Waiting in the park was nerve wracking, I didn't know what to expect. Did Naomi know about my little scheme of throwing her under the metaphorical bus outcome. Or was I still safe from harm, only to be cloak in guilty and anxiety for days, weeks or months. A twisted part of me hope she knew so we could start to move foward, but another even more mest up part, hope that she would remained in blissfully ignorance for the rest of her life. What Ive done could potentially costs me my best friend love and support, for the rest of my life.

Braden spoted her walking in a measured pace toward him. She didn't have her usual smirk, in fact she seem a little neutral normal even. (Oh crap she knows, whatdoadohowdoIfixthisohmygodoh MY GOD.) Greating her with a weak smile, I tentatively wave my hand up.

As Naomi walks up the first thing she does is loose her neutral face, a mix of anger confusion and hurt fight over her expression. She push me with all her strengh with both her arms I stumbles a few step back out of balance. She follows up by a heavy slap, it smack me across the face. Tears begins to fall as she stars to shout. "How dare you, I trusted you. You F**king asshole! I hate you!" She keep her screams of pain and hurt, as she went from slapping to punching.

I was filled with a sense of self guilt, I couldn't clearly hear her anguish and pain as her voice turn into more of a messy yells of pain. I was struggling with my own inner demon. I could only imagine how trap and betrayed she must feel. She confided in me about a very fragile part of her, trusting me in having her back in this. Only so that I took advantage of her still struggling with this, claiming us being together forcing her into a position she did not ask for. I imagine the sense of utter betrayal she must be feeling. I hated the fact that this pain was cause by me.

"Im sorry!" Was all I could say. 

"Bastard!" She yield as she keep kicking my ass.

You would think that with all my personal training I would be dogging all of Naomi strikes. Well this is what happen when you get the bright idea, of befriending the daughter of two masters of multiple martial arts. Yes thats two very enthusiastic parents encouraging and training their precious little flower, into becoming a monster who could beat any boy into bloody submission. As for my so called hell training, well what did you expect. That I came from some old and ancient martial art clan in my previous life. Or that I found some mysterious book claiming that it was the secret to immortality. No, I have simply done what any sane person would do, I read some physical health books, and increase the amount of stress my body can take without breaking or pulling something I shouldn't.

As for fighting experience, its very low. I think I got into some fights, in my past life but those memory or so foggy, that it may as well be none existent. So here I am being beaten up by a person who not only trains in a fighting art, but also gets regular one on one trainning with two master of martial arts. Yeah you bet your ass Im getting the beatting of a life time. 

I also had the genius idea of choosing an isolated part of the park, In my head I wanted to have a verbal fight in privacy, away from any prying eyes. I know, dumb me, trust me Im definitely questioning my intelligence right now, as my face gets swollen from the repeated fists to face style Im using. (Oh yeah I definitely got this.) I tell myself in heavy sarcasm. 

Naomi finally took a break from pummelling her supposed best friend. She looks down on him as he curled up in a ball. During all her strikes he never once fought back, he only tried to dodge her strikes just enough into avoiding any lasting damage. Her anger had settle down some what, she wasn't usually the violent type. She preferred using more subtle mean in dealing with things. The call her parents got from Braden parents, followed with their questions that came after, about her dating Braden had been a horrible nightmare for her. In the end, she manage to keep her sexuality a secrete but in so doing so, was force to accepts the lie that her 'best friend' had announce. Leaving her felling betrayed and hurt, he use a part of her that she wasn't even sure about yet, and laid false claim on her, trapping and forcing her to play along in this emotional blackmail.

"Ahe you dhong hih me?" I manage to past trought my swollen lips. 

Naomi gave me her best death glare, her deep dark brown eyes had a mixture of rage and deep sorrow. She flic her short light chestnut hair back. Raise her chin up gave me her best Japanese empress look. "Explain yourself." The chill tone in her voice, made it obvious that this was my one and only chance to talk my way back in her good grace. 

"Im sohhy, I ding wang go huhg you. Ig aboug ghe sechege ghing I glod you aboug." As I keep trying too explain, I keep seeing her twicthing her eyebrows and bottom lip. Not knowing what was going on I just keep talking. Only too notice her shoulder started to shake. In a panick I tried speeking faster and stumbling even more on my words.

Naomi had begun listening to her friend excuses, she notice something reassuring. His eyes held so much pain and guilt, this triggered something her mother had once told her. Sometime circumstances force a friend or person closes to you into saying or do thing that hurt you. If they do this its usually for two reason, the first is that all along they had never wanted your friendship only too use you for their own gain. The second is the less commons but much more precious, they say or do hurtful things, all so they can protect you from something that you do not see. The way to see which is which that is easy. You only need too look into their eyes, if you see emptiness or anger. Then they only mean you harm, but if you see pain and guilt, then they still care for you.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

As she watch her best friend trying and failing horribly at explaining why. In some terribly mangled words. She couldn't help but find this situation kind of funny. She mannage in holding in her laughter. Rembering another memory this one of her father, teaching her a technique using chi to see if some one was lying. Closing the distance between Braden, he tried to shrank back thinking no doubt that she wanted to hit him again. A small sense of guilt poke out its head from her heart, but she quickly squash it down. 

