It's Nice To Have A Friend

25) Shared Loneliness

Gladys strolled into the Wyrm, somewhat nervously looking for the boy she used to date, before they took a break. She spotted him at one of the tables, sipping on his soda. He met her eyes, and sat a little straighter.

"I'm glad you called. I wasn't sure you wanted to see me." Gladys sat across of him, and dared to give him a small smile.

"I thought both of us would have calmed down by now." FP said lowly. He wasn't even sure that was the truth, but he was lonely. So lonely.

"Look, FP. If you don't want to drink and if that's completely your own choice then I believe that. I was just trying to make sure you wouldn't let anybody else run your life."

Gladys felt that she immediately needed to defend her actions, which with the way FP had reacted was a valid feeling.

"Thanks, but they just look out for me." He said, calmer than he had before.

"I was trying to do the same." She said, hoping he could see that she was only trying to shine a different light on things.

"I realize that." He gave her the faintest of smiles.

"So, are we good?" She wondered, not sure if that was why he had called her to meet up.

"Yeah, we are." He smiled, feeling relieved too. There were too many things going on in his life for him to worry too much about this too.

"I do have to tell you something." He played with the glass in front of him, before looking up at her again. She gave him a curious look.

"I've slept with Alice." FP confessed.

"With the Alice?" The words left her mouth like venom.

"Yeah, but it wasn't like that." He instantly defended, before she would make a scene. He only told her to be completely honest, not to hear her opinion on the matter.

"My sister suddenly returned to town, and I don't know, it sort of happened. But that's all there is to the story." FP shrugged a little. The details of that night where for him and Alice only. She didn't need to know what they might have felt.

"So you're not dating?" Gladys was suspicious, but somehow seemed to trust him anyway.

"No, we're just friends. That's all it will be." FP gave her a soft smile.

"Okay. I believe you." Gladys sighed quietly, and while she felt bothered by the fact that he had slept with the one woman he had emotional ties to, she let it slide.

"I didn't even know you had a sister." She had asked about siblings before, but he had never answered her before.

"Not a lot of people knew. It's a long story, but I think she's sticking around." FP couldn't help but smile. In a matter of weeks, he went from being frightened what her return would mean to hoping she would stay.

"Are you happy she is?" Gladys wondered, when she saw the spark in his eyes.

"Yeah, I am. I really missed her." FP said softly. He should tell her that to her face too, he thought.

"Then I'd like to meet her someday." Gladys really tried to make an effort, but somehow that statement made FP panic a little.

"You will. But I think for now it's best if we take our time really getting to know each other, okay?" FP wanted to take it slow for others reasons than he wanted to say out loud. He wanted companionship to ease the loneliness, but he simply wasn't in love.

"That's okay." Gladys smiled back, unaware from how FP truly felt.

**

"So, you quit your job. That's pretty big." Fred handed a cup of coffee over to Mary, before sitting next to her on her couch.