Free Web NovelChapter 85: My Mate Friend
We were at the bar, and the atmosphere felt different than it had an hour ago. Princess was sitting at the very end of the long wooden counter, her chin resting on her hand as she listened to Malo’s work report. He was talking fast, waving his hands around as he explained their distributions and the latest numbers for whatever side projects they were running. It was all business, and she looked like she was actually processing it this time. freeweɓnøvel.com
I didn’t want to just sit there and listen to math, so I went to assist Mr. Richard in the kitchen. I’ve always liked being busy with my hands. I wanted to help with the cooking, and even though he protested at first, telling me I was a guest, he eventually gave in. Within a few minutes, I was leaning over a bowl, busily grating a large block of cheese.
I stayed quiet and just watched him work. He was a professional in the kitchen. I watched as he dropped the pasta into a pot of boiling water, the steam rising up and making his face glow. Then he started beating eggs, his movements quick and practiced as he separated the golden yolks from the whites.
"Is this enough cheese, sir?" I asked, holding up the bowl.
He wiped his hands on his apron and came closer to check my progress.
"You should really just call me Richard. Everyone around here calls me Richard," he said. He had that kind of hair that was a messy mix of grey and dark strands. Up close, he didn’t really have many wrinkles, but his face looked seasoned, like he’d seen a lot of years and lived through all of them.
"You look a lot older than me, and you’re definitely older than my brother, so I’m calling you sir," I said firmly. It was a respect thing, and I wasn’t going to budge on it.
He just chuckled and added the egg yolks into the bowl. I started grinding the toasted black pepper he had prepared. He’d mixed it with the cheese and the yolks, and it was my job to get it all blended. Grinding and mashing was easy for me. I was already used to doing the exact same thing with herbs and dried flowers back at the shop, so this felt like a piece of cake.
Mr. Richard actually looked impressed by how fast I was working. He even gave me a small compliment, saying I had a good rhythm. I just nodded and watched him finish up the pasta, the smell of the food finally starting to make my stomach growl.
After dinner was over, the four of us split up. Mr. Richard went back into the kitchen to start tidying up and washing the dishes, while Princess headed off to her room to grab something she’d forgotten. That left just Malo and me sitting at the bar.
Malo leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper like he was terrified of being overheard by the walls.
"Hey, Faye. What do you think?" he asked, his eyes darting toward the hallway.
"Think about what?" I asked, taking a sip of my water.
"Think about this. Let’s just replace Kiara and Beam and become the new Trios. You’re already basically filling Kiara’s spot as Princess girl, and me, I’ll just become Princess’s new BFF. It’s perfect."
I stared at him like he’d grown a second head. "What the fuck, Malo? First of all, I don’t want to replace some stupid, branded bitch like Kiara. And second, I thought we were already a group. You, me, and Sasha. Remember her?"
"What? I thought we hadn’t officially agreed to include Sasha in the inner circle yet, I don’t still like that purple hair," he said, sounding genuinely confused. "So if Princess joins us, we become a trio. A power trio for life. Don’t you see it?"
I just kept staring at him. What the hell was wrong with his head?
"And you have to remember your first day at the school, Faye," he continued, ignoring my look. "You were specifically targeting the big meat. You had a plan."
"Yes, I was targeting the big meat because I wanted the big meat to beat up those bitches who broke my phone," I reminded him, my voice rising a little. "But the big meat turned out to be the exact person I wanted to beat up in the first place."
"And instead of a beat up, the big meat went and put four meatballs in your oven," Malo said, a huge smirk spreading across his face.
I felt the blood rush to my face. I swear, if he said one more thing like that, I was going to reach across the counter and punch him right in the mouth.
"Look, Faye, this is our big chance," he said, getting serious for a second. "We can actually be popular. We can be at the top. Life will be so much easier for us if we’re with her."
"I really thought we were BFFs, Malo. I can’t believe you’d actually dump me just for a little bit of fame," I said, shaking my head in mock disappointment.
The second the words left my mouth, Malo’s expression did a complete 180. He looked like a puppy that had just been handed its favorite treat in the world. His eyes went wide and shiny.
"What is wrong with you now? What’s with that face?" I asked, pulling back a little.
"You just called me your BFF," he whispered. He looked like he was genuinely about to start crying right there on the barstool. "Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that?"
Before I could react, he lunged forward and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.
"My BFF just called me her BFF! This is the best friday ever! I’m so happy you came back, BFF!" he shouted into my shoulder.
I couldn’t believe he was getting this emotional over three little letters. I also couldn’t believe I’d actually said it out loud. It hadn’t felt forced when I said it, though. It just felt natural. He was my friend, even if he was a total idiot sometimes.
"What exactly is happening here?"
The voice was cool and sharp. We both froze. Princess was standing right in front of us, her arms crossed, watching the hug with an unreadable expression.
"Princess! Faye just called me her BFF! I officially have a BFF!" Malo shouted, not even letting go of me yet.
I braced myself. I thought Princess would be mad. I remembered how she’d reacted when Yuki so much as held my hand the other day. I thought she might lose it or even fire him on the spot for being too close to me.
"Okay, okay. Stop hugging her already," she said. Her voice wasn’t angry, just sort of impatient.
Malo immediately let go and scrambled back to his own stool, straightening his shirt and trying to look professional again.
"Yes, boss."
"I’ve already selected the clothes I’ll be taking with me tomorrow," Princess said, looking at him. "Go to my room and arrange them in the suitcase. Cross-check every single thing I’m going to need for the trip. Nothing should go wrong, MG. Not one thing."
"Roger that, boss!" he said, hopping off the stool and rushing toward her room like his life depended on it.
I watched him disappear, then turned back to her. "Wow. So you’re really leaving tomorrow for the game."
"Yes. As the school president, I have to be there to represent Oakland High School. I have to hype up the team and make sure everything runs smoothly," she explained.
"When are you coming back?"
"Sunday afternoon."
I gave a small nod, trying to act like I didn’t care. I tried to pretend it didn’t bother me that she’d be miles away for the next two days, that I wouldn’t see her at all tomorrow.
Wow. Long distance. Already.
"And you’re coming with me," she added, watching my reaction.
"Huh?" I blinked. "Me? Why?"
"Well, I’m officially friendless right now, aren’t I? And as my friend, you’re coming along with me," she said. She looked like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Friend?" I muttered the word under my breath. Did I really hear that right?
"Yes. We’re friends. You’re my... mate friend," she said. She actually smiled when she said it, a real, genuine smile.
I just stayed quiet and blinked at her.
I knew I was the one who had originally asked her to be my friend, but were we really still just friends? We had gone so much further than that. We were way past the friends with benefits stage.
Mate friend? What kind of title was that?
I felt a strange twist in my chest.
I didn’t want to be just her friend. I want to be more than that.....
