bethofthewild
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Childhood Friends Ch.1
🕑 Added 2022-08-23 05:30:54 +0000 UTC“You sure you got everything?” Sarah’s mom asked for the tenth time.
“Mom, yes, it’s fine!” Sarah said. “I’m not even planning to stay with you for that long. Worst case scenario if I forget a toothbrush or something is just buying a new one at CVS or whatever.”
“But you did pack a toothbrush, right?”
Sarah resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, mom.”
“And everything’s in the minivan?”
“Again, yes!”
Her mom looked hurt. “I’m just trying to make sure we’re all ready to go. You don’t need to snap at me. Did you make sure the stove is off? Did you take the trash out? You don’t want it to smell when you get back.”
“I’ll take the trash out now. I wanted to make sure it was only one trip. Then we can get going, yeah?”
After returning from the dumpster and double-checking all the things that her mom seemed to have irrational anxiety about, Sarah made sure all the lights were off and then locked up before joining her mom in the front passenger seat of her Toyota Sienna.
After a few minutes of driving in silence, her mom seemed to suddenly decide it was conversation time. “So… do you think you’ll be going back next semester?”
“I don’t know, mom,” Sarah muttered. “Depends how I feel by then, I guess.”
“I thought we had dealt with this issue,” her mom said. “I mean, you’ve been going to therapy for years. Is it not working?”
“That’s not how therapy works, mom. You don’t just go for a bit and then you’re suddenly not depressed. It’s better than in high school, at least.”
“I just wish I could do something to make you feel okay,” her mom said. “Anyway, are you planning to see any of your high school friends while you’re back in town?”
“Well, a lot of them are off at college, or we haven’t really been in contact, or I don’t even want to interact with them.”
“Ah. That’s a shame,” her mom said.
Sarah yawned and slumped down further in her seat. “Sorry, but I think I’m a little behind on sleep. Might try to take a nap now, if that’s okay.”
“Of course!” her mom said. “Get some rest.”
Sarah closed her eyes and made a conscious effort to slow her breathing. After a few minutes, she drifted off to sleep.
***
“Sarah? We’re here.”
Sarah blearily opened her eyes, seeing her mom leaning over her. For a moment she thought she was back in high school being woken up in the morning, before she remembered that she was in a car.
Looking around, it was almost sundown, with gold-orange light casting long shadows from all the trees planted along the wide suburban street. “Oh, I was out for a while,” Sarah said.
“You want to help me unload?” her mom asked.
“Uh, yeah, sure.” Sarah creakily boosted herself to her feet, her butt a bit sore after hours of sitting. She stretched for a moment before heading around to the back of the car and pulling out her big rolling luggage.
A few minutes later, her stuff was inside and she was sitting at the kitchen table and eating some leftover pasta and sauce that her mom had insisted on microwaving for her.
After she’d emptied the bowl, she turned to her mom. “Is Sam home right now?”
Her mom shrugged. “No, I think he’s out with friends, even though he knew we’d be getting back tonight. He’s going through that phase, you know?”
“Yeah,” Sarah said noncommittally.
“I washed the sheets in your old room, so the bed should be ready whenever you want to use it.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Sarah said. “I might go lie down, actually.”
“Alright. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“I will!” Sarah said before heading upstairs. Secretly, instead of sleeping, her plan was to lie in bed half under the covers and watch random videos on her phone.
Instead, she ended up accidentally falling asleep halfway through a video about pyramid schemes.
***
Sarah awkwardly looked around the grocery store, irrationally afraid that she would run into someone from high school and they would somehow know what a failure she’d been in life since then.
A really unusually tall girl–she must have been about 6’3”--caught her eye as it skimmed past. Looked like she was one of the cashiers. Something about her felt vaguely familiar, but Sarah couldn’t quite pin it down. To be honest, she’d probably have remembered a girl like this, because she was absolutely her type. Reminded her of the other main character in that Kristen Stewart lesbian Christmas romcom. The one who was also in San Junipero. Whatever that actresses’ name was.
“Anything you need?” her mom asked her, jolting her out of her vague, gay thoughts. “There’s a sale on ice cream if you want.”
“Mom, you already have several containers at home.”
“But it’s on sale! And I’m worried you keep losing weight. Didn’t the doctor tell you to eat more?”
“That was like two years ago, Mom. And I’ve been trying. I’m just not very hungry most of the time. But I eat enough. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“If you’re sure…” her mom said. “Do you want any tea? I don’t think I have any at home.”
“Sure, Mom,” Sarah said. “That would be nice. Thanks.”
***
It was just her luck that her mom picked the checkout aisle with the hot cashier. She was probably imagining it, but she could swear the girl was staring at her. As she scanned a carton of ice cream, she seemed to have a sudden epiphany. “Sarah?”
“Uh, hi,” Sarah said, feeling incredibly awkward that she didn’t remember this girl or her name. “How, uh… how have you been?”
The girl shrugged. “Eh. I mean, better than I used to be, you know? Can’t say this was my dream job but it pays the bills.”
Sarah suddenly realized that, thank god, the girl was wearing a little employee badge with her name on it. Olivia. Cute name.
“Oh, did you go to East High?” Sarah’s mom asked. “Maybe I know your parents.”
“Ah, no, I ended up at a different high school. But Sarah and I had the pleasure of suffering through middle school together.”
Sarah had to make a concerted effort to avoid entering panic mode. This kind of social situation was her worst nightmare. This girl clearly remembered all about Sarah, but Sarah didn’t remember her at all.
She racked her brains trying to remember any middle school friends who had gone off to a different high school. There was mostly just one, and he…
Slowly, her idiot brain figured out the situation. This girl was, uh… her first (and only) boyfriend.
***
