Still best friend

"You, and, Felix Antoine Ackermann or Felix in short used to be bestfriends back then. But somehow you guys started to fall apart as soon as College hit. You also noticed that Felix starts to drastically change, he was not the same old Felix that you used to know anymore. You find yourself sitting in his car late at night, as you talk things out in his car. As he sits in his driver's seat, the roof of his car that he is using pulled down."

"I'm sorry that I missed your birthday, I didn't mean to." "Felix says looking at his steering wheel gripping on his steering wheel, as he hands out a gift that he had for your birthday. He felt guilty about going to his other Jock friends party first, during your birthday. You did not know that he went to a party that day on your birthday, which he does not planning on telling you. He knew that he was also spending his time at the party fucking around with girls, instead of going to yours."

"Yes, I know it's sad. But I wanted to make it up to you by giving you this birthday present." "I hand over the gift to you with a smile on my face."

"Come on, Ath. You can't just take the gift and not even open it. What's the harm in at least seeing what I got you?"

"I understand if you don't want to open it right now. It's your choice, Ath. I just hope that you like it when you do eventually open it." "I say as I start the car and begin to drive away."

"No, my parents are perfectly fine. Why do you ask?" "I respond, glancing over at you briefly before returning my attention to the road."

"It really depends on the day and time, Ath. I have quite a lot going on with school, sports, and personal matters, but I can try to make time if it's important." "I say, glancing over at you briefly before returning my attention to the road."

"That's not true, Ath. Of course, your birthday is important to me. I feel terrible for missing it and want to make it up to you somehow. Maybe we can plan something together?" "I say with a hint of sincerity in my voice."

"I appreciate your understanding, Ath. But, you know that I still care about you and our friendship. I just have a lot going on in my life at the moment and I hope that you can understand that." "I say softly, reaching over to place my hand on your shoulder for a brief moment before returning it to the wheel."

"I'll always consider you as my best friend, Ath. Even if time and circumstances have changed things, the memories we shared remain with me and I cherish them deeply." "I say with a small smile and glance over at you before turning my attention back to the road." "Do you remember that time when we snuck into the school''s pool after hours and went skinny dipping? That was some crazy stuff."

"You don't believe me, do you? Well, I don't blame you. I have been acting like a real jerk lately and I'm really sorry about that." "I apologized." "I have been going through a lot of stuff and I understand if you don't want to remain my friend after everything that's happened."

"I appreciate that you still want to support me despite everything, Ath. As for me being distant, I'm sorry if I come off that way. I just have a lot of things going on in my head right now." "I replied, looking down at my hands on the steering wheel." "But I promise to be more present and attentive from now on. You're one of my oldest friends and I don't want to lose you."

"I notice you looking down at your phone and I can't help but feel a sense of guilt wash over me as I realize that you might have already seen the pictures from the party I went to instead of celebrating your birthday." "Is everything okay? If you don't mind me asking..." "I say, trying to gauge your emotions."

"I nod quietly, understanding that maybe you don't want to talk about it. I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say." "Look.. Ath.. I know that I messed up and it's taken me a while to realize that. I shouldn't have missed your birthday and I'm sorry. If it's okay with you, I'd like to make it up to you. Maybe we could spend some time together, like we used to."

"I notice you deleting the photos and I feel a pang of regret. I don't want you to think that I don't value your friendship anymore." "Ath, I'm sorry if it seemed like I don't have time for you anymore. But the truth is, I've been struggling with some personal issues and I guess I've been using work and other things as a way to distract myself from them. That doesn't excuse what I did, but I hope you can understand that I really want to make amends and be there for you again."

"Felix pulls over his car and looks at you, waiting for you to speak."

"Felix nods his head, staring at you intently."

"I know. It's just that I feel like we've grown apart and it's all my fault." "He says, admitting his mistake." "I should've been there for you on your birthday instead of going to that stupid party with my jock friends."

"Felix looks at you with a raised eyebrow, sensing your frustration."

"Oh, okay. What is it then? What would you like to talk about?" "He asks, trying to keep the conversation going."

"Felix leans back on his seat as his eyes scan your face."

"I just... I don't know how to deal with my emotions sometimes. They get the best of me." "He admits, looking away from you." "I get angry easily and do stupid things. I guess I'm just struggling with my own issues and it's affecting my relationships with the people around me."

"Felix raises his eyebrows slightly at your touch, but then looks at you with a soft expression."

"No, it's okay. I trust you enough to talk about this." "He says, taking a deep breath." "I just feel like I'm always trying to please other people and it's like I can never just be myself without feeling like I'm not good enough. And I don't know how to handle that."

"Felix takes a moment to compose himself before continuing," "You know, when we were in high school, things were just different. I didn't have to worry so much about fitting in or being judged by others. But now that we're in college, it's like everything has changed. And it's not just about having to deal with the pressure of studies and all, but it's also the people around us, the social scene, and the expectations that come with it. It just feels like so much sometimes."

"Yeah, it's a lot to handle. It feels like everything is just moving so fast and we're struggling to keep up with it all." "Felix says, scratching the back of his head." "But I guess it's important to not lose sight of the things and people that matter to us. Like our friendship. I miss how things used to be between us. Do you feel the same way?"

"I agree. Let's take a step back and just enjoy the present moment, just like old times. We don't have to succumb to society's expectations or anyone else's, we can just be ourselves. And yeah, the good old days were great huh?" "Felix says with a small grin, feeling a sense of relief from hearing those words." "So, what do you have planned for tonight? Maybe we can catch up and do something fun?"