(This assignment was very strange. 10 years of life in 2 pages, using only sentences with 3 words.)
Ten years old. In seventh grade. On January Twenty-third. I met Tierra. Joanna introduced us. I was mean. I was a clod. She forgave me. An honor student. Bright and charming. Took her SAT’s. And her ACT’s. In eighth grade. She did well. I didn’t try. Grades were poor. Books were better.
She read tarot. I was afraid. Of her, maybe. Of myself, too. I stayed over. Her room, wrecked. I remember once. We made breakfast. Four O’clock AM. Biscuit-wrapped marshmallows, chocolate. Cinnamon donuts, too. We’re health conscious. Her grandparents disapprove. They eat oats. We sugar up. Then crash out. Wake up time. 3 O’clock PM. Our work, trashed. No-one else ate.
Nothing in common. At most, reading. Somehow it worked. We read together. Laughing at Harlequins. We went downtown. Napping at Carnegie. Tucked into corners. Cuddling on mats. Red and blue. Sticking to them. I remember once. We stole Kama-Sutras. Went to McDonalds. “It’s for boys.” She tells me. “To have sex”. Giggled about penetration. Every day, reading. Sci-fi, fantasy, romance. Our friendship grew. Amidst musty leather.
Best friends still. Twelve years old. Went to high-school. Life got messy. We skipped classes. We shop-lifted, too. “I love you”. We would say. “I hate you”. Just as often. I got depressed. I started smoking. She tolerates it. Self-absorbed slacker. I remember once. “Love yourself, now!” She declares, forcefully. I tried, maybe. It didn’t work. I got sick. Sick of school. Sick of life. I was truant. Had a hearing. I quit school. Had my reasons. Took correspondence courses. Didn’t tell anyone. Cleaned my locker. She stayed in.
We watched movies. Indie, Foreign, Comedies. Played video games. But she worked. Got good grades. I wasted time. I remember once. Japanese horror film. Title: “Freeze Me”. Watching for hours. “Institute Benjaminta”, too. It’s incredibly surreal. There we are. Pressed tightly together. On the couch. A 1980’s bigscreen. TV colors bleed. Contrast is high. In summer heat. We sweat, staring. The screen flickers. Talking is unnecessary.
At the Academy. She hates it. She loves it. We never talk. I am lost. Weekends, we hang. Well, sometimes, anyway. I didn’t realize. Summer, she’s depressed. I remember once. We went camping. We came home. Under my desk. She cuts herself. With dull scissors. “What’re you doing?” I ask, terrified. “Trying to die” She says softly. She cries, violently. I don’t understand. Can’t stop it.
At sixteen, now. We almost never talk. Summer again. I am introverted. My life, books. I remember once. She calls me. Almost don’t answer. “I had cupcakes.” She tells me. “Is that bad?” I ask, confused. “So many calories” She is crying. She bikes over. She wants exercise. “Let’s walk, okay?” I don’t respond. “I’ll feel better. …Got a cig?” She asks me. She doesn’t smoke. She is purging. She starves herself. I tell her. “Hey, you’re beautiful.” She doesn’t listen.
Eighteen, looking up. She is better. I think, anyway. I am, maybe. We go out. Breakfast on Saturday. Playing fighting games. We get drunk. I remember once. Before her graduation. We’re up late. People we dislike. Well, they’re twenty-one. We walk home. Arm in arm. Might get caught. We’re not afraid. Cuddled together, close. Twin size bed. “I love you.” I tell her. “Yeah, you, too.” She says. Like old times.
I met someone. I lost him. Our friendship, neglected. I remember once. Evening, over coffee. “I’ll marry him. It could work.” I say, softly. “No, it won’t.” Her pessimistic response. “It’s cute, though.” I was livid. How dare she? She was right. She usually is.
We’re at college. Drinks a lot. She doesn’t care. About grades, people. I remember once. 9 O’clock AM. We’re at breakfast. She’s drunk, again. From last night. She’s acting erratic. Sitting on the sidewalk. Head up my.. Up my skirt. I am embarrassed. “Hey, stop it.” “Why? Everything’s fine.” “Are you drunk?” “Yeah, I am. Tony and I. We partied yesterday.” I am disappointed. We fall apart.
She met someone. Got it together. I met someone. Got good grades. She was jealous. I remember once. After my 4.0. “You work hard. Too much, actually.” Some anger there. “Get a life.” She tells me.
We talk sometimes. I remember once. Not long ago. A grey day. A group of friends. “Mom has cancer. Did you know?” “No, I’m sorry.” I am shocked. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” I call her. After the surgery. I want it. Our friendship returned. To comfort her. How to help? We have changed.
