More than Friends: Ch. 01

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Longtime friends fall in love.
5.6k words
4.56
38.7k
48

Part 1 of the 5 part series

Updated 08/30/2017
Created 06/28/2014
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Note: This story has very little sex and this chapter has none.

*****

Janice adored Yvonne. Though they were only cousins they were as close as any real sisters could be. Yvonne was older than Janice by only two years but she was almost half a foot taller and much worldlier than any other twelve year old Janice knew. In every way she could think of she looked up to Yvonne who was bright and energetic and always ready for another adventure.

The two girls lived next door to each other- their yards separated by a little side gate that was never locked so that the girls could move freely between the two houses. Their fathers who were brothers were glad to see their daughters grow so close and bond together. Both families had tried for another child and had failed. It felt as if fate wished that these two girls be brought up sisters.

When Janice was a little over nine, her mother passed away in a car accident. She was on her way home when her car was slammed into by a drunken truck driver. The crash was so bad that the service needed to be a closed casket one. Losing her mother was bad, not being able to say goodbye to her felt worse. Yvonne's mother treated Janice as one of her own and a second bed was put in Yvonne's bedroom for the times that Janice wished to stay over.

The girls were inseparable even though they were dissimilar- Yvonne was constantly seeking ways of getting into mischief while the slightly younger Janice always tried to be the voice of reason knowing well enough that once Yvonne made up her mind to do something she, Janice, would end up being an accomplice if for no other reason than to make sure that Yvonne wouldn't get herself into even more trouble than expected. For ten years the girls were the best of friends and the closest of sisters with no one else between them. That was till Edward Dupont moved into their neighbourhood.

Edward's parents had left France after having lived there for fifteen years and moved to their city when his father got a promotion on the condition that he would manage sales and distribution for their New York sector. They bought the largest house in their neighbourhood and quickly settled into the community that was eager to accommodate someone of their wealth and standing.

While the parents got into the suburban rhythm like they'd always lived there an awkward and gangly fourteen year old Edward struggled all the time. Even though his parents were American having lived in France all his life his English sounded odd to the other kids who thought he was being pretentious. His choice of clothes and music didn't help his popularity much either. Failing to make any friends even after a month he drew within himself and started staying aloof and by himself while desperately longing for some friends. His parents weren't too concerned with his behaviour; they figured his brooding was just a part of being a teenager.

One day when Edward was walking home from school he decided to try a different route that would take him longer to reach home. As he was walking past one of the yards his ears perked at the sound of kids yelling. He turned round the corner to see a couple of kids standing around two girls. One of them defensively stood in front of the other who was clinging to the taller girl and whimpering.

"Give it back, you asshole." The girl in front yelled to the groups. She was almost as tall as Edward but possessed none of his awkwardness in her stance. She looked spectacular with her bright blue eyes blazing in fury and her dirty blonde curls flying about her face.

"Sure," said one of the boys from the group and opened a box and began tossing its contents across the yard. Edward was unable to tell what had been tossed out but it must've belonged to the younger dark haired girl because she scrambled to her knees searching for parts of her collection amongst the fall leaves. The kids watched her and laughed as they began to disperse.

Edward watched in awe as the tall girl chased after the offending boy and flung herself at him. Taken by surprise the boy went down and had to deal with a wild girl sitting on his back pulling at his short hair. No one appeared to want to intervene and help the boy out. Within minutes they could all hear him begging to be spared. Afraid that she may accidentally cause some serious damage Edward intervened.

"I think he's had enough now." He said to the bright eyed girl and held out his hand to her. "I think we should go help your friend instead."

The girl squinted at him and then at her friend on her knees. She must've recognised the soundness of his argument for she took his hand and hauled herself up. She leaned towards the boy still on the ground and said, "If you ever act like a shithead to Janice again I will beat the shit outta you."

Edward tugged on the blonde's hand, which was still firmly placed within his own, to direct her attention to her friend.

