Just Like Old Times

"Wow, look at those," she pointed out.
Marsha and I were sprawled on her bed, looking up through the skylights of her roof. Last time I checked it was 10:37, which seemed ages ago. Her mother hadn't called to tell me it was time to leave; my mother hadn't called to tell me that she expected me home, so I just stayed.
From the skylight you could see all the beautiful stars filling the sky. We had been best friends for the longest time. Everybody at school always joked "Haha... Marsha and Caroline sitting in a tree..." It was so dumb, but we were attached at the hip in fifth grade.
Being in ninth now, I realize how I shouldn't have ever let anything slip through my fingers. Moving into public school was a huge transition; especially from being home-schooled.
Marsha's mother and my mother were old friends in high school, college, and became elementary teachers together. They decided when Marsha and I were born, that they would home-school us. They had all the materials to do so, and what did we know?
My older sister Maybeth, and Marsha's older brother Stanley were both home schooled for kindergarten, first and second grade. It was easy for them to go to public school, because everyone was so young and the none of the other children cared.
But when Marsha and I came to fifth grade, being "the smart ones", we didn't really fit in that well. Well don't go on feeling sorry for us, because we didn't care either. Not one bit. With my father bringing in all the dough, which wasn't much at the time, my mother felt like she should go back to teaching. And when she did, Marsha came with me.
As I said we were attached by the hip, but in the middle of fifth grade it started to get to me. Marsha was always the strong one. Me being so weak, I couldn't really handle it. Those songs played over and over in my head when Marsha and I sat for lunch, when Marsha and I walked home, when Marsha and I did our homework at my house, when Marsha and I basically did everything together.
It was so awful, as each thing I did, those jeering sounds blasted in my head. I had to stop it.
One Friday, when our teacher, Mr. Murphy, told us to pair up to work on a worksheet, I turned to the first person who wasn't Marsha.
"Chloe, do you want to work together?" I asked her.
"Sure," she said back a bit confused. Marsha looked at me as if I was crazy, and Chloe just seemed curious.
We completed the assignment that was given by Mr. Murphy. It turned out during the whole time Chloe and I had a lot of things in common. Of course not like Marsha and I, but a bit. When Mr. Murphy announced it was time for lunch, everyone went to the back of the room to get their lunches or lunch money. My mom had packed lunch for me and Chloe's as well. When I headed over to the door she rushed over.
"Hey, Caroline, do you want to have lunch with me and my friends?"
"Sure," I said eager to not go through lunch hearing those songs once more.
Marsha was near me, and I could feel the imprint of her eyes at the back of my head. Chloe and I walked out of the room, as if we both didn't know what we did to Marsha. I didn't mean to exclude her from my life, but it was so irritating having that song play when people didn't sing, and have people sing, when the songs didn't play.
Our parents were oblivious anyways to the whole thing, which made it easier.
Chloe lead me over to a table. Everyone else had lunch money, and just waited until they came over. The first to join us was Emmett. All I could say was tall, dark and handsome. The only downside was his braces. But it gave him a special look. Nobody else had them, yet, and it made him stand out in a way. His voice sounded just as rich as dark chocolate. It was delicious sounding, smooth and calm.
"Hey, Chloe," he said scooting over next to her. "And... Cara, is it?"
"Yeah, Cara," Chloe told him.
Cara. Cara. Cara. The way he said it, that melodious tone, just made me tingle.
Wasn't I too young for all this, anyways? I was only ten.
I smiled at him, trying to memorize his face and he gave one of those half smiles. From that point on, seeing Emmett drove me crazy.
While other kids starting piling into the cafeteria, and sitting down with us, Chloe, Emmett and I(barely) started talking; well I just really listened to them complain about having gone on no trips, with it being the middle of the year.
All of a sudden, I saw Marsha walking across the cafeteria, understanding there would no longer be Marsha and Caroline.
But Marsha. And CARA.

