Friendship on Fire (29 page)

Nate stated the obvious as he, Roman and I looked at each other on the kerb of one of the busiest intersections in Twin Rocks. Our triangle stance was almost funny, if not honestly embarrassing.

‘I don't believe we've
officially
met,' Roman said, eyeing Nate coolly.

‘No, we haven't, have we? Nate.' He put his hand out confidently. 

Roman flexed his arm, too, and shook Nate's firmly. ‘Roman.'

Nate smiled at him arrogantly. ‘So you are. I've heard plenty about you.'

‘And you. Not all good.' Roman squared his shoulders and his blue eyes held a stare I'd never seen him use on anyone before, especially not me.

Nate flicked his eyes at me but kept his cool. ‘Looks like we're all walking to school together, then. Charming,' he said and put his arm around my waist possessively. And too tight.

Roman saw this and studied us carefully, which Nate would surely have known he would do. An uncomfortable feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach. We had a good fifteen-minute walk before we hit my school and I felt immense pressure to ensure that our conversation stayed light-hearted and inoffensive. Pigs might fly.

The boys puffed up their chests and started on each other, not wasting any time. Whoever won this verbal wrestling contest decided their larger pants size at the end. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

‘How's Daddy's car?' Roman asked, faking interest.

‘Great. What have you got?' Nate must have been aware that Roman didn't have the kind of money his parents did.

Nor had I for that matter.

‘Whatever I have I'm pretty sure my parents didn't hand it to me on a silver platter,' Roman replied casually.

‘Nice one,' Nate nodded to himself.

‘I bet life is hard for you, being a rich Grammar boy,' Roman said sarcastically.

‘I have opportunities,' Nate replied coolly.

‘I believe in creating your own opportunities,' Roman countered, not looking at Nate.

‘Definitely. How do you think I got Daisy?' Nate said smugly. He squeezed my hand, almost in triumph, but I didn't feel the same way he did.

‘Do you really want me to answer that?' Roman murmured, almost to himself.

‘Go on then.'

Nate's subtle challenge vexed Roman. I could see it the way his eyes tightened around the edges, but he kept his head.

‘There appears to be something about you, I suppose, but I'm possibly a little blind as to what it might be. I'd prefer not to speak for Daisy anyhow, it's not gentlemanly.'

‘I wouldn't want you to stretch yourself too far the other way. Being a gentleman is hard work,' Nate said, testing a look at Roman.

I walked between them, trying to guide each of their eyes with mine, pleading for them to behave. Roman was clenching his jaw. He was wrestling with his next comment, for my sake.

‘You'd know all about ‘the other way', wouldn't you?' Roman finally said, and I held my breath with anxiety.

‘Ahh. I see you have been dabbling in gossip. Have the rumours reached even you? Should I be flattered, Daisy?'

I scowled.

‘I can't imagine they would have come out of thin air,' Roman commented tightly.

Gossip. It was coming out too quickly for me to clarify specific details.

‘Of course they could have. And they have,' Nate added for effect.

Roman was choosing how far to take his argument when I took my own opportunity to interject.

‘Guys, is this really necessary?' I pleaded, looking from one to the other. ‘I've only just got over being sick. I can't cope with this right now. And to be honest, it's kind of pathetic.'

‘Stay out of it,' they both responded at once, then looked surprised and annoyed that they had the same thought at the same time.

I smothered a smile. I was irritated at the same time; I didn't see why it had to be so difficult to be civil to each other, especially when they were practically strangers. Hadn't they been brought up to be polite to strangers?

They were behaving like small children, arguing over a toy.

‘Can't we all be friends?' I begged.

They shook their heads. What else could I do? If they were going to be stubborn, I had to leave it up to them. I'd done everything I could.

Our school gate looming on the horizon couldn't come sooner. I walked quicker, hoping we would get there faster.

‘At least I have a job,' Roman snapped finally. I kept walking faster.

‘Bet you wouldn't if you didn't have to,' Nate spat back, his eyes turning a glassy black.

‘Yeah, I would. I don't like bludging off anyone. A real man makes his own money.' Roman's eyes had darkened too, their usual spark replaced by hard resentment.

Nate clenched his jaw. Turning to me, he said, ‘I've had enough of this. What great friends you have, Daisy.'

‘I could say the same for you,' Roman said quietly.

‘Have a good day, babe. I'll be thinking of you. See you soon.'

Running his hand down to my backside, Nate leaned in to give me a lingering kiss, extra passionate because Roman was there. I pushed his chest away after a while, dizzy headed but cross at his macho show of claiming me.

‘Bye,' I waved and Nate walked down the path whistling with his hands in his pockets.

As soon as Nate was out of earshot, I flew at Roman. ‘What the hell was that about? You two were as bad as Skye and me. Don't ever tell me off again for sticking up for myself with her. No matter what you tell me, boys are just as bad as girls. Worse.'

