Dear Sarah...

*Before you read this you should know: This is sort of fiction. Some events have happened but most have not. Names have been changed and the letter format is important. I will stop wasting your time now*

Friends forever?

Dear Reader, I thought i would get a little nostalgic this week and tell you about my school friend Sarah. Enjoy

“Friends forever remember?” That phrase. That one singular phrase can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people but for me it means life without the one thing I had thought I would be able to keep forever.

It started in primary school, I was the loud obnoxious kid and you were the quiet kid sitting alone at the back of the room. Against the teachers wishes I walked over from my desk and made my way over to you. Your long blond hair hanging loosely down your back, big blue eyes concentrating on a stick figure you were drawing, your tongue sticking out slightly from concentration. I stuck my grubby paint covered hand out to you and you looked up scared when I coughed. I introduced myself: “My names Abbie what’s you’re’s?” You didn’t reply for a minute your eyes looked unbelievingly at mine.

“S-ar-ah” You stutter quietly. I laugh at your stutter and sit next to you. The other kids are finger painting and making a mess. I ask stupid things like “What’s your favourtist colour?” till we get to know each other. Thinking back on it, I really was a mini investigator in those days. Anyway, we hit it off surprisingly and through all seven years of primary school we were never apart. The teachers found it cute; they thought I was protecting you from the bullies just because you were the quiet one. I used to parade around the playground shouting “I am the great Abbie!” You would just laugh and shake your head.

Secondary school arrived we had managed to get into the same school. However being worse at the whole academic thing I was placed in a different form class from you. We made new friends but we still talked as much. In year ten, I noticed that something was going wrong. You didn’t call as much anymore and you rarely hung out at school. It seemed to me that your new friends seemed more important so I gave you your space. I guess that’s what you wanted. Space.

When Christmas break came in fourth year I was sitting on a bench waiting for my mum to pick me up from school. I had to remove one earphone because it was beginning to crackle. I looked up when I noticed that it had started to lightly snow. You were walking towards me, long blond hair cut into layers and a side fringe. A scarf wrapped around you for warmth. You sit next to me and smile.

“Hey” You say quietly. “I’m sorry that we haven’t talked in a while, friends and school ya know?” You look at me expecting me to believe that that was your excuse and like the sucker I am I do. I smile and laugh.

“It’s ok I guess. I have other friends if you’re busy with yours or whatever” I mumble as I feel you lean in and hug me.

“Abbie. It really was amazing those nine years of non-stop talking I wish we didn’t stop” you say thoughtfully.

“Then why did you” I say sadly.

“I told you already silly” You laugh as you break the hug. Somehow I can’t help but think one of your friends have put you up to this but I want to believe that we can go back to they things were so when you say: “Friends forever?” I can’t help but reply with a smile on my face.

“Yeah, friends forever.”

From that day it lasted a grand total of six months before I found out what your real motives were. Every secret I told you, you reported back to your friends. If I needed help with something you found too easy, you would tell your friends. One day when we were in the courtyard you waved your friends over to us.

“Hey guys, you remember Abbie right?” You say in your usual bubbly tone.

“Oh yea, the ginger freak who has major league daddy issues.” They all snigger including Sarah.

“What? Sarah I-I don’t understand” I mumble

“Of course you wouldn’t. You never were the brightest” Sarah laughs to herself as her and her cronies walked away, leaving me alone on the cold metal bench. I cried that night to my mum, who was just as shocked as I was. I moved on, got better friends and made a name for myself, unlike Sarah who may have gotten a fancy degree and really good a-levels, all she ended up with was a boring desk job which in all fairness pays well but I know she hates it. I like to think of it as payback; she ruined our friendship just because she thought her bitchy friends were better, so I worked hard and ended up getting the job of my dreams, a journalist for a massive newspaper.

I learned three things from my time of being friends with Sarah. One never trust someone who hurt you once when they come back. Don’t pretend a friendship is good when you know you’re just in it for the company and last but not least if a friendship is dead walk away, I know it sounds harsh but believe me, in the long run its better if you do. Make new friends and memories; don’t dwell on the past if it isn’t worth thinking about. Life is short so live it to the full.

Abbie Casey