“I’Ll Be Just Fine”
Michelle and Evie had been best friends since the second grade. They first met at recess one day after the class bully, Johnson Murphy, had stolen Evie’s sack lunch and Michelle helped her tackle him to the ground to recover the slightly mushed lunch. The two remained friends throughout elementary and junior high school. Their friendship consisted of sleepovers, campouts, treehouses, birthday parties and an occasional squabble over whether they should Rollerblade or go swimming. Their junior high years brought a whole new level of friendship as they shared everything from music and clothes to secret crushes and tears of disappointment.
They felt sure they would be best friends forever as they anticipated entering high school. However, as their freshman year wore on, things began to change. The two began to seek out different activities in high school. Evie discovered a talent in acting and made some new friends in her drama class. Michelle became absorbed in her goal to make the school’s basketball team. Soon the friends began to see less and less of each other. And when they could find time to be together they found they had nothing to talk about.
Evie spotted Michelle talking with a group of girls in the hall between second and third period and hurried over to her.
“Mic, guess what? I got the leading role in the school play!” Evie jumped up and down.
“Evie, hi! I’ve been looking all over for you. You have to hear this. I made the team! Isn’t that great?” Michelle turned to her friend as ir she hadn’t heard. “Here, these are my teammates. This is Miranda and Carrie, and that’s Jessica…”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Evie’s face was red with anger. Michelle turned to her teammates who were smirking at Evie’s outburst.
“Excuse me one minute,” she said apologetically. Michelle pulled Evie away.
“What is wrong with you?” she said harshly. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”
“Embarrass you?” Evie cried. “I just told you the most important news of my life and you acted like you didn’t even hear me!”
“I heard you Evie, but the team, I made the team! Coach Lewis said I have a great jump shot.”
“You know what Michelle? I don’t even want to hear about your stupid basketball tryouts,” she shouted. “I can’t believe you’re being so inconsiderate!”
“Well, all you care about is your dumb drama class. And I never get to see you anymore because you’re spending all your time with those new friends of yours.”
“Well at least they actually listen to me when I tell them something!” Evie was crying. “I don’t even know why I’m friends with you. We have absolutely nothing in common.”
After school Evie decided to take a different route home so she wouldn’t have to face Michelle. Out of habit Michelle glanced around the courtyard looking for Evie. Then she recalled the run-in they had earlier.
Little to Michelle’s knowledge, Evie was walking home just on the next street over. When she reached the end of the block, there they stood face to face.
“You really hurt my feelings today, Michelle,” Evie said. “I just wanted you to give me some kind of congratulations for making it in the play. Is that too much to ask from my BEST friend?”
“No. But I get so sick of hearing about your acting and your new friends, that when I made the team I couldn’t wait to tell you that I was successful at something too.
“I mean acting came so easily to you. You hardly had to try and you were a success. I’ve been practicing all my life to perfect my basketball skills. I guess I felt I was more deserving of congratulations because I had worked so hard.”
“I am proud of you Mic, but just because drama comes easily to me doesn’t make it any less important. I feel like you resent me because of that.”
“Just look at all those new friends you’ve made,” Michelle said. “I guess I feel a little bit jealous and left out.”
“I’m really sorry. I have been preoccupied lately and I understand how you feel. I felt the same way when you began to introduce me to your new friends on the team.” Evie looked away. “It’s hard for me to face the fact that we are becoming so different.”
“Yeah,” Michelle responded. “Why can’t things be the way they were when we were younger? Life was so much easier then.” They both smiled. There was a long pause.
“Well, it doesn’t make sense for us to remain best friends if we have nothing in common,” Evie stated.
“But I don’t think we have to stop being friends either. I mean, seven years is a long time.”
“So where does this leave us?” Evie asked.
“Well, do you want to come to my first basketball game next Friday?” Michelle asked.
“I’d love to. And will you come to the play once it opens in a couple of months?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Michelle smiled. Evie leaned over and gave her friend a hug.
“Are you OK with this?” Evie asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be just fine.”
Michelle and Evie went their separate directions after that. They made new best friends and pursued their interests. But they never forgot the good years they spent with each other. And they always made time to cheer one another on at the basketball games and the school plays.