Nothing will ever stay the Same

"Emerald, Wait up." Called Lorraine, trying to catch up with her friend. Emerald just took a quick look behind her and hurried on. After a few minutes Lorraine stopped.
'What was that about?' she thought to herself. 'Maybe something is going on at home, but surley she would have told me. Could it be the fact that I got an F on my math's assigment?'

Lorraine shruged her shoulders and kept on walking.

The next day Lorraine walked into the grounds. Emerald was talking to Lidya and Nicole. 'But Emerald hate's them, she's alway's saying it.' Thought Lorraine.
She walked up to Emerald.

"Hey," she said. "What happened after school yesterday? Why did you run off?"
"Um...," Emerald hesitated. "I needed to make sure I wouldn't miss my tram. Bye."
Then she walked off with Lidya and Nicole, leaving Lorraine standing there.

Emerald, can I talk to you?" Lorraine asked Emerald at lunch.
"Sure," repied Emerald. "What?"
"I want to know why you were with dum and dummer. You know, Lidya and Nicole?"
"Oh, that. Well, they kinda cornered me and started talking to me and yeah. Um... I've gotta go. Seya round."

The next day was Saturday.
"Mornin'." Lorraine grumbeled when she went into the kitchen and grabbed a Cossaint. Then she checked the messages.

'Hey Lorraine, it's Emerald.
This is hard to say, but, I don't want to hang out with you anymore. Bye.'

Lorraine started crying. The message didn't even say why. Is there anything tragicly wrong with her?

On Monday Lorraine went up to Emerald.

"What's wrong with me?" she snapped. "Why don't you want to hang out with me anymore?"

"People change you know," she said. "Just because I used to think Lidya nd Nicole were dum doesn't mean I always will. They're actully really cool. But you wouldn't know. You don't actully have any real friends."

"What?!" yelled Lorraine even though people were starting to stare at them. "I have friends. You're just upset that my dad is taking me to England next week." Then she stormed off.
During school Lorraine acted as if she was having a great time without Emerald but the truth was that every night she would lie in bed and cry herself to sleep.

On Tuesday the next week Lorraine didn't show up. Emerald knew that she wasn't going to England until Sunday and she was a tiny bit worried at first but then decided she was just sleeping in or something.

Another few day's past with no sign of Lorraine. Emerald was secretly very worried at that point so she asked her teacher if she knew anything.

"I'm sorry Emerald," said her teacher. "I haven't heard from her. Maybe you should ring."
Emerald nodded and decided to ring as soon as she got home.

"Hello?" said a voice at the other end of the phone. "It's Jane Carmi here. Who's this?"
"Hi Jane," said Emerald. "It's me, Emerald. I was wondering why Lorraine hasn't been in school for the past few days."
Then Emerald heard crying.
"I'm sorry Emerald. I should have rung before, but I didn't know what to do. You see, On Monday afternoon Lorraine was hit by a car."
Emerald gasped.
"She's, she's not dead, is she?"
"No, not dead. but she's in a coma and she's got some serivre injuries. If you would like to see her I could take you to the hospital with me tommorow. If it's okay with your mum and dad of course."

The next day at school Emerald was very quiet. What if it was her fault she got hit by the car? Maybe she was upet and wasn't looking at the road and then she got hit.
She was stuck in a world of what if's. The bell brought her back to earth.
"Emerald, could you come here a moment." Said her teacher.
"I want to know if you know anything about Lorraine." She said when Emerald finnally got to her desk, which seemed like an eternity.
Then Emerald burst into tears and told her everything, including the fact that she thought it was her fault.
"Okay," said her teacher, nodding. "You're very pale. I want you to go down to the sick bay and tell someone I asked the to ring your mum to pick you up."

That affternoon Lorraine's mum took Emerald to the hospital where she sat down, just holding her hand and talking to her. After half an hour Lorraine woke up. She looked around the room and then saw Emerald.
"Where am I Em?" She asked.
"You're in the hospital," Emerald replied. "You got knocked over by a car. I'm so sorry about what I said." Emerald burst into tears.

At school the next week everyone had heard about Lorraine but they all wanted to question her about it, even though she didn't really know anything about it.
She had a broken arm and leg so she had one crutch and Emerald supported her other side.

"Thanks for everything," wispered Lorraine to Emerald in maths one day. "I know you didn't mean for me to get knocked over."

Emerald just grinned and continued with her maths.
*
When Emerald and Lorraine were living in a flat together at the age of 19 they thought about that eventful week and knew it had made their friendship stronger.