❝Do you ever just look at your best friend and think... This human. This is my favourite human.❞
• • •
People say that friendship depends on time. The longer you've known someone, the closer you'll become. Trust builds over time, memories multiply with time and love spreads through time.
But when two hearts have missing pieces, it doesn't matter how long they've known each other for. Once their paths collide, they know they're meant to be.
Sometimes all you need is someone who can find their chapters in your story, irrespective of how many pages you've already written.
The thing with Ashley and I was that we weren't best friends yet. We once were, and I liked to believe that we'd jumped back on the train of our friendship the moment we'd patched things up, but unfortunately, things didn't work that way. Once the engine broke down and our train came to a halt, we couldn't get back at full speed immediately after we'd fixed it. We had to take it slow and steady. I hoped that one day we'd be back to what we'd once been.
Take it like a breakup. Everyone understands that you need time to heal after it's over, but they forget that you need to heal even after you get together again. You can't just push back whatever happened and move on instantaneously. Not to mention, both of you would've changed a considerable amount in the time between when you'd broken up and when you'd gotten back together. Separation can change relationships.
But hey, what do I know? I've never been through a breakup before. I'll cross my fingers that I won't ever.
So Ashley and I were currently in the post-separation phase. We were friends, yes, but we had to work on the best part of it. I had Ava now, and she had Stacy. We couldn't choose to neglect all that had happened during the few centuries our fight had lasted.
"You what?!" Ash's eyes grew wide with excitement, as soon as I told her about the kiss. Rule number one for best friends was that we told each other everything. You couldn't be someone's best friend if they weren't comfortable telling you what worried them, angered them, excited them and everything in between.
If we were to work our friendship out, I had to start now.
I nodded, matching her enthusiasm. "No way," she whispered, then squealed. "My baby's all grown up!" She gushed.
I giggled, unknowing what to say. I knew she'd react this way, and I had the situation mapped in my head ages ago, but I still didn't have the right words at the tip of my tongue.
"What was it like?" She asked, exactly as I'd imagined she would.
"It-well-um..." I started, then laughed to myself. Thinking about Will always made me like this. Nervous, flustered, completely at a loss for words.
"Oh my God, I have never seen you like this," Ashley chuckled. "Should I tell Cassandra?" She teased.
I gasped dramatically, deciding to play along. "Oh, she'd murder me! Please don't," I begged.
"Ca-ssandra!" Ashley sang, giving me an evil look, and we both doubled over with laughter. Cassandra jokes never grew old.
Part of the reason why Ashley had quit cheerleading was because Cassandra always gave her a hard time for being involved with boys. Ralph was her boyfriend back then, and he was a total sweetheart to her. I didn't know him very well, apart from being Ashley's ex, but he was my favourite of all her exes.
I thought it weird at first that he and Stacy hit it off, with her being Ashley's best friend and all that, but I also knew for a fact that if Ashley was done with a boy, she wouldn't turn back around. There was no such thing as second chances with her in relationships.
Cassandra had never been in a relationship herself, other than with Draven. I could see why they got along. They were both cold, confident, passionate people who cared about nothing but their goals.
It was a shame they didn't last. At least then Cassandra couldn't give me crap for being with Will.
"I'm so happy for you, Daze," Ash said genuinely, leaning against my locker. "You deserve a good guy, and as far as I know, Will is one of them."
"If I'm wrong, though," she said, her eyes storming over. "I will beat the living daylights out of him."
"That you will," I agreed, not doubting her for a second.
Ava was still my best friend. She was still the one that saved me when I was drowning in isolation during the time when Ashley and I fought.
She was the one who'd shielded me from all the hate I'd received in those letters.
She was the one who didn't leave my side for even a second when Granddad died.
Could a person have two best friends? Perhaps. But Ashley and I still had a lot of catching up to do.
"Actually, I have some news for you too," Ashley said, smiling that special smile she only reserved for when there was a boy involved. I knew that smile all too well.
"Please tell me it's someone within your squad. I absolutely love your friend group; they're so sweet!" I said, thinking about how all of them acted like a family.
I only hung out with them a few times before, during the initial phase when Ashley quit the cheer squad and joined them.
I also ate lunch with them a few days ago with Ava, seeing that she'd suddenly joined them too.
Right away, I knew what roles they played within the group, and I loved to see how they acted with one another.
Thea was the wise old grandmother who gave out advice that was irrelevant to this era.
Ralph and Stacy were the mother and father.
Max was the oldest brother that left home the second he could and barely ever kept in touch. Emma was the responsible big sister who gave out advice that the others could actually use, Ashley was the pretty middle one who always got in trouble for staying out late, and Ace was the troublesome little brother.
Riley was the cool aunt that always bought the kids expensive gifts and Andrew was the dumb uncle who always made the kids laugh.
If Ace hadn't come out, I would've shipped him and Ashley hardcore. They were both frankly quite immature, indecisive and reckless. A true pair.
"Max," Ashley said, surprising me.
"Max," I repeated, dumbfounded.
Ashley never talked to me about Max. When did this happen?
"Do I have your approval? I mean, you know I'm going to date him either way and I know you'll bring me a box of tissues and say 'I told you so' once it ends if you disapprove, so...."
"You know me too well," I smiled. Honestly, I had no idea how to react. I was scared that this would be the relationship that would truly break Ashley.
Max had a reputation for not caring about anything. He was just that guy who walked in and out as he pleased. I hoped he wouldn't do that to her too.
"You don't approve, do you?" She asked, a flicker of hurt flashing across her face.
"It's my job to worry that he's not the one, Ash," I said softly, and she nodded in understanding.
"This... This is the first time I've ever felt something like this, Daze," she said dreamily, completely against her nonchalant nature.
"I've never felt.... Butterflies for a guy before," she said. "I've always been the confident one in the relationship. This feeling is so foreign to me."
"Ash, that's... Wow," I said, taken aback by this alien that had taken the place of my friend. It was doing a terrible job, might I add. It acted nothing like Ashley. I knew right away that it was an imposter.
"Is this how it is between you and Will? Electricity?"
Electricity.
Was that how I felt about Will?
Whenever I saw him, I herd symphonies all around me. Violins, cellos, an entire orchestra. He was the conductor playing my heart.
"No," I replied with a smitten smile. "It's music."
She smiled back. "I have so much to fill you up on," she started, and right then, I noticed Cassandra walking towards the exit, already changed into her cheer uniform. I was late.
"Ash, I promise I'll listen to everything later. I'm late for practice. I'm so sorry," I said hurriedly, scrambling to grab my things.
I wasn't afraid of anything more than I was of Cassandra. I struggled to decipher whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"That's okay!" She chirped, giving me the dazzling smile all the boys fell for. "Catch you after school?" I asked her, and she nodded excitedly.
I'd never seen her in such high spirits before. Perhaps I was wrong about Max all along.
But I also knew that the deeper she waded through these waters, the easier for her to drown.
• • •
A/N Here's a Daisy-Ashley chapter for y'all 'cause I believe the friendships in this book are as important as the relationships.
Hope you liked it!
On a side note, get emotionally ready for the next chapter. It's something you've all been waiting for for a long, long time.
Thanks for reading Mirror, Mirror xxx