Roman stuck out his chin stubbornly. ‘Yeah well he's an arrogant jerk. He deserved everything I gave him. The only problem is that you can't see it.'

I glowered at him. ‘He's not like that, it's only a front. He's nice to me. He cares about me.'

Roman smirked. ‘He takes you out to expensive restaurants and lets you drive his flash cars, you mean. Is that the kind of guy you hold out for, Daisy?' His disapproval bore down on me.

‘What's so wrong with that? Don't hold it against him because his Dad is rich. He didn't choose this life.'

‘True. He makes other choices that affect other people in his life, though. You hear the gossip that comes from Addison Grammar about what the boys get up to there. James hears it all the time from his cousins and then tells me. His friends are feral, Dais.'

His eyes dared me to question him. My neck stiffened. Were these rumours new?

‘What have you heard? And what have they got to do with me?' I demanded, head pounding in my ears.

‘Oh come on. Can't you guess?' Roman's head tilted at me in disbelief.

My temper rose. ‘Clearly I can't, because I'm stupid. Why don't you spell it out for me?'

Roman folded his arms. ‘If I must. Drink driving, not to mention dangerous driving, sleeping around with any girls they can get and petty theft. These boys aren't as innocent as they're cracked up to be. Have you met any of his friends?'

I opened my mouth to argue, but realised I hadn't.

‘Not yet,' I snapped.

Roman continued. ‘I didn't want to tell you because I thought you'd be smart enough to figure it out for yourself by now. But you're not getting it. Instead, you're getting in deeper with him and I can't see why.'

He stared straight ahead, trying to control his frustration. My voice turned low and menacing.

‘I don't have to explain myself to you Roman Taylor. If Nate says these rumours aren't true, I believe him.'

Shaking his head, Roman said, ‘You believe him ahead of your best friend? I am a guy. I know how guys think.'

‘Are you as bad as him, then?' My challenge made his nostrils flare.

‘No. Men have choices about their behaviour, just like women. I choose not to be a dick.'

I tried to change tack. ‘Roman. I don't see what I'm doing that's so wrong. If I could see it, I'd get out of it.'

‘Really? Just like that? If I had proof, you'd drop him?' he asked doubtfully.

I wanted to scream at him and say yes, of course I would, but would that be entirely true?

‘I would like to think so.' That was a safe answer.

‘So would I. I don't want to have to pick up the pieces after he hurts you. You don't deserve it.'

‘Oh stop Roman, you sound like one of my brothers,' I groaned.

This hurt him and I could see it in his posture. Staring off into the distance for a time, Roman finally sighed and said, ‘Suit yourself. I'm out. I won't bring it up again.'

I put my hands up to my eyes and rubbed them in frustration. This had gone too far, once again. We had never fought so much up until now, since I met Nate. What was his problem? I couldn't work him out. Was he supporting me, or not?

‘Roman. You
are
my best friend. I want you to support me in my decision to date Nate. Can you do that, or not?'

I hated giving him such an ultimatum; but he'd left me no choice. He struggled with his answer.

‘I've honestly tried. I'm still trying, but I'm failing at it. I don't trust him and nothing you can say will change my mind. So you have to decide whether you can handle that.'

Roman wasn't normally a judgmental, distrusting person. It hurt me to see the change in his tone towards me. Could I handle it if he didn't support me? Where would this leave us in our friendship?

‘I don't want to lose either of you. Don't make me choose.' I made sure my eyes were as big as possible, to sway him from his stubbornness.

He simply didn't look at me. ‘I'm not making you choose. You're the one who has the problem with me not liking him.'

I tried to force him to make eye contact by standing right in front of him. ‘Maybe I want everyone around me to get along. Is that so much to ask?'

‘In an ideal world.'

He shrugged his bag on to his shoulders more securely. ‘I'm going. Good luck,' he said, glancing at me one more time with raised eyebrows before turning away.

To see him leave pulled at my heart more than I was willing to admit. It wasn't fair. I shouldn't have to choose between them.

March 

Dear Diary, 

So Roman and I have been having some issues lately, mainly over Nate. He's acting like an over-protective big brother and it's majorly stepping on my toes. He's my friend and I like it that he watches out for me, but he has to stop telling me what to do. I can choose who to date. I'm a pretty good judge of character and Nate is seriously so sweet to me. I know he'd never mean to hurt me, not on purpose like Roman thinks, anyway. That's been annoying.

Nate and me are growing closer. Yes we have our ups and downs and we're always talking things through, but for the most part I think I'm falling for him. He has taken it upon himself to court me properly and we have done heaps of stuff together already, movies (boo Bollywood), family dinners and soccer. He gets along fairly well with my family, although my brothers are annoying when it comes to me getting a boyfriend. I have to admit, they are extra hard on Nate; maybe because we are more serious than my other boyfriends, and they want to check his character. I think he is slowly growing on them… 

Dais xx