Malcolm opened the dark green framed door to the Third Street Diner, one of Malcolm’s favorite spots in Boston. He smiled to himself as he brushed his boots off and unwrapped his navy scarf. The diner used to be the go-to spot on campus when Malcolm was in school. All the university students went there for study sessions, dates, late night coffee binges, and of course a great place to hang out with friends. The waitress came over to the door. She was young and lanky with green eyes, but an overly friendly smile.
“Hi, cold out isn’t it?” She asked nodding towards the window with her head. Malcolm gave her a small smile in reply. “Welcome to the Third Street Diner. Will you be eating in or would you like to look at our take out menu?”
“Umm..a table for two please? Is there anyway that we could be seated at the one near the window behind the front counter?”
The girl nodded as she grabbed two menus and motioned for Malcolm to follow her. Malcolm thanked her.
“Is there anything I could get you to start with, sir?”
Malcolm chuckled to himself. Sir, he thought, damn I must be getting old.
“I’ll take a house coffee blend, black, with six sugars on the side, please.”
He got comfortable in his seat that was angled towards the front door. Once she left, Malcolm lifted up the napkin dispenser and smiled. He traced the message that Aria had carved into the table all those years ago: MRF + AMS = Friends Forever. The words had faded in the wood, but the fact that it was still “their” table, gave Malcolm some comfort. Not even a minute after Malcolm had settled in, the door swung open. Malcolm perked up thinking she had arrived, but shoulders dropped as he watched a man in a black pea coat briskly walk through the tiny restaurant on Third Street. The man was focused on a woman sitting at a table hugging the back wall of the shop. He did not look at anyone or get in line for a coffee; he just kept his eyes fixed on his target. He held the Boston Globe in one hand as he effortlessly slipped his jacket off and tucked it under his arm, while he continued to make his way. He stopped when he reached where the red headed woman was sitting by herself. Her coffee was cold and the crumbs from a long gone pastry were scattered. She was playing with the sugar packets as she hunched over the table made for two. The man with the newspaper leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, but she drew away. Malcolm continued to watch the man whisper something in the woman’s ear and kissed her softly on the forehead before sitting down. The couple laughed together now. Malcolm shook his head in disbelief at how easy the man made a happy ending look.
Malcolm stirred another packet of sugar into his coffee. He checked his watch. She was late, as always. At least some things stay the same, Malcolm thought. It had been a little over six months since they had last seen each other, and even longer since they had met at the diner on Third Street. The last time they had been at the diner was about four months after graduation, before Malcolm had gotten busy with his family, internship, and Jenny. Everytime he tried to call Aria in the last year, she had school, was moving apartments, or under the weather. They had still tried to keep in contact, but Malcolm was worried that their busy schedules would keep them from being as close as they once were.
Malcolm took out his phone and checked his email. There was a couple messages from his boss, some friends that he used to skate with, the caterer, and a very long email from his mother with the subject heading: “have you told her yet???” He rolled his eyes. Since her recent retirement, Malcolm’s mother had been sending emails non-stop to keep involved in her youngest son’s life. His mother was the one who suggested telling Aria the news in person. You two have been close for so long, she needs to hear you say it face-to-face, she had said. He sighed, as he was about to hit the reply button, a pair of gray gloves covered his eyes.
“Hey there, handsome,” Aria said as she sat down in the empty chair across from Malcolm. “Sorry, I’m late; there was just so much traffic from the doctors office and I got red lipstick on my favorite white sweater, such a tragedy.” Aria pouted and unbuttoned her coat as she waved the waitress over.
“Wait, the doctor’s office? Is everything alright?” Malcolm asked as he felt the coffee’s heat pleasantly burn down his throat. She waved him off and pursed her lips.
“It was just a routine check up. Anyways, I’m still trying to learn my way around from my new apartment. It is so cute! I hung all these pictures from college up. You’re even in a couple. You have to come visit soon, Mackey.”
