Beyond Friendship

First and foremost to my three best friends who are the inspirations behind this story.

In my country, there is an old saying:

When everyone leaves you in the times of trials and turbulence, you can always rely on two persons- your neighbor and your best friend.

This story is all about friendship!

Notes from the Author:

This is a long story. If you are looking for quick actions, please don't waste your time. Just move on to some other story. Otherwise, enjoy!

As usual, all characters in this story are fictional and above 18 years of age. Any resemblance to a person, dead or alive, is completely co-incidental.

Confession from the Author:

This story is based on real characters that are part of my life. Obviously, it includes me! I know that many authors have claimed this fact in their stories. But I can't remember the last time some author made a true confession about his or her story. Anyways, I'm not going to hide anything from you. This story is based on the special bond that is shared by me and my friends. There's nothing fake or bogus about the characters and their personalities. The fact is that we are really close friends and we will always be!

As I said earlier, I don't want to tell a lie. So here's my confession:

I have made two major alterations in this story. First and foremost, the names have been changed to maintain our privacy. Secondly, I have spiced up this story with 'Sex'. That's right! In reality, we are just friends. Best friends! Nothing more than that! None of us have a physical relationship (at least not yet!). But I wish that it happens soon because I really love one of them but I just don't have the guts to tell her that I really love her. And that's why I'm writing this story. It's not just for you. It's also for me! It's my fantasy! And I hope it becomes a reality!

Enjoy!

*****

00 Friday Afternoon 00

It was 1:33 p.m. according to the digital wall clock. In short, it was lunch time! Students were pouring into the large cafeteria situated on the ground floor of the B-School. According to the National B-School Accreditation Committee, it was classified under the 'Cluster 4' Category out of all the B-Schools in the country. And it was among the popular B-School in the country that provided M.B.A. Degree in Capital Markets. On an all, being a student of this B-School was definitely something to be proud of.

Lunch time was the best part of the day (as far as the students were concerned). They could hang out with their friends and enjoy the much needed 1 hour break. No one to tell them what to do, no more boring lectures by renounced entrepreneurs, no special assignments or projects, no critical analysis, no tedious calculations and no more heavy books!

Only a few tables away from the cafeteria counter, a student was sitting on the chair, rotating the empty glass on the table. He was waiting for his friends who were standing at the counter and placing their orders. Usually, he would feel a bit bored. But today, he was in high spirits because he had achieved something which he desperately wanted. And luckily, he didn't have to wait at the table for eternity. Within a few minutes, he was joined by two of his classmates- a guy and a girl.

They were enjoying their lunch, discussing random subjects but somehow they ended up talking about some lame professor who they disliked the most.

*****

Only 30 feet away, a hot girl stormed into the cafeteria from the main gate. The B-School had strict rules for dress code but today was Friday- the day when the dress code was not applicable. And that is why she was wearing a short black skirt that barely reached down to the middle of her thighs, displaying her smooth slender legs that merged into a tight round ass. She was slim, curvy and fairly tall (5'6''). Her emerald green eyes always had a unique sparkle in them. The jet black hair perfectly framed her face as they gently dropped down, past her shoulders. She was wearing her favorite charms bracelet in her left hand. Her neck was embraced by the short silver chain with a tiny silver butterfly studded with American diamonds. It displayed her class and taste for expensive jewellery. The lemon yellow top tightly hugged her body, allowing her 34-C breasts to make a bold statement to the onlookers.

And indeed there were plenty of spectators. As she made her way through the ocean of tables, every pair of eyes shamelessly checked her out, including the girls. And she liked it. No, she loved it. That was the reason why she wore such teasing outfits on Fridays. She always wanted to be the hive for the horny 'honeybee' guys. As far as girls were concerned, she just enjoyed the look of jealousy on their faces when their boyfriends temporarily ignored them whenever she was around.

Normally, she would have flirted in the cafeteria with guys (right in front of their girlfriends) by lightly tapping them on their heads or brushing their hair while walking past them. But not today! Her mood was spoiled. She was furious and her blood was boiling.

Finally, she reached the table where the 'trio' was sitting.

