My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter Twenty-Eight

After telling Fergie what happened in the library earlier today, he is convinced that I should leave Tamara and Ethan alone for good. He thinks dealing with the two of them will be bad for my mental health and energy—which I can understand his point. What I do not understand is how I cannot leave them alone. I have so many memories with them and I guess that is why it's hard to accept the outcome of our friendship. Ethan clearly does not want anything to do with me anymore and Tamara never really liked me in the first place. It was all fake on her part. And Ethan—well, he's just heartbroken.

"I know I told you to try to talk to them at first," Fergie says, "but I don't even think it's relevant anymore. Just leave them alone. You can find new friends."

"Ugh, I'ma be lonely." I groan.

"Never be afraid to be lonely, especially when somebody is interrupting your peace." He shakes his head.

He then playfully slaps me on the arm, after realizing I said that I will be lonely. "And you won't be lonely Tatianna, you got me."

"Oh shut up, you know I didn't mean it like that." I laugh.

My laugh does not last long. It is a temporary action in an attempt to make me forget about my sadness. Indeed, I am highly upset that I will not have my two friends by my side anymore. All those memories we made are gone. All the long conversations and humorous inside jokes are gone. It sucks having someone important in your life and then they are gone the next day. It will be hard making new friends for the simple fact that I do not want to. I do not want to replace Ethan and Tamara, but I have to do what I have to do.

"This sucks. I can tell you're sad and I can't do anything about it." He sighs.

"The fact that you're even listening to my problems is helping me." I state.

"I'm always here if you ever need to talk, you know that." He sweetly smiles at me and engulfs me in a hug. "Wanna come over today? We can pig out and eat anything in sight. Then, we can watch sappy romance movies. Well, maybe just one. I think that's all I can handle."

Fergie never fails to make me smile. He will go out of his way to make someone feel better about themselves or a situation. Fergie hates romance movies, but he'll watch one with me because he knows that makes me feel better. He is truly rare and cut from a different cloth. I don't know what I did to deserve someone so thoughtful, but I am extremely grateful.

"That sounds really nice, actually." I smile.

"Good." He pecks my lips.

~

"My mom has loads of romance DVD's, but we can be mainstream and watch Netflix romance movies." Fergie states as we walk into his house.

Both of his parents are home because their cars are in the driveway. They are nowhere in sight right now, so they must be upstairs in their bedroom. I'm sure they will make their presence known once they realize that I'm here—they always do. It's like they have a detector that goes off when I'm here. They always smile and engage in conversations with me like they have never seen me before. I think it's really sweet.

"We can just watch Netflix, then." I chuckle. "Now what are we snacking on?"

We walk into the kitchen and place our backpacks down by the archway. I sit on a bar stool, while I watch Fergie rummage his way around the kitchen looking for snacks. I don't think I'll ever get over how nicely renovated the kitchen is. If I knew how to cook, I would never leave.

"Let's see, we got chips, cookies, popcorn, licorice—wait never mind." He says and then stops himself.

"Your dad would have a fit if he knew we ate his licorice." I laugh.

If I have learned anything from knowing Fergie's family so long, it is that Mr. Ferguson does not play about his licorice. He will go crazy if he doesn't have it. I remember I ate it one time when we were little and Fergie took the blame for me. In my defense, he told me I could have any snack I wanted. Mr. Ferguson likes the good kind, too. The blue kind.

"Yeah, the last thing we need is a murder case on our hands." He chuckles. "I'm just gonna grab the cookies and chips. Want any ice cream or anything?"

"What kind you got?"

"I'm pretty sure chocolate," he says, but opens the freezer to double check, "actually we have chocolate and strawberry."

"Chocolate me." I moan.

"Okay, do not moan and say chocolate in the same sentence." He eyes gaze over my being.

"Fergie, stop being nasty!" I shake my head and a voice sounds off behind me.

"Who's being nasty?" I turn around to see Fergie's mom in her pajamas and robe.

"Oh, hey Mom." Fergie nods his head at her.

Their family is so used to being like this. It is nothing awkward about it, and I kind of like it. They always chat about anything and everything. It seems like Fergie's parents are more like his best friends than authoritative figures. My family is more stern. We cannot talk to my parents like they are our best friends—we might get knocked out. My mother never fails to remind me how she is 'not one of my little friends from school'. She says it more to Devin than me because I barely give her trouble, but still.

"Hi, hon." She says and then looks at me. "Hey, Tatianna. What are you guys up to?"

"Hey." I wave. "And nothing much, just gonna watch some sappy romance movies after a long day."

"Oh boy, don't I know those days." She chuckles. "Cry and laugh for me."

And this is really what I needed to get my mind off of things.