What are friends for?

There were five people. Five!!! And that included me and my best friend, Maddie. I mean, I hoped that there would be more people, then I might try to be a little more outgoing. You know, the life of the party and all that. But not when five people were sitting around a small round table, each with a copy of a short story that we were to read before coming to this… discussion? Conversation? I wasn’t even sure what to call it.

But Maddie had pleaded, begged me to come, saying that it would be interesting. I mean, to be fair, I had dragged her to one or two parties occasionally. Okay, maybe like five parties, but who's counting. She told me I’d have to accompany her to one of her own adventures but I wasn’t expecting this, this felt more like a punishment than a fun time. I was expecting the usual, where she’d take me to a museum or library and she’d browse around. While I sat somewhere chatting with some friends about the next party we were planning to go to.

I wasn’t expecting to read a short story, and then actually sit to talk about it. What was there to talk about I mean the ending was kind of abrupt for me, but I completely got the rest of the story. I glanced at Maddie, who was talking adamantly with one of them. A black girl, Tayla, was her name. She was pretty, and the first time I saw her, I didn’t think she would be an introvert I mean; she didn’t look the type at all. First off, she had long braids that went down to her waist and wore killer heels. She even had acrylic nails and everything. Then again, what do I know about how introverts look like. But Maddie was the textbook definition of it. With her hair always in two space buns, with glasses, and she couldn’t hold much of a conversation.

I remember one time I brought some friends over, and Maddie only came out to say hi. She basically locked herself up in her room until they left, only for her to tell me the next day that we were too loud. Which we probably were, and I should have been cautious about it. Even so, she should have told me there and then instead of waiting till morning. That was when I told her she needed some social skills and I dragged her to every party my friends invited me to. I could say that it improved her skills a bit. Instead of waiting till morning to tell me my friends and I were too loud, she would yell something like….

“Either you shut up or I’ll send you packing” or “I’ll call the cops.” Whichever one worked. I would say it’s a little blunt, but it’s progress.

“Hey, Sasha, you read the story right?” Maddie asked.

“What, oh yeah, yeah sure. I did.” I said, taking out the book and setting it on the table in front of me like everyone else did. The book was a collection of short stories that apparently Maddie’s group took the liberty of reading each one and held a discussion about it.

“So what did you think of it?” Tayla asked.

“Um, it was good. I just wished the mother would have listened or at least let the daughter speak instead of just instructing her on how to live.” I said, crossing my fingers and hoping that it would be good enough to run with. Maddie beamed at me, her eyes shining as though to say I can’t believe you actually read it. Of course, I did. I’m an extrovert, not stupid.

“That’s a good point.” Maddie said, turning to the group. I exhaled and immediately tuned them out, nodding when appropriate and smiling when necessary, and chipping in here and there, but mostly I just let them talk.

I wasn’t sure how long the discussion went on, but I refrained from looking at my watch because that would be rude. Now I know how Maddie felt when I dragged her to a bar. It was stifling, or maybe it was because I wasn’t used to this kind of thing.

Maddie and I met, ironically, at a library. I was running late on an assignment and she was doing research… get this… for a project that wasn’t due until a month later. We accidentally bumped into each other, and I basically started a conversation while we gathered our fallen books and papers. At first, Maddie would only reply with a yes or a no, or a one-sentence answer, which was actually a victory. But as luck would have it, or unlucky depending on how you looked at it, we worked on the same team for the project she was researching on, and then we ended up as roommates, one thing led to another and well here we are.

I stifled a yawn.

I’m not even sure how we got along so well. Maddie was the complete opposite of me in terms of personality and upbringing. She grew up reading books. Both her parents were authors don’t know how they managed that, and her oldest brother was a lawyer. I grew up with dirt and bruises from playing around too much; I was a tomboy for a while until I hit puberty. My dad was an entrepreneur, and my mother a wedding planner. My younger siblings were still in high school trying to figure out life.

I loved to hang out with a bunch of friends; she preferred to stay home and watch movies, and if she had to go out, it was to this book group thing. Was it a club?

“What do you think?” I zoned back into the discussion.

“I’m sorry what?” I asked.

“I said what if we read this one next?” Maddie asked, scrunching up her nose the way she did when she was irritated. I looked at the page she was pointing at.

“Yes, sure, that looks interesting,” I said, I honestly didn’t care because I wasn’t coming back here… ever.

“Okay then, we’ll be back next week, same place, same time.” Maddie said. Apparently, she was the leader.

I followed Maddie to her car, this time not caring to hide my yawn.

“Bored much?” Maddie asked, rolling her eyes.

“How do you stand it?” I asked. Maddie shrugged.

“It's fun. Now you know why I don’t enjoy going to your parties.”

“How could a party be as boring as this?”

“It’s not about it being boring, it’s just… too many people and stuff.”

“And stuff?”

“Look, I just don’t like it okay.”

“Okay, fine, point taken I won’t invite you to any more parties.”

“Good, cause I’m never going out with you again,” I grinned.

“Ditto.”