The Best Friend: A Young Adult Romance Story

by Ally Williams

  Our art teacher, Ms. Mills, waves at us frantically before smoothing out her long skirt and adjusting the collar on her shirt that’s covered by a cream sweater. Her long strawberry blonde hair is twisted up into a bun and pinned back with a pencil.

  Hayden and I acknowledge her before facing our families, my mom already shedding tears. I smile lightly and roll my eyes, strolling to pull her into a bone-crushing hug. I remind her that I won’t be gone long and Hayden will be there with me; nothing bad will happen.

  Gwen holds onto me a bit longer, ordering me to share every detail and picture with her when I get back home. I kiss Leena and Wylie on the head, bidding everyone else a goodbye before Hayden and I join our class to check in with our teacher.

  Security is an awfully long line, which makes Hayden bored and antsy. He makes a loud joke about hiding a gun in my bag, and I swat his shoulder and threaten his life. I can’t blame him, though; all I want is to be on the plane so I can get some sleep. Hopefully, I’ll nap through the whole flight so I don’t have to find myself uncomfortable.

  Before I can object, Hayden is yet again carrying both of our bags in one hand and holds my hand with the other. We follow our teacher who’s leading the way. We board just in time, and I’m not surprised we are almost late.

  “I think staying up was one of our bad ideas,” I mumble, slowly moving through the jet bridge that’s backed up with people.

  “Oh hush, would you?” he whispers in my ear, our bags pressing against my leg at his proximity. His large hand covers my mouth, chest pressing against my back when we come to a stop. “We had a blast.”

  I hit his hand, already finding it hard to breathe in this passageway that’s filled with people. “We did, but we also got kicked out of nearly every store.” I grin, cozying up to him and resting my head on his shoulder.

  My skin tingles when he swings his arm to wrap around me, pushing my body closer to his so I can rest all my weight on him

  “It was worth it.”

  I can hear the smile through his words, not like my facial expression is any different. “Indeed it was…” I hum while walking alongside him, finally starting to move, which forces me out of my comfortable position.

  “Look at how cute they are.” I hear an elderly woman behind us in line whisper to her husband who was observing us earlier. “Remember when we were that young? We were just starting to fall in love.”

  Hayden’s hand rubs my arms slowly as he pulls me closer. I silently sigh at the lady’s words, heart clenching at the thought of outsiders seeing us as a couple when in reality, I’ll never have a chance with the boy I love more than anything.

  At the moment, my confidence plummets, and I attempt to pull away from him. He frowns down at me, fingers tickling my skin as he holds onto me tighter, raising his head to turn around and look at the older couple. He sends them a warm smile before peering at me with the same look, resting his forehead on mine for a second.

  We follow the mass of people, our teacher mumbling something about sitting where our tickets instruct to keep from problems arising, but it goes unnoticed by everyone.

  Hayden leads me to his row, begging the girl there to switch places with me. She does it easily, grabbing her bag to follow the directions I give to her to my assigned seat. Hayden lets me take the window seat while he shoves our bags in the overhead space before sliding in the chair next to me, and the plane takes off soon after.

  Hours in—after Hayden talks my ear off—I am just starting to doze off when I feel the armrest being lifted and a heavy body half on mine, head nudging at the crook of my neck.

  “Ouch, Hayden…” I grumble when his sharp jaw digs in my skin.

  He shifts his position to get a bit more comfortable, and I open my eyes to see we’re both still strapped in; he’s just trying to cuddle.

  “Elsie, we had a deal. There is no complaining.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” I taunt with a sly smile, gazing around the dark plane to see mostly everyone is knocked out.

  Once again, he brings his hand up to cup my mouth, muffling my words.

  I swat at him till it falls in my lap, readjusting to rest it on my upper thigh. “Would you stop trying to make me quiet?” I whisper, tangling our fingers, and he happily obliges, humming in satisfaction.

  “Then hush. I’m comfy.”

  “What if I need to vomit?”

