F Stands For Forever #JustWriteItChallenge

1. Anika

***Anika***

I always knew Honey to be a bashful, nervous person in front of an audience. That’s exactly why she doesn’t like to show off her art or writing, or brag about her awesome academic skills. But to run away from her valedictorian speech in front of everyone? What was she thinking? She totally deserved that chance to shine and she blew it. Of course. Typical Honey. Always the humble one in our group.

Rolling my eyes I pushed the automatic start button on my key chain and my car roared to life all on its own. Ted said he was going to come to Honey’s house with me, he’s always so worried about our girl, but honestly, he’s probably the last person Honey wants to see, so I sent him back toward his group of jock friends where he was given high-five after high-five.

Without Honey even realizing it I’ve found out her most precious, dire secret. She’s in love with Theodore Adrian Griffin. Always has bee, always will. It’s not like I wanted to find out or anything, but how could I not when she makes it so obvious. To tell the truth, I can’t believe Ted hasn’t figured it out for himself. I know Honey wishes he would; it’s not like she’s going to go out and tell him herself.

I hopped in to my brand new silver Lincoln and drove down Vermont in the direction of Honey’s house. She only lived ten minutes away from school if you take a car, but on that broke down bike of hers it takes almost twenty. I ask her everyday if she wants a ride, but she always turns me down with that gentle smile of hers. Maybe it’s because I usually give Ted a ride, or maybe it’s just because she wants some time alone in the mornings, but she rather ride that bike around everywhere than ride in a car with me. I know it sounds selfish of me, but sometimes I feel just a little neglected. I mean, we’ve been friends since we were eight years old. Is it wrong of me to want to hand out with my best friend?

Honey lived in an alright neighborhood in the part of the city known as Frog town. I don’t know why it’s called that--I think the French settled there or something--but it has had quite the reputation before it became the neighborhood it is today. Crimes left and right, gangs, drug dealers. Some of it still exists, I mean, can it all ever truly go away? But for the most part, the neighborhood is safe, so I don’t worry about Honey at night anymore. Besides, anywhere she’s staying now is much better than where she has stayed at it the past.

She lives in a small green one story, side-by-side duplex that’s not the greatest, but it’s sturdy, cheap, and she keeps it clean enough. I walked up to her door determinedly and knocked. No one came to the door. I knocked again. No answer.

“Ugh! Honey, open up this damn door or I’ll karate-kick it down!” I rang her door bell a thousand times, but when she never came, I stomped down her four stairs and around her house. I knew for a fact that when she’s home she usually always keeps her basement window open. I knelt down on my knees in the back of her house and peered through her tiny window. It was just big enough for me to fit through, but today it was closed. I didn’t even try to push it open. I could see that the hook lock was in place, making it impossible for me to get inside without breaking the window.

I banged on the window. If I peered inside there at just the right angle I could see Honey laying belly and face down on her Harry Potter themed bed. I knew she wasn’t asleep because I saw her put a Ron Weasley pillow over her head.

“Hey. Hey! Don’t ignore me!” I banged even harder on the glass. “I’ll break this window if I have to, Honey, I swear I’ll do it. We have to talk sometime.”

“I don’t want to talk!” She yelled back at me. I could see she has been crying. “Just go away! Leave me alone Niki.”

I sighed and thought about it for a moment. As much as I wanted to talk to her and maybe even console her about today’s disaster, I have to respect her wish for some space. If she wants to sulk in her bedroom for the rest of the day underneath blankets and pillows, I guess I’ll have to let her. There’s nothing I can do about it.