Two best friends make a pact but what happens when one of them is determine to ruin another one’s every relationship?
“You don’t even remember the color of your shirt that you wore yesterday and you expect me remember what I said a week ago?” Samantha was arranging her bookshelf. Troy jumped on the bed. Settling his head on her pillow, he said, “Fine, then let me remind you. You said you will complete my assignment if and only if I walk Snowball for a week”
Samantha shot him a death glare, “You are making it up. I can see it”
He looked away and picked up the book kept on night-stand. He pretended to read it. She hit his leg saying, “Troy, shoes down”
He sat up with his shoes on ground. Snowball, came running to him and he picked up small Maltese in his arms. She smiled when Snowball started licking his face. He asked, “What is wrong? You are stress-cleaning”
She sighed and sat next to him, “Ken, he is leaving”
He squeezed her hand saying, “It is fine. People come and go”
She faced him, hugging her legs and her chin resting on her knees. She look upset, “But he was the only guy in school who liked me. Others just…ignore me”
He thought for a moment and then replied, “Let’s make a pact”
Her eyes met his. She asked, “What?”
“If by 35th, we don’t get anyone, we’ll marry each other”
She giggled, “What makes you think that I will marry you?”
He rolled his eyes, “I am not dying to marry you either. I am just giving a suggestion”
She nodded, “Okay, twenty years. I am on. Done.”
He picked the notebook and scribbled something on it. She peeked but he hid it. After he finished, he signed it and gave it to her. She laughed saying, “An agreement. Are you crazy?”
“There should be some proof. Now sign this quickly. I need this so you don’t back out”
She narrowed her eyes, “I get it. You think you will never find a girl who can cope up with your madness. So, you are dragging me in this?”
He shook his head, “No, I am doing this because I know you will not find anyone who will not get bored with you”
“You think I am bore.”
He nodded with a smile, “But I don’t get bored when you talk. Plus, I am very good with kids”
“How can you say that?”
He pointed at Snowball saying, “Look at him, he loves me”
She signed the paper after giving a thorough reading and adding some more things. She gave it to him still laughing thinking that it was a silly thing. He folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket saying, “Now, we have a deal. If we are still single till our 35th birthday, we’ll get married”
She got on her feet, “Okay, now drive me over to Ken’s house. I need to say goodbye to him”
He asked, “What do you see in this Ken guy? He is small, wears specs and talks all geeky”
She yelled, “Hey, I am also geeky”
He gave a flying kiss, “You are cute geeky”
She laughed before hitting him with pillow. He grabbed another pillow and started defending himself.
Five years later,
“Dylan, this is Troy. And Troy, this Dylan, the guy I told you about” Samantha introduced her new college-mate to Troy. Troy had his eyes fixed on Samantha, who had met him after long time. After the high school, they had went on separate ways but late night calls and emails kept their friendship alive. He noticed that she had lost her school look and turned into a beautiful women. When he looked at Dylan, a sudden urge to punch him rose in his heart when Dylan held Samantha’s hand. Troy faked a smile and stretched out his hand for handshake. Dylan shook his hand but a firm handshake turned into a tight one. Samantha whispered to Troy, “I told you I have a huge crush on him. Isn’t he cute?”
Troy nodded as they slipped in their chairs in the restaurant. Dylan said, “Troy, I heard that you are studying photography. But I have heard that it is not of a good career choice.”
“Dylan, you are doing medical, right?” Troy asked, even though he knew that answer. Dylan nodded. Troy continued, “So, at least I will get to have a real fun instead of studying where the shit comes from and goes. Basically, I would be capturing beautiful moments while you will be dealing with problems like why this is not working and that not working?”
Troy gave a fake smile before taking a sip of the beer in front of him. Samantha sensed the tension. She laughed, “So, let’s talk about sports. Is there any game on TV? Isn’t it hot in here? Why am I sweating so much?”
Dylan turned to Samantha and said, “Sorry Sam, I have to leave now. I can’t handle immature people. I’ll see you in class”
He walked away. Troy was still drinking the beer. Samantha hit his arm saying, “What the hell is wrong with you? I told you I liked that guy and he kind of liked me too”
Troy replied, “I am sorry and I am not sorry because I will never ever tolerate someone giving me career advice specially someone who still wear suspenders and has an eighties hair”
She protested, “He looks good in suspenders”
“He looks pathetic in it” Troy replied with a smile. He narrowed his eyes, “Say the truth”
She sighed, “Truth to be told, he looks like an old man who had got stuck in time”
She started laughing when he raised his eyebrows. She took the drink from his hand and emptied the glass in one go. He commented, “Wow, you have become a drinker. That is nice”
She laughed, “Thanks”
He took her hand saying, “When will you stop falling for stupid guys?”
