When Friendship Becomes Forever

Chapter 6

Nancy

"Don't touch that," I told her with an exasperated sigh. This new assistant had proved absolutely useless already.

"Nancy,"

I sighed again, turning around to face her.

"What?" I asked, my tone sharper than I had intended.

"It's uh, it's one o clock. You can go now if you want, I'll pack up."

My eyes widened.

"No! No, it's fine uh...Laura. You go, I'll pack up. You've done more than enough today," I said with a tight smile.

Laura grinned.

"Okay! See you tomorrow!"

I groaned quietly.

"Yep. See you tomorrow."

Laura turned and left the room and I sighed, collapsing against the wall.

Why is everybody here either a complete and utter bimbo or a sexist idiot?

I pinched the bridge of my nose in an attempt to rid myself of the headache that had appeared as soon as I walked in the door.

One day, I'll be so much more than this, I thought to myself.

 But I had the strong feeling that day was more than a while into the future.

Slowly, I walked around the room, tidying up all of the papers and stationary items that had been left out.

I slid the brown notebook back into the pocket of my skirt and turned on my heel, hightailing out of the room.

Working at the paper during the school year was fine- enjoyable even- but during the summer it was merely stressful and time consuming.

I went through assistants on what felt like a daily basis, and more often than not I was completely without help.

But it was what I had wanted.

For somebody to listen to me.

Now the whole town was listening to me. But I guess a part of me still wanted more.

Parking my car outside of the mall, I stepped out, walking inside with purpose; a direct line to Scoops Ahoy where Robin and my ex-boyfriend Steve worked.

No, not 'ex-boyfriend Steve', Nancy, just Steve.

"Hey," he said, glancing up in my direction. I didn't know what to say, a thousand thoughts flying through my brain at rapid speed.

I smiled awkwardly, raising my hand in a wave, cursing myself under my breath.

"Where's Robin?" I asked and he sighed, as if disappointed I hadn't wanted to speak with him.

"Oh! Its not that I don't want to talk to you; I do, its just that Robin and El and Max and I, we were planning to meet up after work, that's all," I amended.

"Yeah, no, its fine, I totally get it. She's uh, she's over there," Steve said with a gesture of his hand.

"Oh sh!t," I muttered under my breath when I saw who Robin and the younger girls were talking to.

"What's wrong?" he asked and I cringed slightly.

"Oh, uh, you know what? Its nothing. Just uh, yeah, nothing. Thanks, by the way," I stammered and he nodded vaguely, turning back to the counter he was cleaning.

I sighed as I walked away, feeling sorry for him. He must be so lonely, I realised.

"What, so we can't go to the mall, just in case you're here?" Lucas asked as I approached and Max rolled her eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak but Mike got there first.

"That's bullsh!t," he cried and I sighed heavily, arms crossed over my chest.

"What's going on?" I asked lightly and Max turned to face me.

"Oh hi, Nancy. Settle an argument for us, would you?" she asked, annoyed.

I frowned slightly.

"Sure...?" I said tentatively and Max glared over her shoulder at Mike.

"When somebody breaks up with somebody else and then enters another relationship, do you think they would want to talk to their ex?"

I groaned.

"Mike! Just leave El and Max alone. She dumped you, that's life. You're going to have to get over it," I said, feeling slightly awkward when I realised how much like Jonathan I sounded.

"This isn't even your argument, Nancy, just lay off," Mike spat and I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter, Mike. She doesn't want to talk to you," Max spoke and he stared back at her.

"How would you know? Last time I checked, your name wasn't Eleven,"

"Last time I checked, El was still in the room," I said with a pointed look at Mike.

"Fine! El?" Mike asked.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said bluntly and Mike shook his head fiercely.

"I don't understand what I did wrong!"

Will rolled his eyes.

"You never, understand, Mike. Never."

I looked questioningly at Robin and she shrugged back.

"Stay out of this!" Max and Mike cried at the same time.

Will sighed, turning away.

"Why do you want to talk to me Mike?" El asked, her voice low.

Mike sighed, and he looked down at the tiled floor of the mall's food court.

"It doesn't matter. Not anymore,"

Max rolled her eyes.

"You may as well say it, Mike. You've annoyed the hell out of us already," she told him scornfully.

"I said it doesn't matter!" he shouted and El flinched back in fear.

"Maybe we should have this uh...conversation somewhere else," I suggested quietly with a glance to El who was now holding onto Max's arm.

She was afraid; my brother had made her afraid.

"El can make her own decisions," Max said quietly, her gaze a solid glare at Mike.

"Max-" I started but she shrugged it off.

"You aren't helping, Nancy. This isn't your fight," she shot at me.

I stared back at her, shocked.

"I was just trying to help," I said, my eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, well, you weren't." Mike spat.

"Max, Nancy's right. Everyone can hear everything here," Robin added in my defense and I shot a grateful glance her way.

She smiled weakly back.

"You'd take Nancy's side in any fight," Lucas grumbled, finally speaking up.

"Yeah, because she's my gir- friend," Robin amended with a glance to the onlookers of the argument.

"Look, Mike, I just don't understand why you want to talk to me so badly," El said.

Mike sighed, and everyone turned to look at him, expectant.

"Because I need to tell you something."

"What?" Max asked, skeptical.

"Its none of your-"

"Mike," El said, a warning tone in her voice.

"Fine. El...I guess...I kind of...still like you,"

(A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!! I didn't think I'd be able to update today but I managed to find a moment so here we are! I hope you guys are having an amazing holiday season and that you find the support you deserve if struggling. It's almost 2024 omgggg! Hehe- stay safe and totally tubular and I'll see you in the next one xx)