If the Shoe Fits (Completed)

Part 4

Part 4

“Good morning,” Ailia’s chipper mood the next morning did little to change Bibi’s sour one. She had cried herself to sleep and then had awoken feeling far from refreshed. Bibi grunted in reply.

“What’s wrong?” Ailia asked worriedly. Today her hair had extra volume: it kept flying and sticking to her lipgloss.

“I’m just missing Bernard.” Bibi sighed.

Ailia’s face turned sad at her friend’s plight. She softly touched Bibi’s elbow, making Bibi look up. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

Bibi gave her a hesitant smile. “I’m alright. I need to toughen up.”

She started to walk again, giving Ailia no choice but to catch up or else be left behind. Ailia did the former, maneuvering through the crowded school hallway. And, among the loud teenage conversations, Bibi could have sworn she heard Ailia quietly say, “Missing someone is the farthest thing from weakness.”

*

The boys, as usual, were waiting for Bibi and Ailia at the girls’ lockers. They were both smiling but Xzavier, upon seeing Bibi’s glum expression, frowned.

He went up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “What’s wrong, sugarplum?”

Bibi was slightly taken aback; sugarplum was the pet name Bernard always called her. She couldn’t think of how Xzavier had found out about it, but she also couldn’t deny how comforting it was to be called something she hadn’t been called since Bernard left.

“I’m just missing Bernard.” She admitted.

Xzavier’s brown eyes turned soft. “Ah, the brother. Where is he again?”

Bibi shrugged sadly. “I’m not really sure anymore. I haven’t heard from him in weeks.”

As soon as he was done with high school, Bernard had enlisted in the army. It had always been his dream to fight for his country, no matter the risks. And, as it turned out, he was a great soldier. Which meant traveling to places even his family couldn’t know about and sending brief messages so as not to reveal his location. Bibi prayed for him every night and knew that God would keep him safe, but that didn’t stop her from missing one of her best friends.

“Sometimes no news is the best news,” Xzavier said gently.

Again, Bibi was slightly surprised. Xzavier was known around school for being sarcastic and having a dry sense of humor. He was not known for comforting girls or being sensitive. Bibi was beginning to find she liked this side of Xzavier, however.

“Yeah, I guess. Sometimes I just wish he would come home.” Bibi turned her head and was startled to find just how close their faces were, since Xzavier’s arm was still around her shoulders. For a moment time seemed to freeze and it was just them. And then, the bell rang, breaking their small dome of closeness.

Xzavier unwrapped himself from around Bibi and then turned to face her. He tucked her chin slightly with his hand, smiling gently. “Be careful what you wish for.”

Then he disappeared into the shoving crowd of late students, Zaiden at his heels.

Ailia, who had been talking with Zaiden and thus missed Bibi and Xzavier’s entire exchange save for Xzavier’s last parting line, looked at Bibi strangely and asked, “What was that about?”

Bibi grinned, suddenly not missing Bernard quite as much as before. “I’ll tell you after math.”

*

“I just don’t understand why it’s called a ‘driveway’ when you park there.” Bibi was saying as she opened her front door. 

“Well, maybe it’s supposed to be like ‘driveaway’ only without the ‘a’.” Ailia followed her into the foyer and closed the front door behind her.