Chris and Hazel

It was half past three in the evening when Hazel knocked at Ava's door; she entered after a few moments as there was no response from Ava's side.

'Hey?' she said finding Ava standing alone by the balcony staring into a distance, it was obvious that something was bothering her.

'Ava, what's wrong?' she asked standing beside her.

'Have you seen Ed?' she asked turning to face Hazel.

'Nope' Hazel answered looking at Ava's worried face.

'I don't know whether he even came into the house, the last I remember seeing him was when we reached' Ava said upset.

'I don't know where he is but I do know that he's not gonna be upset or worried and I can also assure you that he didn't run away in fear' Hazel said sitting in the nearby chair placed in the balcony.

'How are you sure?' Ava asked sitting beside her.

'Chris is missing too' she replied smiling.

'Well at least he isn't alone, let me wait and see when he'll get the courage to be back' Ava said sighing worriedly.

'…Hey, did Charlotte say when she'll be back?' Hazel asked after a few minutes of silence.

'No…probably tonight or tomorrow' Ava answered wondering why Hazel wanted to see Charlotte, though Hazel already knew Charlotte would arrive the next day.

'I tried her phone but it's not reachable, I really need to talk to her' Hazel said as her mind backpedaled to the incidents that happened a few hours ago on an abandoned road.

'What's wrong, Haze? Is anything bothering you?' Ava asked concerned by the look on Hazel's face.

'It's nothing. Just forget it!' Hazel said smiling brightly trying to hide her distracted face behind her fake smile.

'I know it's your fake smile, but maybe it's just that you don't want me to know. I have always known that Charlotte was very much important to you than all your other friends but I thought I was your good friend too but…I guess I was wrong' Ava said projecting a sad and dejected look on her face.

'...Oh My God! For a second, I really bought it. I must say Ava, you beat both me and Charlotte in the field of Melodrama' Hazel cried out laughing at Ava's performance.

'Sheesh! I thought you would buy that and get all emotional' Ava answered slightly disappointed that her acting went down the ruins.

'I just didn't want to bother you, Ava. See, the main reason I looked for you was because I wanted to talk to you but you already seemed worried about Ed and since you have a lot on your plate I thought I will talk to Char instead' Hazel explained her face clearly explaining that she didn't want to bother her and be a burden.

'Haze, listen! Whatever we three face in our lives, if anyone of us needs to talk about something I don't care what I am doing...I am going to be there for you guys and I know you both will do the same…so from this second onwards I never want to hear this excuse ever again. Do you understand?' Ava said in a strict tone but it was filled with care and Hazel knew that. For, she knew that their friendship didn't jump out of a fairytale. It wasn't just talking and hanging out over the years helped them bond like this, it was because they looked out for each other during each other's worst times and even when they couldn't be of any help, they built confidence in one other to move on and face it with hope. Their friendship meant many things…it meant love, care, hope, happiness, sadness and even if they had to listen to each other's whining no matter if its' past one in the morning, they didn't care…all they wanted to do was be there for each other. They stood by each other no matter what, they weren't just friends…they were a family.

'Yes Mam!' Hazel responded joking.

'Spill' Ava said looking at Hazel.

'Well…today when I and Chris started from Ed's house with the kids...…' Hazel started narrating the entire incident.

'WHAT THE!!! He kissed you?' Ava said extremely startled when Hazel finished the story.

'Yeah…' Hazel answered in a low voice embarrassed.

'On the road? In front of the kids?' Ava asked as her eyes wide opened with curiosity.

'Well…practically it was an deserted area so there wasn't much of a crowd really and for the kids I don't think they saw because I was a little far away from the car…actually I planned on going off because I was really pissed off by Chris but I was too scared to go off alone in a deserted area' Hazel explaining as all the scenes flashed in her memory like a movie.

'…likes me' Hazel said completing the sentence as they both gave each other a blank look.

'What about you?' Ava questioned after a second facing Hazel.

'Well…I...well…frankly speaking I don't know' Hazel answered covering her face with her hands.

Ava didn't want to interrupt, she understood that Hazel was just opening up and soon she will answer her question hence she patiently waited for Hazel to continue.

'…All these years I was waiting for him to come back…it was stupid I know…completely foolish of me to wait for a guy who didn't even accept my proposal…I just went with my instincts. But when he did come back, my brain stopped working, I couldn't take a decision like I used to. So I fooled myself into believing that whenever I get to confront Chris I will ask him where he was all those six years while here my love life was entirely booked and yet remained lifeless. I got focused on to the past that I completely forgot what to do when I get my answers…what am I going to do after that? I never really thought about it and now I don't know how to face reality, do I still love him or am I just looking for just some kind of compensation from his side? I don't know Ava…and the funniest thing here is…here I am trying to find answers for myself and Chris chose a time like this to tell me everything including the part that he still loves me'

Hazel looked up at Ava after completing her tiny downpour hoping she would tell her the solution. Ava slowly smiled at Hazel before replying;

'The solution is within you, Haze. Don't look at me, I can promise you that I will stay by your side no matter what decision you take but I can't tell you the decision…I know you will find the right answer' Ava answered cheering her up.

