The Golden Boy

Definition Of Friend

The cafeteria lady gave me my lunch with a warm smile. Returning the gesture I swept the cafeteria with my eyes, looking for a certain girl with enormous glasses on her face. It didn't take me long to notice a hand waving crazily in the air and I followed it like a guiding star in the night.

The circular table had five seats, with two occupied with Bree and an other blonde girl on her left. Before I could get comfortable in the chair, Bree spoke up.

"Fee, you remember Mia?"

"Well, how can I forget when you always have something to tell me about her?" I wiggled my eye brow at her.

"Yeah, good," she rolled her eyes. "So Fiona, this is Mia. And Mia, this is Fiona." My best friend introduced me to her another best friend.

While I might have felt a sliver of jealousy from the idea of my best friend calling someone 'best friend' other than me, (Yeah, I have some minor possessive-ness issues.) Mia is a nice girl from what I've heard from Bree.

"Hey, heard a lot about your badass-ness. And I am in love with you already." Mia offered me a bright smile, seemingly, knowing all of my past incidents.

I gave her a friendly greeting in return and soon, we were talking about how was my first day was going so far. "No, I mean, seriously. Don't they have anything else to focus on. At least, four times I had to check if I had something on my face." I complained.

Bree was about to say something, when two figures sat down on both of the chairs on my sides. "Yo, what's up, ladies?" The guy on my right greeted. He had dark blonde curls on his head and had blue-grey eyes.

Instinctively,I scooted back some inches from him.

"Who've we got here, Brianna?" The boy on my left said. This one had brown hair with golden mixed together to get a totally new color. And his eyes were the lightest shade of blue I have ever seen, gleaming like crystal blue water.

For a moment, Bree looked tongue-tied before gaining her composure. "Guys," she started nervously avoiding my gaze. "Remember, I told you about my friend getting transferred here. This is her, Fiona. And Fee, this is Matthew and Chase." She signaled to left, then right, hesitantly looking at me.

"Eh. Matthew is for strangers. You call me Matt." Matt said pointing to me.

"Uh....Hi."

Both guys greeted back and welcomed me with their smiles. But I was still remembering the nervous face Bree held while she introduced me to them.

Was she afraid of my reaction? Thinking I might lash out? I would run away? Or make them run away?

Maybe she still thinks that she has to keep the distance from boys for my sake. Thinking it might upset me. But I don't want to restrict her from having male friends. Just because, I am not comfortable with them, it doesn't mean that she, too, has to avoid them.

Back in our freshman year, a boy named Brandon asked her out. She was hesitant to say 'yes' because she thought I will not approve of it.

I convinced her that I don't have any issues with her being in a relationship, whatsoever. So, at last, she said yes. Internally, I was happy that she was having what she liked but externally, I couldn't bare to sit on the same table as his boyfriend when he invited us to the table where he and his group sat.

So I declined.

And being the good person and a best friend in one body, Bree declined, too. And that led to Brandon arguing with her about her spending more time with me than him. And within two months, they broke up.

Even to this day, I think it was my fault. If only I had compromised a little, maybe things would have been different. And I can tell that If history repeats itself, Bree will still choose me.

That is where I feel guilty. Because she will let go everything else if it meant staying with me, but I could never adapt to her preferences. But maybe I could try to try to adjust a little, this time around.

Sometimes I wish for everything to be normal.

For myself to be normal.

"Aren't you going to eat, Fiona? If you are having problem eating it all, I can gladly help." Matt suggested with a hopeful smile.

Speaking of food, I hadn't even touched my food. "Mind your own lunch. You f*****g pig." Mia swatted Matt on the back of his head.

"Oh, puh-lease! You are just jealous that you can't eat this delicious food," he gestured to the food on the table, except hers. "Like me, because you are on diet." Matt accused, scowling.

Chase snickered and did a high-five with him. At that, Mia lashed out. "Oh, f**k off! That wasn't even funny you morons! Who the f**k even invited them here?! Get off of my table, you brainless idiots!" She slammed her hands on the table, rattling it.

Matt wasn't bothered even a bit and started chewing on his fries, ignorant of a scowling Mia next to him. Maybe, they aren't actually that bad and I could be civil with them.

A scraping sound came and a chair was dragged between me and Chase. "Ah, give me some water, bro." A new boy said, plopping down on the said chair, and reached for the only bottle of water. His hair were dark, his eyes grey, and stains of lipstick smeared on his lips and neck. A fee buttons of his white shirt underneath his blazer were undone, showing same stains on the skin beneath.