"What happened here?" he asked as the other kids scrambled off and they joined the younger girl who was sitting almost as if in shock.

"Those asswipes grabbed Jan's box and tossed the stuff out. Didn't you see?" the blonde asked him annoyed with his poor observation skills.

"I couldn't tell what it was."

"Shells." The younger girl stated blankly.

"Shells?"

"Yes shells." Replied the blonde sounding further annoyed.

"Can't you just look for new shells the next time you're at the beach?"

His question made the younger girl burst into tears. He was smart enough to realise that the shells meant something special to the little girl for her to respond the way she did. He approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"Can you describe them to me, so I can help you look for them?"

The little girl nodded through her tears and smiled at him before she began to describe each of the eight pieces. Over the next two hours they combed over the yard and left no leaf or stone unturned while the searched for the shells. They worked in silence and he turned to watch the blonde every few minutes. Edward was smitten; he hadn't seen a prettier girl before.

"Thank you!" the little girl said when they'd found every piece of her precious collection and hugged Edward's legs. "I'm Janice by the way and that's Yvonne."

"Hello. I'm Edward."

"Hey, aren't you that new kid who moved here from France?" asked Yvonne.

"Yes."

"I heard French women don't shave their pits." said Yvonne proudly displaying her knowledge of all matters worldly.

Janice eyes went wide and she looked at Edward to confirm if this was a fact. He shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know."

"I do. I saw it on the TV." Yvonne stated confidently.

"So why were those kids bugging you?"

"Because that's what insects do-"

Janice interrupted, "Because we don't like to join in with the other kids. We prefer to play on our own and they find it easier to pick on me because I'm smaller."

Edward was noticing that while Janice appeared to be the younger of the two she seemed more sensible than even girls his age.

"Those shells matter a lot to you?"

"Yes." She replied simply and got teary eyed again. Yvonne put her arms around Janice and cuddled her in a motherly fashion.

"They remind her of her mom."

Janice looked up at Edward from the comforting embrace of Yvonne's arms.

"My mom and I would collect these shells at the beach during our summer holidays and I always got to bring back my favourite piece. Eight shells for eight summers." She couldn't continue so she closed her eyes and nestled against Yvonne once more.

"Her mom passed away." Yvonne mouthed by way of explanation to Edward.

"Why don't you make a bracelet out of those shells so you can't lose them easily?"

Janice looked up at him. He took it as a good sign that she was no longer crying.

"I can help you make it if you like."

"I'd love it Eddie!" the little girl said and flung herself around his legs once more.

From that moment on Edward became Eddie for the girls and that is how they would always refer to him.

"If you have time we can head over to my place now."

"I'll race you to it." said Yvonne as she elbowed Edward and ran past him. It took a moment for him to catch his breath. He checked with Janice to make sure she was okay with catching up to them on her own and then took off after Yvonne.

Janice walked behind them and watched them sprint ahead. She could tell that with Edward in their midst things would forever change.

*****

During the course of the next few months the three kids became close friends. From the very day she first met him Janice had decided that she liked Edward. He helped her find her shells and make a bracelet out of them so that she could wear it and have a reminder of her mother with her all the time. He also protected her from bullies which sometimes included Yvonne with her crazy ideas for adventure.

Yvonne was happy to have a new accomplice who was more physically suited for the energetic games she would come up with. As much as she loved Janice she knew that Janice did often slow her down. She also liked that Edward wasn't like the other boys who thought girls were only meant to play with dolls. And when he lost in a race against her he never said that he let her win just because she was a girl.

Edward managed to find the perfect compromise between Yvonne's crazy ideas for adventure and Janice's need to exercise caution. So the kids were usually up to no good without ever getting into any real trouble. Edward realised that having two younger girls for friends was better than none at all and he had to admit that he'd never had such daredevils for friends even amongst the boys.

