BFFs – Chapter 1

Hey guys, this is my first ever FF. Please comment and tell me how it is. if you like it, I’ll draw up a character sketch and continue it. It’s not based on any serial and is purely my imagination. So here we go…

Chapter 1

LONDON, ENGLAND

The wind wafted in through the open window and ruffled Aaron’s short, mesmerizingly dark hair, whilst playfully whispering the song of life into his ear. But it didn’t distract his eyes from the torn and frayed picture in his hand, showing possibly the most important person in his life. The tips of his lips twitched up as he noticed her posture.

The 5 year old girl stood with a hip jutted to one side, her right arm draped across her slender body, clasping the elbow opposite. Her head drooped down to one shoulder casting her long, wavy hair onto the faded I love London t-shirt that was two sizes too big. The t-shirt was his, but she had loved it so much that he was compelled to hand it over.
The picture was taken 14 years ago, and, as Aaron noticed every day, it had never changed since the day his father took it. Apart from the fact that it was originally a photo of two people; himself and the girl. However, the side of the photo that originally held his face was long torn off, leaving just the pretty girl for him to smile at every day.
His mind drifted, like the wind in his hair, back to his childhood. Back to 14 years ago. Back to the last time he saw her. Back to Riya…

14 YEARS AGO
LUDHIANA, INDIA

The girl from the photograph runs through the whole house, creating havoc because her father didn’t give her chocolate. She tips dishes off tables, pushes plant pots over, messes up bed sheets etc….
Aaron (5 year old) comes in front of her and hugs her to stop her running. Initially she resists and tries to go on running, but she realises that Aaron’s grip is too strong for her and gives up. Aaron asks her what she was doing. She replies that she is angry with her dad. Aaron sighs and tells her that messing up the house will only make her chances of getting chocolate smaller. She asks how he knew it was about chocolate. He says he knows her really well, she was his best friend after all.

Just then, Rishi (Aaron’s dad) and Veer (Riya’s dad) walk in, arm in arm as they did every day. They were best of friends, ever since childhood. Both of their love lives had problems, with Rishi’s wife dying of cancer, and Veer’s girlfriend leaving him to live in America, because she turned her back of Riya at the last minute.
Veer looked slightly tenser that usual. The two friends sat down on the bed in front of the two children. Rishi asks veer what he wanted to tell him. Veer sighs and calls AaRiya (Aaron and Riya) up towards them. He tells them that he wants to go back to London for Riya’s education. All are shocked. Rishi and Veer break out into an argument and Aaron drags Riya outside into the garden.

They cry hugging each other. Riya pulls back and takes a small camera out of her pocket (one of those that prints the photo automatically ;)) and tells Aaron that they must take a photo. Aaron is confused, but he still does it. He laughs at her silly poses. After the photo is taken and printed, they look at it. Aaron asks her why she took a photo. She tells him it is to remember him by. Aaron gets angry and questions whether she really is going to leave him. She says she has no choice. She must listen to her dad. He asks her whether he means anything to her at all. She doesn’t answer. He grabs he photo out of her hand and tears it in half, throwing the two pieces in the air, ready to be blown away by the wind. He tells her that their friendship is over. They walk away from each other. The half of the photograph that had Riya on it blew onto Aaron’s angry face. His face softened looking at it and he turned to Riya, but she was still walking away. He kept the pic in his hand and walked away.

END OF FLASHBACK
LONDON, ENGLAND

Aaron’s trance was interrupted when his father Rishi walked into his bedroom, and said, “Aaron, I have decided, you will have to study. I can’t be an obstacle in your career. You will not suffer because of my mistakes. I have got you a place into a university, however, it is around 60 miles from here. So, I have found someone there, whose daughter attends that university. She said you can stay at her house as a paying guest until I come back and find a place for us to live in over there myself.”
Aaron turned towards him. “Where are you going?”

“I have to see if I can find Veer’s will. I have contacted the authorities and hopefully I will see Veer’s solicitor to see the will, and, hopefully, find Riya.”
Aaron turned back to the photograph. “Sure dad. Whatever you say.”
Rishi regarded his 19 year old son with sadness. He walked slowly backwards, out of the room, his lonely, big eyes filled with regret. Ever since Veer died, 5 years ago, he’d regretted his actions. He regretted the fact that he didn’t focus on his studies, the fact that he’d relied solely on Veer for money, the fact that his last sentence to Veer was ‘I hate you. Now leave me alone.’

However, he was trying to improve. He’d started taking night classes back in India, and worked 10 hours in the mornings. He made Aaron do a job at night and school hard for the journey to England. But it just wasn’t enough. It was never enough. He had to find Riya and apologise to her personally.

SAME TIME
ANOTHER PART OF LONDON (60 MILES FROM AARON AND RISHI)

The doorbell of the house rang. A middle-aged woman, of about 50, answered the door to a girl of around 19 years of age.
“Maya!” said the woman to the girl.
“Hey Nandu aunty.”
“Did I tell you? A boy is coming to our house as a paying guest tomorrow. He will attend the same university as you girls do.” said Nandu
“That’s great aunty! What’s his name?”
“Um, I think it was Aaron.” She replied. Maya was shocked to the core. She quickly asked, “Is-“but was interrupted by Nandini. “Yes.” Said Nandu. “Your BFF is upstairs in her room.”

Maya jumped for joy and ran like lightning up the stairs and into the room of possibly the most important person in her life (to the readers, where have you heard that before???)…
“Riya!” she shouted.
The now 19 year old girl in front of her turned around to meet her eyes.

As I said, please comment, even if you don’t like it, it will be good for me to improve.