*Mason’s POV*
I adjust my navy blue tie as I look at myself in the mirror, scanning my dark green suit or brown dress sneakers in case I didn’t wear it properly. My hair is a bit messy though, probably because I keep fiddling with it unconsciously.
“How do you feel right now?” Austin comes out of nowhere and wraps an arm around my shoulder, his reflection now visible in the mirror.
Other than his long bangs, his ginger hair is packed in a ponytail, and although he’s wearing a white suit, a black tie and a grey dress sneakers, he could easily blend in with others there at the gala as much as he wanted their wallets.
“Good,” I reply, noticing our very small height difference. He’s a centimeter shorter than me and is the shortest in our friend group even though he’s 5 feet 10 which I am too; Brian being 5’11 and Liam being 6 feet.
I watch as he looks at me, ruffling my hair a second later. “I know you aren’t really looking forward to this event but let’s make the best of it, ‘kay?”
I nod, a small smile forming on my face. Seeing this side of him once in a while isn’t too bad.
“Pretty boy, what took you so long?” Austin asks as my eyes follow to Austin’s which are on Liam who is coming out of the bathroom.
He straightens his light gray suit that’s accompanied with a dark grey tie, making him look like an important figure which he is since he’s the son of a CEO who owns the biggest brand in the fashion industry- Myers.
“I was chatting with my father,” Liam answers. “He’s been sending a lot of messages recently.”
“They probably can’t wait to see you,” Austin says brightly. “unlike my parents who just check in on me.”
“Of course they would. It’s not like your family is financially challenged.”
“But we were and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I hustled five jobs and gosh was it stressful.”
“You hustle seven now-”
“But,” he interrupts as he shuts me up with his finger. “I just grew to love it and it’s now a hobby of mine.”
“A hobby…” I slowly say as Brian comes out of the wardrobe close on my left, standing beside me.
He’s wearing all black except for his white dress shirt underneath since we all wanted to match and are the bestest of friends! Now that I think about it, it’s the first time we’ve all willingly tried to match. I guess we really are close friends now.
“Should we head out now?” he asks, all eyes turning to him which causes a now automatic reaction from him which is flinching.
“Sure,” Austin says as he opens the door for all of us.
Stuffing Lily’s parents’ business card in my pocket, I rush out of the room, Austin following right behind me. Once we head out of the hotel, a car similar to the one that brought us here arrives and we enter. The journey there isn’t too long and during that time, Austin gives us our ticket and repeats what he said on Monday about the event. Not long after, the vehicle comes to a stop next to a fancy looking white building and we get off, walking into it.
We head to the reception and give the worker there our tickets. After it’s been checked, we’re escorted through a hallway and once the worker opens the door at the end of it, it reveals the main hall, the bright colors hitting my eyes.
Inside, we’re greeted with classical music coming from a live ensemble, and my gaze moves up to the high ceiling with a chandelier at the top that is decorated with pastel flowers. The hall is filled with chairs and round tables at both sides while the middle is empty where dancing may take place. As the four of us pass some tables, my eyes move to the vibrant flowers on each of them and the parts of the wall that are covered with flowers.
“Mason.” I stop, turning around to the familiar voice. It’s my father in his signature black suit and tie, his eyes looking down on me.
Excusing myself, I quickly head to father, stopping beside him.
“...Father, how are-”
“Why are you wearing something so distasteful?” he asks condescendingly as he takes a sip of the wine in his hand. I… should have expected this much from him.
“Sorry father,” I say so only he hears.
He looks me up and down before letting out a frustrated sigh, his fingers running through his hair that is neater than mine. Then, he starts heading towards a seat and I follow after him, sitting down a few seconds after he does.
“It seems you’ve made friends with Liam Myers. Make sure not to ruin it.”
I reply with a nod as I look at the others at the event. It takes a while to find Brian who’s leaning against a plain white wall, his eyes looking empty. In a matter of seconds, Liam and Austin approach him, talking about something before Austin pulls Brian and Liam to Liam’s parents. They all start chatting and from the way they’re both smiling, it seems they’re having a nice conversation.
