Dedicated to SkylerChase29

Question of the day: "What chore do you absolutely hate doing?"

"We read that we ought to forgive our enemies; but we do not read that we ought to forgive our friends?"

*****

My facewash and toothpaste have so similar containers and smell so same that one day, I might confuse them. I have been staring at the bottles for the past two minutes and this is the first thought I have had.

Since our fight last week, I haven't spoken to Nate for. A whole week without his voice was complete agony as I promised. Every time my phone rings, I feel it's him. I guess this is what people mean by being addicted to technology. I glance at my phone every now and then thinking he would call. Or I double check our texts. Or stalk him on social media to know his location.

No wonder some people think that phones should be banished.

As I am brushing my teeth, I wonder how it seems like I am at war with Nate. Let we explain: We have no contact and I keep on thinking of ways to apologize to him. As if I'm planning a peace treaty. And I have a spy called Pastel who keeps me updated 24/7 on Nate and his Dad's condition.

His Dad is fine by God's grace and is being able to talk again. (He wouldn't talk at first after operation he had right after the stroke.) Nate is fine too or at least he sounds fine as Paste says.

And even though she tells me everything she talks to Nate about; I still desperately want to hear his voice.

When I wear the teal dress for work, I remember how teal is his favorite color. After I have my breakfast and I'm out of the house, I see a couple on the street hugging. Like me and Nate did when he saved me from drowning at our school swimming pool one day at high school.

This week, I've been remembering moments during our high school time. From my weird meeting with Nate and the events leading to our first kiss.

As I drive to Aragain, I realize how everything in my life just smoothly came together the moment I came here. I got my best friends and my old boyfriend back. I should have known it was too good to be true without some drama. When I enter the elevator to go to my office, I notice two young teenagers playing games on a phone. From the looks of it both girls are choosing some sort of dress for a Princess. It really reminds me of how passionate Naomi was about fashion designing. It's a shame how she never pursued that career.

The thought of Nan saddens me, and I can't focus on work for the rest of the day. I didn't get any calls or texts from her neither did I call her and that makes me think how hurt she may have been by my words. I want to do something so bad to apologize to her, but I can't gather the courage to do so. Every time I think about what if our roles were reversed, I want to bury myself in guilt. I know I would be miserable with sadness if my best friend would have doubted my intentions like that.

I understand that I should have not said those things to her but the part that scares me that I feel like I may be right. I mean, come to think of it, why else would she have called me of all people that day? She could have called Pastel or Talia. But she called me. I didn't see any reason except whatever I said to her. So when she decided to stay with Kai, it didn't fit well with me. It still doesn't. I perceive that she loves Kai, but I don't get how can she be with a man who treats her like that.

"Did you hear me, Miss Audrey?"

"Uh, what?" I shake my head, trying to clear away my thoughts.

"Okay, what is up with you?" Blyton asks, taking a seat on the opposite side of my desk.

"Nothing. Just tell me what you were saying."

"I will once you tell me what's up with you. You know, all the assistants in the world have to go through horrible things their bosses ask them to do. But you or your mom never asked me something like that. It's sad, really, how free I am sometimes."

"You are so talkative. Can't you just be glad that I don't torture you like other bosses and be happy about it?"

"I thought Miss Pastel told you to change your rude habits." He scrunches up his face, but his expression becomes bland when he sees the look on my face.

"I knew you were eavesdropping!"

He dares to smirk. "Yeah well as I am your assistant, it's my duty to make sure I know my boss inside out. Anyways, back to your weekly schedule. You have a meeting with the restaurant staff tomorrow. And you have to yet to check the grocery finances I sent you. Oh and on Saturday there's Kiara's bake sale. Claire can't bake as she burns everything, so she needs you to make something with her daughter.

"Can't I skip it? I really don't want to go through kids and glitter right now."

"It might make you feel better. You know, baking is a stress reliever. At least for you."

"You really do know me inside out. You are a good assistant, Blyton."

"Thanks, I know. Though, I would like you more as a boss if you didn't skip the office so frequently." I glare at him. "Right. I crossed the line there. You're the boss. You're the boss. Sorry. Gotta go! Tell me if you want me to do something horrible, I'm always free!" With that, he leaves my office at the speed of lightning. I laugh for the first time in a week because of his actions but my laugh fades when I think that Naomi was this excited too when I had called her that day. And I cruelly took away her excitement. I sigh. I can be cold hearted sometimes

On my way home, I think about how harmonious our friendships used to be. Now all our lives are filled with drama and drama. Nan has her thing with Kai. Talia sleep with hundreds of people. And Paste still doesn't even tell me what goes on in her life. These things make me want to sigh over and over again.

I get a phone call just as I'm about to enter my house. I see that it's Talia and I pick it up. "Hey Talia."

"Have you been purposely ignoring me for the past few days?" I wasn't. But then again, I didn't pick up her calls even though I saw them. "I...no. Actually, I don't know.

"People can't make long distance relationships work and here I am busting my ass to make our long distance friendship work! And you keep IGNORING ME!" I honestly had seen the last words being shouted coming.

"Calm down, ma'am. I am sorry I ignored your calls. What's up?"

"Well, I slept with my boss. Before any harsh judgments, I was really drunk."

