Another Story that I've been working on...

Susie hid quietly beneath the dingy, blue staircase, listening to the thunderous roar of her fellow classmates’ footsteps passing overhead. As the roar of footsteps slowly faded, Susie let her tears fall once more. How could this have happened? Why would he ignore her? Susie wrapped her clammy hands around her legs, choking back a sob as she buried her tear-stained face into the soft, comforting fabric of her skirt. She should have listened…
“He’s only going to hurt you.” Darryl had told her. “He’s using you. He’s only after one thing.”
“You’re wrong.” Susie argued, even as her voice trembled slightly. “John would never hurt me.”
“What are you thinking? Open your eyes. Do you honestly thing you two are going to stay together after he joins the Navy?”
“I… I think we have a fighting chance.”
“Susie, This isn’t love!” Darryl growled, grabbing Susie by the arms. “It’s infatuation! It’s one-sided.”
“No…it’s not…it’s not.” Susie continued to argue, trying not to cry as she wrenched her arm out of Darryl’s firm grasp. “He loves me.”
“Stop it! Love has to go both ways. It takes equal effort. It’s obvious you’re putting more effort into this relationship than John. His priorities are askew! And if you don’t listen, you are going to learn the hard way. His priorities don’t include you.”
“Susie? Are you okay?” Susie was awakened from her painful memories by a kind hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the kind face of her close friend, Lucy. Susie attempted to plaster a faux smile onto her tear-stained face. “Honey, what’s wrong?” Lucy asked once more.
“Nothing.” Susie answered, though she knew Lucy had heard the tell-tale crack in her voice.
“We missed you during the advisory meeting. Where were you?”
“Here.”
“Why didn’t you come?”
Susie’s poorly acted façade fell away as she began to cry once more. “He… He was there.”
“Honey…” Lucy wrapped her arms around her distressed friend. “Ssh… it’s okay.”
“I don’t even know what I did.” Susie sobbed, letting her friend comfort her.
“Ssh… you didn’t do a darn thing.” Lucy stroked her friend’s dark locks away from her wet face. “He’s a guy. They’re weird. They don’t know how to talk. He’s probably just having a bad day.”
“So, he ignores me?”
“I guess, babe.”
“I’d rather have him yell.”
“You don’t mean that.” Lucy stood and dusted herself off before offering Susie her hand and helping her up.
“Oh, yes I do. At least then I’d know what I did.” Susie replied as Lucy escorted her to history class. “Lu-u-c-y.” Susie whined as they reached the classroom.
“Sweetheart,” Lucy put her arm around her friends shoulder, “Everything is going to be fine. Give him until this afternoon. If he’s being a loserheadface then, I’ll kick his butt!” Lucy giggled as she did a karate kick in the middle of the empty hallway. “And if worse comes to worse, Darryl can get Jose on the job.”
Susie smiled slightly. “Don’t hurt him. And let’s not tell Darryl about this… please?”
“Okie, why not?”
“He’ll NEVER let me live this down.” Susie knocked on the classroom door and Mr. Jones opened the door.
“Um.. Hello girls. A little late today, huh?”
“Just a smidgen.” Lucy gestured with her hands to indicate the small amount of time they had wasted. “It’s just been one of those days, ya know?”
Mr. Jones nodded wisely. “Yea I know.”

Labels: friends, hurt, love, Sincerely, Susie