Between Friends and Lovers

(04) Oliver

I was always told that the truth about people wasn’t very hard to understand. The ones who stay stay because they want to. They feel the need to because they care and don’t want to see you alone.

While the ones who leave leave because they must, because they’ve received what they wanted from you, they no longer see the need in having you around; and almost always do they leave unexpectedly.

I didn’t feel like the truth about people was as black and white as people made it seem. There was also the grey area. The grey was for the people who always appear and disappear whenever they like, the ones who always kept contact with you just because it benefited them but once they no longer benefited from the relationship you have, they disappear. Although it went without saying that you should always rest assured that once they want something from you, they will appear again.

I’ve gone through this logic for so long in my head and was embarrassed when I discovered which category I fitted in.

When my parents got divorced, I decided to leave with my dad even though I knew that my mother needed me. I chose my dad because he had offered me something that my mother couldn’t give. But now that the arrangement I had with him didn’t serve me, I’ve decided to come running to my mother.

“I’m so excited to have you back home,” my mother said with a big smile. Her excitement was practically rolling off of her. Her blue eyes sparkled. Seeing her after so many months felt great. She somehow still looked the same as before. They weren’t any signs of ageing even though she was fifty. “It will be nice to have someone around the house.”

I didn’t know what to say. Especially knowing that if it wasn’t for my health, I would still be in Shadowfall, planning to begin my first year at SU.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I’m excited to be back. I can’t wait to see the changes in Middleworth.”

She snorted. “Oh, sweetheart, Middleworth hasn’t changed at all. The people have changed more than the town has.”

“Yeah?”

That was something I wasn’t used to. I’ve spent the last two years living in Shadowfall, a city that changed constantly. With each day, there was something new replacing the old in Shadowfall. But not in our old university town of Middleworth, it seems.

“Of course.” She nodded, enthusiastic. “There were a few more divorces, some families grew... um, what else? Oh, the Almeida girls have changed. I remember you used to be close to them, right?”

Not exactly, but I wasn’t going to tell my mother that. We lived in the same neighbourhood and somehow managed to run in the same circle of friends. But I wouldn’t say we were close. Unless having a huge crush on one of them meant that I was close to them, then sure I was.

“We ran in the same circle of friends.” I looked out the window at the familiar sight. We were getting close to Middleworth.

“I don’t know what that means.” She chuckled before adding, “But if you run in the same friendship circle, that means you know about what happened to Alexandria? Oh, you were so fond of her.”

I was vaguely aware of what happened to Alexandria. Zack didn’t want to tell me much. But then again, I didn’t bother asking for more information.

When I moved to Shadowfall, I placed my entire life in Middleworth on pause. Most of my friendships ended since I wasn’t keen on maintaining them. Zack and Cooper’s insistence and refusal to let our friendship fail was the only reason I still had friends.

Zack was also the reason I got to know Alexandria and her sisters. Zachary Cunningham was friends with everyone, and at times, it was a bit annoying. But it was bound to happen since Alexandria was best friends with Cecilia, Zachary’s sister.