I laugh. "At least I hope he was single."

"He's not. I mean... he... he's seeing someone. But they're not together yet."

I would usually snort with disgust, but I don't blame Talia's boss. It's really hard to resist her charms.

"At least the sex was worth it?"

"Not really. I don't remember much of it."

I smirk. "I sure hope it doesn't make things awkward at work."

"It'll probably be awkward. Hella awkward. But I'll ignore it with the great deal of ignoring you have taught me in the last few days. Anyways. Tell me what's up with you and Nate." I bring her up to date. "Boy, your life never seems to not amaze me. It just gets more and more stunning. So how are you gonna apologize to Nate?"

"I don't know that yet."

"I see... Anymore drama you would like to update me on?"

"Uh, yeah, about that." I say, Nan's face flooding my mind. "I may have screwed things up with Naomi."

"What did you say? You know what? No. Don't tell me. Whatever rude thing you said, I don't want to know. Whatever you did, you should apologize." She's serious.

"You know I'm bad at apologies. Everything isn't a piece of cake."

"Well, you can make a cake really nicely. But... are you, Zara Audrey, owner of successful business and girlfriend of a hot boyfriend, scared of apologizing?" I can feel her sneering inwardly in laughter.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Hey. Relationships are made of hard work and compromise. And specially with the act of apologizing and forgiving."

"Says the girl who doesn't even have a relationship and has slept with a 100 people." Her words make me smile anyways.

"A 101 to be exact. Now go apologize! Break a leg!" She's relentless.

I go to my room and fall down on the bed, exhausted with the day. I stare at my phone. I was rude to Nan. I should just call her. I look at the washroom. I'll call her after showering.

When I get out of the shower, the phone's sticking daggers in my face. I quickly run to my kitchen. I'll call Nan after having dinner. As I'm having the tuna casserole, I think of my and Nate's conversation. I was so rude to him; I don't even understand how those words came to my mind. I mean. the way Uncle Frank got separated from us has surely left a scar or two on me, but that doesn't mean I had to say those things to him. Claire was right. I really should have been more considerate. At him and Nan both.

The shrill ring of my phone scares me. I rush to my room and take it in my hands. It's Nan. My hands would have trembled if it weren't for the heater that was turned on. I press answer and wait for her to shout. She doesn't.

"Hello?" Her voice comes calm and quiet. And not at all angry. "Zara? Are you there?"

"Yeah," I say, confused.

"Talia told me to call you. You wanted to talk?" I inwardly cuss Talia but answer her because her composure has me scared. I've said so hurtful things to her, how can she be so calm?

"Yeah, I did. You remember our last phone call?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I said some hurtful things to you. I am sorry." The apology is so unforced, it surprises us both. I hear Nan gasp.

"Yeah, its okay. I.. yeah... It's Okay. Hey, do you know I bought some new clothes today for the baby?" She laughs but it is so fake, she may as well be wearing a neon sign saying "Not okay" in front of me.

"Are you really sure you're just gonna forgive me like that?" I don't want to press the subject, but I have to know if she has truly forgiven me or not. I don't understand how someone can be so forgiving. If someone would have said something like that to me, I sure would have been holding a big grudge.

"Yeah, of course, I'm sure. Anyways, so since we don't know the baby's gender yet, I bought a pink and blue onesie..." Nan's voice sort of cracks at the end and that's when I understand it. Nan never lets anything get to her. At least not outwardly.

She might be internally gasping for breath, but she never words her emotions. She sweeps all the things that hurt her under the rug to suffer later when she's alone. I can tell that she'll cry the moment I hang up and I don't want that. So I do something that I'm sure she will be excited about.

"Kiara has a bake sale at school. Claire can't bake so I am baking stuff for her. Wanna help me on Friday?"

"Sure!" You can practically hear her excitement. "I'll bring in those great frosting tools I have. Are you making cupcakes or cookies? Do you have flour? I'll bring the flour." I sit down in my bed listening to her talk, distracted by this happy topic.

At this moment, I may have thought that Nan and I were so unlike each other. If only I would have known, we have more in common than I know.

A/N:- So I just finished giving my Maths Paper 1 exam, lol! The day was SO hectic and full of tension, my back hurts now from writing so much! Tomorrow is Maths Paper 2! Wish me luck! Also, tell me the name of the person who invented exams. He/she and me need to sit down and have a serious talk.

Anyyyways! Back to the topic at hand! How's you like this chapter! Naomi and Zara made up! tht is happy news! 

Also, i feel bad for Nan. She traps her feelings inside too much. At least Zara understood it, so ig she'll be more thoughtful from now on. but then again, i am not promising anything. We all know Zara is unpredictable, lol.

My other question was, do you like Talia? She seems nice, doesn't she? *wriggles eyebrows*. 

lemme tell u a secret. I was thinking of making a book from *drumroll please* Talia's perspective. That would be a Chicklit book and have themes similar to Need A Friend. Since idk wht ur reactions might be, i didn't start writing it, tho i hv ideas. so tell me wht u guys think. 

OML, seems like i wrote an essay instead of a small note. k, not gonna take up more of ur time! byeeeeeeeeee! hv a nice a day ahead!!