"Friends…"
It hadn't been long since lunch had ended. The food tasted decent, and the place I had chosen was quite peaceful. Well, usually, I eat alone, so my days are generally calm.
Today was the first day, so I was sure that at least one or two interesting things would happen. Still, I didn't expect anyone (most likely out of ignorance) to ask me to eat.
Using my voice wasn't something common outside of home, so it felt strange to answer such a large number of questions. Luckily, I had done a good job answering most of them. However, due to lack of practice and unfamiliarity with the topics, I couldn't answer about my preferences.
The strangest part was the end. I was simply planning to leave and treat this day like any other, but who would have thought that the girl would ask me to be her friend?
"What was her name?"
Since having friends wasn't normal for me, I thought about what other people do. If I had to guess, I'd say one of the most basic things was to know the person's name. However, I couldn't remember it.
"…No, no idea…"
If I wanted to be this girl's friend, I needed to figure it out. One valid option was to ask her, but since I didn't want to bother her, I decided to ask one of my classmates instead.
"I think they talked to her…"
When I got to the classroom, instead of sitting down and letting time pass like I usually did, I walked over to a group of girls who had arrived earlier. At first, they must have thought I was going to walk past, so they kept talking. But when they noticed I wasn't moving, they probably understood I wanted something.
"…"
"Is something wrong?"
"Name…"
"Pardon?"
"What's the name of that girl?"
"Huh?"
Since they didn't seem to understand what I meant, I extended my arm and pointed at the seat of the girl in question. Although some didn't immediately get it, one of them seemed to understand and replied.
"Oh, that's where Lucia sits."
"Lusia…"
"Yes."
"How is it spelled?"
"I'm not sure, I guess like it sounds."
"Thank you very much."
Satisfied, I went back to my seat and took out my notebook from my bag. The best way to remember that name was to write it several times.
"Lusia, Lusia, Lusia, Lusia"
I don't know how many times I wrote it, but I made sure to fill at least two pages with the same word. When I finished, I noticed the class had already started a while ago, so I turned the page and tried to catch up with the rest.
"Lusia…Lusia…Lusia…"
One part of my mind seemed to be elsewhere, while the other continued taking notes. Since I was used to long stretches of time without doing anything, the day passed by in the blink of an eye.
"Lusia…Lusia…"
"Aisha, let's go together."
I slowly turned around and saw Lusia smiling at me. She was objectively pretty, and her unique look thanks to her accessories made it easy for me to confirm I wasn't mistaking her for someone else.
"Is that what friends do?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
After grabbing my things, I stood behind Lusia. She seemed a little surprised, but after reading the situation somewhat, she started walking, allowing me to follow her.
As we walked, I overheard various voices.
"Is Aisha following someone?"
"Maybe she had two movie tickets and didn't want to go alone."
"Still, Aisha of all people?"
"Well, she doesn't bother anyone, so she's good for filling space."
I wasn't surprised to hear those comments. People had always seen me as strange, so I was used to it. In fact, even if they said something truly mean, I didn't have the right to get upset. After all, other people seemed a bit odd to me as well.
"Don't listen to them."
"Alright."
I obediently covered my ears while following Lusia. Her pace was steady but not particularly fast, allowing me to keep up with her until we reached the exit without any issues.
Once outside the school, I uncovered my ears since there was nothing more to hear. My next goal was to wait for Lusia to say or ask something.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Perhaps out of consideration, Lusia didn't say anything for quite a while. I also didn't intend to speak, as I might interrupt her if she decided to say anything.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Alright…"
She probably realized this silence was getting depressing and decided to speak first.
"And I thought you'd bring up a topic of conversation…"
"Was that what you wanted?"
"Yes, I thought maybe that kind of behavior was exclusive to school."
"Sorry to inform you, but this is just how I am."
"I see."
"Sorry."
"It's fine. Let's talk about whatever you want."
"…"
"I thought as much."
I used all my mental capacity to try to think of at least a decent conversation topic, but when nothing came to mind, I decided to clear up a doubt instead.
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why did you ask me to be your friend?"
"You don't want to?"
"I don't care. I just want to know your reasons."
"Well… I guess I'm interested in you."
"Interested?"
"Yes, I want to know more about you, I want us to hang out together and have fun."
