“Just a thought,” Kyla started, forking some of the cake Tristan gave us into her mouth, “What would the school be like if you and Jasper were still friends?”
Catastrophic? Disastrous? Weird?
“It’s just wrong,” I replied vaguely, drinking from my glass, “I broke off our friendship for a reason.”
She sighed, completely unsatisfied with my answer. She finished off her pastry and pushed away the empty plate, tapping her finger impatiently on the table.
We were currently on our break, and what a relief it is. The costumers who stayed after my escapade with Jasper were giving me looks as I did my job. Co-workers eyed me with a bundle of emotions I don’t want to even figure out.
I don’t even want to think about the questions Kyla was bombarding me. I knew I kept the poor girl hanging when I refused to answer any questions about my former best friend, but when I’m comfortable with it, I’ll start talking.
“Savannah,” Kyla drawled out my name slowly, “What really happened?”
I was jealous that Jasper was falling for Kyla. He never admitted it but I saw the signs, it was better for me to just forget about him than see the pain of watching him look at my best gal pal with so much adoration. Back then, that was my only reason.
When our senior year came, I came to the conclusion that our school would have been so hectic if they realized that their student body president can easily succumb to their star athlete, I had to cut off all ties with him.
Now, I just watch him from afar, observing his every move and think about everything that had happened between us.
I got over my little crush on him, but the longing of having him by my side as a best friend never faded.
I miss him, that’s a fact.
“It’s for the better,” I stated, pushing myself off of my chair.
Is it really?
Kyla shook her head but she stopped on prying for any more information. We headed back to waiting on tables and entertaining our customers.
With a cup of coffee placed on a tray, I walked to the table of a lady. I placed down her order before plastering the same old smile I was required to show.
“Enjoy,” I told her, using a polite tone, just like always.
“You look down, dear,” she observed, “Is a boy troubling you?”
Kind of, sort of, maybe, yeah.
“Keep your chin up,” she smiled softly, “You can never move forward if you keep on looking back.”
I nodded my head at her words, telling her to enjoy her drink; I spun on my heel as I retreated back into the kitchen.
“My shift is over,” I said as I passed Tristan, who already changed out of his work clothes, “See you tomorrow.”
When I was about to push the door of the locker room open, he called out after me, “Want to go grab dinner or something?”
I turned to the inside of the room and I saw Kyla nod vigorously. She has yet to change her clothes, but she looked like she was about to jump out of the room so she can spend some time with Tristan.
“Sure, the three of us can go when we finish changing,” I told him.
The door closed behind me and Kyla erupted into a set of squeals, “Dinner? I’m eating dinner with him?”
I want to remind her that I’m also going to be there, but I rather allow my best friend to have her moment of joy.
Changing into my jeans and shirt, I closed my locker shut and adjusted my bag strap on my shoulder, “Come on, Juliet, your Romeo is waiting.”
She was still in cloud nine when we met up with Tristan in the parking lot. I seriously had to walk in front of her just in case she wanted to place her name in shame. I could at least act as a barrier between these two, with the grin she was giving, she couldn’t believe her luck.
Tristan was still oblivious of her crush on him. He didn’t know that whenever he teased Kyla, she falling for him harder than ever.
When we reached a burger joint, Tristan instantly ducked behind us, as if the two of us could hide his huge body.
I knew why he was hiding behind two girls who was a head shorter than him – half of the basketball team was there, having the time of their lives.
He should thank the lucky stars that Jasper was hanging out with his sister right now, he wasn’t there to see us. My stomach was growling but I knew I had to do the right thing.
“Join them,” I told him, turning my head to look at him, “I’m pretty sure my mom already made dinner .”
Even with the sullen look, Kyla nodded her head in agreement to my encouragement. She knew what would happen if anybody saw us hanging out.
Tristan looked torn on what to do, he’s a good kid and his reputation doesn’t deserve to be tarnished just because he worked at the same café that I do.
“See you tomorrow at school,” I turned from him, holding Kyla’s hand while I dragged her along with me. Her walking was slow but I understood why, we just passed up the opportunity to dine with her crush.
Just as we were out of the door, it swung open to reveal the guy I’ve been bumping into much lately today.
Is it me or this had been the most interaction we had in a day for three years?
When he noticed me, we just stared up at each other. We’ve been doing that a lot.
Surprisingly, he nodded at me before presenting me with a simple, “Hello.”
Kyla froze, my jaw dropped, Tristan paled, and the basketball team who just realized that their captain was there all stared at him like he grew a second head.
Clearing my throat, I finally allowed myself to speak and say something that wouldn’t end myself up in embarrassment, “Hello.”
He threw another nod before he went around us and to the booth where all his teammates was packed in to. Tristan slowly followed his steps but his eyes were trained on me, switching to Jasper then right back at me.
I was as confused as he was.
When we were outside, Kyla snatched her arm away from my grasp and stepped right in front of me, “Something did happen outside the café.”
It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. A very accusing statement, but she was correct.
I tried to walk around her but every step I make, she mirrors it, making sure that I didn’t escape her accusing gaze. With an annoyed stomp, I sighed at her, “Kyla.”
She grabbed my hand as she proceeded to march to her car, “We’re going to your house, grab some food, lock ourselves in your bedroom while you tell me every single detail.”
I didn’t bother to argue because I knew she would end up having her way. That’s Kyla Bailey for you, she’ll squeeze every single detail out of your crushed soul.