  His free hand flails and blindly searches until he pulls a brown bag from in the seat in front of us. He sticks it in my face and bumps it against my nose.

  “Just don’t spill. I won’t really be too fond of your puke on me.” He smiles to himself, and I snatch the bag to put it back where it belongs when he peels his eyes open to look up at me.

  “You’re impossible.”

  I watch his verdant globes drop from my brown eyes to my chapped lips, his tongue sticking out to lick his own before he tucks his head back in my neck. My breathing hitches, and my heart picks up by a thousand.

  Even more so when I feel his mouth curl up in a grin against my skin, making me suck in a sharp breath. My unoccupied hand combs his wavy hair to calm my nerves.

  “Hm…” He croons, wrapping his arms around my waist to snuggle even more, not that I’m complaining.

  For the rest of the long flight, I fall into a deep sleep in the comfort of his arms, which is the best place to be. The only time I wake up is due to the intercom speaking throughout the plane, informing everyone of the time and temperature of France, letting us know we’ll be landing in ten minutes.

  I draw the window open a little to see the lights of the beautiful city below, and it brings in the widest of smiles to my face.

  A very sleepy Hayden grumbles and mumbles into my neck when I try to wake him, cuddling further into me.

  “Mh?” He groans, his lashes tickling my neck when he tries to pry his eyes open, and I’m sure my hand running through his golden locks isn’t helping.

  “Hayden, wake up. We’re in France.”

  Chapter 31

  Elsie

  As it turns out, France is—hands down—the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Granted, I haven’t been out of my small town much, let alone the country, but it still takes the spot of number one on my list.

  The second we step off the plane, Hayden makes it his job to pull me along with everyone else because I keep on getting distracted by everything around me; even the airport is interesting. Our hotel is on the lower end of our school budget, but the structure and architecture are mesmerizing.

  With it still being a senior high school trip, I get separated from my best friend as soon as we are in the building. I am shoved in the direction of the elevator with our room key and my bedmate for the trip.

  Emma is a sweet girl who I’ve spoken with on a few occasions, so it’s easy for us to get along right away. We giggle and joke throughout the night, thinking it’s fitting to listen to Frank Sinatra with the window open, hearing car horns blare in the street below.

  I’m not sure who Hayden is roomed with. I can only hope it isn’t someone who easily grates his nerves because then I’d have to deal with his sour mood while trying to cheer him up so we can have a good time. Though I know all it will take is a corny joke from me, and he’ll fall back to his normal, playful self.

  The time difference screws up my sleeping schedule more than I thought it would. Even though I’m tired from traveling, I find it hard to fall into a deep sleep for hours until my body finally passes out from extreme exhaustion.

  We wake up to the bright sun shining in our room with groans and complaints, oddly not wanting to leave the hard and uncomfortable bed due to jet lag starting to settle in us.

  “You kick like a donkey in your sleep.” Emma chuckles, launching her leg bag to nudge mine under the covers.

  “Sorry! I’m a reckless sleeper, especially when someone else is in bed with me.” I smile sheepishly, forcing myself to roll out from under the warm sheets.

  “I feel b
ad for Hayden.”

  I twist around and snap my head in her direction with wide, sleepy eyes. “Why would you feel bad for him?”

  “Oh, come on…” She drawls, rolling over to face me with a mischievous grin. “I may not be a very observant person, but I’m not blind. Anyone from a five-mile radius can clearly see two people who have feelings for each other.”

  I fidget, not knowing my feelings for him are so obvious. “Hayden doesn’t have feelings for me. He’s my best friend.”

  “Best friend or not, that boy adores you more than a friend should.” Emma raises a knowing brow, scooting in the bed to sit up.

  “Can we not discuss that?” I roll my eyes, folding my arms over my chest. “My head is already starting to hurt.” I gripe, feeling a ton of confusion dump on me.

  Emma only giggles to herself but drops the topic anyway. We both take turns in the bathroom to shower, slipping into our clothes for the day before making our way to the lobby to the area where a breakfast buffet is being served.

