Bein' Friends

When you are happy
With laughter to spare
Fun is twice as fun
With someone to share
When you are lonely
And full of despair
Things aren't half as had
When somebody cares

Maybe now you have figured it out
That's what bein' a friend is about

When you're lookin'
For a shoulder you can cry on (Won't you think about me?)
When you're lookin'
For someone you can rely on (Don't you ever doubt me)

I'll be there, some way, somehow
That's what bein' friends is about.

-Catherine Warwick, "Bein' Friends"

Luigi's POV

Joining that support group is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Because if I hadn't, then I wouldn't have met Grant. The second he walked in, my attention was riveted on him, and his on me. Then, he started to talk, and his situation seemed so—parallel—to mine. He's come from a rough, unconventional life, and continues to be made fun of because of it. Not only that, he's picked on because of his job. Selling flashlights is far from "lame". I don't know about you, but I intend to write a very strongly-worded letter to Grant's tormentors about the way they're treating him.

I look at him, and he doesn't have to tell me. He's nursed thoughts of revenge, of poetic justice, just like me. Whether or not he's acted on them, I'll never know. Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to him. I want to talk him down from taking matters into his own hands. It seems right at first, but it will drag us down into a sinkhole. Vengeance will corrupt us and turn us into something ugly. At least, that's what I'm trying to make myself believe.

From the day we met, when we sat together at that easel, projecting our emotions onto the blank canvas and later talking about our paintings with the other participants, Grant and I are inseparable. We exchange phone calls and connect on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, Google+, Miiverse and LinkedIn. Three weeks into our friendship, Grant invites me to bring a few friends over to meet him and his family, and I accept.

How will I ever forget the party at Grant's place? He really knows how to throw it down! Over a hearty dinner, we all share stories of our lives, the good and the bad. Nora, Alex, Dan and Shelia, Grant's offspring, are morbidly curious and never seem to run out of questions. I'm honored to introduce the family to some of the pivotal people in my life—Daisy, Mario, Yoshi, Peach, Rosalina and Luma and Corrine. And I'm happy to see that after the crap he's been put through, Grant is the perfect family man, refusing to drag his brood into the mire of his personal issues.

I just can't believe how cowardly his friends are, though, leaving him at the mercy of those bullies. If Mario ever notices someone ganging up on me, he'll tell them to get lost. Peach got herself suspended for me last year. And nobody dares to mess with me when they see Daisy on my arm; it's good to have a tomboy for a girlfriend. Yoshi, Rosalina and Luma and the Smashers I've befriended over the years—they'll always rally to my defense. But Grant's friends—they just abandoned him. All except his wife, Leni. If she hadn't come into his life, I probably wouldn't have met him.

I know how it feels to have so-called "friends" forsake me. It's like a white-hot knife stabbing into me. Finding out that DDD posted a video of himself whacking me with his hammer seven years after he saved my life. Ike Griel, the Radiant Hero, submitting to peer pressure and ostracizing me. Shulk, pretending to like me before humiliating me during a match. Marth and Roy, and Mewtwo and Kuro, smiling in my face while fooling around on the website dedicated to hating me. Falco, throwing a hissy-fit over my down throw and going behind my back to nerf it. But Grant's "friends" committed a worse crime—turning their backs on him when he needed them the most. During subsequent meetings, he angrily vents about this. He hasn't even spoken to them since he started his career, and who can blame him? Once, I tell him that if they didn't have his back, then they weren't truly his friends. My counsel helps, for day by day, he starts to let go of those false friends. Getting him to forgive them is the next step, but I don't think he's ready yet.

A month or so after meeting Grant's family, I bring him along to the Smash Mansion to meet Master Hand. Grant is slightly intimidated by the glove's presence, but I observe that he doesn't let it show as he tells the Hand of Creation about his life and his work. Master Hand then introduces Grant to his father, Master Core. Grant's heard about MC's abilities, so he's more apprehensive around him. But MC doesn't bite. He's just as impressed as Master Hand with the new friend I've made.

After meeting the remaining heads of the Smash tournament, I lead Grant on a tour of the Smash Mansion. I show him the Training Areas, the lounges and the cafeteria. The main lobby and the bulletin board where the day's matches and other announcements are tacked up. The Stadium where we hold Home Run Contests and Target Smash events. The Smash Run Area. The various stages. The ice-cream parlor. The movie theater.

Along the way, I take Grant to meet the other Smashers. First up is Evan and Mandy, so he can congratulate them on their impending parenthood. Then, I introduce him to Valentine "Val" O'Halloran and his fiancée, Evelyn Fisk, who helped me bring down the network of bullies, along with a Boy Scout and Pikachu main, Paul. After that, I introduce him to Ness, Jigglypuff and Captain Falcon, and we explain how the Formidable Four came to be. One by one, Grant makes the acquaintance of the characters who shaped my tenure in this tournament, and he's a big hit with them, by the way. He decides to spend the day here and watch some Smash battles, and I can't be happier because he's going to see me in action!

On the battlefield, I see him, sitting next to Mario and Peach, staring goggle-eyed. He reminds me of Evan when he first saw me kicking butt. I'm sure Grant has heard of my prowess, but I guess he needs to see it to believe it! He whoops and shouts, even louder than Mario, and is eventually asked to quiet down a bit. During my matches that day, an intense feeling circulates within me. A feeling that my path was intended to collide with Grant's. A feeling that Grant was shaped from my rib while I slept one night. Imagine what the two of us can accomplish together. Imagine what we can create—

When Grant's not spectating matches, he's burning calories in the Wii Fit Trainers' classes or showing off his art skills to envious Smashers. Dr. Mario must've seen him, because he stops me when we cross paths and tells me to bring him along to my next appointment. I pass this along to Grant, who agrees to make room in his schedule.

At nightfall, it's time for Grant to return home. He has a big day tomorrow. After dinner in the cafeteria, we hug and part ways with the reassurance that we'll meet up again. A smile is still on my face as I head off to bed.

After what seemed like forever, things have finally fallen back into place.

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, and I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too, maybe
But none of them will ever love you
The way I do, it's me and you, boy
And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

-Randy Newman

Please R&R.