Sixth grade was pretty much the same. Except being the graduates, we went on about four class trips, instead of one measly trip to the Hall of Science, like in fifth grade.
First trip was to Boston, a four day overnight trip, which of course my mother, who wanted me to be socially acceptable, would let me go. The day the trip forms were given out, Emmett was out, with the flu. It was mid-November, and the trip would be on December 5th. Chloe decided of course we would sit together, and bunk together and yadayadaya together.
Chloe was a relief because there was no song attached with becoming best friends with her, as she pronounced us, the last day of 5th grade.
The next day, when Emmett came back, at the end of the day, during dismissal, our teacher, Mrs. Levine wanted to talk to me about my science grades, which were dropping. After I was let out, I saw Emmett waiting by the door.
"Hey, Cara," giving me that stunning smile. At the sight of him, my heart just tied into knots. I couldn't think.
"Hey Emmett," I said back, flicking my beautiful long curls, as he always told me. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I was just... well I was waiting for you." I must have looked shocked by this because right after he asked if that was okay.
"No, no, it's fine." We were walking outside now, towards the back exit, where more than likely my mom would be waiting for me.
"Well, I wasn't here yesterday, you know. And about the trip, do you want to sit next to me on the bus?" Emmett looked like an innocent puppy, wanting to be accepted. But I had to turn him down; I mean what would I tell Chloe?
I could feel my cheeks blushing, bright red, "Sure."
I don't know how I said that. I had planned not to, but it just slipped. We were outside, and I could feel the cold air hitting against my face. I looked around and didn't see my mom's minivan. We were supposed to go shopping, just me and her, but I didn't see her anywhere.
Emmett seemed lost as well.
"You want to sit?" he asked. What next? This boy was full of surprises. We walked over to the closest bench by the kindergarten playground.
"So, why did you have to talk to Mrs. Levine in there?"
I explained about how my grades were falling, and to my relief in a few moments of discussion, I had a new tutor. I heard a honking, and we both turned around. It was his older brother, Tim.
"Do you want a ride?" he offered. I had no idea where my mom was, and if I left with him it would be for a good reason. Emmett was a good friend and he would be helping me in science, right?
"I guess," and we started towards the sleek silver Mercedes.
"Tim, this is Cara. Cara, Tim. Cara needs a ride home."
"Okay, where to," Tim said, sounding annoyed. I told him my address and easily he found it.
I got out, and when I turned around to close the door, I saw Emmett sliding out as well.
"So this is where you live," he stated, "I've always wondered..." he drifted off.
We walked up to my door, and rang the doorbell. I heard Maybeth's footsteps, slow and steady.
"Well, I'll see you," Emmett said. He gave me his half smile, and when I didn't expect it, he leaned over. And next, yeah, he kissed me.
Surprisingly I kissed him back, and when his hands came over to my face, I knew this had to end. But I couldn't stop. It gave me such strength. Such power. Not to mention that he was delicious.
The door opened, and when we heard it, we broke apart.
"Ummm.... I'll see you," I told him, a bit embarrassed, that Maybeth had just seen that.
"Yeah... And remember, science, anytime. I'll help." Before he left, he gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and flew over to his brother's car. Before I closed the door, I turned around and saw Tim give Emmett a high five.

7th Grade
Emmett and Cara sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage..."
Emmett and I have been together for almost one full year. It's amazing how much I've changed since I got here.
My grades definitely did improve in science, with a certain someone's help. From a C- to a B- to an A.
But the person who never got over knowing about this was Chloe. She constantly used it against me that she found out about Emmett and me making out in front of my house. Apparently a million people had driven by in what seemed like six seconds in front of my door.
Although a year had passed, and we moved to a different school, you'd think she as well as everyone else got over it. Well they didn't. Everyone else that I met either hated me or envied me, because my gorgeous boyfriend was mine. All mine, and the thing was I didn't care.

8th Grade
Not until I met Brandon.
He was the exact opposite of Emmett, but something drew me closer to him, something sparked when we were together, and eventually the flame lit up between us.
Everyone was over me and Emmett, especially Chloe who know had, Trevor Bradshaw now, which was a relief. The only person who wasn't, of course was Emmett himself.
Not that he was obsessed or anything with our relationship, but lasting two years, especially being this young, and naïve, as Maybeth put it, it was a shock that we were still together. I guess I was tired of him. Not him, but the routine.
Emmett. Emmett. Emmett. Emmett.
It was a new song. Playing over in my head.
But with Brandon. There was a song. But it was a song of happiness. And joy.

9th Grade
When Brandon finally, I guess, noticed me, he was at my locker. We had slowly become peers, then acquaintances, and now friends.
I could tell that Emmett was feeling a bit jealous of the attention I was giving Brandon.
One Friday, when Brandon and I were talking, I asked him if he was ever in a relationship. He said yeah, but not anything big. So I asked if he wanted one.
He just looked at me. With those huge, beautiful glistening hazel eyes, he took his hands and gently placed them on my face. But before anything happened, Marsha walked by. I hadn't noticed her, for what two, three, FOUR years.
She knew I was still with Emmett, and made me think. Emmett obviously saw, and was as pissed as... Hell.
A fight broke out, and that's when I came crying to Marsha.
Chloe and I barely talked, and I needed to vent.
That night I knocked on Marsha's door and we ended up staring at her skylight, reminiscing about old times. Talking about the horridness of my life, and how Emmett and I declared us over, yet I regret everything I did to hurt him, Chloe, and more so, her. Marsha. We spent the rest of the night staring at the stars, until we fell asleep. Just like old times.
Marsha and CAROLINE were reborn.