It was Laurie’s standard diatribe. The first I heard it, we were in 7th grade. We were now attending college. It was the basic;
“My parents treat me like a child..” only this time, she had a suitcase, and she really was leaving town.
Laurie was so busy with herself, as usual, that she didn’t see the tears rolling down Shaun’s face as she walked away, pulling her suitcase.
He stood there, looking after her. She didn’t know he loved her, really loved her.
Laurie only thinks of Laurie and would do what Laurie wanted to do, when Laurie wanted to do it, and no one could change her mind.
So, deciding she was all grown up and no longer would put up with her parents, she had packed her case and was going up the road to the train station.
She would, being Laurie, pass the cafe where we were to meet, to make a public announcement that she was going. There were a pile of us meeting there, as Laurie knew. That was why she would come by, with the suitcase so she could make her presentation.
She paid no attention to Shaun. She paid no attention to me, her so-called Best Friend, for she was performing for the group.
Shaun was not her boyfriend. She would park him in 'the crowd'. To her he was nobody, and she never saw how he looked at her. I did, because I was in love with him.
Shaun didn’t see me, save as Laurie's Bestie. And Laurie only saw me when she had use for me. Mostly, Laurie only saw her face in a mirror.
So she stood there, getting her hugs, and good byes, then marching towards the train station as if a symphony was playing.
Laurie arrived at Junior High and strolled about as if it were her personal garden. She was happy, charming, the centre of the crowd.
I was a nerd whom she ordered to do her homework. But I was a nerd with backbone.
“No. I’ll do it with you, so that you can learn, but I’m not going home to run off two copies.”
She made faces and inferences, and ignoring her sarcasm I said,
“I know where you live, it’s only two blocks from my house. We leave school go to your house, do the homework and I’ll go home.”
“Doesn’t sound fun,” she sneered.
I didn’t respond.
About a week later she came to me with a blinding smile and a pack of biscuits and acting ever so warm said she had decided this was a good idea. This was a lie. Her parents had grounded her and allowed no visitors. But I wasn’t a visitor. I was sort of a tutor, role model, helper, whatever.
Each evening we would walk home from school, go to her house, to the study, where we would study.
It didn’t take a week before I was Laurie’s bestie. Or so she said.
It rolled off her tongue easily because it didn't mean anything to her. But me, I would take it as flag which I would wave when anyone attempted to insult or demean me. "I'll tell Laurie what you said..." I'd threaten, and the speaker would back up claim it was a joke, because Laurie was Queen of the Junior High.
If you are wondering why I seemed so concerned about Laurie, I wasn’t. I never was. I needed a door into the cool kids world. I wanted to be part of the group which was invited to all the best functions. Laurie was my free pass.
I pretended I liked her. It was not easy to like someone as self concerned as Laurie. In public, she played the role of the interested, friendly, charming girl, which captivated everyone who saw her. In private she was petty, spoiled, full of gossip, a complete opportunist. She would find out what the ‘keywords’ were for everyone, and would use them.
She would emulate interests others had to get their attention and affection. Once she ‘had’ you, she lost interest. The best you might get from her then were scraps, because Laurie was always looking for someone else. Like the politician trying to catch votes, she was everso concerned about you until certain, then moved on.
Her parents, wisely, kept her on a short leash. She was not allowed to be out of the house on school nights. She could not think of dating. Her parents needed to know where she was at all times. If she said she was going with me to the movie on Sunday, they would drop us and pick us up.
During the vacations they would take her on some journey, giving me at least six weeks of a Laurie free existence. Laurie’s parents were stricter than mine, but then, my parents had nothing to worry about. Save Laurie.
My mother, on meeting her that first time gave me a bone piercing stare. When Laurie was gone, my mother asked me; "You are really her best friend?" With a look of shock.
"Mom, Laurie is my best friend as high heels are your favourite shoe. You wear them when you are going out to give the proper sophistication to your presentation. Laurie is my best friend for the same reason. Everyone assumes I'm cool, not the nerd in the corner."
"Oh. I am impressed." She said with a big eyed nod.
"When I go to her house, it really is to go over the work. I'll read it out, I'll discuss the questions, it is really talking to myself, but helps me to formulate my thoughts. it is really a great way to study. Sure, if she had a brain there would be back and forth and I might extend my knowledge a bit, but it works."
"Does she have a boy friend?"
"There are tons of boys running behind her, and she keeps them all following, but she can't date, as her parents don't let her go to the corner alone."
"They are wise."
"She says when she's eighteen she is running away from home. I believe her. She's been saving her lunch money since she was twelve years old and considering how much they give her each day she'll have enough."
"So she doesn't eat lunch?"
"Well, she'll say she's on a diet, but sometimes a boy will share his lunch with her or buy her something, so she isn't going to starve."
"She really knows how to manipulate people."
"Oh yes, she wanted me to do a copy of her homework. I'm the one who demanded that we study together. So it works out perfectly. Everyone has me as the Best Friend of Queen Laurie, and I get to talk to myself in her presence."
"You are really quite bright, Carrie, I am totally impressed."
"Thank you," and I bowed.