stay home all the time, doing nothing, calling you, texting you to no avail. None. You're never even there! The only thing you do is fuckin' talk to Benedict. Do you know how shitty that makes me feel? Do you even care?! Sometimes I wonder. "

"I- " I prostest, but she cuts me off.

"No. No I. All you do is neglect everyone else for your stupid ass boyfriend-"

"NOT MY BOYFRIEND-"

"Whatever the fuck he is okay? Frankly, I could care less. You're a shit friend. Why does Benedict even like you? Why? And why do you sacrifice everything for someone you barely know?"

"Well for starters,"

"NO STARTERS. JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP, NORA. I don't even understand anymore. How often do you even see your parents anymore? How often have you left them to see Benedict? You know they both work. What if one day they both got in a car crash and died? Would you not regret all the times you chose to NOT hang out with them? You're so stupid Nora, I'm just so fucking done." She's tense, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles look like that pale that sliver of moon you see sometimes, against her tan complexion. She pushes off the shimmering sidewalk. Hard.

"Wait! But- "

"No," She says angrily, speeding off, "don't talk to me ever again."

I'm still sobbing when I get home.