"I see a couple of problems with that."
"I figured, but I still want to be your friend."
"Alright, but you'll probably regret it soon."
Lusia wasn't my first friend. I'd had a couple of friends before, but these friendships never lasted more than a week or two. People tended to approach me out of curiosity or because they thought I was cute, but they usually distanced themselves when they realized my personality would always remain the same. I'd probably gone through that situation at least four times. Although, for me, those four times were just distant memories, and I didn't even remember the names of those friends.
"I won't regret it."
"You will."
"Wanna bet?"
"If that makes you happy."
"Alright, if we're still friends for at least a month, you'll have to try to put on a big smile, showing your teeth."
"Such strange conditions… I accept."
"What will you make me do if I don't fulfill the bet?"
"Nothing in particular."
"How boring."
"What do people usually ask for in these kinds of bets?"
"Well, usually the loser has to do or say something they normally wouldn't."
"…In that case, if you lose, you'll have to tell me about your romantic preferences."
"Aren't you over that yet?!"
"No."
"Little one… We have a deal."
From what little I knew about these things, she'd probably stick with me for a month even if she didn't enjoy it, just to avoid losing the bet. So at least for thirty days, I was assured she wouldn't leave me. I already had an idea of what would happen after that.
"By the way, do you live near here?"
Lusia's question snapped me out of my thoughts, so I looked around to figure out the area.
"No."
"I see. Where will we part ways?"
"Actually, I live in the opposite direction."
"Huh?!"
Lusia quickly turned around with a surprised expression and grabbed my shoulders.
"So why are you walking with me?"
"Because you asked me to."
"You could've just told me we're going in opposite directions…"
"Doesn't it work like that?"
"No, the point is that we're walking in the same direction and will part at some point."
"I see…"
"Did you plan to follow me all the way home?"
"Yes."
"...Why does that not surprise me?"
After saying that, Lusia turned me around and gave me a small push, then went off on her way.
"We'll see each other tomorrow, next time we'll go out together."
"See you."
After I was left alone, I took out my phone and opened an app that was essentially a clicker game.
"Maybe I should have asked for her number…"
My dad had told me I could download games on my phone if I was bored, and after looking around, I picked a game that didn't require much effort or thought. Plus, since I could just tap the screen while keeping my hand in my pocket, I could play for hours, even if it didn't seem like I was doing anything.
"Places to go with friends…"
As I walked, I thought about where people usually go with friends. Having lived in the city for several years, I knew a few places I'd visited with my dad or with a classmate who just needed company and didn't have any available friends.
Maybe she would like to go to a chess tournament, or watch a karate class, or a karaoke night could work too.
"Maybe I could invite her for a drink…"
Maybe she'd like the idea of going out for a cold drink or a coffee. Either way, I knew the perfect place to get some refreshments.
And speaking of places to get refreshments, it didn't take long for me to finally get home, or rather, to the entrance of it. Anyone who saw me right now would probably make the wrong assumption. I mean, it's not normal for a minor to casually walk into a bar.
"Excuse me."
"Aisha, welcome."
Behind the bar was a man dressed in a nice suit, cleaning a couple of glasses that seemed to have been recently used. That man was my dad.
"How was school?"
"Normal."
"Just like always, I see."
"What do you need today?"
"Yesterday was a quiet night, so I just need you to help me mop the floor."
"Alright."
Without wasting time, I went to the back and put on an apron that said "Owner's daughter" over my uniform, then started cleaning.
When I got home, the first thing I did was help my dad with the cleaning of the bar. He was, of course, happy to have some help, although he thought it was unfair that I worked for free, so every month he gave me a small allowance as if I were a part-time employee.
For obvious reasons, I was forbidden from touching the alcohol or learning to make cocktails, but he'd probably taught me how to make mixes with natural juices as a way of getting me a hobby. According to him, it was the closest thing to a cocktail I'd be able to make before I turned eighteen.
This gave me an idea, so I started talking while mopping.
"By the way, what do young people my age usually drink?"
"The healthiest would be water, but they usually drink juices, sodas, or energy drinks if they don't care about their health."
"I see."
"Is this for your nighttime training?"
"No, I made a friend and wanted to know what drinks I could offer her."
