My Story 35
By Corbin
How life tests the endurance, patience, and sometimes faith of one young woman.

**********

I think I have officially turned into my mom. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom 
and respect her very much, but I am referring to the 'maturity' issue. 'Why do 
you feel that way?' You may ask. Well, actually you may not give a shit, but I 
don't give a shit that you don't give a shit so take THAT! Guess I told you 
punks off...oh yeah, I'm also flipping you off behind my computer screen...so 
NAH!!

Okay, back on track here. The whole thing is this and I have a list so let me 
type that out:

1.)	I watch PBS whenever possible.
2.)	I listen to AM Radio most of the time or CD's/iPod.
3.)	I watch The Weather Channel (something I used to mock only last year).
4.)	My music collection includes: The Band, Big Country, Cowboy Junkies, 
Sinatra, Jimmy Buffet, K's Choice, Mary Black, Mazzy Star, Simon and 
Garfunkel, U2 and most any Movie Soundtrack you can imagine (except 
that comedy/horror crap films, I don't like those much for soundtracks.) 
Just to name a few. But as you can tell, not too much main stream pop.

But is all of that a bad thing? I think not. You see my mind runs at light speed 
so I have to surround myself with things that sort of help calm me down so I 
don't go into overload. Well, I'll try and explain that rambling junk later, but 
for now I'll get on with where I left off

**********

It was late into the morning of the following day (11:00am to be exact) when I 
was up and moving about.

Sharon was already up and dressed...ready to go and I think I knew where and 
why ;)

I on the other hand was a mess, as usual, hair in complete tangles, hanging in 
front of my eyes. My sweat shirt was on backwards and my left hand was 
gripping the draw string of my sweat pants trying to keep them up around my 
waist as I slowly shuffled across the floor. "Ohhhhhhhh........fuuuuuckkkkkk I 
feel like shit, I didn't think I had THAT much to drink last night."

"Lightweight" Sharon mumbled and got up off the couch fetching me a glass of 
water and some aspirin.  

"If you don't need anything else, I have to run some errands." Sharon said and 
was unusually quiet this morning.

"No, I'm fine, thanks'" and shuffled off to bed. A few seconds later I heard 
Sharon bolt from house as her feet double timed it down our stairs to the front 
entrance. Wish I could be a fly on the wall when she blasts Tasha, but oh well, 
it just felt good knowing that I had kept my nose clean on this one while 
putting the screws to that annoying bitch, all without having to lift a 
finger...or a fist! For now at least.

Was I worried about Sharon? Not really, she can take care of herself. But she 
wasn't going over there to fight, mostly to throw some verbal volleys in Tasha's 
direction. It was later in the afternoon when Sharon walked in the door and I 
was sitting in the recliner somewhat slouched over, my sweats still on.  A glass 
of ice water in my hand, watching the T.V, counting the minutes until my hang 
over was totally gone.

"How are you doing?" Sharon looked over with concern.

"Better, took a nap, but Sharon where did you go?" I lowered the volume on the 
TV and shifted in the chair, I kept my look of shock...dismay...and innocence 
going...but honestly I wanted the scoop all the dirt on what was said! 

"Did you confront Tasha over what I said?"

Sharon tried to give her big smile to lighten the entire situation, "Okay, 
okay." Slumping back and relaxing into the sofa, drawing things out for as long 
as possible.

"Sharon, just tell me!" 

"Okay, Okay!" Waving her hands in the air, her eyes rolling in frustration. "I 
wanted some answers and I felt she had some explaining to do for the way 
she's been acting." Sharon angrily stabbing her finger towards the ground, 
punctuating her comments. Sharon can be a very effective speaker when she 
wants to be.

I had to look away and force my mouth not to curl into a smile as I slowly 
swirled the ice in my drink, "So, how did it go?"

"Okay, I think. She got defensive at first...I expected that...but when I told 
her to practically kiss our friendship goodbye she..."

"Wow, you told her that!" I could help myself and blurted that out with a look 
of surprise.

Sharon just paused, her mouth hanging open a bit, "Well...yeah of course." Her 
expression was totally serous now. I took a sip of my drink; it felt good to 
hear those words, more girly feelings stuff which may surprise you to know I am 
not above feeling or acting on.

"She eventually backed down, it will take some time I think, but she said she 
would make an effort to be decent. So, we'll see." Sharon smiled and shrugged 
her shoulders. Now doesn't that just make everything all better now? One would 
think, but I knew better cause I can read people pretty well, if Tasha had 
backed down it was only because she was biding her time. I know people like her, 
she finds someone to pick on and doesn't' let go of it till she humiliates them 
or gets her ass busted. Wanna' guess which one happens to Tasha?

