The guy best friend

I slid open my cupboard door and began looking for the black top that I had planned to wear tomorrow. I found it behind a stack of my folded clothes. It must've gotten wedged down there whenever I rummaged through my clothings messily.

I fished it out and laid it on my bed carefully, looking it over. Then, I hung it up, along with my favourite skinny jeans. I'll have the maid iron them out tomorrow, perhaps.

I sat on my bed and flipped my phone open. Suddenly I remembered. I immediately got up and rushed outside. As I walked briskly to the dining room, I cursed myself for being so forgetful. How could I have forgotten him?

My Dad was in the dining room, working on his laptop. I quickly explained to him that I needed to use his phone to call him, since my own cellphone had run out of credit. I walked quickly back into my room and shut the door. I pressed in the correct numbers and listened to the phone ring.

I hoped he would pick it up.

And he did, indeed.

I was so thrilled to hear his voice once again. We haven't hung out with each other in a while, since he lives in another town and goes to another high school. But at least he's back in Selangor. Though I'm sure he misses living in Johore, just like me. Us, both. Oh, those younger days, innocent times.

I greeted him, and he asked who I was. I expected that, since I was using my Dad's number instead of my own. So I replied, with a slight chuckle, that "It's me, Athira."

"Athira who?"

"Athira Badrolhisham.."

He said that the name didn't ring a bell. I finally realised that he was playing the usual trick on me again. We burst out laughing and I scolded him playfully. I should've remembered that he likes to do that whenever I call him. I'm too forgetful. Darn it, I need to hang out with him more so that he'll be more familiar to me just like before. I don't want to forget him.

So, I began to tell him why I called him in the first place. I reminded him that my birthday is tomorrow and that I'm having a party. I'd love to have him over, but he told me that he couldn't come because he was already on the way to Ipoh. Too bad. I really wanted him to come to my Sweet Seventeen party, along with all my other best friends.

"I consider you as one of my best friends, you know," I once told him. And that flattered him.

But oh, what luck. He couldn't join us tomorrow and meet my other best friends. And that's the end of it.

Probably sensing the disappointment in my voice, he assured me that he'll make it up to me. He promised he would try to come to my house some other day anyway. Just to hang out like we used to. I quickly lightened up again and looked forward to seeing him again.

For a few seconds, we were both silent. He muttered, "Hm. Awkward."

I tried to start a topic, but he beat me to it, asking me what I was doing. I told him that I wasn't really doing anything but deciding what to wear tomorrow. I heard his sister in the background, trying to talk to me, but he shooed her away and shushed her down. It was as if he didn't want anyone else to talk to me but him. I didn't mind. I would've preferred him alone anyway. It was always the same case with his little brother too. He would always make sure I wouldn't be bothered by his siblings and then come to talk to me himself. I actually like it when he makes that kind of effort. It makes me feel so special and wanted. I also enjoy it whenever he speaks to me in a French accent and calls me 'mademoiselle'.

Sufi, as you said, I'll be turning exactly seventeen tomorrow. And that just reminds us how long we've been together, doesn't it? 10 years, we have known each other. I remember the first time we met, you were with my neighbour Xyriel. You boys asked me if I wanted some 'kismis' (raisins) and when I innocently answered yes, both of you laughed. I later found out that Kismis was the name of your grandfather's long-furred dark brown cat.

We started to get close then. Frequently, Sufi, Xyriel and I would be playing together, along with our younger siblings. Both Xyriel and Sufi had younger sisters, Facia and Khairani. They were of the same age. My younger brother, Shahrul was a year younger than the two girls. But the six of us were always together.

We would watch TV together, do arts and crafts outside Xyriel's house together, attend one another's birthday parties together, play with our made-up obstacle courses in my garden together, discuss about Pokemon-related matters together or play Lego together.

On the phone, I grumbled to him about the fact that he couldn't make it to my party and he, as always, retaliated my behaviour with his jokes. And as always, I would chuckle at his jokes. Anyway, both he and his young sister wished me an early happy birthday and finally, we ended the phone call, both reluctantly.

You've always been in a special place in my heart, too.