*****

"Get up!" she said in a chillingly harsh tone. It was more like a command. She was standing next to the guy who was earlier waiting for his friends and playing with the empty glass.

The moment he heard that voice, he froze on his seat. He was not expecting her to join them. At least not toady. At least not during the lunch time! How did she get here?

Looking up, he saw the wrathful glare. He knew there was no way out. He knew there was only one option. He had to face her. No, he had to fight with her.

So he confidently got up and stood in front of her. Immediately, the fog began to lift and the war had started between her emerald green eyes and his deep blues ones. He was not afraid of her. He didn't care if she was hot and sexy. That didn't make him look like a lame loser in front of her. Definitely not! He knew that he was handsome. No, he was a 'stud'. At least, that's what the girls whispered to each other on his back. And it was true!

Standing at 5'8'', he had a strong athletic body. Slightly muscular, to be precise. His deep blue eyes mesmerized the girls around the campus. Not to mention a couple of female professors as well. His dark black hair was messed up. But it was intentionally kept that way. He thought it would make him look more appetizing. And it sure did!

"It's almost 2:00 p.m." she snapped. Her tone was rising.

"So?" he replied flatly as if he didn't really care.

"I'll miss my lunch because of you."

"Well it's too bad for you. I was really enjoying the chilly cheese hot dog and French fries."

She just couldn't believe that he actually said that. She was suffering from the wound. How could he say that? How could he spray salt on her wound?

"I forgot to mention the chilled soda. It's terrific!" he added fuel to the fire, making her more annoyed.

She knew he was purposely saying that. He was trying to make her mad. But she was not going to stand there and listen to his crap. She was going to insult him in front of the whole crowd. Well, at least she could try.

"You're a loser!"

"You're a bitch!" he replied in an equally harsh tone.

"You're a bloody loser!"

"You're a bloody bitch!"

This was not helping her. She was still fuzzy and annoyed with him. His deep blue eyes were digging into her, clearly declaring that he was winning this battle without any effort.

"I hate you...you fucking bastard!"

"I hate you more than you hate me...you fucking slut!"

That's it. This was getting out of control. She was not going to win. At least, not today! There was only one thing left to do. And she did that. She turned around and stormed out of the cafeteria.

It was not a surprise or a shock to anyone sitting in the cafeteria. Not to the two friends who were still sitting at the table and neither to any of the students who just witnessed this cold war.

Smiling at his victory, the guy joined the two classmates and took the final bite of the chilly cheese hot dog. And it tasted amazing! There was an additional flavor in it. The flavor of victory! Flawless victory!

*****

Only 20 feet away from the table, the two lunch ladies had witnessed the cold war between the two students. They were standing at the counter, watching them as they fought like enemies. It was half an hour since the lunch break had started so they didn't have any orders to attend.

One of them was Selena. She had just started working there and it was her first day at the counter. She was really surprised to see the two M.B.A. students fighting like that in front of everyone. But she was shocked when she heard them using those slang words. It was a big shock. She knew that a fight between a guy and girl was normal. It was not a big deal. But they were not college students. They were B-School students. She always thought that B-School students were more mature. But she had just discovered how wrong she was!

It was not her nature to interfere between two unknown persons or inquire about them. But interestingly, she wanted to know why they were fighting. She wanted to know something about them. But more than that, she wanted to know something about that guy. He was so hot. Damn! He was the hottest guy she had ever seen in her life!

"Looks like the two have a big issue to settle," Selena said, all of a sudden. And it caught the attention of her senior- Veronica.

Veronica was 32 years old. She had been working at the cafeteria counter for more than 7 years and last year she had been promoted to the post of the Purchasing Manager who was responsible for placing the purchase orders for the cafeteria.

"Are you talking about the two students who just had a fight over there?" Veronica pointed to the table where the trio was still chatting.

"Yes."

The moment Selena confirmed, Veronica couldn't hold back her laughter. Selena stared at her with confused expressions on her face. Why was she laughing? Selena was sure that she had said everything loud and clear. What was wrong?

Finally, Veronica managed to calm down herself. "I'm sorry, honey. But when you said that the two had a 'serious issue', I just..."