"I see… One moment."
My dad almost dropped the glass he was cleaning, but thanks to his reflexes, he managed to catch it in time. Even so, he looked quite taken aback.
"You made a friend?!"
"Yes."
"That's the last thing I expected to hear today."
"Well, she's the one who asked me."
"That makes sense. I don't see you asking for that on your own."
Despite his surprise, he didn't bother me until I finished mopping. After putting a wet floor sign, I saw him place a glass on the counter and pour orange juice into it. That was a sign that he wanted to talk, so without thinking, I left everything I was using where it was and sat down at one of the many seats.
"What's her name?"
"Lusia."
"Nice name. How was it?"
"Quite nice. We had a conversation during lunch, and when I was about to leave, she asked me to be her friend."
"What did you talk about?"
"She was the one bringing up the topics, so I just followed her lead. I didn't try to memorize that part."
"I see."
"Although, I do wonder why I am the way I am."
"I see. Was your response the same as always?"
"Yes. Was that wrong?"
"Not at all. Letting others hear how you feel can do you good."
"Thank goodness."
"Do you think it will be a lasting friendship?"
"I expect we'll stick together for a month. After that, it's very likely she'll ask me to stop talking to her."
"…"
"Dad?"
"Aisha… As your father and as a bartender, I'm telling you this. Don't think of her as a passing thing. Even if you don't see it that way, having friends is important for anyone."
"Got it."
"Enjoy the time you spend with her and try to get to know each other better. If you bring her here, I'll give you a discount on natural juices."
"Are you finally going to use that kiddie menu sign you have lying around?"
"Don't act like it's nothing. I made it specifically so you could bring friends without causing any weird rumors."
Although I appreciated my dad's concern, I was aware that things would simply follow their natural course. While he thought it was wrong, for me, it was the most logical thing. I didn't expect him to understand my way of seeing things, and I didn't mind that.
After finishing my juice, I left a coin and went back to the back. My dad always told me I didn't need to pay for the drinks, but it felt unnatural not to leave at least a tip when leaving the bar.
At the back, I opened a door that said "staff only" and found a staircase. Going upstairs, I reached the second floor where there were two rooms. As you've probably guessed, one of them was my room.
"I've arrived…"
Once I got there, I dropped my bag and laid down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Next to me was a small table where my pet cactus was doing its cactus things.
"Hello, Katze."
I stayed completely still for a while, thinking about the classes of the day. The teachers explained the material well, so I shouldn't have trouble passing the year. However, since I'd spent a good part of the day memorizing a name, I could barely remember half of what was explained. Still, it shouldn't be hard to study what I missed.
TAP TAP
I stopped thinking about the classes when I heard footsteps downstairs. Looking at the window, I noticed it was already getting dark, so there was only one possible reason for the footsteps.
"The bar should've opened by now."
I usually used the bar's opening time to mark my bedtime, so I got up from my bed to get my things ready for tomorrow.
"Notebooks, books, pencils…"
Once finished, I did a few stretches to begin the last thing I did every day: exercise.
My dad always told me that a person should live a long and happy life, so I adopted the habit of doing sit-ups, squats, and push-ups before bed to keep my body healthy.
"97…98…99…"
After finishing my routine, I did some stretches to relax my body and, after completing them, went downstairs to get something to eat.
SNIF
"Hmm?"
I quietly headed toward the entrance to the bar and saw a man in a suit crying while my dad handed him what looked like a highball.
"Poor guy…"
Not wanting to disturb my dad while he was working, I went to brush my teeth and then went to bed.
"Crying… Does it feel that bad?"
Sometimes I was curious about what other people felt—fun, hope, ambition. However, part of me was at peace with never getting those answers.
Sadness, anger, disappointment—those were things I knew felt bad, not something pleasant. That's why I felt a certain peace knowing I would never feel like that.
"Lusia…"
As I tried to fall asleep, I wondered what I would do from now on. Does a person with friends have to change their routine a lot? Will it stop me from helping my dad with his work? Will I have to use my voice more?
I let those thoughts fill my mind, seeing them as nothing more than something fleeting.
At that moment, I didn't know, but my friendship with Lusia was going to be not only one of my most interesting experiences but also a turning point in my life.