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Description
I'm just getting older
I'm not getting over you I'm trying to
I wish it didn't hurt like this
It's been way too long for the times we missed
I can't believe it still hurts like this
-The Older I Get by Skillet

Hail Zorix
The Beaten
Whose wounds and corpse
Will find you, sport
-Prayer to the Unknown by elixirphoenix (found on www.deviantart.com)

"You're going the wrong way!" Kate shouted at me.

"No she isn't." Lisa said, smearing her lipstick as we rounded a curve. "Careful! I would expect you to know how to drive!"

"Come on, Sirena, how much slower are you going to drive? I'm starving!" Emily told me, with deep seated anger in her voice. In younger days, she had scared the other school children into following her. While not particularly bright, she had an air around her that spoke of menace.

"It's not like you don't eat enough." I retorted, trying to concentrate with my "friends" giving me directions. Almost worse than teaching my fifteen year old to drive, now that was a true nightmare. I had learned to respect my Mom then.

Susanna was sitting in the passenger's seat and turned to me. "Don't listen to them, you're doing fine." Her friendly smile hid her cold heart; one that, I believed, had been destroyed a long time ago.

"Thanks." I said and pulled into the small restaurant we had planned to go to. It was not crowded due to the fact that we were early, ahead of the rush. I parked the car and we all got out. We walked into the restaurant as the beauties we were.

Susanna headed us, a little clique that had survived the school days. Before, Susanna only had to please the school, but now she could open to the world. Lisa walked on Susanna's right side with a bright smile on her face. The waiter sat us down and then, as was our custom, complained about the restaurant.

The complaints got worse as time went on. I looked at the menu to find something to eat, momentarily deafening myself to the sounds of my "friends". It wasn't the best restaurant, and I knew Susanna had only brought us here so she would have more of an excuse to complain. Something on the menu caught my eye. It was a Patty Melt.

Patty had been a true friend that I had turned away, it had been a long time since I had last thought of her. I had taken one way, and she another. She had tried to make me see who I truly was. Again and again I had argued to stay in the clique. I turned and looked at my "friends", thinking how dense they were. I wanted to have lots of friends and to be respected. Patty had taken the opposite way, always hanging out with losers and outcasts.

Patty…

* * *

"Patty, you have to see reason." I begged her and her black eyes stared right through me. Her long brown hair was matted to her body because of the rain. I was holding an umbrella to keep myself dry. "Just because someone offers you something doesn't mean they're truthful. And what's with this crap about one of the twelve?"

"You only want me to stay so you can have someone to pick on." Patty said angrily. "You also use me as your strength, yet you don't realize that. I'm sick and tired of being used like this. I'm going to find a place for myself."

"But you have to finish your schooling, you've said that before." I pleaded and grabbed her backpack before she could get it. "You are always telling me to finish what I start. Why do you feel that you don't have to follow that rule?"

Patty held up her bruised arm. "I can't survive at school any longer. If I stay I'll be killed, or worse. You hang out in a clique; you don't know what my life is like." She said accusingly. "I'm going to get one of the twelve and become his or her counterpart. I don't know what that means, but I know I'll belong there. You have your place and I have mine. I will not fall down as you rise up. You've never paid me back for what I've done for you. I held you when you cried, and comforted you when others put you down. And what do I get?"

"I paid you back." I tried to tell her, tears coming out of my eyes. "I gave up nights with my friends, I spent them with you. I took you out to eat and bought you your favorite movies. What do you mean I didn't pay you back?"

"You gave me only the material." Patty said and grabbed her backpack away from me. Lightning lit up the abandoned gas station and thunder shook the earth. "You never gave me true friendship; you didn't change yourself to be with me."

"Why should I have?" I asked angrily. "Why should I change myself because of you? You're nothing! Anyone could do what you've done for me! Anyone could have comforted me in times of need! Leave, I can find someone to replace you!" I knew I was lying, causing a rift that would never close.

Patty gave me a final gaze and handed me a wallet. "It has my cellphone number in it, in case you change your mind." She then walked away. I felt as if my whole world was going away. But it didn't matter, I could easily forgive her.

* * *

I had just gotten back to my house from lunch. Patty…it had been so long ago. I said I could replace her, but I couldn't. Why couldn't I? I just hadn't found a person like that again; no one that would be that kind to me. I shifted through some pictures and found one of me and Patty.

There she was, appearing so strong. Her strength had helped me get through some difficult parts in my life, and this is how I repaid her? But it was so long ago, I doubt she'd remember me. And who would want to remember me? I was a no one.

But Patty had thought I was someone. All that day I tried to find her number. Even into the night I kept on searching, knowing that it was there. My husband, Mark, got scared by my obsession and tried to calm me down. But I wouldn't, I couldn't. Finally, after three sleepless nights, I had found her wallet. Now I was afraid. Would she forgive me when I hadn't forgiven myself?

I looked through the wallet to find her number and came across some odd looking bills. Holding one up, I saw that it didn't look like any money I had heard of before. But one word was spelled out in English: "Zorix". The bill seemed to draw me in and I put it back before it took over me. I searched through the wallet and quickly found her number.

I held up the phone and dialed her number. The seconds lasted millennia and I shivered. I was afraid, deeply afraid, that my call would be wasted. That I would be laughed at, that I would realize that I was all alone and no one was there. But I had my clique, even if it wasn't much. Even if Patty didn't accept me back, I would have other people, and I might even learn to follow Patty's path. But that seemed like accepting defeat.

"Hello?" Patty asked, her voice sounding ancient and a squawking could be heard in the background. "Who is this?"