Pushing the front door open, we peeked inside the kitchen to see if the food is ready. Sure enough, my mother was already transferring food into individual plates.
“We’re home, mom,” I greeted, approaching her. She glanced our way before smiling at us, placing down the empty pan, she wiped her hands on a dishtowel before walking up to us.
“How was work and school?” she asked brightly.
Oh, I finally talked to my ex-best friend that I haven’t approached since the day I decided to end our long time friendship. Everything is just peachy.
“It was great,” I smiled. Like hell would I tell her all of those things.
She raised her eye suspiciously but after a while, she decided to let it go. That’s my mom for you, she understands a teenager even though she isn’t one anymore.
“Are you eating with us, Kyla?” she turned to my best friend, “We have enough food for another plate.”
“That would be great, Ariel,” she beamed. My mom refused to let herself age, resulting that she insists to every single friend of mine to call her by her first name, “But we have a lot of work to do, mind if Savannah and I eat in her room?”
Mom shook her head, practically shoving two filled plates into our hands, “Enjoy, you two.”
She probably wanted to grab this opportunity to finally have some alone-time with my dad over a nice dinner. My dad works in an office all day long and only goes home just in time for dinner. This resulted that the two of them barely get some time alone to do anything romantic, since I’m always there.
Carrying our food with us, we stepped into the living room just as my father entered through the front door.
“Good evening girls,” he smiled politely though you could clearly see that he was tired.
“Hey Dad,” I greeted, followed by another one from Kyla. We headed upstairs into my room where the minute my door closed, Kyla started to fire me her questions.
There wasn’t much to explain. It’s just the first ever exchange of words we had for a very long time, before I went bolting out. I didn’t mention the text, I want to think of it as my own little special thing.
Maybe that could be my new comfort word. Alright.
“I’m sorry if I’m going to touch this topic,” she started, sitting on my bed next to me, “Why did you break off your friendship?”
Should I tell her? Yes. Can I tell her? No.
I can’t look at her in the eye and tell her that she was the primary reason why I stopped talking to him. If only she knew that it was because of her, I spent days of putting away every single memory I had of him. I wanted to forget him, it was extremely immature, but it was for the better. It saved me from a gruesome heartbreak.
We will never be together, I’ve accepted that.
“It’s a long story,” I replied softly.
I felt her arms went around my body, hugging me in comfort, “We have all night. You know that you have to get it out of your system at some point.”
The lights from the room next door captured our attention. Another fun fact, Jasper is my next door neighbor. It was one of the main reasons why we became best friends.
For a long time, we would have conversations through the window. We were fine when our parents still refused to give us mobile phones, besides, it was more exciting to slide our windows open and have a little chat till the latest hours of the night.
“Looks like Jasper’s home,” Kyla concluded, she turned to me and pulled me up to my feet, “Talk to him.”
Was she crazy?
I just can’t open my window and just talk to him like the past three years never happened. It’s not that simple.
“Kyla!” I protested as she neared my window.
We stepped, just right in front of it. She turned to me and gave me an encouraging nod, “You two will never solve your problems if you don’t go past the hey’s and hello’s.”
“Then maybe I don’t want to solve our problems!” I yelled. After the words escaped my mouth, the both of us stilled in silence.
That may be the biggest lie I have ever told in my whole life.
She shook her head, slowly backing away from me, “You’re a strong girl, Savannah. Just talk to him.”
She got out of my room, probably just waiting outside my door like the good friend that she is. I pulled open my curtains until saw his window. It had its own blue curtains to conceal the other side.
I can’t do this. Not now, not ever.
Sliding the glass open, I allowed the wind to enter my room’ papers on my desk fluttered a little, but other than that, it was no difference.
How do I even make him open his window?
Kyla Bailey, I’m going to kill you for making me do this.
Just talk to him? Does she even know the shock I went through when he greeted me earlier at the burger joint?
Looking at the closed window right across from me, I knew we had to fix everything.
For the longest time, I’ve been living in the regret of ignoring him. He could still been by my side, making me love life. Maybe he would have defended me through the judgmental eyes of the student body.
“I’m sorry, Jasper,” I whispered to the air, as if my words could reach him.
I grabbed whatever knick knack that I had laying around, knowing it’s no longer of importance to me, I chucked it at the closed window, praying it rattled him that I’m here.
Please, open the window.
I can see his shadow move inside and my heart stopped beating for a quick second as he came closer to the curtain.
Closing my eyes, I didn’t want to see him open the window. Maybe I could wake up any second from now and find myself next to Kyla as she continued to drone on about her crush on Tristan.
That wasn’t the case right now, though.
“Savannah,” short and gentle as ever, I hear him say out my name. I thought I will never hear his voice say it again.
Slowly cracking my eyes open, I saw him staring at me.
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Sorry I didn't upload last weekend, it was my prom. My life has been so hectic this week, school works just went down on me, I barely got any sleep. You would be scared beyong belief if you saw my face, the bags under my eyes are just terrifying.
Not other than that, I've been fighting with my computer because it's literally being a bitch with me. Stop pestering me to update, some are cute because it meant that you liked my story, others are just plain rude. Let me get this straight, I have a life! I'm stressed enough with everything going on right now with my life, I don't need any more added stress from impatient and immature people. Some authors don't even update for months!
Question: Thoughts on Savannah's quirky best friend, Kyla?
Love you guys, please be a little understanding. My school year is almost finished, I'm running around filling up my requirments.