“Give me a date and I’ll be there.” They sat in silence for a moment, awkwardly smiling at each other. Malcolm had missed his best friend. After he had gotten his internship, he could feel their relationship dwindling. He had tried his best to keep in contact, but it was hard when he felt like he was the only one working on their relationship. “I’m surprised you cut your hair, Silver. It looks nice though. It’s really short but it looks good on you.”
Her eyes widened almost as if she forgot that her hair was short. Aria ran her fingers through her short curly bob. “So, you don’t mind if we order, now? I didn’t have time to eat this morning. I’m starving.”
“What can I get for you two?” The waitress said taking out her small pad.
“Can I have the All-American cheeseburger with fries and extra pickles on the side.” Malcolm decided closing his menu firmly.
“Ooo, that sounds good,” Aria groaned while still glancing over the options. “The chef’s special salad; is it possible to get that without corn? And to not cook the chicken in vegetable oil.”
The waitress nodded as she scribbled down Aria’s instructions on her pad.
“ I thought you said you were starving? And since when does Aria Silver eat a salad?” Malcolm teased. Aria just stuck her tongue out at Malcolm.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” The waitress said, “ I’m sure your boyfriend will let you snack on his fries.”
“Oh we’re not---” Malcolm started to say before Aria interrupted him.
“Couple or not,” she said looking at the waitress, winking, “I still get his fries.”
They both laughed as the waitress left to put their order in. That was the thing Malcolm loved the most about Aria, she knew how to make everyone feel comfortable. Her energy was so lively, that the diner became more energetic along with her. The conversations were jolly and strangers smiled at each other in passing. Aria Silver knew how to own a room. Although she was beautiful, in every aspect of the word, Malcolm knew it was so much more than her looks that made Aria different than all the other girls that they used to go to school with.
The first time he saw her was move in day six years prior. His parents had just left after a very long goodbye. His mother kept repeating how much she was going to miss her baby. Malcolm’s cheeks grew hot as his mother tightened her grip on him, blocking the entrance into the hallway of his floor. Malcolm had always been closer to his mother than his father. He remembered the awkward embrace he had shared with his dad before walking his parents out of the building. Malcolm knew his dad wanted him to focus on school, and be more liked Colin. His older brother, Colin, already had a family of his own and was working what their father would call a “successful” job on Wall Street.
“Now, Malcolm, you keep making me proud you hear?” His mother choked through her tears as she rolled down the car window for one final goodbye. “Try new things, meet new people, and keep being sweet, but don’t let people take advantage of your kind soul, sweetie.”
“Relax, Sharon,” Malcolm’s father started the car. “Malcolm you’re an adult now, what your mom means to say is take care of yourself. And remember, less skating, more studying.”
And with that his parents had driven off. Malcolm walked to the front of his freshman dormitory. There had been an assembly line full of jam packed cars, unpacking suitcases, boxes, and everything else first year students would need during their first time away from home. Malcolm lit a cigarette and sat down on one of the benches on the front lawn. The smoke was clouded around him like an invisible cloak, preventing him from breaking out of his comfort zone and making any real interactions with the people around him. He thought about his mother’s last minute advice. He was confused. Malcolm had never seen his charismatic personality as a hinder when making relationships. He thought it was a good thing that he was always looking out for others; not something to be worried about.
A horn blared, that woke Malcolm from his thoughts. He turned back to the drop off line and noticed a girl with dark skin and curly wild black hair. It tumbled down her back and the curls moved in all different directions with the wind. She was wearing dark jeans that came up to the mid of her waist. Her green shirt with the word “Boss” was tucked into her pants. She was getting out of a yellow taxicab and struggling to pull her suitcases out of the trunk. The cab driver sat in the front seat counting the cash that had just been given to him. The cars behind the cab were restless, honking, and trying to move around the girl. Malcolm stomped on the cigarette dissolving the cloud of smoke around him and made his way over to the girl.
“Do you want some help?” He asked reaching for the biggest suitcase in the trunk of the cab.
“It’s about time,” she said. She had a slight southern drawl. “You know, this is some kind of welcome committee. I’ve been out here for some time now. Ya’ll really need to work on your welcome here. I thought the RA’s were supposed to be more helpful with the moving in process?”
