Free The Art of Life by Sarah Carter

drive.”
                    In an instant her personality changes.   “Why would I need a ride?”
                    “Mom,”
I hiss quietly.   “You can’t drive like
this.   What if you get pulled over?”
                    Pulling
the door open, my mom growls, “I will call a taxi.”
                    My heart   breaks .   I look at Jeremy.   I can only imagine what he is thinking.   His eyes lock on mine, and he gives me a soft
smile.   As my mom walks into the house,
he simply walks up to me.   Wrapping his
arms around me, he whispers, “See, I am not going anywhere.”
                    Wrapping
my arms around him, I reply, “Thank you.”   As I let go, I say, “She is having a good day.   Most of the time she is mean and nasty.”
                    “Well,
we will get going and finish having a great day.   We don’t need to think about this.”
                    “Thanks,”
I sigh.   “Come on, she gets distracted
easily, usually by a liquor bottle.   It’s
the weekend.   There isn’t anything to
hold her back.”
                    Opening
the door, I step inside with Jeremy right behind me.   “So, this is my house,” I say, shutting the
door.   “I do all the cleaning, so if
something is messed up.   I am sorry.”
                    “I
want to see your room,” Jeremy states.   “Is it upstairs?”   He starts to
walk to the steps.
                    “Why
in the world would you want to see my room?” I ask, dodging in front of him to
block his way.
                    He
keeps walking, pushing me to the stairs.   “Because, we are friends now, and friends need to see each other’s
lives.   I will show you mine, if you show
me yours.”
                    “What!?” I gasp.
                    “I
will show you my apartment, if you show me your room,” he laughs.
                    Trying
to hold him still, I say, “No.”
                    Suddenly,
he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.   “Yes.”
                    “Jeremy!”
I try to not yell so loud.
                    He
laughs and just goes up the steps.   He is
so going to drop me. I am going to die.   I am going to fall down the steps and die.   “Which door is it?” Jeremy asks, as we
finally get to the top.
                    “Put
me down!” I demand.
                    So,
he does.   “Which one is it?”
                    “This
one,” I sigh, gesturing to the door behind him.   “No one has been in my room since I was 13.   I wasn’t expecting company.”
                    “It’s
fine,” Jeremy says.   “Wait until you see
my apartment.   It looks like NO ONE has
been in there in 13 years.   I need to
clean it, but always seem to get sidetracked.”
                    That
makes me smile, “But remember, I owe you one.   So, I have to clean it.”
                    Getting
a very devious grin on his face, Jeremy snickers, “That’s right.   Oh, do you have your hands full.”
                    I
shake my head and open my bedroom door.   A knot of nervousness sits in my stomach.   “So, this is my art.”
                    “Oh ..my… gosh…Isabelle.   This is…just amazing.”   Jeremy
walks over to the first wall.   Every
single one of my walls is covered in my art.   My best pieces are framed.   The
rest are collages.   Ever so carefully, he
looks at each picture.   “I am going to
give you one promise,” Jeremy whispers.
                    “What’s
that?” I ask, walking over to him.
                    Turning
to look at me, Jeremy says, “I am going to do everything in my