"Promise we'll be friends forever?!" The same voice that I never thought I would forget. "I promise, Ariel." This same dream, has been haunting me for a month. I want to escape it but I can't, I want to know how it happened. Every time I think of her, I must think where it went wrong, but I don't think it ever went wrong, and today I'm going to do something about it.
One month ago today, the cherry blossoms are falling, its warm outside, the sun beating down on my pale skin. I always used to be tan but this year is different, I didn't go outside this break. Ariel, where are you? I thought to myself, recalling our memories. I met her when I was 3, I was playing in a little sand pit at a public park, and this little girl who looked the same age as me came over. "Can I play with you?" She smiled, her two front teeth missing leaving. "Sure." I replied. Just like this, we instantly became friends, I learned the girl lived rather close.
Our parents would always let us play together, when we got older we would always meet up, up to middle school, we spent every day together, during and after school, during break we always hung out.
Before high school started I found myself falling in love with her, I don't know why, but I felt like she was always there, we were a part of each other's lives for good. That's what I thought at least, this summer, she didn't answer any of my texts. When I went to her house in person her parents said she wasn't around.
But now, it's the first day of school again, and I get to see and speak to her again, or so at least I thought so.
I began my way to school, I recognized a familiar face, "Cody?" I shouted out to a skinny, white haired man. The man looked back, "Luke? Holy shit it really is you!"
Cody, a friend I met during second year a long time ago, although we rarely speak outside of school, he is still one of best friends. He runs over towards me and reaches his arms out for a hug. I move to the side, tripping him, "You know I don't do hugs."
"Aww, not even after not seeing me all this time?" He looks at me with puppy eyes, "Did Ariel make you sick of hugs?" He doesn't know about Ariel yet.
"No, actually, I haven't heard from her all break." He stands up and gives a face of shock, "Really? I thought you two were inseparable. What the hell happened?"
"I don't know really, I tried calling her, texting her, even going to her house. It all failed, I honestly shut myself in all break, I didn't go out at all, she was my only reason to leave my house." Cody looks at me with slight concern.
"Luke, do you remember Dawson?" Dawson. A name I hate hearing and hate remembering. He was a guy who used to bully Cody, Cody is quite petite, and has a feminine build, so he gets bullied for it a lot. Even I thought he was a girl at first with how he looked.
"Yes. I remember that jackass, why?" Cody looks down, he begins talking through stutters, "W-Well, I saw him, I saw him with Ariel over break." My eyes dilated, my heart sank, why was she with Dawson? "Are you sure it was really him?" I asked in disbelief, why would they be together? She hated him just as much as I did.
He nodded, "I'm positive it was them. They were at the Northern shopping mall." I start questioning why they would be together, why she would be with him of all people. Just as I was about to say something I noticed the time on my watch, 8:50 AM, classes start at 9:10 AM, and we're 15 minutes away. Cody seems to notice this too. We look eye to eye, in unity we say "Shit." We began hauling ass to school, hoping to make it on time.
After barely making it to school on time, there is 5 minutes before my first class begins, I head to the bathroom. When I open the door, the smell of cigar hits my face, on the first day and already? Really?
As I walk more in I see eye to eye, a familiar yet putrid face. "Dawson." It's Dawson, of all people, it's fucking Dawson. "Luke, nice to see you buddy." He walks over to me with a smirk, "Wanna smoke, it's the least I can offer, after I took your girl and all." He laughs.
"What the hell do you have to do with Ariel?" I look at him, I can feel my blood boiling, he messed with Cody enough, now Ariel?
"I didn't do anything, she just found something better in a man, something you don't have. Strength!" He throws a jab right at my gut, I back up in time to avoid it. This is always how it was, whenever he bullied Cody, I stuck up for him which led to me and Dawson fighting. Although I would always get my ass kicked, I had to stick up for him.
"What the hell? What was that for?!" He sat down at a sink, "I wanted to see if you were still a bitch or not, looks like you're not. At least not a total bitch." He puts the cigar back in his mouth.
"What did you do with Ariel?" I sternly asked. He sighs, "I ain't do anything with her man, I told you, she found something better in a man, she got tired of you and moved on to better." He gets up and blows cigar smoke in my face, his breath reeks of junk food and cigar. "But I will say for sure, she sure is a sexy little thing, hm?"
He laughs as he walks past me, "Oh yeah one more thing, don't try talking to her, she's through with you little man. Just move on little man." He exits the bathroom. I'm mad. I'm mad I'm weak, I'm mad I couldn't do anything. I'm even more mad he did something with Ariel, I know she would never go out with him.
Just as I started using the bathroom, the bell rang. Well shit. I hurry up, use the bathroom and wash my hands, rushing to my classroom. On the way there I see a face I've been wanting to see for what feels like an eternity. Our eyes lock.
"Ariel."