How Long is Forever?

*Katherine*:

"Go Kat, have fun. Don't worry, I'll see you when you get home," Chris insisted. I was still hesitant to just leave him sitting alone on his front porch. It was kind of a pathetic picture. "Kat," he said, making me look at him, "Have fun." His eyes made it clear that he was serious. This was exactly why Chris was my best friend. Anyone else would be begging me to stay, Chris never, ever held me back. One day I'd make it up to him. "Be good," I teased him as I jumped down off his porch and headed back to my house.

I knew he'd be good, I was the one who I should've been worried about. "Give me the strength not to strangle any of them tonight," I muttered under my breath. Chris laughed behind me and breathed, "Be strong, be strong." Why did I waste my time with anyone other than Chris?

Hannah was throwing another one of her famous parties. I sighed and ran upstairs to change. Sometimes I wished that I could stay with Chris instead of slipping into little dresses and layering on makeup to go to these parties. I looked at what I'd been wearing all afternoon with Chris. A pair of sweats and a pullover with Minnie Mouse on it. My makeup had been washed off my face hours ago, and my hair was in a thick ponytail. I pulled out my phone and typed up a message to Chris. "If I'm not back by midnight, call the cops :) Seriously though, thank you. See you later. -Kat" A car honked outside. Great, my ride was here.

Ally gushed over my dress, my hair, and everything else. Blah blah blah. I smiled, but only because I had to. "This is going to be amazing!!! I hope Dylan's there. Crap, what if he doesn't like the dress!!!" Ally shrieked. It was hard not to flinch, her voice was so shrill. I looked at her dress, my underwear could've covered more than her lame excuse of a dress. At a time like that, I missed my jeans and hoodies. Was I really supposed to tolerate this all night?

Something I've learned in my time with girls like Ally, is that they're all conceited ass holes. Trust me, I don't belong with these idiots. But hanging out with them protects me. Ally started her car and pulled away from my curb.

When we passed Chris' house, I saw him exactly where I left him, sitting on the dusty porch swing. As I was off to what was supposed to be the bet party ever (according to Ally, at least), Chris was sitting alone in the dark. Guilt rushed over me. As a distraction, I pulled out my phone. Chris had replied. "Don't kill anyone, I don't have money for bail :) If you need a ride, call me." I had a feeling Chris would be getting a call from me within the hour.

*Chris*:

I watched Kat walk slowly away. Most people would be ridiculously excited to be going to a party like that. But not Katherine. She killed time by kicking little stones on the sidewalk. I wanted to stand up and yell after her, "Kat you don't have to go to!" But that'd be selfish, I couldn't hold her back.

This was out weekend routine. She comes over straight after school, and we do everything she'll never do with those other morons, like eat junk food and watch shitty movies. Then she leaves for whatever big party is that weekend. She goes, and hates every minute she's there. She calls me, I pick her up, she comes back to my house. Then I sleep on the couch, and she practically passes out in my bed. It goes the same way every weekend, very predictable.

But I wasn't about to complain.

I'd never been part of Kat's little group. She used to try to convince her "friends" to let me hang out with them, until I told her that was pointless. I was the kind of guy who watched movies in his living room on Friday nights with microwave popcorn, I walk around my house in boxers and dirty socks. It's who I am. I stayed home, while Kat went out. She wasn't made for the life she was living, she never drank and wanted to go home the second she locked the door behind her. Kat was wasting her time with those morons, and she knew it. But she had to do it. I understood that. I knew the real Kat, and that's more than enough.

I realized I was still sitting on my porch swing outside. My eyes ached with a need for sleep. Staying home had its perks, I didn't need to stay up all night with people I hate.

Then again, I was about to fall asleep on a porch swing...I live a thrilling life.

I promised Kat I'd be there to pick her up, so I couldn't miss her call. No way was I going to trust a drunken asshole to drive her home. Turning the volume all the way up on my phone, I laid down and the porch swing creaked under me. Just a few hours, then Kat would be back.

Damn, I love weekends.