The Intriguing Emotions of Ford

Chapter Three: An Old Friend (very short)

I was passing by Morgan's farm when he threw a paper aeroplane my direction. Opening up the folds, I revealed a hidden message: 'HELP.' I knocked on his door at once, as this could be urgent!

"Morgy! Are you okay? What's up? Have you hurt yourself?"

"Wooah, don't get yourself flustered! I've not hurt myself at all! Anyway, I've just seen a newcomer, and he looked kinda... Suspicious. He was looking at every building and trying to peek through the windows. I'm not sure what's going on, but maybe we could play detective and check it out?"

"Hrm. My schedule isn't as tight as usual. Perhaps I could spare some time to identify this elusive figure..."

We made our way to Westown, and my heartrate was rising sharply. Who could this be? Nobody had mentioned any visitors or family members coming here...

"Fordy. There he is. He's found your clinic, see?"

"He looks rather familiar... Oh, he's turned around. He's looking directly at us, and he's running closer..." The man was approaching us swiftly, and the closer he came, the more I recognised him.

"Hey, it's Forden! What's good, man?"

"Uhh... Do you know this guy, Fordy?" Morgan hissed.

"Yes. Morgy, this is Paru, my childhood friend from school. Paru, this is my... This is my friend, Morgan." He looked visibly hurt, but I couldn't risk my second-closest friend turning against me. "Why don't we all come to my clinic for some refreshments? The long journey here must've been tiring for you, Paru." He followed us to the building and into the house.

"Make sure you take off your shoes, Paru." Morgan informed him, with a hint of bitterness, concealed with a brief smile.

"Thanks for telling me that. Forden, you've always been a bit finicky about cleanliness and the like, haven't you?"

"Quite. Anyway, on another subject, what would you like to drink? Orange juice, Morgan?"

"Yep. Thanks."

"And black coffee for Paru." I returned with three cups, and we settled down for a talk. Morgan scrunched up his face when he was sat next to Paru, so I offered to switch seats with him.

"So, have you managed to get a girlfriend yet, Forden?"

"No, but I have gotten a boyfriend." I expected Paru to be horrified, but he seemed incredibly supportive.

"Is that Morgan?"

"Yes, it is! I wasn't entirely sure on introducing him as that, because I was concerned about your reaction. So I shall introduce you once again. Morgy, this is Paru. Paru, this is my loving partner, Morgy!" They shook hands politely, and Morgan showed a sincere smile for the first time in quite a while! This was a sign that they were becoming acquaintances. "I'll cook us something nice to eat!" Morgan rose from his seat and unpacked the crops he had in his satchel. Before long, we were all served with a hot bowl of pistou soup. My ultimate super-food.

"Why are you staring? Can't take your eyes off me?" Morgan struck a pose, making Paru chuckle.

"Not exactly... You appear to have soup dripping down your chin..." He turned bright pink and excused himself from the table to retrieve a tissue.

"Please excuse me one second," Morgan muttered as he entered the bathroom, his face still tomato-red.

"Uh, Forden? I think Morgan might be a little... Um... Unhappy." Paru pointed at the door, where we could hear faint sobbing. I pressed my ear to the door, and heard the words:

"I'm a disgrace to everyone on this planet. I don't deserve to be so happy with Ford. I always knew I was such a messy person. And I've made a fool of myself. Why am I even crying over this? I'm such a petty little-" He almost cursed when he heard footsteps from the outside.

"Er, you okay, Morgy?" He slowly pulled open the door.

"Yeah... Ignore the tear stains. I'm fine."

"You know, you're not a disgrace. You're a beautiful boy with an even more beautiful heart. You offered to pay for Waldo's treatment fees. You showed him how generous you are. You care for me and everyone else every single day. I believe in you. And so what if you spill some food every now and then? It's nothing to be ashamed of. So come on! Let's all get to know each other better!" Paru left the room, as he saw what was about to happen.

Morgan had tried to run away, but I grabbed him by the shoulders and hugged him for at least ten seconds. Quite the record!

"You know how to make a boy happy, Ford. You really live up to what Carrie and the girls call you. You certainly are the Crystal King. IT'S SAFE TO COME IN NOW, PARU!" He peered around the door and grinned.

"Guess I can take out my earplugs!"

I believe that all people can change. Perhaps I can become less of an uptight man and become more sympathetic and understanding. I just need to apply myself the way I do to Morgy.