AGNES

Yvonne and I walk together to class, and it's not like it's fun but it seems we won't be having our morning lessons for the day.

We stop walking when we see Felix and Xian on the hallway talking, or rather, Felix forcing Xian to talk to him.

"Come on, I said I'm sorry," Felix apologizes for the billionth time. "You don't mean to say after reconciling with Agnes, I have to reconcile with you, too!"

Xian generously giving that cold shoulder fairly makes me feel sorry for them. While they force their captious conversation, Yvonne and I hang around, watching the wholesome scene.

Felix holds his shoulders firm. "Look at me! Did you really think I was going to hit you?"

"Can you just stop?" He pushes his hand away.

Yvonne and I exchange a quick look. I guess we both sense the toxic energy exuding from Xian. It's quite an interesting change of character for him since I've always known him to be the level headed person in the group. I'd like to see it to the end. It's not every day I get to witness good friends fighting – and no, my little tiff with Felix doesn't count.

In spite of the premium entertainment though, I do hope whatever is going on between them, Xian doesn't become aggrieved after this fight. However, some things don't always end up the way we plan.

Shockingly, Felix switches it up. "What the heck is wrong with you, Xian? Seriously, why are you so angry at me?"

"You should be with Agnes! I'm pretty sure you need her more than you'll ever need me. What could I possibly offer anyway?"

"Xian!!!" He flares.

"Damnit, Felix! Just leave me alone!"

They stare face to face, an enormous weight of tension standing between them. In the heat of the moment, they couldn't control themselves, but now, it seems they're beginning to process the hurtful words they've said to each other.

"Are you being serious with me?" Felix deflates as he retracts his rage. "Xian, what do you want me to do then? Should we break our friendship over a small misunderstanding?"

Xian sighs, exhausted after that overwhelming outburst. "I'm not angry, alright. I'm just not in the mood."

Felix cocks his eyebrow. "Not in the mood? You are always not in the mood! I don't understand you at all."

"Clearly! You don't understand anything!" By a strange turn of events, they notice us standing at the corner. "Let's drop this and stay far away from me," he asserts and leaves down the hall, vanishing into the crowd of students.

Immediately he goes out of sight, Yvonne and I walk up to Felix. "Not your best day today, huh. Don't worry, he'll come around soon," I assure him.

"Ugh!!!" He grunts with the built up frustration inside of him, "why is everybody I know getting so melodramatic these days?"

"But what really happened between you two?" Yvonne asks. "I had thought you guys would've settled your differences over the weekend."

"He's still mad at me, and I think it's more than what happened at the garage."

"You should not have tried to attack Xian," I tell him, "what would you have done yesterday if I hadn't held you back?"

"I wasn't precisely going to hit him. It was more or less like a 'spur of the moment'. Even though you held me back, I still would never ever try to hit Xian. He is like a brother to me."

"Is it just me or you seem to be having troubles dealing with people these days?" Yvonne drops her comment thoughtlessly.

Felix and I give her serious cross looks.

"What?" She shrugs. "Am I lying?"

"Yvonne, are you always forced to say anything that comes to mind?" I ask, a question I should have asked long time ago.

"It's just Felix. You really don't expect me to be careful with my words around him."

"Can we focus on how to reconcile me with my best friend, please?" Felix cuts in.

Yvonne raises a hand. "I have a good idea. Why don't we plan another set-up for them?"

"Yeah, and lock them in the garage all night just like what you all did to me. You better not think about it," I counter.

"How is he going to forgive me?" Felix asks.

"Are you seriously buying into this idea?" I turn to Felix. "Listen, I'll talk to Xian, I'm sure he will understand me better than both of you." I snarl at them.

"I'll come with you," Yvonne offers.

"What about when we all meet at the garage?" Felix suggests.

"See! Now that is a good idea!" I say majorly to Yvonne, "not locking two people inside a room with no food or water and forcing a forgiveness that would still happen anyway."

They instantly turn towards me at once.

"Let us meet at the garage after school." I leave them and walk into the class.

*

Much later, at the garage, we sit on high stools in a random circle, throwing in our suggestions for the business.

"I was thinking perhaps we should kick-off right after graduation, like our Opening Night should fall within that same week," Tessa proposes.

"When final exams are over, that would give us enough time to put in place every arrangement necessary," Yvonne adds.

"We have about three months or so before we send applications to colleges," Ronald informs, "with that, we can also plan what we'll do with the business after some of us get admissions to study in the university."

"So, who will volunteer to stay at home for the year?" Tessa jokes.

We laugh seeing that nobody wants to be stuck at home with parents or get a job, when there's the opportunity to experience what the college life feels like right in front of us.

"Is it alright to hire students like us to help out, you know, like for wider coverage, or we would just do it ourselves?" Ronald asks.

