Now kids, there comes a stage in your life where you start to realise that you need to grow up, I was into my thirties, and I was still acting like a twenty five year old, but that was all about to change, you see kids, your aunt Lily had just heard some amazing news… well I say heard… but to be truth full… she pee'd on a stick… but it was the best moment of your aunt Lily's life…
I wander into the living room of your aunt Lily and uncle Marshall's apartment, they were sat together, hugging on the sofa.
"Heya Guys! You two ok?"
Lily smiled, her whole face shone in the dimly lit apartment "Yeah, we're definitely ok… you see…"
Marshall cut her off "I found a five dollar bill down the back of the sofa, it was awesome… I thought I'd lost it forever… so…"
"Ok…" I mumble, I turn into the kitchen "Ooh pancakes…"
Now kids… I didn't hear the next part of the conversation, but this is what your aunt Lily told me that happened afterwards…
"What was that?" She hissed, he sighed, looking down at his feet.
"Lily honey… I love you… but this is a massive thing… we're having a baby together! I'm just not sure I'm ready to tell them yet… I want to be one hundred percent sure that everything is ok… those tests… I mean they're not one hundred percent accurate, can we wait until your twelve week scan? I just want to be sure…"
"Marshall honey… I completely understand why you're worried… but Ted, Barney, Robin, they are our best friends… I don't know if we can keep this from them…"
"Keep what from who?" Barney slams the front door shut, looking at Marshall and Lily inquisitively, Marshall rolls his eyes.
"We really need to take away their spare keys"
"Keep what from who?"
Lily laughs "Uhh… from you!"
I laugh "Shouldn't have said that!"
"Keep what from me? Keep what from me? Keep what from me?"
Marshall rolls his eyes again "Here we go…"
"Keep what from me? Keep what from me? Keep what from me?"
"Barney, can we please just let this go!" Lily gets up from the sofa and makes her way over to the fridge and takes out some lettuce and begins washing the leaves.
"Oh yeah, sure" He says, he opens the fridge and takes out a can of beer, he then wanders over to the sofa and sits next to Barney.
"Keep what from me? Keep what from me? Keep what from me?"
"Do you want me to gaffa tape your mouth shut?"
"You know what? Fine! I'm leaving"
We sit in silence, Marshall laughs
"Ok I'll see you later Bar…"
"I said I'm LEAVING!"
And with that he storms out of the apartment, we all laugh, Marshall turns to look at me.
"No offence to you Ted… you're my best friend and all, but I need to talk to Lily in private…"
"It's cool, I totally get it!" I smile and make my way out and back over to my apartment. I make my way out into the New York streets, I know I said I was cool, I said I got it, but the truth is I didn't, and it really hurt my feelings that they weren't being totally honest with me, I thought that we were better friends than that, I never thought that they would keep a secret from me, especially not a big one, but I wasn't going to tell them that, they were my best friends, and I might have been hurting on the inside, but I wasn't going to let them see it. I look up at the tree's that crowd over above me, the streets are bustling with people, I look at their faces, trying to read what they're thinking from their expressions, but it's useless, I guess people can just hide what they're really feeling, and if they can do it, then so can I… I make my way up the steps to my apartment, twisting my key in the lock and I wander into the apartment, Robin turns to look at, smiling, her face drops when she see's me.
"Wow… Ted… what's wrong? You look really upset! Come on, down to the bar, let me get you a beer"
So much for that theory…
She grabs her bag and takes me by the wrist and leads me down the stair well
I fake smile "Honestly Robin, I'm fine"
"No Ted, no you're not, come on"
She leads me into the bar and we see Barney sat at our usual booth with a scotch, he waves when he sees us come in, signalling for us to come over and join him, we make our way over, and Robin asks Wendy to bring us three beers, we settle down in the booth
"Hiya! Hey look! It's my two best friends in the world! How are you my two best friends? How's life in best Friendsville!"
"Best Friendsville? Really?" Robin laughs
I roll my eyes "You know Marshall and Lily aren't with us, you don't have to do that"
"You know what" He smiles "I don't care, we're all best friends here!"
Robin laughs "Yeah, Lily's my best friend"
"Yeah Marshall… my best friend" I smiles at him
"And as your best friend I will pay for your beers" Barney grabs a few notes from his wallet and hands them over to Wendy the waitress, she smiles and lays our beers down on the table. "So, if you think that Marshall is your best friend, then please explain to me why he hasn't told you his secret yet?"
I turn to look at Robin, she switches her gaze between Barney and me, confusion in her eyes
"Secret? What secret?"
"See that's just the thing… we don't know…" I sigh, and get up from my seat
"You leaving already?" Robin asks, watching me
"Yeah, I'm going to cave in for the night, have you got your keys?"
"Uhh… no"
"Ok, I'll leave the front door open"
I wave goodbye to them and make my way up to my apartment, the wooden floor boards creek beneath my step, I run my fingers along the beige walls, cool from where no one bothered to paint them, as I let myself into the apartment I'm swarmed by so many memories, the swords of bro-hood, the crack in the coffee table from where we fought with the swords of bro-hood, and the cracked photo frame that we never bothered to fix, I sigh, dropping my keys into the bowl on the cabinet, I look at what else is in there, the keys to the broken fiera that Marshall didn't have the heart to throw away, and the keys to my new house, the family home, the investment in my future, I look around me, as much as I love this place, it's got too many memories… too many ghosts, Stella, Victoria, Trudy, I have loved being here while I turned into an adult, but now I need to start acting like one, and maybe it's time for me to grow up. I plod into my bedroom, changing into my pyjamas, I brush my teeth and clamber in underneath the orange and blue duvet, the same one that I've had ever since I first moved in here… but it's time to let it all go, it's time I moved on… and out…
I wake to a heavy thumping, my head is spinning in the darkness. What time is it? I glance at my clock, and I can just make out the time through the black… it's half two in the morning, the thumping comes again… I can't have a hangover, I didn't drink that much…
"Ted! It's me! Can you open the door?"
I press the palm of my hand to my forehead, I must have forgotten to leave the door unlocked, I clamber out of bed, and make my way over to the door, I pull the bedroom door open and stumble about in the living room for the light switch, I flick it on and then open the door for Robin, she makes her way in, looking a little flustered
"Sorry" I mumble, still half asleep "I must have locked it by accident"
"That's fine" says Robin, she smiles and kisses me quickly on the cheek "I'm turning in, you go back to bed to yeah?"
I smile, laughing half-heartedly "Yep, good night Robin"
She smiles at me kindly "Night Ted"
And with that we separate, I'll tell her that I'm thinking of moving out, maybe in the morning…