Over the course of the next couple of years the friendship between the three kids survived despite the age difference; they grew up but not apart despite the difference in their ages. Yvonne grew prettier and Janice more serious, but she was still treated like the baby of the group because she didn't appear to have grown at all. Edward managed to gain some muscle so he no longer looked as awkward as he once did. A fact that Yvonne and Janice mercilessly teased him for when some of the girls at school asked them about their cute friend. To the girls he was just their dependable friend Eddie.

The three friends shared all their secrets- mostly because Yvonne wouldn't have it any other way and would sit on the chest of anyone she suspected of withholding information. That was how Yvonne and Janice learnt that Edward thought Yvonne was the prettiest and toughest girl he'd ever known. He told her that he'd be sweet on her if he wasn't afraid of the beating that would earn him.

Things changed for the friends when Edward's parents decided he was too old for his playmates but the right age for prep school. Arrangements were made and soon Edward found himself in the midst of a teary farewell with the only two people he considered to be his real friends in Syracuse.

"Bye Eddie." wept Janice hugging his hips. She wasn't tall enough yet to give him a proper hug. He knelt down so he could hug her and then petted her hair.

"This is such an asshole thing to do Eddie." pouted Yvonne.

"Not like I was given a choice, Yves."

Yves was the name Edward had taken to calling Yvonne.

"Well, you could run away," said Yvonne defiantly, "we could hide you in that grotto down by the lake."

Edward knew Yvonne well enough to know that making up crazy schemes was part of her defence mechanism.

"Or I could go to school and you could call me anytime you felt like talking?"

"Yeah. Whatever." She said and punched his arm- her way of resigning to a situation.

"I'm going away but I expect to hear all the stories about what you two have been up to. Promise you'll write so I don't get bored all by myself in that place."

Both the girls nodded heartily even though Edward was only looking at Yvonne when he spoke.

*****

The prep school picked out for Edward was an all boys boarding school which was strict about a number of rules- one of which was phone privileges. Students were not allowed to have cell phones. They were allowed to call their home or receive calls from their family but no one else. Edward still managed to speak to the girls a couple of times when they visited his parents and asked them to call him but the only line of communication between them now was in the form of letters.

At first Janice and Yvonne jointly composed the letters that were sent to Edward. After a few months Yvonne stated that she since Janice's penmanship was better she should write while Yvonne would dictate. Before the year was over Yvonne grew tired of it all. She had no time writing about her last adventure when she really needed to plan the next one, she told Janice.

Janice knew Edward was lonely and by his own admission had always been sweet on Yvonne. She knew he would be hurt if he discovered that she no longer had the inclination to keep in touch. So she continued t write to him leading him to believe that he was still corresponding with Yvonne.

With the passage of time Janice discovered she felt freer talking about herself and her life while she was pretending to be Yvonne than she ever did as herself. Her letters soon became a diary of sorts where she shared her hopes, dreams and fears without any caution. She also wrote to him about Janice so that Edward was just as informed about both his friends. She and Edward forged the kind of friendship that would survive the test of time- they were both confident of this.

When they both got access to computers their mode of contact changed from letters to emails. It seemed like they would never run out of things to say to each other. In the meanwhile Edward went from prep school to college. Edward spent his holidays on vacation with his parents so he never got to return home again. But it didn't bother him because the mails made him feel like he was still there with the girls.

As the years passed on there were many occasions when Janice thought of telling Edward the truth- that it had been her all the years- but she always ended up talking herself out of it. They were pen pals now and unlikely to ever cross paths in real life. Their relationship though close was and had always been strictly platonic. She didn't see the point in hurting his feelings by coming clean to him. He thought it was Yvonne and it was a harmless fantasy to play into, she thought.

Edward found it easier to write to Yvonne about his anxieties rather than any of his school friends. So whether it was related to his apprehensions about which college to get into or his first date with a girl he'd had a crush on for months, he would write and tell Yvonne about it just as easily as he could tell her what he was craving for lunch. After all the years of them writing back and forth sharing details of his life with her just felt natural to hm. He knew that he could depend on her to listen and to offer him reassurance when needed. He hoped nothing would ever change between them.