Hearing the chair beside me move, I turn to see my mother, her brown hair packed in a neat ponytail. She sits down gently, adjusting her straight evening dress that compliments her hair since it’s black.
“How was the break?” she asks, her brown eyes scanning the hall intently.
“It was good,” I reply.
And for the next 20 minutes, I’m stuck just sitting there in complete silence, occasionally watching others enter the hall or chat. I really wish I could talk to the others right now, and having a normal conversation with my parents is impossible, especially with my mother since she’s like a stranger to me. All I know about her are three things: she likes tea, she works in the same industry as my father, and she did not marry my father out of love and neither did he. Well, we barely talk and she’s mostly never home so there isn’t much I can do about our relationship.
Hearing someone talk with a microphone, I look up to see what I think is the host who comes onto a tiny stage at the front of the hall.
“Greetings to everyone one of you,” he says. “My name is Saul Chavez and I am thrilled to have you here to help support cancer patients. Your presence makes this event truly special and I am honored to share this dinner with you.”
“Tonight, while having dinner, musical performances will be lined up, a ball will take place as well as the main event- a raffle. Thank you once again for being here and for your support so let’s have a wonderful dinner together. Welcome, and have a wonderful time!”
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Applause fills the air and soon, we start dining. The atmosphere around our table is obviously quiet as we eat in silence. Well, it can’t get any worse than it is now even though I wish it could be better- that we can be a normal family.
Once that is over, a ball starts and my parents head to the dancefloor, leaving me all alone at the table. Tapping my finger on my crossed arm, I let out a sigh. What should I even do during this time or am I supposed to just watch-
I watch as an arm wraps around me, my gaze moving to a ginger.
“If my guess is correct,” Austin says. “you’re wondering if you could be dancing with Lily right now, am I right?”
“…No… you’re quite wrong,” I reply, my eyes following my parents as they look so perfect while dancing elegantly- as if they are meant for each other.
“…Wanna sneak out with the others?” Austin asks after a while.
“My father will be mad.”
“Your father will be mad at anything you do,” Austin says in a quiet outburst. “It’s just… I’m your guide today so let me do my job properly.”
I look over at him, his eyes looking back at me pleadingly. It’s… been a while since I’ve seen that expression on him.
“…Fine,” I give in.
Austin breaks into a smile as he practically pulls me up from my chair and across the hall, stopping once we’re outside it and in the hallway. There, I see Liam and Brian waiting for us, a laugh escaping my lips.
“So you were planning from the start to invite me here?”
He shrugs as he continues to smile, his eyes glistening. “I guess. You’re my friend after all.”
There’s a silence in the air as everyone stares at Austin, a confused look forming on his face.
“What is it-”
“I can’t believe you called me your friend,” I say, hugging him. “Since when were you so kind-”
“Get away from me, you creep,” he says as he covers my face with a palm and pushes me away from him. Well… at least I know he cares.
“What are we doing here?” Brian asks, his hand stuffed his pockets.
“We’re gonna become one with nature.”
I slowly turn to him, my eyes meeting his. “…Are you fucking serious right now?”
“What?”
“Become one with nature? I should’ve known you were a boring person when I first met you.”
“Hey… then what else do you want to do? Watch old people dance?”
“They’re not that old but… makes sense,” I reply.
“Anyway, how are we gonna become one with nature?”
“Well, we will have to sneak out, find a nearby hill, roll around and scream our troubles away.”
“How specific of you, ginger.”
“...We could consider going to a balcony,” Liam suggests. “The glasses are soundproof, aren’t they Austin?”
“They are!” Austin exclaims, tiptoeing to rustle Liam’s hair. “We can go there now if you guys want to.”
Brian and I nod and we all re-enter the hall, heading for one of the balconies. Once we’re there, I close the glass door shut behind us, turning to look at the sunset before us.
The sunlight reflects on the clouds which look like a fiery canvas of orange and purple. Above the clouds is a beautiful blue sky and the sun shining like a blazing ball of fire. A jaw-dropping view you may call it, and at times like this, you can’t take your eyes away from nature- from how beautiful it is.
“…It’s not really bad to become one with nature,” I mutter.
Austin playfully nudges me as his eyes smile, his gaze moving to me then back to the scenery.
