J's Story Shot: BFF Code Red
Life is good until it’s not and then it’s up to us to drive it back to good. Carrie and Shawna had been friends since grade school, and now in their late twenties their friendship was still going strong. In high school they had set up a distress code where code red would mean drop everything; I need you now. It had been years since either one had given a code red.
Shawna was just sitting down for lunch with her husband and three year old daughter when her phone pinged, indicating a text. She intended to ignore it until after lunch until two other pings sounded in succession. Throwing her husband an apologetic look, she picked up her phone and checked her text. She had three from Carrie. Code Red. No Joke, meet me at the park now. Please! Shawna handed the phone to her husband. He read the text quickly.
“Go,”he said having been told long ago about the distress code system. Twenty minutes later Shawna found Carrie sitting in the grass at the park they’d been coming to since the were in middle school. Shawna took a seat. She knew instinctively that Carrie needed a moment before she could tell her what was wrong. She put her arms around her and Carrie leaned over and rested her head on Shawna’s shoulder.
They sat like that for ten minutes before Carrie said, “I pulled an overnight shift at the hospital only to come home to an empty house. Nate has packed up his things and left.”
“He left without saying anything to you?” Shawna had never like Nate, but she never suspected he would just up and leave Carrie.
“He left this.” Carrie handed her a sticky note that read, I’m sorry. Not happy. Met someone else.
“Wow, when are we going to roll up on him and drop kick his cheating behind?” Shawna was only partly kidding. If Carrie gave the word she’d be ready track him down and put her kick boxing training to good use.
“You’re joking, but I found him with the intent to do just that, I have the bat in the car to prove it.” Carrie’s eyes reflected a fury boiling deep inside.
“Carrie, what happened?” Shawna was surprised. Carrie was normally the level-headed one.
“Unfortunately, I went to give him a beat down and my heart ended up with another kick in the center. I drove around to all his favorite spots until I saw him walking towards that seafood shack on 5th Avenue. I pulled into a parking space across the street from him and was about to get out and confront him, when some woman walked up and his face lit up, liked I’d never seen before. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. When they turned towards the door I saw her pregnant belly. It was too much.” Carrie eyes flooded with tears and spilled over unto her cheeks. “Three years wasted, just keeping him entertained until he found someone else. I feel so stupid. Now what am I supposed to do.”
Shawna rubbed her shoulder, “He’s the stupid one and you are going to eventually get over him. I’ll be here to help you through the heartache and pain and celebrate with you when you are done and on to the next. Whatever it is you need to help you through this.”
“Good, cause I may need an alibi when they discover all the air was let out of his tires.”
Shawna laughed, “I got you girl.”