Yvonne was aware that Janice had stayed in touch with their childhood friend over the years. But she was unaware of the deception. They would sometimes talk about what Eddie must be up to and how weird it would be for them to meet again after they were all grown up, but, she never showed any interest in actually contacting Edward; she'd outgrown that relationship long ago.

Yvonne knew her skills would be best put to use in event planning. She was accepted for the program at Florida State however during the three days that she spent there when she went to check out the campus she realised for the first time how much having Janice around mattered to her. She decided she was not ready to be separated yet and enrolled for the program at Syracuse University. When Janice asked her about her odd choice she told her that her adventures seemed dull without her faithful sidekick.

During the two years Yvonne was at college she and Janice didn't spend as much time together as they used to and a change seemed to come about in Janice's personality. Out of Yvonne's shadow Janice became more acquainted with herself. She learnt more about her personal likes and dislikes and developed her own distinct style. She didn't hold Yvonne responsible for her previous choices as they had never been forced on her, she had just always preferred to take the lazy route by following Yvonne's lead rather than making her own choices.

Both girls started dating around the same time. The boys always seemed to notice Yvonne first while Janice would get stuck with the friend of Yvonne's date. Yet she never resented Yvonne for her beauty- she was too much in awe of her free spirit to feel aggrieved that nature had chosen to be so generous with her.

When it was time to go to college Janice was accepted for the undergraduate architecture program at Cornell University which was rated as one of the best. Yvonne was even more excited at Janice's acceptance because Ithaca was only an hour's drive for her which meant that she could easily visit whenever she liked.

*****

While Janice and Yvonne were still in college Edward was trying to make it as an analyst in the world of investment banking. He was living in Chicago and hating it for reasons he couldn't pin point. The nature of his work was highly competitive and stress inducing and he was glad for Yvonne who was always there for him when he needed to vent. The problem was that he longer had the time to compose mails that would express his frustrations. He began to wonder about why in all the years they never tried to call each other or make more of their relationship.

*****

Yvonne had almost finished college and wanted out of Syracuse. She couldn't decide on whether she wished to make her career in LA or New York so she let fate chose for her. She applied for jobs in both cities as well as Philadelphia. She wasn't really serious about Philadelphia and only thought of the city because she knew that Janice aspired to go work at one of the top architectural firms which had their headquarters there. When at the end of a month long search she observed that the best offers she received were coming out of Philly, she convinced herself that she would follow fate's lead on this adventure.

Yvonne's parents as well as Janice was surprised with Yvonne's decision to move to Philadelphia not because it wasn't a good offer but because they had never heard her show any interest in the place right till the time she announced that she was moving. When Janice wrote to Edward telling him the news he seemed surprised too. It was odd how despite them sharing as much as they did Yvonne continued to remain unpredictable to him while it felt like he could always sense Janice's moves even though he only knew her now through Yvonne's words.

*****

Janice was thrilled when she got accepted to complete the first year of her internship program at a prestigious firm in France. She wasn't certain of her chances and had spoken to no one about it when she applied. The money was lesser but the experience would be well worth it. She was excited to begin this new chapter in her life. She wanted to share her news with Edward but she was supposed to be Yvonne, the event planner in Philadelphia, as far as he was concerned. Her father, who had been withdrawn and a changed man since her mother's death didn't seem to care one way or the other for her news and even though Yvonne tried really hard to sound happy for her it was pretty obvious that she was pissed off about her decision.

*****

"You gonna call regularly." said Yvonne.

Janice nodded.

"And you'll answer my calls no matter the hour."

She nodded again.

"You have to say it. Swear to me that you will answer any time I call."

"I swear, Yvonne, I will answer all your calls."

12