12th step…Crossroads
There was a
grocery store in Sadieville where all of the college students went. It was small and dirty, and the selection was
limited, but the prices were affordable and it was within walking distance of
the school. Nearly everyone shopped
there, especially the students in the dorms, so it was inevitable that they
would meet.
Despite
this inevitability it still felt like a shock when Ellen ran into
Carolyne. Ellen viewed Carolyne was
Alex’s rebellious friend. Somehow, she
always assumed the other girl would have some sort of grudge against the store,
but there really weren’t any other options.
When their
carts bumped, tensions flared. Ellen
looked at Carolyne, and Carolyne looked back, and both were quiet for a
bit. Then Ellen stammered and said, “Oh,
Carolyne, hey!”
“Hi.”
Silence.
“…What’s
going on with you?”
“Just
shopping. I needed cigarettes and other
things.”
Ellen spied
the pads in the cart. “I feel for you,
girl.”
Carolyne
grimaced. “Anyway, how is Alex doing
lately?” She asked as if it were an
afterthought.
“She’s
fine, for the most part. She’s been
dragging around a bit more than usual, but aside from that everything is
normal. Why do you ask?”
For a brief
moment, Ellen thought Carolyne looked guilty, and then she assumed it was a
trick of the light. “Just asking,”
Carolyne said. “We haven’t spoken much
lately.”
“I
noticed. What happened? You two were—"
“People
grow apart.”
Just like
that the subject was closed and the tension returned. Unsure of what else to do, Ellen did the only
thing she could think of. She touched Carolyne’s
arm and smiled reassuringly. “Well,
you’re always welcome in our room.
Remember that.”
Carolyne
shied away from the touch. “Thanks, I
guess.”
“No
problem.”
Carolyne
adjusted her cart. “I have to go.” She paused. “Take care of Alex, though, would
you?”
“Of course,
I will. And you don’t be a stranger, okay?”
“I won’t,”
Carolyne said, and Ellen couldn’t tell if she was lying.
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