All those signs screamed 'just had a wild make out session', causing me to cringe visibly.

"Got exhausted again, huh?" Chase nudged him with his shoulder, smirking. All of the three boys started laughing obnoxiously, sharing some inside joke. I rolled my eyes.

Boys were boys after all. They act all nice and gentle man in front of you. But behind the back, they see you as a good reason to laugh. Cocky, shameless, indecent, imbecile, assholes.

So much for being civil, now.

"Hey Mia, Bea," Bree rolled her eyes. "And who's this new beauty?" The boy said eying me up and down with a cocky smile. "She's Brianna's friend, Fiona. Got transferred here." Matt answered for everyone.

"Um-hmm. I like your hair, Fiona. It's Ashton, by the way." He offered his hand to shake.

"Hi." I replied. My tone blank.

Bree looked pleased with my reaction, slurping her juice loudly. Ashton looked at her pointedly and grumbled something under his breath.

Mia, Chase and Matt changed a secretive smirk between them and went on with their lunch. "So, Ona. Bea's friends means my friends. And friends means calling each other, hanging out and you know, stuff. So, I was thinking, when you're going to give me your number." Ashton said leaning back in his chair, letting his arm settle on the back of my chair.

"Well, there's a bit difference in my version of a friend's definition." I stood up, collecting the remainder of my apple juice.

"And you don't quite fill in, Ass-ton."

And with that I left a smirking Bree, three amused people and gaping mouthed Ashton behind.

×××××

"Okay. So, Matt is Mia's twin and Chase is their cousin. And that ass is Chase's best friend." I noted grimacing at the last part.

"Yeah" came the reply from driver's seat.

Ugh, I miss driving in my own car. It's been three days since I left it for remodeling. When the hell is she coming back?

After lunch, I went straight to class to find Mia in the same, Chase and Matt in the next two and Bree in the last period with me. Mia and I sat together as expected and both boys were behind me. First, they tried to make small talk with me but when I started giving curt replies, they cracked the code and left me alone, for good.

Thank god I don't have that Ass-ton in any of my classes. That guy has great potential in getting b***h slapped from me, in near future.

"Fee,"

"Hmm?"

"You don't have any problem with them, right? They don't even sit at our table, they just come once in a while to catch up, I promise and I can even tell them to not sit on our table again, if you want. Please, don-"

"Breath, Bree. Breath."

She swallowed her rant back looked at me expectantly. "You don't need to tell them anything. I am trying something new. You know, trying to be civil with boys? I can't repel every guy in the world forever, can I? So , I mea-"

The car halted with a screeching sound im the middle of the road. Thank Jesus we were in my neighborhood and there wasn't any traffic.

I was smothered into a violent hug that only my best friend could ever give. "I'm so happy! You're finally trying to get out of it, I'm so happy for you, Bree. Ryan would have wanted to be here. I wish he was here with us, right now." She expressed pulling away from me.

"You said it like he was dead, you overreacting sappy shit." I snorted and she joined me in a light laugh.

"Seriously Fee, this is a step. It doesn't mean if it's small or big. And much to my relief, I won't have try to stop you from castrating them." She sighed like an invisible weight was lifted from her shoulders.

"No, I'm still kicking their ass, if they try to meddle with my peace." I clarified for her sake.

"Aye, aye captain. In that case, I'm not going to interfere." She made the peace sign.

"Well, Chase and Matt were tolerable, I guess. But what's with that asshole?" I asked, my face automatically contorting in a scowl.

"You mean, Ass-ton?" She smirked.

"Yeah." I chuckled.

"Nothing. He is just a play boy. Flirting and fooling around with any girl he could get his hands on. Just ignore him, like I do."

"He tries to flirt with you? And tell me you don't like it. We can hand him his ass tomorrow, just tell me." I urged, longing for a chance to get his face to be familiar with the back of my hand.

"Eh. Don't worry about it. I have him handled." She assured and drove the car two blocks down to my house.

Exchanging our goodbyes, I pushed open the door. Crossing the foyer and the large sitting area I was going for the stairs when a male voice called from the living room.

"Is that you, chipmunk?! Come here!"

Sigh. I know what that old man wants. A full description of how many noses were broken tonight or how many times I was called a b***h and so on.

"Coming, you old baboon!"

Only a loud laugh came in response.