Description
I'm just getting older
I'm not getting over you I'm trying to
I wish it didn't hurt like this
It's been way too long for the times we missed
I can't believe it still hurts like this
-The Older I Get by Skillet

Hail Zorix
The Beaten
Whose wounds and corpse
Will find you, sport
-Prayer to the Unknown by elixirphoenix (found on www.deviantart.com)

"You're going the wrong way!" Kate shouted at me.

"No she isn't." Lisa said, smearing her lipstick as we rounded a curve. "Careful! I would expect you to know how to drive!"

"Come on, Sirena, how much slower are you going to drive? I'm starving!" Emily told me, with deep seated anger in her voice. In younger days, she had scared the other school children into following her. While not particularly bright, she had an air around her that spoke of menace.

"It's not like you don't eat enough." I retorted, trying to concentrate with my "friends" giving me directions. Almost worse than teaching my fifteen year old to drive, now that was a true nightmare. I had learned to respect my Mom then.

Susanna was sitting in the passenger's seat and turned to me. "Don't listen to them, you're doing fine." Her friendly smile hid her cold heart; one that, I believed, had been destroyed a long time ago.

"Thanks." I said and pulled into the small restaurant we had planned to go to. It was not crowded due to the fact that we were early, ahead of the rush. I parked the car and we all got out. We walked into the restaurant as the beauties we were.

Susanna headed us, a little clique that had survived the school days. Before, Susanna only had to please the school, but now she could open to the world. Lisa walked on Susanna's right side with a bright smile on her face. The waiter sat us down and then, as was our custom, complained about the restaurant.

The complaints got worse as time went on. I looked at the menu to find something to eat, momentarily deafening myself to the sounds of my "friends". It wasn't the best restaurant, and I knew Susanna had only brought us here so she would have more of an excuse to complain. Something on the menu caught my eye. It was a Patty Melt.

Patty had been a true friend that I had turned away, it had been a long time since I had last thought of her. I had taken one way, and she another. She had tried to make me see who I truly was. Again and again I had argued to stay in the clique. I turned and looked at my "friends", thinking how dense they were. I wanted to have lots of friends and to be respected. Patty had taken the opposite way, always hanging out with losers and outcasts.

Patty…

* * *

"Patty, you have to see reason." I begged her and her black eyes stared right through me. Her long brown hair was matted to her body because of the rain. I was holding an umbrella to keep myself dry. "Just because someone offers you something doesn't mean they're truthful. And what's with this crap about one of the twelve?"

"You only want me to stay so you can have someone to pick on." Patty said angrily. "You also use me as your strength, yet you don't realize that. I'm sick and tired of being used like this. I'm going to find a place for myself."

"But you have to finish your schooling, you've said that before." I pleaded and grabbed her backpack before she could get it. "You are always telling me to finish what I start. Why do you feel that you don't have to follow that rule?"

Patty held up her bruised arm. "I can't survive at school any longer. If I stay I'll be killed, or worse. You hang out in a clique; you don't know what my life is like." She said accusingly. "I'm going to get one of the twelve and become his or her counterpart. I don't know what that means, but I know I'll belong there. You have your place and I have mine. I will not fall down as you rise up. You've never paid me back for what I've done for you. I held you when you cried, and comforted you when others put you down. And what do I get?"

"I paid you back." I tried to tell her, tears coming out of my eyes. "I gave up nights with my friends, I spent them with you. I took you out to eat and bought you your favorite movies. What do you mean I didn't pay you back?"

"You gave me only the material." Patty said and grabbed her backpack away from me. Lightning lit up the abandoned gas station and thunder shook the earth. "You never gave me true friendship; you didn't change yourself to be with me."

"Why should I have?" I asked angrily. "Why should I change myself because of you? You're nothing! Anyone could do what you've done for me! Anyone could have comforted me in times of need! Leave, I can find someone to replace you!" I knew I was lying, causing a rift that would never close.

Patty gave me a final gaze and handed me a wallet. "It has my cellphone number in it, in case you change your mind." She then walked away. I felt as if my whole world was going away. But it didn't matter, I could easily forgive her.

* * *

I had just gotten back to my house from lunch. Patty…it had been so long ago. I said I could replace her, but I couldn't. Why couldn't I? I just hadn't found a person like that again; no one that would be that kind to me. I shifted through some pictures and found one of me and Patty.

There she was, appearing so strong. Her strength had helped me get through some difficult parts in my life, and this is how I repaid her? But it was so long ago, I doubt she'd remember me. And who would want to remember me? I was a no one.

But Patty had thought I was someone. All that day I tried to find her number. Even into the night I kept on searching, knowing that it was there. My husband, Mark, got scared by my obsession and tried to calm me down. But I wouldn't, I couldn't. Finally, after three sleepless nights, I had found her wallet. Now I was afraid. Would she forgive me when I hadn't forgiven myself?

I looked through the wallet to find her number and came across some odd looking bills. Holding one up, I saw that it didn't look like any money I had heard of before. But one word was spelled out in English: "Zorix". The bill seemed to draw me in and I put it back before it took over me. I searched through the wallet and quickly found her number.

I held up the phone and dialed her number. The seconds lasted millennia and I shivered. I was afraid, deeply afraid, that my call would be wasted. That I would be laughed at, that I would realize that I was all alone and no one was there. But I had my clique, even if it wasn't much. Even if Patty didn't accept me back, I would have other people, and I might even learn to follow Patty's path. But that seemed like accepting defeat.

"Hello?" Patty asked, her voice sounding ancient and a squawking could be heard in the background. "Who is this?"