“Like you don’t go out with stupid girls?” she asked leaning over the table with her elbows resting on the edge of table. He gave a laugh, “Well there had been few but I don’t bring every girl to meet you. Just choose wisely because there are lots and lots of idiots in this world”
“And what if I didn’t find any good ones?”
“You have me as a backup plan. The idiot who is less annoying and geeky” he laughed raising the empty glass to her. She shook her head smiling. He used to adore her smile. Lying to her has become a habit. He can’t say he had not been over her since they first met and it was hard to accept that to himself.
Four years later,
“An artist? Are you crazy? Don’t you know they are…a little bit out of their mind?” Troy said while looking at the painting. He was standing in the exhibition that Samantha dragged him to. She was searching for her boyfriend while he gave some bad comments to each and every painting.
On every comment, Samantha would roll her eyes and hit him in his arm. He said, “You know, I am going to judge him all the way, so why don’t you stop hitting me? My arm is already getting numb now”
She finally saw him. Pulling a dark haired guy suited up in expensive clothes by her side, she introduced, “Troy, this is Edward.”
Edward gave a big smile and shook hands with Troy saying, “You must be Troy. She talks a lot about you”
Troy nodded plastering a smile on his face. He looked around saying, “You have big crowd over here. Your paintings are really…artistic”
“Yeah, crowd is loving them.” Edward nodded while taking out sanitizer from his pocket. Troy eyed at Samantha with suspicion. She bit her lip saying, “Edward has Germo-phobia”
Troy tried to control his laughter. Edward noticed someone calling him, so he said, “I’ll just be back”
He walked to other side of room. When he left, Troy burst in laughter which caused people to look at him. Samantha covered his mouth and made him shut up. She asked, “What? Why are you laughing?”
He had tears from laughing so hard. He asked, “So, how does he paint… with gloves on or covering his whole body in a bubble-wrap?”
She replied, “He has a unique style. Don’t you dare say anything about his works now! He is renowned artist.”
He couldn’t stop laughing, “So, when he touches you, he uses sanitizer… every time?”
She rolled her eyes to his question. Finally, she let out a deep breath saying, “And mouthwash after we kiss”
He hugged her saying, “Oh, poor baby. How did you survive a year with him?”
She hugged him tightly, “It has been a tough year. You left me and I got stuck with an idiot”
Pulling back, she acted wiping invisible tears off her cheek to which he laughed. He asked, “Want to get out?”
“Desperately” she nodded grabbing his hand.
Five years later,
“He proposed Troy” Samantha screamed on the phone looking at the big diamond ring in her finger. Troy who had been in Africa for couple of year had finally come back. He said, “Congratulations, but you didn’t tell me it was getting serious”
“I don’t know when it got to this point” She replied. He tried to control his feelings, “You will not introduce me to him?”
“Of course, I will. Tomorrow, why don’t you join us for lunch?” she asked. He answered, “Perfect. I’ll meet you there”
Saying this, he ended the call. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he wondered what was wrong with him. Why did he feel sad when he supposed to be happy for his best friend?
“Jake here, nice to meet you. I heard you have been the constant man in Sam’s life” Jake, the guy with chocolate colored hair and a pleasing smile said. Troy nodded with smile, “Yeah, she likes to juggle a lot”
Samantha laughed and held Jake’s hand more tightly.
As the lunch ended, Jake went to get the car. Samantha turned to Troy asking, “What do you think?”
He shrugged, “I didn’t like him”
She asked, “Why? What’s wrong with him?”
He shrugged, “Well, I don’t think it is of any use because you love him”
Her voice raised and her arms crossed, “What is it?”
“He’s just…”
“What” she interrupted. He felt guilty now. He looked at ground and said, “He’s perfect…but he is not me. I know you think that pact was an idiotic thing but for me it is means that I will have you forever in my life. Dylan, Rufus, Edward, Corner, Klaus, I tried to get rid of them for your sake.”
When she didn’t answer, he looked up. He noticed that she had tears in her eyes. She said, “I know. All these years, I thought you would never say that. And when I finally gave up on you, you said it”
He asked, “Do you?”
Wiping her tears, she replied, “Since the day, I made the pact. Why do you think I asked for your opinion on every guy? I knew you would find a flaw in them and give me one more reason as to why you are better than them. That silly, stupid pact that made me think a future with you.”
He chuckled, “I did that when I suggested that”
Fiddling with the ring, she said, “I think I should return this to him. It is a really expensive ring”
He pulled her in a hug saying, “I missed you, Sam”
She hugged him tighter, “Me too, Troy”
Pulling back, he asked, “So, six more years and then we’ll be together”
She titled her head to side which he imitated with a smile, “Why wait for six years?”
“Are you sure?”
“Never been so sure in my whole life” she replied leaning in to kiss his cheek. He replied, “Okay, instead of six years, six months?”
She nodded with a smile.
