A Ride With Friends

by Miguel Taylor

his life for him. It's his choice. You need to accept it and stay out of it. He is still our friend,” Charlie said soothingly.

  “If you were a real friend you wouldn’t let him throw away his life!” I yelled.

  Colin stood there impassive as usual, not wanting to take sides. Charlie was turning red. Tears streamed down her face. I was so angry at him for being so stupid, but I took my anger out on Charlie. She was in tears and the two of them just stared at me as they consoled her. This was our first argument, and our last as a couple.

  “I'm sorry Charlie. I'm not angry with you. I'm just upset at Scott,” I tried to explain.

  She wouldn’t even talk to me.

  “I think you should leave,” Scott said.

  I took one look at the hurt and anger on Charlie's tear stained face, turned away and left her to be consoled by someone else.

  The sound of Charlie crying had hurt me more than anything else, and that night I got the call I was dreading. I had been trying to call her to apologize all day, but she didn't answer. “Mike, I think we should just be friends,” Charlie said curtly.

  “I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean any of it!” I pleaded.

  “I know you didn't mean it, but that doesn't take away the hurt I felt. I just think it would be better if we weren't together,” she said.

  “But why?” I asked.

  “I saw a different side of you today. A side I have never seen before. I don't like it. I am a real friend and have been to all of you since we were in kindergarten. I have always supported everything you guys wanted to do. I asked you to be supportive of Scott today and you ripped my head off for it. He doesn't want to go back to school. He may regret it some day and he'll need his real friends to support him then too,” Charlie finished.

  “You're right, I know it now. I just wasn't thinking at the time. I'm sorry.”

  “Boys rarely think that far ahead. So like I said, we should just be friends,” she offered.

  “Please give me one more chance,” I begged.

  “I'm so sorry Mike. I don't see us being anything more than friends, ever. Good bye Mike.”

  “Okay, friends! I'll see you around then I guess. I lo... I mean good bye,” I told her for the last time that summer.

  School started awkwardly with me and Charlie and Colin in a couple of classes together. It was like we were divorced parents and Colin was our son being torn between two houses. He had his girlfriend to fall back on for support. She advised him to stay out of what was going on between me and Charlie. He just wanted it to be like it was before when we were all friends. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. We were civil in front of Colin, but Charlie wouldn’t even look my way if he wasn’t around.

  We didn’t see Scott much at all after that. He and I didn’t speak at all. I was still mad at him for dropping out of school with a year left. Second semester came colder than ever. Charlie’s birthday was in January so I sent her a birthday card, just one that I made on my computer. Just a way to say I was sorry without having to say it.

  “To Charlie one of the best friends I have ever had.” Love Mike.

  After that she began to talk to me more which made Colin happy, but not as happy as I was. I thought I might have a chance at getting her back. We were hanging out together more at school again. Colin was stressing over every homework assignment and test, studying way more than he should have. As it started to creep closer to Valentine's Day I started to think about the prom. I worked up the courage to ask Charlie to go with me. She said she seriously had to think about it. I felt defeated. Other guys had been trying to talk to Charlie since we had broken up. I wanted to beat those guys like Scott had beaten Rick and Todd last year. Deep down I knew she would totally disapprove of such barbaric behavior. I still remember the chastising she gave Scott when he finally got home after the fight he had at school. I had hoped at the time that she wouldn’t get that mad at me. Later on I found I wish she had. When we broke up (or rather when she broke up with me) it was because I hurt her, not because she was mad. I was still hopeful she would come to prom with me. Until that one day she didn’t meet me and Colin for lunch. I asked if he knew where she was, but he shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his peanut butter and banana sandwich. I got up from the table.

  What a mistake that was! I walked out front and there was Charlie getting out of some guy's car. She wore one of the most beautiful smiles I had ever seen. A smile she had shared only with me in the past. I quickly turned back into the school before she could see me. I went back to the cafeteria with Colin and his girlfriend Tracy and sat down, breathing hard. They could see how flustered I was. They asked what was wrong, but I said nothing. Just then Charlie floated in, looking angelic as usual. I could see whoever she was talking to and whatever they were talking about had made her extremely happy. I took this opportunity to ask about prom again. That smile faded away from her face like water from a windshield on a hot sunny day.