“Anyway… doesn’t Brian look like he has something to say?” Austin questions, my gaze moving to him.
He stares at the view blankly as he fiddles with his fingers, like his mind is here but also elsewhere.
“…It’s your dad isn't it?” Austin says aloud which causes him to abruptly turn to him flustered. Actually, I never saw him with his dad today. But… they don’t seem close.
Brian stares at Austin, letting out a sigh that confirms his statement. “…All he did was not acknowledge me. It’s nothing really.”
“If you stare into space because of it, then it is something,” I blurt out.
“…It’s really nothing, Mason-”
“Please, just- at times like this, I can tell you’re acting like you have to please us to be your friends.”
“It’s not that. I-”
“You’re allergic to a type of food, aren’t you?” I question. “Is it… fish?”
He answers me with silence, his gaze on the floor. Why… didn’t he tell me then?
“...I’m sorry, okay? I just… know you won’t like me-”
“That’s the problem! I’ve always seen you as my friend and I want you to trust me and… not try to please me.”
I grab his face so he looks at me, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and sadness. How long… has he felt this for?
“...If you don’t want to talk, don’t. If you want to, then talk. If you want to call me at 3am, even if you think it’s wrong, call me. I will definitely pick up. My point is… you don’t need to fake who you are. I might not know everything about you but… you can tell me anytime- even if I have to wait for decades.”
Brian eyebrows twitch, a deafening silence seeming to settle. What… did I just say? That was so cliche and cringy. I’m sure Austin will make fun of me for it.
Feeling something touch my finger, my thoughts are disrupted to see Brian crying. Maybe I shouldn’t have yelled randomly- wait… Brian’s crying? Why is he crying?
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Should I… write a hundredth page apology letter?” I ask immediately. Why was I so blunt?
He simply stares at me before laughing, rubbing his eyes. “It’s fine. It’s just the weather.”
“It’s clearly not the weather,” Austin says out of nowhere as he pulls Brian into a hug. “...Just let it all out. You don’t need to act like everything’s fine when it’s not.”
He stops laughing, looking at Liam and I. We give a nod of affirmation and his laugh turns to cries, his head leaning onto Austin’s shoulder. Quietly, I hug them both, and soon, so does Liam.
Quietly, I tap on Brian’s back in a rhythm, taking in the situation. For some reason, I feel warm and fuzzy. Maybe it’s because it’s my first time having a group hug with them, though I’ll be lying if I said I hate it. Well, it could also mean that we’ve gotten closer which… makes me glad. So glad I’ll probably ramble about it to Lily when I see her next. And… I hope Brian’s alright. I hope… this group hug makes him feel better.
•••
A while passes and Brian breaks the embrace and wipes his tears, his gaze on the floor as he gets lost in his thoughts again.
“Hey…” I say. “you can count on us, okay?”
He replies with a nod as he chuckles softly, a small smile forming on his face. “You guys are weird though.”
Austin and I gasp though Liam looks at Brian indifferently.
“Oh, I don’t mean you, Liam,” Brian corrects himself.
“I figured,” Liam replies, receiving repeated soft hits from Austin which he doesn’t flinch at.
I laugh at the sight and so does Brian- our laughters filling the air as well as Austin squabbling with Liam even though Liam just replies with short sentences. I never knew having friends would be like this. Though we argue or have disagreements, my world feels brighter with them in it, so much so that I can open my heart to them and know they’ll accept me for who I am- that we’ll accept each other for who we are. I… never knew the gift of a friend will be so heartening.
Suddenly, the glass door beside us opens, revealing the one person I wished to not see at a time like this.
“...Father?”
——————————
Lily's Playlist
• Windy Day by Helios Relaxing Space
• Melancholy by Helios Relaxing Space
• Dandelions by Ruth B
• The Other Side by Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron
• At My Worst by Pink Sweat$ feat. Kehlani
• Live Your Story by Auli'i Cravalho
• N/A
Mason's Playlist
• The Other Side by Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron
• At My Worst by Pink Sweat$ feat. Kehlani
• Live Your Story by Auli'i Cravalho
• Gift of a friend by Demi Lovato
• N/A