BEST FRIEND INDEED

     Nora was lying on the bed, reading a book when Faith's call came in. She took the phone from the nightstand and looked at the screen, she sighed and tossed it aside when she saw that it was Faith. She went back to her book but couldn't concentrate. 

     "Why is she calling me right now?" she picked up the phone and answered it. "What?" 

      "Nora..." Faith sobbed. 

    Nora's eyes grew wide when she heard Faith's voice. "What happened?" she asked panicked. 

       "He never loved me...I'm here in the rain..." 

      "Where are you?!" 

      "Noah's driveway." 

     Nora was already out of bed and rummaging in her closet for a coat and a blanket. "Give me the address, I'll be right there." 

      Faith sat there freezing and crying, her knees pulled up towards her chest, her arms wrapped around them and her chin resting on her knees. Thoughts started running through her head and she started blaming herself for fighting with her best friend over a scum. Her life was just messed up, nothing good happens in it anymore. Maybe she was destined to be unhappy. 

     Someone tapped her on her shoulder from behind, she turned and looked up. It was Belle, she held an umbrella above her. Faith quickly stood up and faced Belle. Belle gave her a dirty slap. It surprised Faith so much that she didn't know what to do she held her cheek and sobbed. 

       "Does it hurt?! That's the feeling I have in my heart. Now listen to me. I don't know what you think you have going on with Noah, but I want you to get it into your numb skull. It's over! I am a very jealous lover and I don't want any exes, even as friends. Just accept that you lost and leave! " She poked Faith on the forehead. 

      Faith couldn't say anything, the tears couldn't let her say anything. 

     "You see this place you are, this is the place that suits you. Outside! Under the rain! Because you are nothing but a wet dog. You are pitiable! You think he would love you just because you have a messed up family?" She chuckled. "Your life is messed up, girl, and you will never get someone to love you like that, they would only pity you and stay with you for a while, then." She snapped her fingers. "Like this, they would discard you and go for girls like me." 

      "You don't... You don't have the right to say those things to me. You don't know me," Faith said with tear cracked voice.

       "I know you too well to know that your reckless mother left you at five and your brother left you too." She leaned closer to Faith's ear. "You are so unlucky, do you know what I want you to do? I want you to carry your unlucky self and stay very far away from Noah and me, we don't want to get infected." 

       "You don't know me..." 

    Belle pushed her and she lost her balance and crashed to the floor on her butt. She let out a loud yelp. That was when Nora's car was just pulling up. 

      "Sit where you belong!" Bella yelled and turned aside to look at the car that just pulled up beside them. 

    Nora quickly got down from the car and came towards them. She wore a hoodie that hid half of her face. 

       "Who is this?" Belle asked, eyeing Nora. 

       "I'm glad that you don't know me, I'll introduce myself," Nora said and lunged at her. 

     Before Belle could think of defending herself, Nora had grabbed her umbrella and yanked it away. 

      "Oh, my God! I'm gonna get wet!" Belle said and decided to run back towards the house. 

    Nora grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. "Come here, where are you running to? How dare you touch my bestie?" Nora asked. 

    Belle screamed in pain, but the rain that was drumming on the rooftop won't let her voice be heard. Nora pulled her hair until she yanked out the attachment she added to her hair. Faith managed to stand. 

     "Nora please, let go..." She was shivering so badly and her voice was faint. 

     When Belle saw that her attached hair has been yanked out, she turned to grab Nora's hair, but Nora had tied up her hair and had covered it with the hoodie cap. Nora was bigger than her, so Nora, still grabbing her hair, shoved her between her thighs, trapping her head in between her thighs and pounded her back. 

      "Let go of me!" Belle cried. 

      "You think you are a bully? I bully bullies," Nora said still pounding. 

She finally left Belle and she tried to take to her heels, leaving her slippers behind, but Nora was fast enough to grab her shirt and it tore away from Belle's body, leaving her with only her maroon bra, Nora picked one on her slippers and hit her butt before she ran away. Then she pursued her and threw the slippers at her while she ran. Nora cursed her all the way. 

      "Stupid girl! Was it her fault that your bastard of a boyfriend decided to two time?!" 

