A "Token" of Friendship
by Maria Stars
Syrus wheeled his big brother into the room stopping when he got to about the middle of the room. "She'll be here soon."
"I hope so Syrus." Zane said. ~I also hope she can forgive me for losing myself the way I did.~
A few minutes later voices could be heard. The door swung open and Maria, Jaden, and Jesse walked in.
"Yea! That'll be great!" Maria exclaimed, half-facing Jesse.
"Wait till you see our house!" Jaden said happily.
"I can't wait to..." She trailed off as she turned back around and saw a familiar face. "Zane!" She rushed up and hugged him as tightly as she dared.
Zane didn't expect such a warm greeting from her. He smiled lightly and hugged back. Syrus looked at Jesse then at his big brother and Maria. ~Of course she'd bring him.~
Syrus, of course, was referring to Jesse. It wasn't that Syrus didn't like Jesse, it was more because Jesse didn't know Zane. This was supposed to be a sorta reunion for them, himself, Zane, Maria, and Jaden since Zane had gotten out of the hospital.
"How do you feel Zane?" The brunette lady asked her friend.
"A lot better, thank you. Especially being reunited with friends like you." He smiled softly.
Jesse sorta stood near the door and watched. This was the Zane she spoke of? Had he really changed that much?
"You've gotten sweet Zane." Maria said with a smile.
"Yea, where's the Zane we all know and love?" Jaden said jokingly.
"Long gone." Zane replied.
"Glad you're back Zane." The beautiful brunette hugged him again. "You were missed."
"I was?" The older Truesdale asked.
This was one thing that Syrus likes about Maria. She had a way of making you feel special, loved. At least, he thought she did. "Of course you were Zane! I missed you! I was worried about you."
"Thanks Syrus. You've done well."
"Really Zane? You think so?" Syrus couldn't believe his big brother would say that.
"Yes. You have great friends and look at you, wearing that blue blazer. Very well done little brother."
Syrus beamed at his brother's praise. Both Maria and Jaden laughed. Jesse still stood quietly by the door, feeling almost like he was intruding on something.
Maria looked over at him and said, "What are you standing over there for Jesse?" She quickly stepped over to him and grabbed his arm.
"Are you sure it's ok? The bluenette asked.
"Of course! Come on, I want you to meet Zane!" So he let her pull him over to the group. "Zane, I want you to meet someone. This is Jesse Anderson."
Jesse held out his hand, "Nice to meet you Zane."
Zane shook Jesse's hand and said in reply, "Nice to meet you too Jesse."
Maria put her arm around Jesse, leaned into him lightly, then said, "He's my boyfriend."
"I can tell. You two seem very happy together." Zane observed. "That could've been me."
"Could've been." Maria agreed.
"My brother was a different person then." Syrus said. "If Jesse hadn't come along, would you..."
"Oh I don't know! No telling what could've been and all." Maria quickly cut Syrus off. What an awkward question, right infront of Jesse no less! Zane wouldn't have liked the answer either. She realized after being with someone with whom she had so much in common with, that it would've never worked out with Zane.
~It's alright Syrus.~ The older Truesdale thought to himself. ~I can see how much they love each other. How they smile at each other, how he puts his arm around her and pulls her close, how he touches her nose with his and she thinks it's the greatest thing in the world.~ He smiled, watching Maria put her head on Jesse's shoulder, looking so incredibly happy. ~I realize now that it never would've worked out between us. We have no common ground and there was no connection, like I see with Maria and Jesse.~
"You two seem to be very good for each other." The older Truesdale said.
"Oh we are!" Jesse said. "I'm so glad I met her, she's awesome!"
"That's my sister for you!" Jaden complimented his big sister.
"She's the most wonderful person in the world." Jesse said, then he leaned over and kissed her cheek.
A couple days later, Maria was wondering around in the campus shop, looking around at all of the new things that had come in. Notebooks, card protectors, stickers, candy, etc were but a few of the items for sale. However, Maria's eye was caught by a clear plastic container of metal tokens on a lower shelf.
She leaned down and looked at them, there were many designs such as a star, an angel, a cupcake with a candle on top, three little hearts, and... "A butterfly! Oh how pretty!" She picked it up and looked more closely at it.
