8: Devil in a Dress

"Oh… Hi Emma."

What's with that reaction? Why did she seem so happy to see me?

"Nate, guess what?"

"What?" I said, but I thought, 'why are you being so chummy with me?'

"Get this, after we met right, my friend was waiting downstairs and she said that she got a boyfriend."

"Okay? And this affects me… how exactly?"

"Well, being that we are friends now, and since you're the only person here, I figured I'd gossip with you since I can't talk to any of the girls about it right now."

Oh, it was just that. "Oh, so that's it?"

"No, silly. I wanna talk to you, stop walking away."

She had noticed I was slowly inching out of the light. As she stood under the dim street post, I saw her figure illuminated through her white dress that she had been wearing. While she did say I wasn't dressed for a party, she didn't look like she was dressed for one from this decade. With a white thin dress covering her body, it formed over her form, and she glowed like an angel from a movie. Her hair was long, with a braid wrapping around her head like a princess' from Disney would. She resembled Bell in the way her light brown hair glistened in the fluorescent light of the street, bathing in the soft glow of the moonlight. How had I never seen a girl so gorgeous in my life.

"Hey Emma…"

"Yeah?"

When I opened my mouth, impulsively, the words "Hey, you wanna like, hang out sometime?" slid out of my throat off my tongue and out of my stupid mouth.

"Yeah, of course!" She said with a large smile on her face. Her hair really was glowing in the moonlight, let me tell you. Y'know, in the movies when a girl has nice long hair, and the light is always radiating off her like she's a god or angel? Yeah, she looked like one of those. She was a real high class girl if I'd ever seen one.

"W––w––w wait really?!"

"Of course! When? Any time should work for me."

She really was awfully calm after a guy just asked her out.

"Uhm, I think I'm off almost every day… ummm. AH! Found it. I have work every Monday––Wednesday from 9––3 but any day that isn't one of those, I should be free the entire day."

"That's great. I just moved to this part of town, so I'd be glad if you showed me around. You wanna go out on Thursday? We can meet around 10… Cool?"

"Yeah, it sounds cool."

"Alright Nate, here's my number. Give me a ring the day before and we will discuss where we will meet up, okay? 'Kay!"

You know, for someone who barely seemed functional in the bathroom, she sure was very good when it came to social situations. I mean, she controlled this conversation and the one in the bathroom perfectly. Without being pushy, she still directed the conversations where she wanted them to go. Not intruding but giving a slight nudge in the direction she wanted.

I didn't know what to expect for our date, but all I could think about was that horrible date in 8th grade, and how I had sworn to never let something like that happen again.

* * *

Brrring! Brrring! Brrring!

I opened my eyes barely and felt my body fall down as I tried to stand up from my bed. My body felt heavy and hot, like I was covered in steamed towels and tons of water. I reached for my phone to pick it up, but to my surprise it fell right out of my hands. I looked at my arm, and it was covered in sweat. My body felt like it was on fire, and I was thirsty as all hell. My head spun and I fell back on my pillow.

"mOohhm…" My voice trailed off as I tried to call out to my mom, but my body didn't have the capacity to scream.

"Marc… muss call Marc…" I reached for my phone and grabbed it off of the floor, this time placing it in my lap and with all of my might, I called Marc's number. "Marhh… helhp hmee."

Marc arrived shortly after I called him, maybe 10 minutes or so.

"Whoa buddy!" Marc said.

I attempted to mouth words at him, but I was unable to speak.

"Don't worry buddy, I called your mom, she's at work, but she'll be here as soon as she can. I picked up some medicine for you, and I'm gonna take care of you until she gets home.

I faintly remember shaking my head, and him leaving the room. He made me a bowl of yogurt, a large glass of iced water, and got me a soaked and squeezed cold towel. He told me that he put a frozen one in the fridge. By that time, I was able to speak again.

"Hey… Marc…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Thank you."

"Of course, there's no way I'd let you just die in your own home."

"That's not what I mean…"

At that moment, all of my memories flashed back. I remembered the times that Marc and I cried together, the times we laughed together, all the times when I was entirely alone, and he stayed with me anyways. The times I was absolutely insufferable, and yet he still stayed with me, took care of me, cared for me, and was there for me.

"Marc, you're amazing."

"Me? I didn't do anything anybody else wouldn't."

"Marc… you don't know how much you've helped me over these years. You've been there for me no matter what happened. You were always there for me, in my highs and lows. You were like a mountain the way that you were unchanging and forever present. You stand out like a shining star. You're popular and yet you spend most of your time with a loser like me. Even on days when no one wanted to be with me, you didn't let people's words change your view and opinion of me."

"Well, that's because we're best friends!"

I looked at him and I smiled.

"Marc…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I matter?"

"Of course, you matter."

"Do you think my life has any meaning?"

"As much meaning as you give it."

"Hey Marc?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that I'm capable of love?"

"As soon as you love yourself, you'll be able to love others."

"Marc…"

"Hey, can I ask you a question too?"

"Yeah…"

"Why do you doubt yourself? You're an amazing guy. You're kind, smart, funny, reliable, and while you said that I'm always there for you, you're the one who's always there for me. You have helped me through so much, and yet you doubt your own personal ability.

"Well… I guess it's because…"

"Don't you dare blame Carly. You can't fall back on that excuse again. That sword is dull. Use your head. Why do you think you are so much worse than everyone else?"

"Marc… it's because… I'm not like you… I always want to be you. I wanted for so long to be you. You're the cool, popular guy. The guy who doesn't struggle. The guy who never has a worry in the world."

"C'mon man! Don't tell me you think that's true. If I didn't worry, tell me. Why would I be here? Why would I have taken you to Carly's house the other day. I worry about YOU. Every year we have been friends, I've always seen that you had flaws. You're clumsy, dense, stubborn, and sometimes a real pain in the ass. But that didn't deter me. You're my best friend, keep your head high."

"Marc…"

Marc stood up off the end of my bed and took the towel off my face.

"Looks like you're not so sick anymore." He said with a soft chuckle.

"Heh, I guess not."

"98.6… Perfect."

"I'm sorry Marc."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I ate up your whole day…"

"Seriously?! Man, you're a piece of work."

"Hey!"

"You said it, not me!"

As he said that, both of us broke into laughter. We laughed and laughed until our faces were red. So much it felt like our stomachs were punched. Slapping each other's backs. Smiling, and laughing. As the time went by, we slowed our laughter and had a conversation with no words. Staring at each other, we convey our thoughts and emotions without even needing to open our mouths.

"Hey Marc, guess what."

"Hm?"

"I've got a date tomorrow."

"Don't fuck up."

"I'll try."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I really was glad that this guy is my best friend.