I remember the first time I ever spoke to Katie. I never had a problem making friends as most of them came to secondary school with me but every day I would see that little girl sitting on her own with that sad look on her face and I felt bad... really bad. So, I marched up to her and said the simplest greeting… “Hi.”
Since that day we've been almost inseparable and I loved it. When you’re eleven having that one person you can tell everything to is brilliant. We went everywhere together, but that was when we were eleven. Now, we are sixteen, the following everywhere thing isn't all it is cracked up to be. A girl needs her personal space sometimes and her turning up on my doorstep asking “what’s for tea” when I’m in my ducky pajamas and stuffing my face with ice-cream is a bit too far. Those moments are for me, my “Friends” box set and the two men in my life, Ben and Jerry.
Yesterday we were having one of those hopeful chats about the future. This is how she greeted me.
“Hey” There’s me lovely lassie.” This was as she was running down the corridor squealing and waving her enormous art folder in the air. She obviously didn't notice my clear disgust as she named me Lassie. I mean seriously who names their friend after a famous dog? “ OK, so guess what. I've been accepted into Blaydon. Isn't that great?”
“Oh… I thought you liked Belle Reve.” Now, I would be thrilled that Katie is going to the same college as me, if I knew she actually liked that college. Word quickly spreads around this school and apparently she told Lucy that the only reason she likes Blaydon is because I’m going. I now understand why Lucy describes her as clingy.
“Um… I did… but well Blaydon has a much nicer area and… and I like Blaydon as well…” Katie started to blink and her left hand twitched… and there it was… the hair flick, a sure sign that she is lying. Now for the change of subject, and here it comes. “Anyways, I’m so excited it’s unreal. No more uniform. No more hanging with these losers all the time.”
“Hmm…” Now, I’m going to have to back out of this conversation slowly. Don’t want to be caught up in the plans for the future that she probably has for us… not again.
“…But you know for university and stuff? Where are you thinking about going?” Katie was totally oblivious as my eyes widened. I should have just cut and run. The girl isn't giving me a chance.
“Um… Well… I haven’t really thought about it but… well I was thinking somewhere like Scotland or down south somewhere.” I have no idea why she is asking, but I’m saying somewhere far, far away. Just in case. Katie would never leave her family. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to stay in touch with her, but from a great distance.
“Wow! That sounds awesome. You want to go to medical school right. Maybe they’d have a decent art course as well. Wouldn't that be great?” Her voice was almost shaking with excitement. “Maybe we should share dorms.”
This is when the alarm bells started, hundreds of them all ringing in my head and me only wishing that one of them was the school bell that signals the start of period four and my chance at freedom. I know that all the best friends in the world plan to move in together when they are older, but well when Katie says something she means it. Her voice went from excitement to seriousness in a matter of seconds and I barely listened to the rambles about living costs and where we could go.
“If we went into university housing we’d obviously have to put in special requests… but there’s always private renting… we could always apply for benefits… or loans… but we can probably get a job… and there’s always other Roomies that can chip in… oh my god, how fun is this going to be? It will be like a constant sleepover. We can do each other’s nails and go to parties and nightclubs. You just choose the university and as long as they have some form of arty…” Katie continued to babble. She sounds like she knows what she is talking about sometimes, but she is a dreamer. She will never think of all the problems that her little plan has.
“Katie…” I sighed as she tried to carry on talking. It’s starting to sound almost rehearsed. She doesn't seem to even acknowledge my interruption. “Katie! Just let me speak, OK?”
“Sure.” She looks slightly more wary of me now I've interrupted. Did I sound harsh? I didn't mean to.
“Look… Katie… the thing is… the chance of finding a university that has a good medical school and a good art course is very small. I mean, it’s not going to suit both of us and you shouldn't change your plans to suit me, because I’m not going to change mine to suit you. You need to stop following everything I do, because, well, we have two separate lives and you need to go off and live yours and hopefully we will stay in touch.” I stood silent. I’d finished my speech and I just watched her face drop and her bottom lip quiver.
“Fine.” She didn't sound angry or annoyed, just sad. Just like the eleven year old who used to sit on her own each lunch time and it made me feel bad… really bad.
***
I woke to the cheesy tune from “Bad Boys” and it took me a few seconds to remember that it was Katie’s ringtone on my phone. I smiled at the memory of the day we watched that movie and the jokes after it, even though I was slightly annoyed to being woken up this early. My sleeping pattern is very fragile and one bad night’s sleep means I sleep in for the rest of the week. That’s my tutor not happy, again.
“Oh my god, you will never guess what my mam has done now…” Katie’s voice rang in my ears and the previous day was forgotten.
So, this is going to be my life, dodgy nicknames, silly plans and bad night sleeps. There is no getting rid of the clingy best friend, so I better learn to live with it.