Carolyn

A pair of cold hands covered my eyes, a fake high pitched voice half whispered in my ear.
"Guess who?"
"God damn it Andy," I laughed and turned to face him. "You always do this" I laughed at his annoyed expression.
"Happy birthday you jerk." He fake pouted, holding out a lip ring, one matching the one resting on the right side of his face. We got them done almost a year ago for his 16th birthday. His on the right mine in the left.
I instantly took out my old gray stud I've had for months and put in the black ring, putting the old one in my pocket. I smiled, liking the way it feels. "Thank you Andrew" I hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. "You're the best"
The bell rang for us to go to home room, we parted ways as I made my self go to class. On the way Josh, one of the "popular" kids at school pushed me against the wall. "Hey Carolyn," he started. "You have a thing on your face." He poked my new lip ring.
I pushed him off me, the stupid bastard never wasn't drunk. He followed me to class and sat down next to me. "What do you a want Josh?"
"You're so pretty.." He was slurring his words. He leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. "One day Carolyn, you're going to be mine." And with that he stumbled out the door before the teacher sent him out.
--
The rest of the day went by the same, kinda. No one but Andrew or Josh talked to me. But I could tell Andrew wanted to say something. "Hey dude, what's wrong?" We had just walked into his little house.
"I'll tell you later," he paused. "I don't want to ruin your birthday."
"Andrew, you can tell me. I don't care if it's my birthday. Tell me what's wrong." I was getting scared now, but I didn't let it show.
"I'm dropping out." He looked away.
"Why?"
"I want to start a band. And the two people live in LA and we had been talking about it and they said they would start one with me. But I had to go down there.." He was rushing out his words to me.
"But you only have like 4 more months, can't yo-"
"I'm super behind on Credits Carolyn." He was getting angry. It would take me over a year to catch up to what I'm suppose to me at now. Please you're my best friend, I thought maybe you'd be happy. It's my dream to do this, I can't back out of this."
"When are you leaving?"
"This weekend."
"What? Why didn't you say anything before now!?"
"I just found out yesterday, we still have a few days until I leave Cary." He hasn't used my nick name in years.
I could tell this is what he wanted. He wasn't ever going to get big in a little town in the middle of no where. "Okay Andy.."
--
It was already Saturday and Andrews flight was in only 2 hours. We are sitting in and old tree house in my front yard. We didn't say anything, I mean what could you say to your childhood friend that was leaving?
I leaned over, kissed him on the cheek. He looked up surprised. His bright blue eyes were swimming with emotion. "Andy I-" he grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss. It wasn't a long kiss, it wasn't even that romantic. Our noses crashed together, when he pulled away it felt like it was broken.
"I had to do that, I needed to know before I left." He jumped from the tree, and walked down the street to his house. I could see his mom waiting outside.
"Goodbye Andrew.."
--
After Andrew left life became more hectic, Josh thought it was okay to feel me up and try to kiss me. Although I did start to hang out with him more, smoking and drinking threw my last year and a half of high school.
On graduation day my mom kicked me out, so I moved in with Josh who had graduated a year before. I live with Josh still, but he's gotten more and more abusive over the year. When I was 21 I got knocked up, which made him stop for a while, but soon after the baby was born he hit me again. Many times I've taken a beating so Alice, our daughter, wouldn't get hit.
But I'm 22 now, Alice is turning 3 months next Thursday, but every now and then I see the light in Josh's blue eyes, ones that make me want to run as far away as I can.
They're the same look my father use to give to me. The look to pure hatred.

Notes