My Long-Lost Best Friend

Chapter 5

I knocked at the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I heard somebody run down the stairs and to the door. It opened and revealed Christian, smiling at me.  

-"Hey" 

-"Erm, hey.." I said, not too sure of what to do.

-"You can come in" he said, motionning me to come in.  

Well this is so awkward... I mean, before, I would've just came in without knocking or anything, it was like my second home. And right now, I feel like I'm in a completely new place...

Even though nothing really changed in here. Everything's just as I remembered it.

The walls' colors were still a faded cream color.

The furniture was the same.

The carpets were still there.

But most importantly, the memories were still fresh in my mind.

Like that time we had a tickle fight when we were eleven on the couch... With a bowl of spaghetti on our laps. In the end, the couch was stained with spaghetti sauce and Chris' mom made us eat at the table from then on.

Or that time when his cat attacked me in the kitchen and Christian was laughing at me while I was trying to pry the orange fur ball off of me.

And when we were playing hide and seek eight years ago, and we hid in the closet in the hall and scared his mother when she came to get the vaccuum...

-"Ummm okay, well you can come up to my room, we can study there is you want" he said, pulling me from my daydreaming.  

-"Sure"

He climbed up the stairs and led me to his bedroom; as if I didn't already know where it was.  

This room either hadn't changed a bit. It still had the bunk bed, the deep blue walls, the memories.

He went to the room next door to get a second chair for me to sit on. He placed it next to the desk and I sat on it while he sat on the one already at his desk.  

He made a sudden movement that made me jump. I saw right on time what he was trying to hide. The walkie talkie.

I let him loose for this time, just because we had to start getting to work. I'll ask him about it later.

I pulled out my math book from my bag, and he did the same. I started helping him with basic algebra to start, and then carried on with the rest of the work. It was awkward at first, but after a while it got a bit less tense. But I still couldn't be quite as comfortable around him as before. Like before "it" happened.

Christian was working pretty well. He was really focused and he worked hard. He'd ask a few questions here and there, but apart from that he was doing well. Didn't the teacher say he was failing?

After about an hour of studying, Chris' mom came into the room.  

-"Oh, Chris, is this your tutor?" I heard her ask behind me.  

-"Yeah" he said quietly. I glanced up at him. He wasn't usually this awkward with his parents.  

-"What's her name?"

My head snapped up. I looked at Christian, who looked just as confused as I did. Wasn't she the one who e-mailed the principal for me to tutor Chris?

I twisted back in my chair and smiled shyly at his mother. She hadn't aged a bit.

I could clearly see her emotions change in her facial expression. Confusion. Wondering. Surprise. More confusion. Hapiness. More confusion. It was funny to watch.

-"Oh, my... is it..?" she stuttered, her hand flying up to her throat.  

-"Masidon? I mean, Madison?" Christian corrected awkwardly.  

-"Oh my, Madi! You've grown so much since last year! I missed you so much!" she squeaked, rushing forward and pulling me into a hug.  

-"I missed you too" I answered honestly, patting her back.

I saw Christian look down. He looked shameful. What's up with him? He's the one who-- No. I won't think about this right now. It won't help me right now.

-"So, are you guys, like... friends again?" she hesitated between her words, choosing them carefully.

I quickly shook my head, and Chris did the same.  

-"Oh.." she looked upset. "Well, I guess I'll leave you guys to your studying!" she said, slowly backing from the room.  

-"It was nice to see you again Madi!" she smiled before closing the door gently behind her.

Awkward silence.

-"So, ummm, how do you find x in this equation again?" he asked quietly, motionning to his homework.

•••••••

I came back home at around 3 in the afternoon. I dumped my books in my room and went to Joel's room. He was still playing video games.  

-"How'd it go?" he asked, pausing his game.

I told him all that had happened, how it wasn't Christian's mom who asked for the tutor, how I was confused about if Chris was still mad at me, and about the walkie-talkie. He listened patiently, absent-mindedly fiddling with his fingers.  

-"So if it's not his mom who asked for your to tutor him.... Who is it?"

-"I have absolutely no idea." I answered.