She started laughing again. This time it was not as loud as earlier but it was definitely more irritating for Selena. Veronica was laughing as if she heard some kind of joke. A joke which Selena couldn't understand! And it was torturing her. Veronica was laughing like a clown. Thank God, no one was watching her!

"Will you stop that?"

Veronica saw the glint of irritation in Selena's eyes as she stared at her. Taking a deep breath, she replied in her normal voice. "Okay, I'm really sorry, dear. Let me put it this way. Watching the two fighting in this cafeteria is like...finding sand on a beach or...finding water in a well. There's nothing surprising about that. It's very common. And there's definitely not a 'serious issue' between them."

Selena was getting more and more anxious now. What was Veronica trying to say? All of a sudden, Selena wanted to know more. She wanted to know everything that Veronica knew about the two.

"Who are they?"

"Are you getting desperate to know them?" Veronica taunted.

"Yes! I mean...No!"

Shit! She was acting like a fool. Selena was blushing at her stupid reply. Her face was probably 10 shades of red. And her cheeks were flushing.

"His name is Mike. He's 22 years old and he's a first year student!"

"Oh."

"He's cute, isn't he?"

And for the second time, Selena lost control over her tongue. "Are you kidding me? He's not cute! He's hot! He's a total stud!"

Oh God! She did it again. What was she doing? She was talking about a hot guy in front of her senior. And that too, on her very first day at work! She was on the verge of creating a new world record for getting fired on the first day at work because she was talking shamelessly to her senior about a hot guy who was sitting in front of her.

"It's okay, honey!" Veronica said in a comforting tone when she saw the fear and embarrassment on Selena's face. "I know he's hot. And you're just 20 years old. I can understand your reactions. Now don't feel shy. He's hot and sexy and you're hot and sexy too! I was expecting that reaction from you."

Selena couldn't believe Veronica was so straightforward and cool. She was definitely not like a normal senior who would act like a bitch and wait for every single opportunity to make a hell out of her junior's life. And she felt ecstatic. But more than that, Selena felt she was the luckiest girl in the world to get a senior like Veronica.

"Do you know why I laughed at you when you said that the two had a 'serious issue' between them?" Veronica asked.

Selena knew she was nowhere close to the answer. But she wanted to know it. She wanted to know everything Veronica knew about that hot guy.

"No! Why were you laughing?"

"Because...they are best friends!"

"What?"

Veronica's answer hit Selena like a punch. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She was sure that she must have heard it wrong. How could it be possible? They were fighting like enemies! It just couldn't be possible! It was insane!

"They were fighting like cats and dogs!" Selena stated in utter disbelief.

"I know! That's what they always do! The girl's name is Sheryl. She's also 22 years old and...both of them are classmates! The whole B-School knows that Mike and Sheryl are best friends. They've been friends since the last six months when they joined the B-School. I swear that I haven't seen such a bond between two friends. They are made for each other. No one can break their friendship."

Selena felt a surge of excitement after listening to the revelation. But it didn't calm down her senses. She wanted to know more than that. She wanted to learn everything about them!

"Why was she mad at him?" Selena asked.

Veronica chuckled at her question. "Mike must have played some stupid prank on Sheryl. They always do that to each other. It's very common. They always look for an opportunity to pull each others legs. It's like a hobby. They come together in the morning, play some stupid prank on each other by noon, fight like enemies during lunch time and by the time the last lecture ends at 5:00 pm...they come back here...laugh and talk to each other as if they never had a fight."

"And how do you know all this?" Selena asked with a doubt in her mind.

"Honey, I've been watching them for six months. And...I've worked with Mike on a silly prank to irritate Sheryl."

"What! Wow! You are so cool, Veronica!"

"Thank you, sweetie!"

There was a momentary pause before Veronica continued, "Anyways, they are not just two...they are four!"

Selena gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"You see that guy sitting next to Mike? His name is Zack!"

Selena quickly turned her head and glanced at the table where the trio was still talking to each other. And immediately, she saw Zack. For several seconds, Selena gazed intently at Zack. He was sweet. He was beyond cute! Although Mike was hot, Zack was simply cute. He was like a 'boy-next-door' with a cute chocolate face and a melting smile that girls liked so much. He had dark black hair and a slim body and looked like a lover boy.

