My Gift

Special Gift #1

"Say, what would you feel if you were there?"

Aly looked at Brad who's just looking at the sky. They were all slumped in foldable beach chairs, beer and barbecue on hand.

"There? Where?" AV clarified. Sometimes, Brad just blurts the weirdest questions.

"Your Dennise's wedding."

Everyone looked at Brad's way.

"What?"

"Brad." Claire warned. "Seriously?"

Then Alyssa shrugged and took a swig. "Nah, its okay. It's just Brad being Brad. We all know him."

"Well?" Brad demanded. His blue eyes boring into AV's.

"Well first off, she's not my Dennise. Kinda ironic if you mentioned her wedding with someone else and you called her mine. She's not." She calmly started. "And as for your question..."

Brad, Claire, Chris, Andy, Carla, Vincent and Gaby waited for Aly to continue.

"Why the hell did we go from there? We're just got our first jobs!" Aly cried. "Anyway... Again, back on your question... It's just... I don't... I don't know?"

Everyone looked at her like they understand and didn't pressed for more. So they all went back to the buzzing excitement of landing their first jobs.

*****

"Ah. Shit." Alyssa muttered that's why Claire looked at her.

"Something the matter?"

Alyssa turned away from her and pursed her lips. "Nah. Nothing. I'm fine."

Claire knows that she's not.

So she gave her the look.

"Alright. Alright. You got me, Half-Sour." Aly sighed. "Been having terrible headache."

"That's it?"

"Yeah?" Aly looked at her friend confused. "What else would it be?"

"Uh. That question by Brad that totally threw you off?"

AV rolled her eyes away from Claire.

"Don't roll your eyes on me, AV."

"I don't." Aly said petulantly.

With the knowledge that AV won't probably talk, she just let her be and lay on the bed.

Aly looked at her friend confused. "You won't say anything?"

"You said its just a simple headache. I'm not an FBI as you call, AV. But I know you enough not to probe anymore."

Claire rendered AV speechless at that. When AV didn't say a word, "And its okay. Really, AV. I understand. And I know. Because I'm your friend."

AV then gave her a small but sweet smile.

"Remind me to have a talk with Brad."

Aly looked at Claire like she kicked a puppy.

"What?!"

"No." Aly said with a gasp.

"What no? AV, he knows how sensitive you are to that kind of topic. He know better." Claire said with determination.

Aly smiled at her friend and leaned her head on her shoulder. "Did I ever tell you how lucky I am with a friend like you, Claire?"

"Well, you've said it few times already."