Heartbroken

Chapter 9:

The weekend was just another typical weekend; Doing all the stuff you didn't want to do on Saturday, and stay home all day Sunday while wishing you could have been doing all the stuff you wanted to do those days. Monday came by and we rehearsed scene 2 and scene 3. Trust me, those scenes were of NO significance. It was just talk talk, blah blah, walk walk. Just another way to make the play longer. Then there was criticism criticism, giggle giggle, vomit vomit. I'm serious, Clarissa was acting as if Prom was her WEDDING.

Maria, Carmen, and I hardly spoke to each other. It was hard to speak to each other when we just met and already Maria was leaving. It was silent during break and we ate quietly during lunch. I guess we just needed another day to take in the facts.

Tuesday came by too slowly, and again we rehearsed scene 2, scene 3, and started on scene 4. Same cycle, talk talk, blah blah, walk walk. Criticism, criticism, giggle giggle, vomit vomit. Break was silent again, but by lunch we couldn't take it.

"I know we just met," Maria said, breaking the silence. "But I feel like you guys are the best friends anyone could've asked for."

"Yeah," Carmen agreed. "Maria, without you, we wouldn't have had three of us." That's all she's got? She looked at us. "Kidding!"

"I agree too," I said. "Not with the three part, but we just met and I feel like already you are a good friend. I'm not saying that because you were my one way ticket to Luke's heart, I'm saying it because it's true."

Silence set in for a few minutes, then Carmen was the first to speak.

"I wanted to ask you something," Carmen said. "You remember that first time we met you? When Clarissa yelled at you in the hallway?" Maria nodded. "Well, what happened, exactly?"

"Yeah," I said, wondering the same. "Why DID she yell at you?"

Maria gave a sigh before answering.

"Clarissa saw me with Luke, and Luke said he loved me. We hugged, awkwardly of course being siblings, and Clarissa cornered me the next day. She started yelling at me, telling me, 'You're not good enough for him,' and 'A sophomore like you would never have a chance with a Junior like him'. She told me to 'back off and stay away from him' and that she 'never wanted to see it happen again."

"Oh," Carmen said nodding. She thought about it and frowned. "Why did that happen in the first place? How did she see you?" She leaned in close, her voice dropping low. "Does she stalk you guys? Is she THAT desperate?"

"No," Maria said. She gave a look between fear and worry. Trust me, I'd be scared like HELL if Clarissa stalked ME!

"She doesn't stalk us," Maria said uncertain. "See, the day BEFORE that, my parents got in an argument about their jobs. My dad had gotten the job in San Diego but my mom didn't want to move. She thought it would be best if we stayed here with her while my dad left for work, but my dad felt that unfair. They left to separate rooms, slamming them. Luke turned to me and said he would be glad if my dad left while we stayed here. I argued with HIM and told him that we should stay with my dad instead of separating the family."

She paused. "He turned away and stared into the distance and the next thing I heard Luke say was, "I don't want to move." I asked him, "Why?" He turned back to me and said, "There's this girl. I really like her and I want to ask her to Prom. Then, I'll ask her out. But I don't want us to move, cause then it'll be too hard to leave."

Maria stopped her explanation and looked at me. "At the time, I was hoping that girl would be really nice. When I saw Clarissa, I thought it wouldn't be her. I thought it COULDN'T be her. When you stood up to her I had a feeling that it just HAD to be you. I was hoping it WAS you but," she sighed. "It turned out to be Clarissa..."

"Anyway, after he said that, we made up. But later on, we had another argument. I can't remember what it was about, but I knew it was very important to us and my parents. Then THAT day, I wouldn't talk to Luke. So he came to me in the hallway and apologized. He told me that he loved me and that he was just thinking about himself and not the family. We hugged and that's when I saw Clarissa in the corner of my eye. I knew to avoid her but she cornered me later that day."

"So," Carmen said. "That's what happened? Wow." I nudged her.

"Well," I said. "It makes sense though. It all comes together.

I felt my water rising in my eyes, and I shook my head.

"But, I can't believe it was her." I whispered. A tear ran down my cheek. "I can't believe it WAS her. I can't believe it was HER..."