"The girl sitting next to Zack...her name is Jennifer!"

Selena slightly shifted her gaze from Zack until her eyes were fixed on the cute brunette. She was an angel. She was not hot and sexy. She was cute and sexy! Jennifer had natural dark brownish hair that was smooth and straight with a natural glitter. She had kept her hair cropped at her shoulders which gave her a unique look and personality. Jennifer was wearing a peacock blue low cut tank top that teasingly showed her cleavage. Immediately, Selena's eyes dropped down to Jennifer's breasts. She knew Jennifer had bigger tits than her 34-Cs. From her lingerie shopping experiences, Selena confidently judged that Jennifer was a 34-D.

But Selena couldn't see further down Jennifer's breasts because the table was blocking the view. But she knew Jennifer was wearing a 'monkey wash' black jeans because the bottom of her legs were visible under the table.

Selena was lost in her thoughts as she continued to look intently at Jennifer. But her thoughts were cracked when Veronica startled her.

"She's cute and sexy, isn't she?"

Selena had no answer. She was stuck by a lightning when she heard that. And for the second time, her face went red. She was way too embarrassed for checking out Jennifer like that. She had never done that before. She had never checked out a girl with so much precision. Of course, she had always compared a girl's breasts with hers. But it was always out of natural curiosity or perhaps even jealousy. Nothing more than that! Definitely, not in a sexual way! That's for sure! Even her best friend and room mate was bi-sexual but Selena had always kept strict boarders when it came to touching and fooling around with each other.

Veronica paused for a moment to give Selena a few seconds to recover from her embarrassment. Selena was looking at the floor, intentionally trying to hide the embarrassment on her face. For several seconds, she didn't look up. Finally, when awkwardness faded away, Selena looked up and saw Veronica calculating the totals of the bills.

"The four of them are classmates and they are best friends!" Veronica continued without looking at Selena. "They are known as the 'awesome foursome' around the campus. I can't remember the last time anyone saw them alone...except for the small gap of time when either Mike or Sheryl would play their pranks on each other. But otherwise, they always stick together."

*****

On the table, Mike, Zack and Jennifer were still chatting. Mike and Zack had finished their lunch long while ago but Jennifer, as always, was eating less and talking more.

"What did you do this time, Mike?" Jennifer asked as she took a bite of her 'health conscious' continental salad.

"How can you blame me?"

Dazed! Both Zack and Jennifer stared at Mike with a defiant glare that silently said 'we know it was you'.

"Okay, fine! It was me. Now, stop staring at me like owls."

"What was it this time?" Zack asked.

Mike took an excited breath and sat up straight on his chair. "When we were coming downstairs after that boring O.C. lecture to get here for lunch, I told Sheryl that a guy desperately wanted to meet her alone in the fourth floor classroom, remember?"

Jennifer and Zack nodded in confirmation.

"Well, actually..." Mike grinned wickedly. "No one had called her there!"

"What?" Jennifer's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Ssshhh..." Zack interrupted her. "Let him speak, Jen!"

"Anyways," Mike continued. "I read this circular on the notice board in the morning and it stated that the library staff required 10 students to help them shift the old books. The interested students were required to meet Professor Spouse in the fourth floor classroom."

Zack and Jennifer looked dumb folded at Mike when they understood his ingenious plan.

"You mean..."

"Yes!" Mike confirmed before Zack could complete. "Let's just put it this way. While we are enjoying the lunch, she is lifting those heavy books and shifting them from one place to another."

"Dude, you're awesome!"

"Shut up!" Jennifer snapped. "You guys are jerks!"

"Then why don't you leave us alone?" Mike countered with a grin.

Jennifer had no reply so she returned to her salad. She knew it was not possible to leave them alone. She couldn't to that. They were best friends. They were the 'awesome foursome'. She couldn't break the group and leave the three behind with a tag of 'tragedy trio'. No, she could never do that.

"When will she get back?" Zack asked.

"Well, the circular stated that they required help till the end of the day. So, she's going to work there till 5:00 pm."