Chapter 553: Drifting Apart While Clinging to the Lost
Lily sucked in a deep breath and steadied herself to continue the tale. "That was really the core of our relationship when we were young. Stella would be with every step of the way. Now so things I'd pull her into. The big one was reading. I started trying that out before we got to school and I tried reading to her. She'd even sit and listen to thought truthfully I doubt it made much sense to either of us just yet.
"We did play with other kids at that age, but I don't rember them and none of them are that important you know? She was my best friend and I was hers. Even as babies we knew that if we had each other, we could do anything. We slept together a fair bit you know? One set of parents would take both kids for the night so the other set could get away. It happened so often that we probably spent more ti in bed together then apart." Lily let out a forced giggle that didn't sound anything other than pained.
"Then we started school I suppose. That was terrifying for a younger . I didn't know what to do. There was all these people and I didn't like ANY of them. Stella to the rescue though. She found crying in a bush out in the playground easily and stuck by . Promised to defend from anyone. I still rember it to this day. She said 'It'll be ok. I'll pwotect you. I won't let anyone be an to my bwest fwend'. She might have been missing a few teeth at the ti…
"She lived up to her promise for a long ti though. A few kids tried to pick on . Normally boys. They'd call a cry baby and talk about how I didn't really deserve to be there because I couldn't deal with not having my parents. Stella jumped in front of the first ones and told them off, called them 'Big anies that only felt good picking on little girls'. They didn't like that at all so they tried to punch her but she dodged a few clumsy strikes, using her natural athleticism till a teacher ca along and saved us. She was my hero though.
"It happened a few more tis, but what ended it was when soone finally got a hit in on and I REALLY started crying. Stella ca flying in from the side and jumped the poor kid that attacked . She bit and scratched at him, and didn't let him go. By the end of it he was bleeding quite a lot, actually ended up with scars from it, or so my mother said. A teacher ca over and asked what on earth was going on and… sohow Stella didn't get in trouble for it. She was defending .
"Sotis I wonder if that was the beginning of the end" whispered Lily softly. The story stalled for a bit as Lily gathered herself but Vivian could see how this all ended. The painting may only be partially finished but the lines had all been drawn in. Kat was getting most of it but her mind didn't want to connect the dots. Refusing to consider what horror awaited Lily at the end of her tale.
"Never mind…" said Lily taking in a deep breath. "It probably wasn't. Anyway, after that was elentary school and THEY had a library. I'd find myself there when I could. Stella would join sotis but she was always very sporty. She'd drag out to the big free for all soccer ga many a ti. This is where she started to gather other friends. In elentary school.
"That was ok though. It was always Stella and Lily, the two strange best friends that didn't share a lot in common. We had each other's back though. I'd help her with howork every day after school except Tuesday because that was sports practice. I think she played soccer but I don't know for sure… it changed to tennis later on. I rember that clearly.
"Anyway, we started to have a friend group. I don't really rember any of their nas and there was just so many. I didn't really talk to the rest of them. Stella was enough for . I'd hang out with the others for her, and that was all. Eventually I started to help them with howork soti as well, in later elentary years but not all the ti. Mostly just the hard stuff. Stella I'd do it with almost every day.
"On the weekends I'd still get together with her and one of our parents would watch us. Sotis we'd go out. We went bike riding, roller blading, mountain climbing, you na it. Stella always said that we lived in my world throughout the week at school, and so I could spend the weekend living in hers. A nice sentint I suppose. And a cruel irony if looked at from later on…"
Lily sighed, the lights dimming in her eyes again. Kat was now enraptured in the tale, her sadness mostly forgotten and replaced by great joy at hearing Lily talk and even greater joy from hearing about the girl's past. So Lily continued, "Perhaps I should skip forward a bit. Nothing much happened in Elentary School other than that. A few more bullies tried things, but they never worked. I had Stella and she had a posse.
"But then co High School. Everything changed. For both and her. Firstly, Stella got really into tennis. A few friends stuck around for that, but a lot left. That didn't matter because she picked up a whole knew set of them. I do know there nas but… they don't really matter either. I don't want to think about it.
"Anyway, we were in High School and Stella had started to… really develop. She wasn't little red haired best friend now she was… ok she was HOT. Ahead of her years in many ways. At this point… ok well it isn't really fair to compare but in general well… she had long red hair, though less red then Kat's, and she I doubt she was as tall. Oh and she was tanned from all her ti out in the sun. Sothing I never really managed.
"That was when I started noticing things. Realising what I found attractive and what I didn't. Sothing happened that first year at high school, that I buried deeply for so ti. Still it wouldn't really matter that first year.
"The second and third though. That's where all my problems were. See, once she got into tennis Stella started to play competitively and she was good. Suddenly she was one of, if not the most popular girl in school. She had a big group that followed her, a bunch of boys that were interested in her, and she didn't exactly have ti for the nerdy best friend any more.
"I actually did try. See I… no I won't say it just yet. Anyway, I tried to be around her as much as I could at school… but we didn't see each other for howork often and occasionally I'd do both sets alone. When we were in school, I didn't really get to talk to her with other people monopolising her ti…
"Then they started talking about boys and how good they looked. Sothing I just… couldn't comprehend. That… I think… was the real beginning of the end. See… before that, she played tennis because she enjoyed it. She was popular because she was attractive and skilled. She stayed popular because she played the ga of school."
Lily let out a long sigh but didn't stop long. "She started to pick on other… kids? Were we kids at that point? I guess so… but I doubt Stella would like to hear that. Looking back on it… I wish I'd stopped her but… after I told her off for it once and she berated for 'getting worked up over nothing' I didn't have the heart to deny her.
"So the terror began. She established herself at the top of the pecking order and what little ti I spent actually talking to her more or less vanished. I didn't even notice it at the ti. I still sat with her. Still ate lunch. Still lived next to her… but I know now she wasn't my friend any more.
"This all ca to a head one day when a boy asked to talk to her alone after school. So obviously she invited all of her friends… even . I think it was the first ti she'd spoken to directly in months at this point and even though I had a bad feeling… well I went with her… and it was uncomfortable. I didn't like what I saw… and I ignored most of it.
"What I saw was Stella systematically tearing into this poor boy. Devan? I think his na might have been. Pointing everything possible that was wrong with his appearance, his life choices, and talking about how he had the gall to ask her out when she didn't even like him. How much of an idiot he was. Still… that was nothing compared to the idiot I was about to beco."
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