The token was round with a butterfly design in the middle. "Friendship Token." She read from the front then she turned it over and on the back it says, "Good for a lifetime." She smiled, then had a sudden thought. "I'll give one to Zane!" Then she grabbed one of each that she wanted, except the butterfly, then went to pay for them.
About a week later, Maria was pushing Zane somewhere when he asked her, "Where did you meet Jesse?"
"The day the GX Tournament began." She replied. "He came bursting in the doors at the top of the auditorium saying, "Sorry, but I got lost. This place is much bigger then I'm used to." She laughed lightly. "Or something like that." The dark bluenette smiled. He had always liked her laugh. It was one of the things he had been attracted to originally. "Then he stopped to chat with Jaden. That's when I got a good, close look at him."
"How did he react when he saw you?" Zane asked.
"I think it was love at first sight. I knew it the moment I saw him. We couldn't stop staring at each other!" The brunette laughed.
"I bet Chancellor Sheppard had to break it up." He smiled.
Maria laughed more then replied, "Yea. I started laughing and my face was surely red!"
Then a couple days later, Zane was going to head home to finish recovering. He was about to be wheeled onto the boat when a familiar voice called out.
"Zane!" The older brunette lady ran over to her friend.
"Maria! I thought you had forgotten I was leaving today."
"No way! I wouldn't forget to wish you well before you leave."
"Glad you made it." Zane told her with a light smile.
"Hey Atticus." Maria greeted her ex-boyfriend.
"Hey Maria. What were you doing before?"
"Looking for something." She replied. "It got moved."
"Sure you didn't lose it?" The tall brunette teased.
"Turkey!" Maria exclaimed, smiling. It was just a silly name used when teasing.
"Goof!" Atticus shot back at her, smiling as well.
She laughed. Jesse walked up and put an arm around her. "What are you laughing at?"
"Atticus and I were just teasing each other." Maria told him.
"Ah!" He smiled. "No teasing my girlfriend!" Jesse laughed lightly, "That's my job!"
Everyone laughed. Atticus gestured to the boat. "Well, I better get Zane on the boat."
"Ok." Then Maria stepped forward and hugged Zane tightly. "I'll miss you."
He hugged back. "I'll miss you too."
"Call me sometime, ok?" She asked as she let go and stood back.
"Sure." Then a thought occurred to him. "I don't have your number though."
Maria smiled, then reached into a pocket and pulled out a card. She gave it to him. "This has my home number, cell number, and my e-mail address."
"I shouldn't have any problem contacting you with all this information." Zane said, surprised at how prepared she was.
"You shouldn't!" She giggled. The beautiful brunette then grabbed his right hand and put something in it. She closed his hand around it then said to him, "Don't look at this until after the boat has departed, alright?"
"Ok." A little confused by the question Zane couldn't help wondering what he was holding. It was round and felt like metal with some kind of hole in the middle. Oh well, he'd see soon what it is.
Atticus then turned around Zane's wheelchair and began to wheel him onboard. A few minutes later Atticus departed the ship and joined Maria and Jesse. Then the ship's horn blew, signaling the ship's departure from the island. The three of them watched the ship slowly move away.
Zane waved from the deck. "Bye everybody!"
"Bye Zane! We'll miss you!" Maria shouted back, waving as well.
Everyone else waved and shouted their goodbyes as well. On board, Zane opened his hand and looked at the metal token Maria had put there. It said, "Friendship Token" on the front. There was a pretty butterfly-shaped hole in the middle. He turned it over and saw it said, "Good for a lifetime." The sentiment touched him. "You bet Maria!" He closed his hand over it then looked up at her disappearing figure. "You bet."
THE END
Maria: I finally got it done! ^_^
Crow: That was kinda sweet.
Maria: Thanks! ^_^
Jack: You expect people to read this drivel?
Maria: It's not drivel! It's a cute story!
Jack: It's drivel.
Yusei: Lay off Jack.
Jack: *mumbles*
Yusei: It was a nice story Maria.
Maria: Thanks Yusei! *leans over and kisses his cheek*
Yusei: *smiles lightly* You're welcome.