"I suggest we should handle it by ourselves. We are not established yet, but I like the idea... and the optimism," I tell him.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Felix turns to Xian.

"No," he replies snappishly.

When the room becomes less quiet and tense, he excuses himself and walks outside.

Felix tries to approach him but I hold him down and turn to everyone. "I'll talk to him. Just keep on with the planning." This is most likely a good moment to have a heart-to-heart talk with him and if not anything, I might understand why he is reacting this way.

I join Xian outside too. He notices when I arrive behind him as he casts a long stare at the rustic rolling landscape up ahead.

"I just wanted to stretch my legs. It was getting a little cramped in there."

"Right. Xian, are you really that angry at Felix?" I ask directly.

He remains silent.

"If you are, say it. Everyone's got problems and even best friends fight sometimes."

He turns around but his head hangs low with a sadness only true desolation can give. "I should apologize, perhaps. I can see that it's becoming noticeable we're not in good terms because of you, but—"

"Because of me?" I cut him off, lifting my brows curiously.

"I mean, because he..." he trails off and moans. "I'm sorry, Agnes. I should not be sounding this sad and pathetic."

"Are you jealous?" My question knocks him for a loop. "It's okay to be jealous. I too would feel the same if Yvonne or even Tessa were hanging out with some other person."

"It's not that. I... I just don't know how to say it out without making myself seem I'm jealous, or whatever. But it sure feels like I'm slowly losing my best friend in the world."

"Because of me?"

"No!" He exclaims. "Listen, Agnes, I don't have a problem with you or anything of that sort. It's just that... well, yesterday... you saw everything yourself, didn't you? I'm afraid of the day when Felix will forget I'm still his best friend."

Oh my! That scene yesterday really gave him a nasty case of paranoia. I've never seen Felix act in that manner towards anyone, let alone Xian, his best friend. I can only imagine how horrible he must have felt at the time. "Why would you assume that? Has Felix ever given you a reason to doubt his loyalty to you?"

"Perhaps I'm being paranoid, but you saw how he reacted yesterday, right?"

"Yeah. That wasn't a pretty scene to watch."

"You know I thought Felix would never think of doing something like that to me. To tell you the honest truth, I was scared. He is the only friend I have ever had before you guys came along, so whether or not, I became attached. If I lose him to anyone, I don't know what I'll do."

"You cannot stop him from making new friends because it's his decision and it's his life, but one thing you should have at the back of your mind is that he'll always place you above them. That is why you're his best friend. I doubt if anybody understands him more than you do."

"I understand Felix inside out. It does not mean he reciprocates."

"Felix trusts you completely. So, don't let those negative thoughts make you think otherwise."

"But Felix loves you."

For a moment, I withdraw a bit to quickly tackle that confession in my brain so as not to deviate from the subject matter. This crazy mindset he has about Felix is bound to ruin their friendship faster than I can say Jack Robinson.

It doesn't stop me from flushing though. "Well, you've been by his side through thick and thin, and still, you're here for him."

"That's the problem! Does it have to change? I have been his best friend since forever, but you just came into his life and everything changed."

I become more matter-of-fact. "So here comes the truth. You're actually annoyed by me."

"I'm not! No! Please, don't misunderstand me. I'm just... frustrated. Our friendship is no more as it was, and that upsets me... a lot."

I cross my arms with a grimace. "And you think I'm the reason for that, not so?"

"Agnes, come on! I want Felix to be happy, and his happiness is you. I know it seems selfish but I also want to be part of it too."

"Felix sees you beyond just a friend. I hope you come to realize that soon," I say, and walk back to the garage. For now, Felix is the right person to straighten things out with him, not me.

As soon as I step inside, Felix stands in my path. "What did he say?"

"You should talk to him," I answer before I find a stool for myself to sit.

FELIX

Tentatively, I go outside to meet Xian, a part of me terrified of what he'd say. I had completely forgotten yesterday was Sunday, the day of the week he's on edge for personal reasons, before I foolishly attempted to attack him. I should've done better as his closest friend.

"Xian..."

His eyes start tearing up. "I'm sorry, Felix."

"No, no, no... don't apologize."

"I'm such a terrible friend."

"You're not! You're the greatest friend anyone could ask for." Before anything, I pull him close for a long tight hug. He needs it. We both need it. "Xian, you know more than any other person because I'm only me when I'm with you."

"I'm sorry. I got paranoid and selfish."

"I'm sorry too for the way I reacted. I shouldn't have, and yes, I admit I did give you a reason to feel that way. I'm also sorry for misinterpreting you."

We let each other go, trading smiles. I hope this is the last time we'll ever fight like this.

"I'm glad we're finally out of the woods."

* # * #

Whose friendship do you find most relatable?