Picture Picture

Chapter 6: BFFs

"Well, yeah, I guess I'm a bit upset but not because he dumped me or at least that's what he said, but maybe because I had not yet fully recovered from the humiliation," Nicky replied. Then, she suddenly laughed. "I'm actually glad we're over, though.  He's a jerk. And a big liar. Props to him for being such a good storyteller."

Lois was silent.

"Actually, it was I who broke up with him," Nicky went on. She took Lois' silence as a cue that Lois wanted to hear her side. Nicky wanted to be heard. She wanted someone to talk to about it. She wanted a friend. "He wasn't all that I thought he is. And I just said we're over while we we're out on a date that Friday. I had not thought he'd get really mad and turn the story around. But well, I'm a fool for even dating him."

"Why? What really happened?"

Nicky was smiling wide as she turned to Lois.

"You know, for having just been dumped, you looked rather happy now."

"Really?" Nicky smiled even wider. "First of all, I wasn't dumped and second, I think I'm really happy, now." She then talked on everything that had happened, even word for word and with matching gestures and actions, what she said and did on that Friday that she dumped Josh. She felt good as she talked it out, especially to Lois. She didn't care if she looked like an animated lunatic to a passer-by.

"So you really are feeling okay, now?" Lois asked after Nicky had told her the full story.

"I feel a whole lot better." She let out a breath. "I'm glad you're here. I never told anyone else what really happened."

"You don't feel bad at all?"

Nicky looked at Lois. She met her eyes. It was then she realized the glum look on her childhood bestfriend's face. She had not noticed it right then because it was masked with her usual big bright smile. But Lois' eyes looked strained, and they weren't smiling at all.

"I do feel bad," Nicky replied. "I was so mad and angry at Josh. And then, I was angry at myself. But I know I'll recover from this." 

"Of course you will," Lois smiled, self-consciously. Her voice suddenly sounding hoarse.

"Is everything okay?" Nicky finally asked.

Lois immediately looked away. She didn't reply. She had a far-off gaze in her eyes. Nicky followed her gaze.

"You can talk to me about it, you know," Nicky said slowly as she watched a few senior guys, headed by the biggest of them all, Robert, tugging a gangly sophomore boy towards the marriage booth. The sophie seemed to be acting like he didn't want to get inside the booth. Nicky wondered if the sophie had his friend put his name to be the groom or if he wrote it himself. She remembered when she was in her freshman year, she was tempted to write her name and Iggy's for the Marriage Booth. She realized it was stupid but then maybe that would be the only time she could finally get near to him. That Foundation Day, even if she would have wanted, she could still not do it. Early that day, Iggy and Camille were already married then.

"You wouldn't tell anyone?" Lois finally spoke, her voice small.

"No. I won't. I promise." Nicky turned back to Lois. 

"I got dumped," Lois muttered quietly, after a moment.

"Okay."

"It's not really okay, Nicky. I hadn't been dumped before. I usually did the dumping."

Nicky actually didn't mean okay—okay—she actually meant it to be "and then".  But nonetheless, she said, "It's alright."

"You don't understand."