Before reading, I recommend you read Parts 1 and 2 first! Part 1: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/997803899/ Part 2: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1009353125/ Tara Friendship is a wonderful thing. Real friendship. Linda is the only real friend I’ve ever had. The late Spring dandelion’s yellow puff has turned into a wispy cloud of seeds. I pick one up and blow the seeds away, wishing everything to work out. My bare feet brush against the moist grass. Her hand is clasped around mine as we walk along the path. She lets go. “Good luck, call me later,” she says. She walks into her home and I am alone, yet I’m not alone anymore. When I finally gather the courage to open the door to my house, Mom is waiting for me. “Where have you been!?” she asks me. “Mom, I have to tell you something.” 20 Years Ago Alice, Tara’s mother was calling the airplane flight office to get 2 one-way tickets to London. She and her best friend, Poppy, Linda’s mother started planning this trip months ago and they were leaving in two days. They were both trying to make the most of their twenties, and Alice was the one paying. Poppy was breaking up over the phone with her then-boyfriend. They had been dating on and off for years, but this time felt final. She hung up after many hours of screaming and crying at him. This trip would be better without the stress of thinking about him, so she took all of the things that reminded her of him and either broke them or threw them out. After she finally went to sleep, she awoke to the sound of knocking on her window. Her now ex-boyfriend had his face pressed up against the dusty glass. She felt like he had cast a spell over her as she stood up to let him in. As soon as he entered, he got down on one knee and held out a tiny box. Alice, a night owl, was packing all her stuff for the vacation. It felt like nothing could bring her down until her dream vacation was over. After pacing around her room for what felt like hours, she finally fell into a comfortable sleep on her bedroom floor. On the day they were supposed to leave, Poppy was trying frantically to call Alice. She glanced down at the sparkly engagement ring on her finger. She felt poisoned by love. Poppy started to shake, was she making the right choice? You are supposed to follow your heart, right? But Poppy didn’t know if her heart was to be trusted. Alice never picked up. Alice was waiting at the airport, her flip phone was dead and packed away. They had agreed to meet here the day before, but Poppy was nowhere to be found. The tickets were non-refundable, and Alice started to get worried and angry. Poppy never showed up. Poppy was in the car, heading in the opposite direction of the airport. Her new fiance had his hands on the wheel. They were running away together. Eventually, they called off the engagement and Poppy came home after a few months. Alice went to England on her own where she met Tara’s father and never spoke to Poppy again. She told the crazy story to her children with resentment and gratitude. Even now, Poppy thinks about Alice and wants to reach out but never has the courage.
Tara I could not read my mother’s face after I told her. She was thinking. My heart was pounding. Even if she forbade me to see Linda, I knew I would find a way to do so. After a few minutes, she finally spoke, “Tara, I really don’t care who you are friends with, just don’t bring Linda’s mother over, okay? I am grateful for what she did, but I don’t think we can ever get along again.” I felt a huge weight being lifted, and relief brewed up inside me. I don’t know why I would think my mother would be unreasonable. I gave her a huge hug and went upstairs to bed. Linda When 6:00 PM finally arrived, the doorbell rang. I ran to open it and Tara’s bright eyes looked back at me. I could tell that she had told her friends and family because she seemed less stressed. I held out my arms and Tara ran into them. “Happy birthday!” we said at the same time. “I know it’s last minute, but can Kaitlyn come? After I told her she seemed excited to meet you. Emma said that she felt betrayed though,” Tara said. She had a mixture of hope, sadness, and excitement on her face. I didn’t know Kaitlyn so I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to come, but I trusted Tara’s judgment. “Sure, of course, she can come.” Meeting Kaitlyn was awkward, but overall it went well. Shortly after Kaitlyn arrived, all of my other friends showed up. Polly was holding a 3 tired enormous chocolate cake, and I couldn’t even see her face. They all stared at Kaitlyn and Tara in surprise and nobody said anything. After moments of silence, Sara exclaims, “Let's get this party started!” We all smile and go into the living room. “Guys, let's play truth or dare!” Delilah shouts. Kaitlyn looks uncomfortable, but we all sit down in a circle. After a few uneventful rounds, Polly asks Tara, “Truth or dare,” and Tara answers truth. “What are you and her doing here?” Polly asks while pointing from Tara to Kaitlyn, genuinely curious. Tara hesitantly answers, “Me and Linda are close.” Everyone except Kaitlyn looks surprised, and someone even gasps. “Oh, I never knew that,” Polly says. Finally, everyone started to warm up to each other and we went to eat cake. I think at first my friends were upset but they seemed to like each other. “Hey, let's all make friendship bracelets!” Kaitlyn shouts. “That's a great idea!” I reply. I stand up and go grab some beads and string. We all start making bracelets for each other. I got one green one from Delilah, one red and blue one from Polly and my favorite one was from Tara. It had green and gold beads, and 3 words: “Our Secret Eden.”
