A Heart That Cares chapter 2

She sat looking out her bay window, her long, raven black hair in a tight braid hung down to the small of her back. Her brown eyes were glazed with memories of her old friend and the time they spent together. She was wearing a handmade dress of deer skin with a bird beaded on the chest. 1

Highchool was a blast with my best friend, up until she started dating that jock/wanna be player, Samuel Davis. Don't get me wrong I mean he was a hottie. But what a jerk! I still remember clearly how Chrissy had reacted, poor girl. 2

See Chrissy and I had been friends since elementary school. We did everything together. Everything excluding dating. At the time I saw it as a pointless thing, the guy would demand attention away from my studying and from my friends. 3

In the middle of senior year, Chrissy started dating Sam. I remember her coming to me after they first met, she glowed with excitement that she had got a jock to notice her. I admit that I only gave her half of my attention at the time. Guys were always trying to get Chrissy to notice them, though she never really gave them the time of day. 4

Soon I dropped off the radar, she was no longer calling me every night, knocking on my door at odd hours, or even stopping by my locker. I guess I started to get jealous of Sam, but I'd never tell Chrissy. Then one night my phone woke me up. 5

"Hello," I managed to mumble into the reciver. 6

"Juli. He's gone," I could hear the tears in her voice, "He didn't come and see me today and I didn't see him anywhere." 7

I had to take a deep breath before i could respond, "Chrissy, I'll be over there in 20 minutes. Don't you do anything 'til I get there, got it?" 8

I hung up the phone threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater over my pajamas. After the five minute drive to her house I quickly ran up to her door and knocked. I don't think the door had ever opened so quickly before. "Chrissy, calm down, please?" It was killing me to see her in so much pain because of a jackass like him. "He's just like any other guy, he got what he wanted and then left."
"But I thought he was different," she started sobbing wholeheartedly now, "I thought he really loved me."
"Chrissy, I'm sorry that he wasn't exactly what you had hoped but you do have to move on..." I knew that she wasn't really a country fan but I had my John Micheal Montgomery CD with me. I put it in her player and we sat there listening to all the best of him.
I get up and battle the day
Things don't always go my way
It might rain but that's okay
I get to come home to you.
Sometimes life might get me down
And I get tired of gettin' kicked around
I feel lost in this maddening crowd
But I get to come home to you.
You are my best friend
And you are where my heart is
And I know at the days end
I get to come home to you
That song seemed to fit for some odd reason. Maybe it was the fact that she was my best friend and that we hadn't had time to be near eachother or maybe it was the simple fact that I knew she needed a song that was semi-romantic as well as one that let her know that her best friend was there with her so that she could grieve. "My friend you know that I am always here for you no matter what an ignorant son of a sow has done." That was all I could bring myself to say to her before I realized she really needed some sleep. I tucked her into bed before crashing on her floor with the CD playing softly in the background. 9

The next morning I awoke to the smell of her mother cooking breakfast, I guess she knew I was there. Chrissy's mother didn't like me much, although I never really understood why. Maybe it was the fact that Chrissy and I were always counteracting eachother as far as staying out of trouble, or maybe she had something against the fact that I was Native American, Cherokee to be exact. Anyway I woke Chrissy up and made her get dressed to go to school. She couldn't let him win this easily, she had to show that she was stronger than he apparently believed. Plus she had her friend by her side to comfort her yet again. 10

We walked into the school and heard the whispers about Sam not being there yet again today, I wasn't suprised but poor Chrissy was near to tears yet again over this guy. I squeezed her hand to remind her that I was there and that she had nothing to worry over, I'd protect her from anything anyone said. Perk to being a semi-popular girl. 11

During my study period I was conversing with a member of my 'study group', he carefully broached the topic of Chrissy and Sam. 12

"Rumor has it that Chrissy and Sam got into it. No one wants to say what caused the break-up but, well I know you're her friend and all... Is it over between them?" He had the graciousness to blush slightly at the look I shot him. 13

"Richard, of all the people in this school I never took you for a gossip monger. As for it being over and the cause of it, I can't answer. I know she's devistated over the fact that he's just vanished off the face of the Earth, but I don't know what caused him to leave. 14

Richard got a look of pure rage on his face, "That no good sonofabitch, he wasn't worthy to look upon her let alone touch her -" 15

"Richard, if I wasn't sitting here looking at you I wouldn't believe this. If I'm hearing this correctly I think you've been crushing on her." A small grin was begining to show itself on my face. 16

"N-no. I-I just think that he was no good for her," I could see a slight redness on his cheek bones, "He was an ass that's all." 17

In all my life I would have never dreamed of playing match-maker for Chrissy but I'll be damned if this guy wasn't the perfect guy for her. I sent a quick prayer of thanks to the Goddess for putting Richard into this game. "Rich I have an idea," I waited a few seconds to see if he'd take the bait, "I might be able to get the two of you together, that is if you trust me." 18

"I don't know Julianna," he whispered after I finished telling him my plan, "I mean this is Chrissy we're talking about. Brilliant, beautiful, quick-witted Chrissy. Not some air-headed cheerleader."19

I grinned, "Trust me Rich, I'll get you two together and you'll be the happiest man there is." 20

The wet nose of her dog brought her back to reality. "Alright Jadie I get the hint." She went to the door, put on her moccasins and snapped the leash on her dog, after locking the door she began to daydream again while walking down the streets she had come to know so well in just a few months of attending the University of Michigan. 21

Her reminiscing took her a little ways forward. 22

"Chrissy," it was early in the morning, she had woke me up far too early. "What is it this time woman?" 23

She looked worried, "Something's wrong, I'm late. Two weeks late." 24

That woke me up, "You mean..." 25

She nodded 26

"Come in and sit down while I make some breakfast. See if I can't get mom and dad down here to help us out a bit." 27

Twenty minutes later I had waffles, eggs, ham and sausages made. I was setting out the syrup, butter, orange juice and milk when my mother and father came down the stairs. 28

My mother was the first to speak, "Smells good. What's wrong?" 29

Chrissy started to cry so I filled my parents in. They knew that Chrissy's parents were devout Catholics. 30

"Let's take this one step at a time," my father the rational one said. 31

"Chrissy, tell your mom that you're going to stay the night here. We'll go from there." Leave it to mom to plan a slumber party as a cover-up. 32

School went as usual but instead of me continuing my plan to hook Chrissy and Rich up, I avoided the library for my study hall. Afterward my mother picked us up and took us to the store. She bought a pregnancy test saying that she was hoping I'd have a little brother or sister soon. 33

When we got home my mother told Chrissy and I to go upstairs so that Chrissy could take the test. We were both scared to death. What if it was positive? What were we (like I said I'm her best friend,) going to do? How would we tell her parents? Three minutes of waiting and the test was finished. I ran down the stairs pulling Chrissy behind me, "MOM! MOM!! Where are you?" 34

"The kitchen dear." She looked at our faces as we came running in, "So it was positive then....Go upstairs for a little while, while I figure something out darlings."35