  “So what about us and the prom Charlie?”

  “I'm still weighing my options. But I will let you know,” she said.

  “I just need to know what colors you are planning on wearing.” I knew I was pushing it.

  “I haven't really thought about it,” Her tone let me know I had gone far enough.

  I sulked for the rest of the day. Valentine’s Day came and I bought her some flowers and a card and had them delivered to the school. I still wondered who the mystery guy was in that car. She thanked me for them and gave me a kiss on my cheek. I melted like a snowman in July. I was elated the rest of the day until it was time to go home. Charlie’s fourth period class was closer to the student parking lot than mine was. As I exited the building among the throng of people bustling around me or in my way I just did see her get into that car with the flowers I gave her. I couldn’t see the driver. I went by her house on my way home. The car wasn’t there, so I assumed she wasn’t but I knocked anyway. To my surprise she came out and sat with me on the porch. “Did you like the flowers?” I asked.

  “Yes I did thank you. That was very sweet,” she said leaning over and giving me a peck on the cheek.

  We heard the phone ring in the house. Her mother came out. “Oh, hi Mike.”

  “Hi Mrs. Parker.”

  “Charlotte the phone is for you, it's..........”

  “Okay Mom! I'll be in. Tell them to wait!” she said hurriedly.

  By the beet red color of her face I could tell she did not want me to know who her mystery caller was.

  “I have to go Mike,” Charlie said.

  “I have to go anyway. I have a lot of homework,” I lied.

  “Okay. See you later,” Charlie said, heading in the house to get the phone.

  Charlie was more secretive now. I had a feeling that the others knew something I didn’t. Even Tracy seemed to be in on whatever was going on.

  Prom was getting closer and I felt I couldn’t wait much longer. If I wasn’t going to prom with Charlie then I wouldn’t be going at all. I couldn’t stand seeing my Charlie with another guy. I went to her house and the mystery car was in the driveway. I knocked on the door, and when I said it was me, she half opened the door, just enough room for her to squeeze out. I assumed she didn’t want me to know who was there, but I asked her about prom.

  “Have you thought about us going to the prom?”

  “I haven't really decided yet, but I am close,” she said.

  Then against my better judgment, I asked whose car was in her driveway.

  “I see you have company.”

  “That's none of your concern.”

  “Fair enough.”

  I didn’t want to upset her anymore than I already had. Then the door opened. Her mother wanted to know if I would be joining them and Scott for dinner. Scott, not “our” Scott? It couldn’t be! Not with my Charlie. But the look on Charlie’s face said it all. I could tell she was infuriated with her mother. Her mother knew she had said something she shouldn
’t have and slunk back into the house.

  “Our Scott?” I asked.

  She turned away and looked down at the porch.

  “Are you going to answer me!” I asked angrily.

  I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to kill Scott right then. He must have known something was wrong because he came outside.

  “Charlie is the type of girl you search your whole life for. I guess I should have seen this coming,” was all I could say before turning to walk away.

  “Wait Mike, listen, I’m here because…” he began.

  “Because he is the one I’m going to prom with. Not you,” Charlie finished for him. I turned and saw the surprised look on his face. But not Charlie’s. She looked at me with contempt. It hurt worse than anything she could have said or done. The next day at school there was a significant paradigm shift. Colin again had to decide if he was going to live with “mom or dad.” He hated this more than anything. He had been happier the last few months than he had ever been. He almost seemed even happier the last couple of weeks, like he was when we were all together. I made the custody battle very easy for him to go and live with “mom.” I couldn’t stand to be around Charlie, not because I hated the sight of her, but because I loved her so much. I felt that my love for Charlie was a love that an old married couple had, an eternal unbreakable bond that unlike energy could be created but not destroyed. Scott was standing in the way of that. I cornered the good Colin in the hall in between classes