Love isn't always easy

Chapter 18 - My best friend

If I tell you the truth the first three days were horrible for me. I thought I was never going to get better. But then I had to go back to school. I never would've thought school would help me. At first it was really hard to concentrate but then I started focusing on learning and my friends.

Days went by but there was not a single day I had forgotten about Louis. But a month had passed and things were a bit easier for me. I went back to my so called "normal" life, which just seemed less complete without him.

Even Will and I became friends. I know, hard to believe. I guess that was the main thing that we never had – friendship. Though I still wasn't sure if he had feelings for me but after our breakup I figured things were clear between us.

It was Wednesday and all my classes finally ended. It had really been an exhausting day so, I was happy I could go home. I started walking when someone yelled to me:

"Ash, wait up!" I turned around and saw Will.

I realized that he had always been very "popular" at our school. But the last few weeks he had been hanging out with us. And by us I mean me, Alex, Liam, Monica and Zac. We went to a few parties together, not that I'm really a party kind of girl. We mostly spend our afternoons at his house actually, because he's parents worked all the time and he had the house to himself.

It's actually sad how we never really spent much time with our families but I always knew my parents care about me and maybe it was best for me. I mean this way, I had become more responsible and independent.

Anyway, we usually played games like darts, pool, watched movies, had dinner or ordered pizza, went for drink and so on.

Eventually Zac stopped hanging out with us. At first, he and Monica avoided each other and then one day M came crying to me telling me it was over between them.

"Hey Will, what's up?" I responded to him.

"Well, I was thinking we could meet sometime, you know?"

"What are you talking about? We're meeting up later today in my house remember?"

"Oh right, I was just making sure we were still on that."

"Yes, we are." I nodded. He looked really confused.

"Okay, great, thanks." He quickly hugged me and practically ran away.

What was up with that? I thought to myself as I was walking home and really hopped my plan would work.

After a few hours I couldn't wait for Will to come over. I just needed everything to go perfect. My phone vibrated and Will's message said:

I know what I have to do. We'll be there in 15 Minutes.

I replied: Ok great!

The doorbell rang and it wasn't them. It was Zac. We had about 10 more minutes before Will and Monica showed up. I knew I shouldn't interfere in their relationship but they had left me with no choice. It wasn't my fault they were too stubborn to make up so it was about time someone else did the work for them, before it was too late. I'm glad Will offered to help me.

"Hey, come in. I was worried you wouldn't show up." I said to Zac.

"Hi, well it is a little weird but you're still my friends and since Monica won't come it's okay with me."

We walked to my living room and he asked me: "So, where's everyone?"

"They're not coming." I answered knowing he would react like...

"Ashley, you promised."

"Can you just please sit down and listen to me for 5 minutes."

He sighed and sat down: "You know I don't want to talk about Monica."

"I don't care, you're going to hear me out. I have seen you guys so miserable in the past month fighting all the time and just like that in a second went to not even talking anymore. We both know you love each other you're just both too stupid to admit that. So what she made a mistake for not trusting you? She has apologized to you several times. It's time you man up and do it too."

"I don't now... I mean, why should I apologize to her?" Probably the most typical answer anyone ever gets from a boy. And it pissed off.

"Oh my god, what's wrong with you? Sarah kissed you!"

"It wasn't my fault." Zac still argued.

"That doesn't change the fact that M was hurting because of that kiss and all these problems that came... I'm not even going to ask you if you miss her because I know you do. Do you really want to throw everything you had with Monica, all your happy memories away?"

"I guess you're right."

" Of course, I'm right! You love her."

"I know."

"Then, no more excuses like I don't know and it's complicated, fix this mess."

"I want to but I'm afraid, she won't understand how..." the doorbell rand and stopped him.

"Well you don't have time to think about that now, do you?"

I opened the door and Will and M came in. We went to the living room when Monica got the scared look. The same look Zac had and I was so happy that we finally got them in the same room together.

"Ashley?! What is this?" She asked angrily not knowing who too look at, Zac or me.

"Well, um you have a lot to talk about so, we'll leave you alone."

"No, don't leave." Monica complained.

"Mon, please." Zac said and I knew immediately that she wouldn't resist. Zac only called her Mon when he teased her, because she hated that nickname.

Will and I went for a walk since we had nowhere else to go. And I was just sorry I couldn't be there with M and Zac and watch them sort everything out. I'm a hopeless romantic, I know.

"Do you really think it will work?" He asked me.

"I hadn't been so sure before but after I talked to Zac, I know it will."

"You know, you surprise me." He laughed a little. "I'm serious. You did an amazing thing for them."

I smiled: "Well technically we both did."

"I'm guessing you watch way too many chick flicks and get these crazy ideas from them.

"Very funny, but I admit it's also very true." We laughed and talked for a while longer and then finally back to my house.

We came in and they were sitting on the couch not too close to each other but not too far apart either. They looked less miserable but I could feel the awkwardness.

Will said goodbye and so did Zac. For a moment he stood there confused but then kissed Monica on the lips and left with Will.

They closed the door and Monica jumped on me:

"Thank you, thank you Ash so so so much! I love you so much! You're my best friend in the whole world and I don't know what I would do without you!" I laughed hugging her back:

"Okay first calm down, so we can go to my room where you will explain everything to me in detail.

She explained to me like 3 times how everything went down. They apologized to each other like a million of times and talked everything through and finally moved on from their problems because they still loved each other and that was exactly what I had wanted. My plan worked.

I was so happy and relieved that I could finally see that honest smile on my best friend's face and the sparkling eyes she always got when talking about Zac. And yet again there was another proof that love is hard. But then again nothing in life is.

People always say don't judge a book by its cover. But they still do. We think what we see is all there is but that is so far from the reality. There is always a longer story hidden behind it. The point is that Monica's and Zac's relationship used to seem perfect to me. I realized that that was all that really was – just an impression. The truth was that they had problems just like everyone does.