I didn't know what to do. One minute Im barley talking, the next Naomi gets all close and personnal with me. She doesn't say anything, just grabs my shoulder and just staires at me. That was a few minutes agos, right now, theirs this really awkward silent between us. Was I suppose to say something, or did she want to say something? 

Finally I crack first. "Soooooo, does this mean you foggife me?" 

Naomi tries really hard but after that long awkward pause between them, she slowly lose it the last bit of the restrain she had. The laugther starts as a soft chuck before going into, an all blow out laughts. What makes it even better for her, is the look of pure bewilderment Braden has, it goes from confusion, terror, anger and amusement. It goes even on repeat, making her fall on the ground and started to roll around pointing at Braden and laughting long and hard.

This is the most embarrassing moment until now of my life. I feel like this isn't a laughing matter but apparently I totally mist the memo. After a few more outburst of laughter my 'friend' finally stop. "Help me out here, I get you being angry and wanting to beat the shit out of me. But the laughing that has me all kinds of confuse."

Naomi look at me with a smirk. "No, you go first why did you say that you were in love with me. Don't you dare say that you are." A little heat and anger in her voice.

"Look, something came up. I need to go in New Mexico for a period of time. But I can't tell you what just yet." I started only to be interrupted.

"Hell no! Your not going to get out that easily. Tell me now or I swear I will tell your parents that your lying and hiding something about this trip. Now spill!" By this time Naomi was kneeling in front of me and had a death grip on my shoulder. It going to be so sore tomorrow.

Letting out a sigh, knowing that I had come to a crossroad. If I confess on my plan at the very lest a part of it, the best outcome would be ridicule. The worst would be just outright denial, which would no doubt mean the end of my friendship. So in light of a rock and a hard place, I pick probably the most risky path.

"Ok fine, remember that tech company that was all interested in my program."

"Ah yes, the one were your parents. Out right refuse to even speak with." She nodded her head as she brought up her other hand motioning me to get to it.

I had some confusion and a sneaking suspicion on the whole death grip on my shoulder, but I figured that at this point the chances of her giving me a straight answer was closer to nil. So I wisely keep my suspicion to myself. "Well they contacted me again, we finally came to an accord without my parents knowledge. The thing they are asking is for me to work with their team into updating or better yet improving their core codes. In exchange they are going too create a private account where my pay is going to be place until my eighteen birthday."

"And the reason your taking up the whole summer? Beside last I check your familly doesn't need the extras payday? What really going on what else are your hiding?" Naomi increase the strength in her grip on Braden shoulder. Even with her technic she could tell what he just said was true, but a small voice in her head told her that he was hidding something else.

"Ouch, stop it! Fine, fine you win." I felt the pressure letting up once more on my poor shoulder, geezy note too self never pist off Naomi ever again. "I think I found a way in getting a mutant power."

"Not this again!" Naomi realise me from her death grip as she got up pacing back an forth, as she gave me a exasperates looked. For the past two years I had talk her ears off on this idea I had, about mutant powers. My theory was that it was possible to artificially get a mutation, as for Naomi she still was adamant that if I wasn't born with it then it was impossible.

"Look if you had ask me instead of backstabbing like you did, I would have covered for you, but now I don't think I can even call you a friend." Naomi turn to me, I could hear her frustration and hurt.

"Look, Im sorry I had wanted to talk to you about it, but I keep delaying until my parents sprinted on me. I panick, all I can do is ask you what will it take in having you forgive my mistake. Naomi your my best friend, I will do whatever it takes, to work my way back in your good graces, but please at the very least give me a chance." As I said those words I manage to shakily get on my knees. My eyes caught hers and I simply staired at her waiting in hope of not loosing my friend.

Silence, after my final plea. I knew that more then one thing here was at stake. For one the most important my friendship with Naomi, who I believe had a very good chance of having some kind of ties to chi and possibly the iron fist. Two getting my hands on a very important power that would shape my futur decisions. And three getting a giant payday from more then one source.

Naomi brought her finger up to her chin as she started to tap it in a rhythmic motion that only she could hear. "I want half." 

"Half?...." A look of horror on my face as I realise the implication. "No.."

"I said half, shale I make it 60% or 75%"

My mouth flop like a fish out of water, dread filled me as I crumbled into a ball in defeat. "Half, I take half." I barley manage to choke out.

"Good, so best friend, when do you tell your parents that you took some martial arts lesson from my parents." Naomi said with a erie sadistic refresh smile.

I looked up to Naomi, I knew thing between use was once more back on track. All it took was half a million dollars, some basically free physical abuse session at her parents place. But in the end if this was the price I had to paid in order to save my friendship, then so be it.