How to Crush the Right Way

16 ¦ friendship

16: friendship

Alessia Cara - Stone

' and I will follow where this takes me, and my tomorrows long to be unknown'

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May was awfully quiet. I was hesitant about asking her what was wrong fearing that she would dismiss it off as nothing.

"Aren't you gonna ask me about Siya?" She finally looked at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, what were you guys up to?" I inquired.

May scooted closer to me and showed me her wrist.

It was a bracelet.

Almost invisible considering how minuscule it was. It had a heart pendant and a few other pendants too.

"Did Siya give you this?"

May nodded. Her face turned a slight shade of crimson before she bit her lip and smiled. She couldn't conceal her blush even though I knew that she wanted to.

"He asked me to be his girlfriend."

"What? When? How?" I asked one after the other. Donell told me that Siya might ask May to be his girlfriend but I had to act surprised.

"You're a really bad actor you know." May eyed me and I grinned sheepishly.

"I'm sorry alright. Donell told me that night of the Tour De Maths, but he said might."

"I said not yet."

Her face turned sombre. The atmosphere was suddenly serene and it felt like time stopped just so May could have a monologue.

She thought for a moment - her own soliloquy probably playing in her mind.

"I didn't want us to jump into a relationship before we knew each other," She paused and continued, "I like Siya but I want to get to know him as a person first. I wanted to know if he was willing to wait for me."

It was such a concise explanation yet so raw and tender. May had such a robust heart but she allowed herself to be vulnerable at that moment. I appreciated her for that. She had never been so open with me. My friendship with her was reaching another level and I hoped that someday she would learn to tell me anything that she wanted without feeling compelled.

"What was his response?"

Her eyes sparkled.

"He told me he agreed. He thanked me for suggesting that because he didn't want to make the same mistake he did in his previous relationship. That's when he gave me this bracelet. He said that he hopes that when I look at it, it reminds me of him."

May glanced up at the sky.

"Does it?" I asked and she nodded.

She looked at me and I saw her eyes flood with tears.

"Why are you crying, May?"

When she squeezed her eyes shut, tears ran down her cheeks.

"I never thought I would find something so real so soon, heck I don't even know if it's real but it sure does feel like it."

"You don't want something real?"

She swatted me.

"Of course I do. I really like Siya and I want it to be very real. I just thought that you would find something real before me."

It was my turn to be astonished.

"Why would you think that?"

"You were the one who always daydreamed about having someone like you for who you are. You were the one emotionally ready for all this. I was going to learn from you regarding these things Ashley."

I chuckled, "Maybe it might be the other way around."

For the first time since our friendship that commenced in the eighth grade, I gave her a real hug full of meaning.

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I've always thought of myself as an altruistic person but that thought deteriorated when I saw myself becoming more selfish as the days went by.

I always chose to see the good in people no matter how many times they've hurt me. Sometimes I even threw a blind eye and gave people the benefit of the doubt.

So when I saw Eliza and Ryland approaching, I didn't try to avoid them. I waited for them.

"Ashley." Ryland said.

"That's my name." I retorted.

"Eliza and I just wanted to say sorry for what we've put you through. Our plan to set you up with Mason was completely selfish and inconsiderate of us. We knew that you were sceptical about it yet we still continued without ever asking you if you were downright certain about it all." He pursed his lips.

"Yeah," Eliza added, "I'm sorry about not telling you everything you wanted to know during the night of the party."

"I'm also sorry for telling Mason that you liked him." Ryland added.

"We realised that we repeated the same mistake twice by telling Mason that you liked him."

I nodded but kept quiet.

"You're a great person Ashley. We just want to be your friends again. That's if you can find it in your heart to forgive us."

I thought for a second before I gave them each a big smile.

"You guys can be my friends but I can't guarantee you that I will trust you the same ever since the ordeal." I admitted.

"We understand." The infamous duo nodded and engulfed me in a big hug.

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it had to be done

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-Amanda 💕