Just Friends Read Online Free Page B

something caught my eye. It was a framed photo booth picture of what I assumed to be Verity’s parents. I walked over to it, wanting to examine it further. They appeared to be around the same age as me. It made me feel all warm and funny, to see them together at such a young age and still be together now. That rarely happens anymore, everyone’s too busy cheating on one another. I hope they’re still as happy now as they were in those photos.
    Max re-entered the room accompanied by two tall glasses of orange juice. “Don’t worry, I checked the carton, it’s not from concentrate.” Max once gave us a big speech about how he hated concentrated orange juice and forbid Ethan and I to drink it. I haven’t touched a single drop since.
    “What are you looking at?” He asked, nodding towards the framed picture. “I’m guessing it’s Verity’s parents. I thought it was kinda cute, they’re so young.” Max didn’t seem to share the same emotion as me. “She’s hot.”
    “I suppose so.” I sighed. To be honest, Verity’s Mum was gorgeous. Her and Verity could be twins. Her Mum’s hair is just wavier and darker.
    “Shall we find Ethan?” I asked.
    I was expecting him to have rejoined us by now. Max nodded.
    Ethan’s voice echoed throughout the room as we descended the staircase to the basement. “Pick a card, any card please.” He’d been here no longer than fifteen minutes and he’d already started performing magic tricks. Max and I gathered around the crowd of fifteen or twenty people that made up the basement population. They had formed a circle around two sofas where Ethan was sitting across from Verity, holding out a fanned deck of cards towards her. She chose a card from the deck after peering amongst them for several seconds.
    “Show everyone the card, but make sure I don’t see it. Return the card to a different place in the deck,” Ethan announced as he placed his hands over his eyes. She held the card up so everyone could see. It was the three of diamonds. She struggled to return the card back to the deck so used her other hand in support.
    “Is August here?” He asked, standing up as he surveyed the room.
    He eventually found me at the very back.
    He pointed at me. “Come forward, please.”
    I crossed my arms, slowly making my way towards him.
    “Be a dear and shuffle the cards for me, please.” He whispered in my ear. Even after all these years I’d spent with Ethan, I always struggled to shuffle a deck of cards to a decent standard. Nevertheless, I unfolded my arms, snatched the cards off him and poorly shuffled them before handing them back. He thanked me and returned to his seat on the sofa. Ethan grabbed Verity’s hands, placing the deck between them and based his hands on top of hers.
    “Your card has now vanished from the deck.”
    She stared at Ethan before she forced open her hands and searched through the deck for her card. It wasn’t there, of course.
    “How did you do that?” Her drunken state seemed to enhance the amount of disbelief. Before Ethan could reply with the corny line, magic – I interrupted. “Check your shoe, Verity.” She stood without questioning my odd comment. Flicked off one of her little blue slip-on pumps, right foot first. The vanished card wasn’t there. After discovering its emptiness, the left pump quickly flicked off into her hands. A look of distraught spread over her face. She reached into her pump, pulling out a card. It was the three of diamonds, in all its glory. Describing Verity as excited would be an understatement.
    “Oh my God, oh my God. How did you do that? That’s amazing !”
    She turned to her friends, handing them the card. They all snatched at it like it was a souvenir for them to keep. The circle gathered around went wild – clapping and cheering. Ethan bowed, before offering his hand out to me. It made me blush, but I took a small curtsy.
    “Thank you everyone. I am humbled by your appreciation and applause.” Ethan