The Promise

“Do you promise that we’ll best friends forever?”  I turned to look at Helena surprised at the concern in her voice.  Ten minutes earlier we were trying on the new clothes we’d bought at the mall and talked of our long awaited trip to Florida at the end of our junior year in a couple of months.

“Sure, forever,” I said, assuring her.  Her whole constitution seemed changed in a matter of nanoseconds.  Of course that was an ordinary occurrence with Helena.

“What’s up with you?  You seem upset.” I sat next to her.

“I am just glad we’re best friends.  Sometimes I worry that something will happen and we won’t be that anymore.”  She turned her emerald eyes on me.  I loved looking at her eyes, they just took your breath away at how stunningly green they were, but, at the same time, I also envied her for them because my brown eyes seemed so dull in comparison.  

“That could never happen, you’re like my sister,” I said, hugging her.  “We’re sisters,” she repeated, as if she were trying to convince herself that I meant it.  I did.

I tried on my newly bought sapphire blue bikini.  “So what do you think?” I asked, spinning around waiting for Helena’s approval. “Stephen loves blue.”

Stephen Farris.  His name alone sent pleasant shivers down my spine.  Butterflies began their flight again in the pit of my stomach as I thought of the picnic planned the next day to celebrate the return of warm weather.  If truth be told, none of us needed an excuse to head to the water and bare ourselves to the sun gods.  Despite it being early April, it was hot as summer outside.   Living near the coast in Brunswick, Georgia afforded us many opportunities to enjoy the beach early.  But this was my excuse to show my new bikini and, hopefully, snag an invitation to the prom the following month from my dream guy. 

“I know.”  Helena smirked at me.  “You got it bad for him, but I can understand why, he is totally hot!” 

“Hot” was an understatement, too unrefined of a word, I thought to myself.   Stephen was like a Nordic God who was cursed to walk among us mortals was what I felt every time he graced us with his presence at our lunch table or sat behind me in French class.  I loved the way his thick, blond hair curled at his neck, the way his aquamarine eyes crinkled up when he laughed, most of the time, I felt like I was drowning those eyes; blue as the Caribbean Sea.  But most especially, I relished those moments when he would come up and grab my hand when we’d walk down the hall together.  People kidded that we were secretly a couple, but really, we were just good friends.  Not that I would be opposed to a change in our status.

“Well, when you go off and marry him, don’t forget about me,” Helena said, smiling at me.

“Never!  Remember nothing comes between us, especially not a guy,” I said. We had promised each other that we wouldn’t fall victim to the common pitfall upsetting best friendships the world over, namely men.  Too bad promises are hard to keep.

The next day, the gods graced us with a cloudless sky.  The sun warmed our bodies as we laughed and played under its 78 degree rays.  The Atlantic was still cold and nipped at my toes ensuring only the brave among us would venture into the rolling waves.  Stephen and I, not being one of them, sat on the sand and talked about everything that came to our minds.

“Love days like this,” Stephen said, laying back on the sand, looking over at me.  Please let this be it, I silently prayed.  “Man, I was thinking about prom,” he began.  Wow, that was fast.  I held my breath.  “I should have got on this earlier, but you know me,” he said laughing.

His laugh was infectious, a disease I wanted to catch and never get better.  “Does Helena have a date yet?”  I was amazed that the strength it took to keep the smile plastered on my face.  “No, not yet.” I answered, my teeth clenched so hard that at any moment my jaw would break. 

Helena told me earlier that she didn’t want to go, but I always knew she really did and was just waiting to be asked.  Most males, old and young alike, were intimidated by Helena and her goddess beauty.  I suppose it was only fitting that Stephen would be attracted to her, I thought bitterly.

“Good.  Now I just have to work up the nerve to do it.” he laughed again at me and took my hand. I seemed to have been miraculously cured of the disease.   Now the laugh left my bikini-clad body cold.  “I am so glad that I can talk to you about stuff. You’re like my sister.”  Sister, I guess that was my lot in life.  One I used to want, but not this way, not with him.

Later, Helena came to find me.  “So, I guess you’re going to the prom.”  I said quietly, turning to look at her, I saw tears in her eyes.  “I’m so sorry,” she said, softly. 

“Yeah...well...”  I started to walk away. 
                           
“Wait, let me finish.  I am not going to the prom.  Unless you want to be my date.”  She came over to hug me.  “No guy comes between us...ever.” 

We kept that promise to each other.  Until she broke my brother’s heart.