"Well, it got resolved, I confronted her and she's letting it go." Sharon 
proudly said, but I suspected otherwise.

"So let me ask you this, do you think that Tasha will *really* let the matter 
go? Is she the kind of girl to pursue something or tell you what YOU wanted to 
hear just to make the peace for the moment?" I leaned forward waiting for 
Sharon's response. I wanted Sharon to really think about this, but was afraid 
she would pop a fuse or something if I pushed her brain cells too far.

"I...well..." Sharon took a deep breath and thought about it, but then lowered 
her head, "...I really don't know. I hope she meant it." Sharon shrugged and 
looked back up. I just wanted to keep the door open; I guess my way of giving 
Sharon some forewarning about the need to defend myself if her friend wants to 
keep picking.

"Well..." I sighed and relaxed back into the recliner, "...if you plan on 
letting her hang out with you anymore, only time will tell I guess".

"Well, if she pulls anymore shit, I'll pop her one in the kisser!" Sharon raised 
her right fist and laughed.

"Oh, that's nice" I looked over sarcastically, for some reason it bothered me, 
the thought of Sharon punching someone. I knew Sharon could take care of 
herself; she had become a very proficient in boxing over the past several years, 
thanks to her father's skillful training. Well, let me clarify something, she 
was good and hitting inanimate objects in her father's basement, under daddy's 
supervision.

Indeed, the days passed, almost two weeks had come and gone since Sharon's 
talk with Tasha, and I knew that Sharon had talked to Tasha a few times on the 
phone; she wasn't going to make a big thing of it. 'If Tasha was truly prepared 
to make amends, I can deal with that.' I told myself. 

Sharon and I definitely could rub one another the wrong way, like an incident 
that happened when I got home from the gym one day. I watched as Sharon peaked 
her head from out of her room down the hall, "Could you make a little more 
freakin' racket when you come in, I was trying to take a nap, I mean you 
sound..." 

"Blah...blah...blah...blah!!" I just exhaled as my weary body flopped down on 
the sofa and stretched out, my long nylon running pants swished as I 
crisscrossed my legs several times to get comfortable.

"What the hell did you just say!? I hate that!"

Sharon hates it when I say 'Blah, blah, blah', she feels it belittles and mocks 
her, which it does, which is why I do it. But I just closed my eyes and smiled, 
"Nothing!" I yelled out, I do enjoy plucking Sharon's nerves on occasion, since 
she was so easy to rile up. 'Uh-oh, here she comes' I thought as I could hear 
Sharon's sock covered feet pad their way down the hallway towards the living 
room.

"I heard what you said!" She huffed as she cocked her hips off to the side, I 
simply cracked an eyelid open and peered upward with a faint smile.

"...and get your sweaty ass off the good sofa, AND THOSE DAMN DIRTY 
SHOES TOO!!! How many times do I have to tell you?!" Sharon lunged forward 
and grabbed my left arm that was dangling off the edge of the leather sofa, 
roughly she pulled, trying to drag me up.
 
"Ow ow ow EASY!" I snapped and winced, Sharon suddenly let go and stepped back, 
"What's wrong?"

"My back is killing me, I think I over did it a bit at the gym." I slowly sat up 
as Sharon just shook her head, "Well why the hell did you go running if your 
back was killing you?" It was true, I did over do it that day at the gym and 
maybe combined with the stress, I was uncomfortable as hell. It was one of those 
pain-in-the-ass muscle aches too, my right hand reached around and could barely 
massage the spot. 

Letting out a deep sigh and shaking her head in frustration, "Here, let me take 
your gym bag into your room while you should probably go take a hot bath."

"Thanks Sharon, yeah, a hot bath sounds good." I groaned as I stood up.

After the shower I walked back to my room laid back on my bed clutching my robe 
tightly about me, "It's not fair" I groaned thru clenched teeth, my eyes 
squeezed tight as I fought off the tears, trying to sleep was even more out of 
the question. No matter how I tried to apply logic to my life nothing seemed to 
fit, my phone rang and I wasn't going to answer, but "Nik" displayed on the 
small screen and I smiled, "Hey love" I said when I picked it up.

"Hi lover." I heard Nikki say back, from the sound of her voice she was missing 
me as much as I was missing her. "Just thinking of you leaves me excited and 
exhausted at the same time." She said.

"You do the same to me." I moaned.

We made pillow talk for several minutes, my anxieties started to float away and 
calm settled into the pit of my stomach.