  I greedily snatch up a bowl full of cereal and a plate of fruit. Emma and I head our separate ways when she spots her friends, and I see a familiar mop of wet and messy waves sitting at a table all by himself.

  “Good morning!” I greet with as much cheeriness as I can muster, setting my food on the table to slide in the seat next to him.

  My fingers itch to brush away that damp tendril of hair that’s falling over his eyes, so I do. It earns me a large smile as he blinks the sleepiness away.

  “Good morning, love. How’d you sleep?”

  “Okay, I guess. My sleeping schedule is now extremely screwed. How’d you sleep?” I turn the question around on him, popping open the mini carton of milk to pour it into my bowl.

  “Fantastic!” Hayden hums, reaching over to snatch one of my strawberries up before hunching back over his cereal.

  “Of course, you did.” I scoff, feeling cheated because he can sleep anywhere at any time.

  He shrugs with a mouth full of sugar-coated flakes, a small drop of milk spilling out the corner of his lips. “Since I was the last one to sign up for the trip, it made an odd number of students, so they just gave me my own room. It’s a twin bed, though, but I’m not complaining.”

  I slam the milk back down on the table a bit louder than I intended as I look over at him, eyes forming into slits. “Why do you seem to always have the best luck? And isn’t that some sort of safety hazard?”

  “I did somehow get you as my best friend, so I’d say I’m a pretty lucky guy.” He flatters me and wiggles his brows, reaching over to steal a piece of banana. “I don’t know if it’s a safety issue or not, but I really don’t mind.”

  I’m never sure if he’s trying to flirt with me or if he’s just having a normal conversation.

  “My mom is right. You’re the biggest charmer I’ve ever met,” I say, and he winks with a smirk painting his lips. “And stop stealing my food,” I whine, smacking his hand away that creeps over towards my plate.

  Hayden huffs and pouts as he leans back in his chair. “You’re always welcome to come down to my room whenever you want, even though the bed is small.”

  “It’s probably only small to you because you have legs like the jolly green giant.” I dump the bananas and strawberries into my very plain cereal. “I would take you up on that offer, but we have to be in our rooms by eleven.”

  “Your room is two-o-eight, right?” he asks, and I nod, mouth full of food. “Mine’s across the hall and one door down. You could sneak in without anyone knowing.”

  I carelessly lift my shoulders, not a fan of our teacher catching me mid-sneaking into someone else’s room, and not just anyone’s room but a male’s. I’m not in the mood to be yelled at and lectured on this trip.

  Pretty much everyone knows that Hayden and I are only friends, but it’s not right for me to do it when it’s a clear rule that has been placed. Especially these days when I don’t really know where we stand sometimes.

  My feelings are set in their ways, and I don’t see them changing anytime soon, but with him, I’m not ever sure. I’m positive he doesn’t love me as much as I love him, and that’s okay. No matter how confused I am, and no matter how much I don’t want to break the rules, I know if he’s asking me to spend the night in his room, then I’ll do it with no hesitation.

  We finish up breakfast. Our conversation keeps its usual playful and teasing edge. Ms. Mills announces we’ll be spending the day at a museum once we’re on our bus. Hayden tugs at my wavy hair to gain my attention, but I can’t keep my eyes off the scenery that’s passing by.

  I blindly try to swat his hand away, but he grips my fingers to keep them captured in his own. I try to keep my heart from pounding away, and I’m distracted and annoyed when his free hand continues the assault.

  “You’re a child,” I grunt, shoving his fingers away from me when the bus comes to a stop, and we all climb off. “Am I going to have to get you one of those leashes that look like a stuffed animal backpack so you won’t wonder off?”

  “No!” He objects through chuckles, leading me into the building with the rest of our class. “You just have to hold my hand, and I won’t go anywhere.”

  He slips his fingers in between mine to tangle them, peering down at me with a boyish smile that has my pulse on overdrive. Throughout the entire tour of the museum, Hayden doesn’t drop our connected hands once. He swings our linked limbs back and forth, ogling at the art.

