Story from Hebe//FriendLove 1//

I watched him practiced. He played that piano perfectly. There’re just us in this music room. We’re practicing for our duet performance. I was happy, excited because I paired with him.

I watched his figure carefully. His sharp nose, his black hair, his warm eyes, his sweet lips…I’m really lucky, right? I was his best friend, the closest girl with him. Everyone always envy me. I just could smile when every member of our music club protested when I was chosen to be his partner in our concert next week.

“Hey…back to the earth, Hebs?” his voice surprised me.

He chuckled. “Catch you are musing…”

“I’m not!” I said.

“Yes, you are…”

“No…”

“Yes…”

“I’m not!

“You are!”

Argue with him just wasted my time. I back to my seat and took my cello. When I was about to play it, he said, “No…you’re going to mad at me again? You were just angry to me an hour ago…”

I turned to him, “Because Aaron…you’re so annoyed! You always disturb me! Just see and I will tell Gui Gui about it! She said already if you disturb me, she will defend me!”

He saw me in horror. “What? Don’t confront to her! She’s going to kill me if she knew I disturb her soul mate, Hebe Tian…”

I laughed. That’s his weakness. I could say he scared of Gui Gui a little bit.

“If you know she’s my soul mate, so don’t you dare to disturb me again!”

“Try to threaten me…” he teased me.

I stood up, “Okay, I’m going to confront to her now!”

I walked to the door when suddenly he grabbed my hand. His soft hand held my hand tightly…I don’t want to let it go…
No, Hebe! What are you thinking? He’s your best friend!

“Don’t!” he said. “She will be mad at me! I can’t stand when she ignores me so many days!”

Jealousy came into my body. He was always and always afraid if Gui Gui ignored him. I still remembered when he hide Gui Gui’s book, just for the joke. She got mad at him and ignored him for two weeks. In those two weeks he kept pestering me to help him to apologize to her.

Hebe…don’t thinking negative!

“So…don’t disturb me again! I want to practice seriously. This is my first performance…” I shook my head. “I hope I don’t faint on the stage…”

“It’s okay. You perform with me. I always there…” he gripped my hand tighten.

I realized he still held my hand. I pulled back my hand and turned around, showed my back to him to hide my blush.

“I…I want to buy drink. I’ll buy for you, too…” I said as I rushed out from the room.

I ran as fast as I could. I stopped when I thought it was far enough. I touched my cheeks.

“God…why I must blush? He just holds my hand…what’s wrong with it?” I said to myself.

Calm down, Hebs…

Then I continued my way to buy drinks, ice coffee for me and soft drink for Aaron. I let out a small smile. Just me and Gui Gui who knew his favorite drink is soft drink. Even every girl at the school tried to find information about him, they still couldn’t find. He’s so cold towards girls, except me and Gui Gui. Somehow I feel…happy?

I shook my head. I walked back to the music room. Got nearer, I could hear the soft tone from the music room. I went closer and hide behind the door, watched Aaron engrossed in his play.

His fingers danced as he closed his eyes. I could tell he played it with all of his feelings. The song was really perfect…touched…and somehow I could feel there’s love in it. I never heard this song…Did he make it?

Suddenly he stopped playing.

“Hebe…?” he called me, seemed so nervous.

I walked in.

“Why do you hide there?” he asked, still nervous.

“I’m not…” I denied. “Why are you so nervous? It’s seemed like I catch you do something wrong?”

“That’s…” he couldn’t answer.

Why? Why couldn’t he answer? What’s wrong with played song that he made by himself?

“Great song, Aaron!” I said as I sat down on the chair. “Do you make it?”

“You like it?” he asked. I nodded.

He smiled when saw I nodded. “I make it…for someone…”

He looked straight through my eyes. I could feel my heart was beating fast. He made it for someone…I felt hope grew in my heart…Did he make it for…me? Is it possible? So that’s the reason he felt so nervous when I caught him played this song?

Did he feel the same feeling like I felt to him?

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I took a glance from the backstage to audiences who was sitting on their seat, watched the performance from music club at the other school. I started to feel like want to vomit.

“Are you okay?” Aaron asked me. I nodded slightly.

“You’re like want to vomit,” he joked, but that’s not funny for me.

“I really want to vomit,” I emphasized the word ‘really’.

He quickly patted my back several times. “Hebs…don’t vomit now…we’ll perform after this one…”

I nodded as I swallowed my saliva.

“But…there are so many people there…” I said.

He glanced to the audiences.

“You’re right…” he agreed, his eyes still at them. Suddenly he chuckled.

“What?”

He pointed to the one of that people. I saw Gui Gui, leaned her back and her head comfortably, as she had fallen asleep.

“She’s so cute…” I heard Aaron mumbled.

I felt jealous when heard it. He said her cute?

No…he didn’t mean it’s in the other way, right? He just said her cute, right? That’s not a big deal…

“How can she sleep between the shows?” anger slipped in my words, although I tried to hide it already.

But Aaron just smiled widely. “That’s she is. She never interest about this such thing, but she still comes here to watch our performance.”

“But she sleeps…it means she doesn’t watch us…for what she comes, then?” I said as I walked leaving Aaron. I sat on the chair, closed my eyes and tried to calm down myself. Why did he so defend her?

They’re just friends…just like I’m with Aaron…she’s just his friend. Just friends…just friends…just friends…

“Our turn,” even I didn’t open my eyes, I knew that’s him.
I inhaled once again, and stood up. I was about to walk when he stopped me.

“Hebs…it’s okay…I’m here, okay?” he gripped my hands tightly.

I nodded. I felt calm with his presence. I can do it!

We walked on the stage side by side, he still gripped my hand. Don’t let go…don’t let go…I wished in my mind.

But he let go finally when we took our positions. We started to play. I was still nervous a little bit. I could feel everyone stared at us…and I could feel he stared at me. His eyes never left me. Is it just in my head? I glanced at him to make myself sure. Our eyes met, and I just smiled at that time. He gave me his melted-smile. I started to relax.

I could tell this is the first and the best performance that I ever had…because there’s him with me…

Everyone clapped when we ended the song. I stood up as he walked towards me. He took my hand and we bowed together, said thank you. I didn’t really notice around, I just noticed him who was standing beside me, held my hand…

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We walked out from that room together. He started to look around, searching for someone.

Even he didn’t tell, I knew who is that he looked for…

“Where’s Gui?” I asked me, didn’t look right at me, but still searched her.

“I don’t know…” I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe she’s home already?”

Aaron shook his head. “No…it can’t be! How dare she leave me?”

The jealousy came again. Why was he so worry? Gui Gui was seventeen already! She could go home by herself. Why he always must send her home? He sent her home everyday…just didn’t do it once, is it a big thing?

“Must we look for her?” I asked by my half-heart.

“You’re right. Let’s go,” he walked quickly, started to travel around the road. I just followed him. Inside, I wished we couldn’t find her.

God! Hebe…since when you’re so cruel to your best friend?
I was scolding myself when a figure was caught by my eyes…

“Is that Gui?” I pointed to that figure who was sitting on the bench at the park. But she wasn’t alone. There’s a boy sat beside her, caressing her hair.

Instead answer, Aaron asked me, “Who’s that boy?” in a cold tone.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

“Maybe her boyfriend?” I guessed.

“She doesn’t have boyfriend!” I surprised when heard his raised-voice.

“Who knows?” I said.

Suddenly he grabbed my hand and led me walked leaving that park.

“Let’s go,” he said. “I’ll send you home.”

“What’s about Gui?” I asked.

That’s not like Aaron, because he answered my question with anger, “Seemed she has someone else to send her home…”