EIGHT

"YOU'RE PUTTING that place up for rent?!" Jason asked, a note of surprise in his voice. Even over the video call, Brad could sense the shift in his friend's demeanor, from casual and relaxed to amazed and curious. 

    He sat up a little straighter, his eyes wide and questioning. He seemed to be waiting for an explanation as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. Perhaps it was the suddenness of the announcement or the fact that he hadn't expected him to make such a decision. Either way, it was clear that the news had caught him off-guard.

    Jason Lyndon was about the only best friend Brad had in the universe that he could trust with his life. 

    They hadn't actually started out as friends. They had begun as mortal enemies.

    They'd met in the third grade of their elementary school when Brad had just transferred to the school Jason attended. He had been the new kid and didn't know much or cared to.

    Their animosity had begun when someone broke the overhead projector and everyone was clueless as to who did it. And just as the entire class was about to get punished for it, Brad stood up and ratted Jason out.

    It was recess and everyone was at the cafeteria but Brad had been on his way to the teacher's lounge when he heard the crashing sound and almost at the same moment, Jason had fled from their homeroom. He had known he was the new kid but he just couldn't turn a blind eye and let the whole class take the fall for him.

    Jason had been so pissed about the incident and made it his life mission to make his life in school a living hell. Every. Single. Day!

    And Brad had borne it until he got to the limit of his long-suffering and just couldn't take the torture anymore. He'd walked straight up to Jason and confronted him for his attitude towards him. However, one thing had led to another and they found themselves throwing hands in the hallway which had earned them both a term in the good ol' Detention.

    The teacher in charge had asked them to "kiss and make up" right after she'd compelled them to write a thousand-word essay on the damages of fighting in the school, but neither of them was the least bit inclined to settle their differences. Instead, when the teacher had gone to use the restroom, Brad had raised the issue again, demanding to know the reason he was tormenting him, and that if he did something wrong it was only right that he admit guilt and accepted his punishment instead of dragging the entire class along with him.

    But then he'd found out that Jason wasn't actually the one who had broken the overhead projector, it had been some other kid in the class. When he'd asked him why he didn't deny the accusations when he'd called him out as the perpetrator, Jason had told him the kid who'd broken the overhead projector had no parents and lived with his grandmother who couldn't afford to replace it. But he had parents who could buy a thousand of overhead projectors without breaking a sweat and that was why he'd taken the blame.

    Brad's younger self couldn't believe anyone his age could be that selfless even though they looked like troublemakers and he'd decided at that moment he wanted a friend like him.

    And since then till forever, they'd sworn brotherhood to each other.

    "Yeah, well," Brad lifted his broad shoulders. "I think it's been long overdue. I cleared the apartment for a while now. I don't think it's wise to leave the place empty. According, to the agent, the renters will be moving in the day after tomorrow."

    "You must have really moved on now. I mean, clearing the space your ex-wife used as her painting studio? You couldn't even get in there for years," Jason said cheerfully. "I'm happy for you, man."

    Brad frowned. Somehow, he sensed a smidge of ridicule underlying the other man's tone. Was he teasing him? Or was he just assuming things? 

    "I moved on a long time ago, thank you," he retorted, conveying the contrary of thankful. "I just needed time to come to terms with the whole situation."

    One side of Jason's lip rose. "Yeah, whatever you say."

    Okay, he was definitely teasing him.

    He couldn't blame him though. He had no idea of the struggles.

    Brad never wanted to admit it but apart from his parents, the only other people he envied in their marital life were Jason and his significant other.

    Jason Lyndon was a global pop superstar, known for his chart-topping hits and sold-out world tours. But his fame paled in comparison to the love he shared with his wife, Evelyn Rodriguez.

    Their relationship was often the subject of tabloid gossip and speculation, but they remained fiercely protective of their privacy. When they walked a red carpet together, they exuded the confidence and ease of a couple who had been together for decades. They knew how to complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, and their love was evident without being said.

    He prayed their marriage remained as strong as it was and never ended in a disaster just as his marriage had.

    His ex-wife was a memory he wished he could erase but sadly he couldn't. As much as he hated it, she still was a  significant part of his memory. She was the woman who had brought his precious daughter to the world. The woman who he'd loved with all his soul, but had ended up scarring him for eternity.

    "Besides, I had other intentions of putting it out for rent," Brad added softly. Then hesitated when Jason left the camera frame and continued when he came back. "I had specifically requested for renters with kids. It would be a good way for Nora to make friends."

    "Ah! Nora!" Jason's face glowed with concern at the mention of her name. "How's my little princess coming along these days?"

    "Great!" Brad sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, not great. She gets worse by the day. She doesn't have friends nor wants to associate with anyone. She'd rather stay cooped up in her room, all day long, than hang out with other kids from the neighborhood. Even when they come begging her to play. I think she's trying to put this sort of demarcation between herself and everyone else. I just don't know what to do anymore. I want to help her but whenever I try to talk to her about anything we either end up fighting or she just locks me out completely. It's both hurting and scary. I mean, she's not even a teenager yet and we're already this way."

    "I think you have to approach this with a level head and try to see things from Nora's perspective," Jason advised calmly. "I know it's frustrating, but you have to remember that Nora is just a kid who's going through a lot of changes coupled with her health issues. She's still learning how to navigate the world, and sometimes things can get a bit overwhelming for her. She'll figure it out in her own time, and all you can do is be there to support her." 

    Jason spoke in a soft, soothing voice, his words full of empathy. He wanted to help him see that this was not a personal rejection, but rather a child trying to cope with new experiences.

    "Nora is a really sweet kid and I'm sure she'll come around once she feels more comfortable," he continued, his words filled with compassion and belief. "Just give her some time and don't get too upset, okay?" 

    Reassured, Brad smiled. "Okay."

    "Oh! By the way..." Jason said suddenly. "We had dinner with Doris over here. Apparently, she has been in Paris all this while."

    "Oh, yeah! I know," Brad replied blankly. "I was in Paris a few days ago. We were supposed to meet up before I felt but we didn't get the opportunity. Something came up and I had to leave early."

    Jason nodded. "Oh? Okay. Anyway... Good luck." 

    Brad's brows squeezed together. "Good luck? For what?"

    Jason grinned devilishly. "You'd find out soon."

    And before Brad could get another word in, he disconnected the video call.

    "Okay, that was weird!" Brad muttered to himself as he closed his laptop.

    But Jason was the embodiment of weirdness so he wasn't the least bit disturbed.