three

"Attagirl." He fistbumps me getting down from the car to open the door for me.

"I have something for you, give me a minute," I say opening the door to my apartment quickly. Spotting the Gucci bag on the dining table, I quickly grab it going back to him.

"Here." I take the jacket out of the bag and turn him around. Looping his arms through the sleeves and adjusting it over the shoulders, I zip the jacket up from the front.

"My best friend is so pretty. It's getting colder now, wear it tomorrow." I kiss his cheek and he smiles a huge smile hugging me.

"Thank you, how do you never forget anything? I wanted this jacket four months ago."

"I just do, besides, this is nothing, I could rob a bank for you." I wink at him pushing him back into the car.

"We'll execute the robbery together, partner. I'll be off now." He says waving at me and I wave back smiling from ear to ear.

It's so great to have somebody you can love and not make it complicated. It's a shame how people underestimate Platonic relationships. I would actually do anything for a friend as great as Jim, love him to death, and still not think of him sexually.

Opening the door to my apartment, I check the fridge for something to eat, and to my much dismay, the fridge is almost empty except for a few fruits lying around. I need to go grocery shopping. I've been so busy with work and school that I have almost no time for myself. The mid-terms are coming up and the council work is lagging behind too. Sighing I grab my coat keeping my wallet and phone in the pockets.

The convenience store isn't that far from my house so I prefer walking. The neighborhood is pretty decent. After moving out from my mom's place, a pretty and safe neighborhood was my main priority. There are pretty shops and the houses are mainly occupied by old people which means a lot of peace and fewer crowds. My phone dings and I smile to myself knowing it's probably Jim or my brother.

JIMY: hi

YOU: who dis qt

JIMY: me ;)

JIMY: where is u tho

YOU: do I have to tell you everything bish?

I open the other conversation while Jim would reply, it's from an unknown number.

UNKNOWN: HAI

YOU: HAII BUT WHO DIS

UNKNOWN: Nathan

UNKNOWN: u already forgot me patootie? :(

YOU: OMGhfkhs stop being dramatic

I lock my phone sending the last text and enter the shop greeting the cashier. Ed's in my school too. I quickly grab everything I need and also enough snacks for a week or two. When I reach the counter, a catch a whiff of somebody's perfume and quickly look around to see anybody but I only spot a tall guy going out of the store wearing a black snapback with his blonde hair peeking out. It must be his perfume. I have 20% hearing loss which led to heightened olfactory senses.

I'm planning to take up organic chemistry later on so I can open my own perfume chain.

"Mia?" Ed calls out and I realize I was still staring at the door he closed behind him. He smiles and checks me out. I leave the store and immediately look around to spot the blonde guy but to no avail. That one whiff was enough to blow me away, I know most perfumes around the shops here but this one is completely new. It was a surprise I couldn't recognize it. Today's not my day I guess. The walk back home is gonna get really boring, I should call Jim. I unlock my phone speed-dialing Jim's number.

"Hello," He says picking up on the first ring.

"Were you waiting for my call or something?"

"No, I was gonna call you though. Guess what happened?"

"You sound sad, who hurt you? Let me take out my watergun-"

"Jae hooked up with a girl from his year, heard she's pretty cute."

"Oh. I'm sorry Jimmie, do you want to have a sleepover? We could watch one of your favorite dramas?" He sighs on the other side before mumbling an almost inaudible 'okay'. As soon as he cuts the call, I run back to the store to buy more ice cream and snacks.

-

"So you're saying you liked his perfume so much that you're gonna act like a creep and ask him the name next time you see him?" Jim says with the tub of ice cream in his hand and I nod vigorously before stealing from his tub. I had made sure he doesn't shed a single tear and distracted him enough.

Why would you be sad for someone who wasn't yours to begin with?

"I sometimes don't understand how guys like you, I mean, you're actually really creepy sometimes." He says laughing and I give him a what-the-fudge-nuggets face.

"You know how anxious I get over things." He nods sliding down on the bed and do the same but inverted on the bed. He absentmindedly hits my calves lightly and we both fall asleep with the drama playing in the background.

It feels like I slept only for a minute when my alarm goes off indicating that it is indeed morning. I shoot up from the bed and notice that Jim had fallen down from the bed in his sleep and landed on his back. It's still 6:00 and school starts at 8:00 so I think it'd be okay to let him sleep more. He shudders curling into a ball and I grab a pillow and comforter. Covering his shivering body, I place the pillow under his neck kissing his forehead. He has not left me alone for one day ever since I moved out, we were friends before but last year changed him a lot, he always lived alone so when he got bullied he was stressed. Physically and emotionally both. I don't get how people could bully him, he's just so precious.