“Mazy, you want to come with us to the Baskin’ Robbins after school?”
Mazy McNair looked up from the book she was reading in the school’s atrium. Her best friend Lucy was looking at her with an expectant look on her face. She knew what the answer would be. What the answer always was lately.
“Us? Who else is coming?”
“Matt and Sheila.” Lucy said naming two of their friends who had recently starting going out.”
“What about tony?” mazy said with a smile. Lucy and Tony had started going out a few months ago but it was obvious she was crazy about him.
Lucy smiled. “It goes without saying that he’ll be there.”
Mazy laughed. “It sounds like this is a couple’s thing, so I am afraid I’m going to have to actually, for the first time ever…turn down a trip to Baskin’ Robbins.”
Lucy and Mazy had known each other since 3rd grade and had been best friends since the first day they met. After 9 years of friendship, the girls thought of each other more like sisters than friends, even though they couldn’t have been more different.
Lucy was the more outgoing of the two. She would try anything at least once and seemed to always be looking for the next thing she could try. Her parents had tried for years to get her to start thinking before she acted but they finally realized it was part of who she was. As long as she didn’t do anything dangerous or stupid, they went along with most of her ideas. With her shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes, long eyelashes, slim figure, and creamy skin she had always been a target of crushes from boys and seemed to like the attention. Which is why she never dated one for very long; too many boys were interested in her to stay with only one. Tony however, had changed everything. All of a sudden, dating all the boys she could was no longer important. What she wanted was to be with Tony. There was no longer any reason or desire to keep looking. She had found the one for her. Strangely enough, Tony’s calm nature was good for Lucy. Since they had started dating she was slowly becoming more likely to think about something before she did it.
Mazy on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She was the one more likely to make a pro/con list, talk to adults, friends, think about it, etc. before she made a decision. As much as loved Lucy she never went along with her plans, although she always admired her friend’s ability to not be afraid to try something new. In looks she was also the opposite of Lucy: she had thick black hair down to her waist, eyes so blue they looked purple and full lips. She also had creamy skin but with freckles. She had never been into dating as many guys as possible but tended to date boys she felt she could have a real relationship with. Her parents were proud of her but wished that she was a little bit more like Lucy, which was funny because Lucy’s parents wished Lucy was a little bit more like Mazy.
“Mazy, please come with us! It’ll be fun and I promise you won’t feel left out.”
Mazy looked at her oldest and best friend and wished that she could believe her. But the truth was that they both knew she would feel left out in the company of two couples. It would be an emotional disaster for Mazy.
“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m not strong enough yet.” Mazy said, tears welling in her eyes.
Lucy sat down next to Mazy. “Mazy, I know you’re still hurting. But staying away from people isn’t going to help. You need to get out, be with your friends.”
Mazy shook her said. Lucy couldn’t understand what she was going through. No one could.
“Mazy, you have to face it sooner or later. I know you. You think that if you keep yourself buried in your books, ignoring people, that the hurt will go away on its own. It won’t. You have to get rid of it, and one way to do that is to be with people. We all care about you and want to help. We want to see you at least start to deal with this.”
Mazy shook her head. She knew that Lucy and all of her other friends meant well and were worried about her. But she knew that she was dealing with it in her own way. What she was doing was helping the pain to go away.
“I’m sorry Lucy.” Mazy said before getting up, gathering her books, and walking away, leaving Lucy behind with a worried look on her face.
Just like she had done everyday for months, Mazy went straight home after school, locked herself in her room, and did her homework. She knew her parents knew she was still upset but to them, it looked like she was starting to heal. This came from the fact that they saw her going out every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night to “hang out with friends.”
She was halfway through her algebra homework when she heard a knock at her door. Sighing, Mazy got up and opened it. As expected she saw her mom standing there.
“Mazy honey, can we talk?”
“Sure mom.”
“Honey, I know we’ve asked this of you every day for months, but are you doing ok? You go out every weekend night, yet you don’t look any happier. We’re worried about you.”
Mazy, though annoyed that they couldn’t just leave her alone, answered what she always answered.
“Mom, I’m fine. I am still hurting and it will take a long time before I am happy again, but this isn’t just something that I can get over in a few weeks.”
Her mom signed. She knew that what Mazy said was true. Losing someone you cared about, especially the way Mazy had, took a long time to heal, if it ever healed completely. She sometimes wondered if the most anyone could expect of Mazy was not for her to heal but to learn to live with it.
“Ok honey. Just know that we’re always here for you if you need to talk.”
“Yeah, mom. I know.”
Her mom hugged her and left the room. Mazy went back to her homework; waiting for the text message she knew would come. The text that had come every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night for weeks. It came at around 8:
Mazy, the path is clear babe.
Mazy deleted the message as soon as she read it. She put on a sweater over her red tube top, jeans, and sandals. In her backpack she put her denim skirt, make-up, and cell phone. She told her mom she was headed to the library to meet up with some friends to study.
“Okay honey. Call if you’re going to be late ok?”
“Sure mom.” Mazy kissed her mom good-bye and headed out the door. She got in her car and drove to where they usually met. She stopped at a gas station on the way, changing into the New Mazy that she had created after she lost Scott. She took off the sweater and jeans, put on her skirt, and her make-up. She shook out her hair from her pony tail and let it hang loose. She got back in her car and 15 minutes later she arrived at the park across from his house, where they usually met. She looked at him as he got into the car. He was SO hot he still took her breath away, even after 3 weeks. From the look in his eyes, it was clear he was thinking and feeling the same. She leaned over and kissed him, a preview of what he could expect of the night.
“I’ve missed you Tony.”
To Be Continued...
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