       "Nora please, enough," Faith tried to say but with her teeth clattering and her body shivering so badly, her voice couldn't be heard by Nora. 

     "In fact, where is that bastard son of a million fathers!" Nora yelled and started towards Noah's house. 

     Faith knew that was trouble and she didn't want to do Noah the favour of thinking she was too bitter about him anymore. She gathered the last strength in her and ran towards Nora. Before Nora could get to the porch, Faith caught up with her and held her. 

      "Nora please stop. Stop please." 

     Nora looked at Faith and saw that her face had grown pale and she was shivering uncontrollably. Her face crumpled in a frown. "Faith! Are you okay?" 

        "I'm freezing to death, please," Faith muttered. 

       "Holy Jesus!" Nora turned her back and hunched. "Get on!" 

       "What..." 

       "I said get on!" Nora commanded and Faith climbed onto her back. Nora took off like Faith was something weightless. She got to her car almost out of breath, opened it and lowered Faith into the car. 

     Faith was almost unconscious Nora covered her with the blanket she had brought. She quickly started the car and zoomed off in time before Noah and Belle came towards the driveway in a bigger umbrella. 

     Nora had driven as fast as she could and had gotten home. Danny was not yet back when she came back with Faith who had gone as white as a sheet.  

      "Don't dare pass out," she kept telling Faith as she carried her shivering body from the car and went all the way up to the room. 

       Faith was still conscious but her body and especially fingers were too numb to do anything. Nora sat her down on a chair in their room. 

       "Let's get these wet clothes off you." Nora pulled her skirt away from her, her shirt, her bra, her pantyhose and her panties. She covered her with a thick blanket. "This will keep you warm." 

      She went to the bathroom and ran a hot tub for her. She gently led Faith to the bathroom and made her sit in the tub. Faith started feeling her body coming back to her as she stayed in the tub for a few seconds. Nora left her and went to the kitchen, prepared a hot tea and took it up to Faith. 

      After a few minutes, Faith was warm enough to join Nora in the kitchen. Nora was sipping coffee when she came in, Nora glanced at her. 

       "You are strong now," Nora said. 

      Faith wrapped the blanket around her, Nora had given her her clothes to wear, a pair of slacks and a long-sleeved t-shirt, they were too big for Faith, but she preferred them to nothing. She walked up to Nora and pulled out a seat and sat beside Nora. 

         "Thank you for saving me today." 

         "What are friends for?" Nora said, not looking at her. "Do you care for coffee?" 

       Faith shrugged. "I wouldn't mind." She looked at Nora's profile. 

      Nora stood up and went to make her a cup of coffee, she added enough milk for her because of her ulcer. She took it to Faith and handed it to her. Faith took it with a smile. Nora slid into the seat beside her and took a sip from her cup. 

       "How's your ulcer?" Nora asked. 

     Faith shrugged again. "I don't know, maybe better. The last time I checked, my doctor said it was worse, she had to make me see a psychiatrist, she thinks it's stress. That's the person I told you I'm seeing." 

         "I see," Nora said and sipped her coffee. "Any improvement with your brother?" 

        Faith shrugged again. "Same old story." She stared at Nora who held her china to her lips. "Come on, Nora, out with it already!" 

       Nora turned and looked at her. "What?" 

       "I know you wanna scold me, please do, I think I deserve it right now." 

       Nora smiled and shook her head. "I don't want to scold you, at least not now. I understand you and if I find myself in your shoes I don't think I will act differently. You were a woman in love. I am just glad that you have seen it yourself." 

       "Gosh, Nora I'm so sorry for telling you off like that, for all those things I said to you." 

      Nora shook her head. "You were angry and I know it's nothing. Come here." She spread her arms. 

      Faith dropped her cup of coffee and flew into Nora's embrace. Nora patted her gently. 

       "Don't get into trouble again, alright," Nora said. 

       "Yes, mummy." 

     "I'm home!" Danny announced and came to the kitchen and was surprised to see Faith. "Oh, you two." 

     Faith pulled away and looked at Danny. "Yes, the two of us. Ain't you tired of our fights?" 

      "Your drama, you mean?" Danny kissed Nora on the forehead and they all laughed.