  Hours seem to fade and get lost. The next thing we know, we’re leaving to hunt down some lunch. Ms. Mills finds a cafe that’s a close walk but a ten-minute wait for the big group we have.

  “I dare you to eat a snail.” Hayden challenges from his seat next to me, Emma giggling on the other side, a few of her friends hearing as well.

  A puzzled and disgusted expression morphs together on my face as I elbow him in the side. “Ew, no! Absolutely not!”

  “Don’t you want to go home and be able to say that you ate it?” He coaxes, raising a brow.

  I scrunch my nose and shake my head, looking down at the menu. “No, that is not something I want to be able to say that I’ve done. If you’re so fond of it, then why don’t you do it?”

  “Fuck no!”

  The people who are close enough to hear our banter crack up in laughter. I roll my eyes, gazing at the expansive menu, and I make a mental note to try as much of their food as I possibly can.

  In the end, I settle with pasta because it’s the only thing I can understand on their list to choose from, and it’s delicious. Certainly better than the pasta they try to cook back in America. We soon return back the museum, covering the other half we missed out on, but we still don’t get to finish before it’s time to head back to the hotel for dinner that they provide.

  Hayden hums in my ear the entire trip back, stealing more of my food at dinner, and I protest until I realize it’s useless. We have a free period immediately after, some students heading to bed to get some rest before we drive to Paris early in the morning.

  However, Hayden and I migrate to his room, finding a French board game in his closet. We try to play it the best we can, cuddling up with blankets and laughing all the while.

  Memories like this are ones I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

  Chapter 32

  Elsie

  “I can’t believe it,” I cheered like a little kid. “We’re in Paris!”

  It’s something I never thought I would experience in my life. With the wind whipping through my hair while we overlook the city from such a high point, it makes it all feel so real.

  It’s chilly and breathtaking but all absolutely worth it. I can’t keep my eyes off the captivating area below, and the smile on my face is glued there as I pull my sweater closer to keep in my body heat.

  Hayden beams down at me, the first sign of happiness he’s shown since we came up here. “I never thought I’d be here, let alone with you.” He slides his arm around my shoulder to connect our hip
s. “The Eiffel Tower is much taller in person.” His Adam’s apple bobs when he gulps as he peeks over the edge while rubbing my back in a circular motion.

  I snicker, hugging his waist to collect some warmth and ease his nerves. “What exactly did you expect?”

  He sends me an unamused look. “You know that heights are my least favorite thing in the word.”

  “I know.” My body sizzles when I rest my head on his shoulder. “Thank you for trying to get over your fear for me.”

  He hums in response, chin taking home on top of my head while we both take a long and hard look at the magnificent view that we have the whole day to explore.

  Ms. Mills is reluctantly letting every student—who has a partner—to have a free day in the city of love. There were obvious rules set and a place to meet up towards the end of the day, but I hardly registered it all before I was pulling Hayden towards the Eiffel Tower.

  I don’t believe pictures do anything justice. Sure, it’s a way to capture a moment so years later, you can look back on it and remember how you felt that exact day, but you can’t experience something unless you’ve seen it.

  Being able to visit the places you’ve only seen in a snapshot makes you rethink everything. It suddenly makes me realize how lucky you are to run away somewhere other than your home.

  You can’t smell the aroma of a city in a picture. You can’t hear the laughter of natives while they share a cup of coffee. You can’t describe the feeling you get in such a beautiful place through a picture.

  I’ll admit the only reason I’m enjoying my time here is this boy holding me tightly in his arms, attempting to keep me warm. I can’t help myself from peering up at his soft and flushed cheeks, his heart-shaped lips, his green eyes that flit over to me even when he doesn’t notice, and his wavy tendrils that blow to form a mess. He grunts childishly, continuously brushing them away, but his attempts are futile.

  That is a picture-perfect moment I’ll lock in my memory forever, never wishing to forget a single detail of the first guy I’ve ever loved. The only guy I will ever love.