'Thanks Ava…maybe I just need some time' Hazel said getting up from the chair.

'Anyways I have to go check on the kids…I really can't figure out what Chris is thinking he just leaves them with me as if I am their…' she stopped before her thoughts could be spilled out.

'As their…?' Ava asked smiling widely waiting for her to finish.

'…Nothing' Hazel blurted out managing to swallow her words.

'You were going to say mom, weren't you?' Ava asked rising a brow with a smile.

'No…I was gonna say…babysitter' she answered quickly coming up with an excuse.

'Not buying that' Ava said shaking her head left and right.

'I gotta go!' Hazel said running out from the balcony.

'Who the hell is she kidding? She loves that guy more than she loves herself…she's just messed up and needs time to calm down' Ava said out loud as she watched her friend run away from the room.

'You know we can't hide out here forever, right?' Ed asked passing the bottle of water to Chris as he sat beside him under the shade looking at the ocean flowing flawlessly spread out in front of them, the endless sea continues to go further and further away no matter how close they looked into it.

'This ocean reminds me of Hazel' Chris said taking a sip from his bottle.

'Everything reminds you of Hazel' Ed teased rolling his eyes.

'No…she is so much similar to it…whenever I tend to go far away it seems like she is just inches away from me but when I try to close in to see further into her she is just endless' he said staring right into the ocean.

'Dude, that's just water not beer. Stop blabbering!' Ed said smiling at his stupid best friend.

'Ed, maybe I don't say this often but you are really an awesome friend a person can get on Earth' he said after thinking for some time.

'You stay here, I will go and get the shop keeper because I am cent percent sure he's selling drugs as water' Ed answered attempting to get up.

'Shut up, Ed! Fine, but I really don't know why I said the last sentence to you anyways…what if Hazel doesn't love me now?' he asked his gaze turning serious.

'Chris I guess you radar that measures love is broken, everyone around knows that she's head over heels for you' Ed said shaking his head in disbelief.

'…I am just not sure anymore' he said downhearted.

'She waited for you to turn up at her doorstep everyday…for six years…after we passed out from college…she always came to see me to ask about you but you weren't talking properly to me that time, and then after she got a job…she always hoped that you would come back to her and then you guys will live happily ever after. Trust me! I have seen her dream for that…and she did all that though she didn't even have a reason to…I knew back in college that you had a thing for her…especially when you threatened Ryan not once or twice but more than ten time and not to mention one day you went to beat him up but I kept quiet because you never told me anything. All she did was hold on...she didn't have a reason but she wanted to hold on…and that is love…she didn't expect anything in return' Ed articulated to his downhearted friend trying to make him see the situation from a different point of view.

'She had a reason to hold on' Chris said after processing his thoughts.

'She did…?' Ed asked confused by his statement.

'Hazel knew me for less than two years and she fell for me and it was one-sided but the main question was why the hell did she wait for him for six years when She barely knew him? Let me tell you something you guys don't know…Hazel and I had a real connection…no not like how they have in movies or fantasy novels…it was real, she didn't know me but she never failed to understand my situation no matter how much ever I try to cover it up…if I was depressed she knew, angry…she knew, helpless…she knew and what was most surprising was even at times when I try to figure out what's wrong with me, just a glance and she knows. At first, only you knew me like that but when she came she was already a pro. But you failed to understand something Ed but she didn't.

When I left six years ago, I didn't tell anyone the reason why I did that, you kept trying to reach me to find out but I completely shut you out. But Hazel knew something was wrong…she know no matter who confesses to me…it doesn't matter whether I know them or not I clearly explain why I don't love them back…in Hazel's case I instantly knew if I avoid giving her the reason she had find out that I love her and that's why I told her that "I like someone" still I couldn't get myself to say "someone else", though she wasn't suspicious at first because sudden rejection blinded her eyes…she knew something was wrong…and after I cut all contact with you she knew that I would definitely come back and explain and that's what gave her hope…she knew I would not let things go unfinished no matter what…well you knew too but you just didn't think of it but she remained optimistic and that's the real reason' Chris finished explaining. He turned to look at Ed waiting for an reply but Ed was dumbstruck, he wanted to ask so many questions but the way Chris explained how much Hazel knew about him surprised him…a lot actually. Though it all seemed a bit unbelievable, Chris' faith in Hazel was incredible…Ed sure didn't know whether it was the actual reason behind Hazel's hope but it was crystal clear what gave Chris hope to hold on all these years…he was confident that Hazel would understand and wait for him and that's what kept him going. If people say that Hazel lived in a fantasy land for six years they have to understand...so did Chris.

Chris didn't know what came over him but getting it all out helped him get a clear view of how he's going to act after this.

'Anyways the first step to clean up our mess is meeting with our respective father-in-law's' Chris said getting up determined.

'Father-in-law's?' Ed asked getting up confused by the way Chris stated the sentence and it seemed like he was pretty serious about it.

'Yeah, before I officially propose to Hazel I want her parents' blessings…I don't know what her answer is going to be but I don't want to leave things unfinished like six years ago…am not gonna make the same mistakes again' Chris explained as they made their ways back to the car.