Sarah On Life

Tia - On Joining the Chess Team

Tia - On Joining the Chess Team

So, it's not like I don't love Sarah crazy amounts... but this is all just going a bit too far. Joining the chess team is social suicide, and I've already put myself out there way too often, for way too long, to have her ruin it all. Especially for a few dweebs and a couple archaic strategy sequences.

Okay, I sound like a bitch.

Sorry about that.

The thing is, I really am happy for her. I'm happy for her success and for her resolve, it's just... it's just that I'm also scared that she's missing out. On life, on fun, on parties. On being a teenager. I know that somehow she feels the same way about me, as though I shouldn't be 'wasting' my life on Nato, but he is my life right now. This is life.

My name is Charlotte. My friends call me Tia.

I'm just a little bit dramatic.

~*~ 

Sarah took one more step away from the rusting school shelter, agitated. The flaking red metal, thrown about by the wild, stinging wind and forty degree heat, did not go unnoticed. Though I was tired, however, the decided lack of sleep and comfort was pushed to the back of my mind. While our arguments had usually calmed down by the ten minute mark, I knew I would convince her eventually. She was my friend. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

Would pleading work?

"Sare, I'm going to ask you just one last time. Please, please don't do this!"

"Tia, I'm going to tell you one last time. I have to! For my mum!"  

Your mum is dead.

"But you don't even know she played! One musty old photograph in one musty old box does not a lifetime make, Sarah!"

Silence. Nothing had gotten through until then. I could see it in her face. Though her long blonde hair continued to be blown about by the wind, her face and body, her beautifully murky blue eyes, stayed rigid. The comment had frozen her. Maybe I had gone too far.

"Don't you get it? Are you that mentally deficient? -"

Yep. Too far.

"You have no idea, do you?" Sarah continued in a rage, on a roll now, completely unfrozen. Her hair thrashed around in the wind like some kind of furious goddess. "This is All. I. Have. I'm sorry if I want to be somebody, do something! I'm sorry if I occasionally want to challenge myself, and if a deadbeat boyfriend isn't enough for me!"

"Don't you dare bring him into this." I hissed, acidly.

"When you started messing with my life, you opened a two way door T." Sarah stopped, looking down for a moment, as she regained composure. At least one of us had, I suppose.

"I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do."

"Sare, I just don't know..." I replied quietly, still unsure. Teenagers could be cruel; and that wasn't something I wanted for her.

"I'll come to your deb?" She replied, hopefully.

What. A. Bitch. She had quite possibly agreed to the one thing in the world that would have gotten me to reconsider, and she knew it. The debutante ball was a huge deal around these parts; a traditional 'coming-out' for the girls. It was meant to be symbolic of the transition into womanhood, or something. All I knew was that there was a dance, a huge party and a pretty dress. What more could a girl want? Of course Sarah never relinquished her delight in telling me-

"Please. I know you just think it's some archaic sexist-type tradition. I honestly don't know if I even want you there."

Sarah sighed; we were both tired. "You do. I'm your friend, and I know how much it means to you".

For a moment there was silence, as each player waited for the other to break first. Of course, as ever, that player was me. "Blarg! Fine! Alright!"

Sarah was elated. "Eeee! I knew it! Thank-you so much T! I'll even sit through the whole presentation without gagging! I promise!"

"Oh, wow. Thanks." I grinned; at this point almost abusing sarcasm. But whatever. Sarah gave one last full wattage, bulb-lit smile before hugging me and setting off for the library. Apparently the first meeting started immediately... either that or she had some unfinished debating business. Or was it was mock trial season?

Hmm... Either way, it gave me time to go find Nato.

I waved at my best friend's retreating figure, then turned around the school oval, scoping out the area. As luck would have it, in a matter of moments I found the 'man-buds', the group of guys that Sarah and I hung out with most often. To be honest, I didn't see the appeal for her. I'd often suggested that we find some other group to hang with, maybe one a little more female, but she'd refused. I suppose she was probably right. At least with the guys you didn't have to worry about  coming to school wearing the same outfit. Well, except maybe for Luke. But then, you always had to keep an eye on Luke.