She threw the last of her suitcases on the curb. She banged on the trunk of the taxi twice, and the driver sped off. The girl stared at Malcolm with one hand on her hip. He could not help but smile at the burst of energy she had, even if it seemed to be negative and pointed at him. He stuck his hand to greet her, but she just stared at it unphased. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. A nervous laugh escaped from his lips at her arched eyebrows and her judgmental face.
“I’m not a RA,” he said. “I am a first year student too. I just figured you might want some help carrying all these bags up to your room.”
She looked at him skeptically before breaking out laughing. She threw her head back and opened her mouth wide, showing all of her pearly teeth.
“Well, this is embarrassing. I guess sometimes I come on a little too strong. I’m Aria Silver.”
“Malcolm Foster, but don’t worry,” he flashed a smile at the pretty girl, “it was a good first impression. Nice shirt by the way, it suits you.”
“I was going to buy the one that said, “killin’ em” but I figured that it might send the wrong impression on my first day.” She winked.
And that was all it took for Malcolm to fall in love with Aria. He carried her bags up to her room on the third floor that morning. They unpacked as Aria talked about her family back in Atlanta, Georgia. She told him about her two older brothers, Aaron and Adam, and her younger sister, Alisha. She went on about her father’s production company and her mother’s hair salon. Malcolm was so intrigued sitting on the edge of her bed, surprised that someone he had just met was letting him into her life.
Malcolm told Aria about his overprotective mother and his father who seemed to never seemed to show what his emotions really were. Aria moved around the room like an energizer bunny, never fully standing still when she listened to him. As she pushed a big suitcase full of winter clothes under her bed, Aria’s head knocked over her purse that was resting on the edge of her bed and all the contents fell out.
“S***.” She murmured.
“Don’t worry, I got it.” Malcolm had already jumped from the bed and picked up the scattered items on the floor. His eyes rested on three orange pill bottles that had fallen under her roommates bed. He reached under and collected them. Aria snatched the pills out of Malcolm’s outstretched hand so fast, that he pulled back in surprise.
“Sorry,” her face was flushed as she put the pills in a drawer of her desk. When she turned around, she had collected herself and a devilishly-inviting was on herface. “You know I’m a drug dealer in my spare time.”
“Oh nice, a casual drug dealer on the side of student.” Malcolm laughed going along with her joke. She changed the subject talking about the freshmen orientation they had to attend the next day. He could tell that this was Aria’s way of saying don’t ask about my medicine.Malcolm watched her talk. She was so beautiful, Malcolm could not believe that someone as beautiful as Aria was talking to him. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. There was nothing extraordinary about him. His brown hair was shaved into a standard military cut. He watched Aria’s eyes glance over him as she finally sunk into the chair at her desk. He knew she was looking at the full sleeve tattoo that was peeking out from his red and white baseball t-shirt. Or maybe she was looking at the gauges in both of his ears. He wondered what she thought about them. Did she think that they were gross? Or would she not care about these sort of things?
“You’re a sweetheart.” She said suddenly. Her gaze was so intent on Malcolm that he started to squirm being under her microscope. “My oldest brother, Aaron, warned me about the guys like you.”
“Guys like me?” He asked cautiously.
“The sweet white frat boys. He said they will tell me anything just to get into bed with me.”
Aria stopped her sentence short. Malcolm stared into her brown eyes with the tiny green specks. He knew at that moment, he wanted nothing more but the respect of the girl sitting in front of him.
“Well first off, I’m not the fraternity type. And second, if I’m making you uncomfortable, I can leave…” Malcolm let his voice trail off, hoping that she would not kick him out. Aria opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted as the door to the room swung open. A petite platinum blonde girl was holding the door open with her backside, while yanking a trunk inside the room. Everything about her was pink from the headband, to her sweater-set, designer flats, and even her luggage. Malcolm and Aria exchanged a quick look. Malcolm had to bite his lip to keep from bursting out laughing.
“Oh my God! You must be my roommate, Aria Silver from Atlanta, Georgia!” The girl dropped the trunk and pulled Aria off her bed to wrap her in a hug. Aria eyes squinted as if she was in pain at the tight intimate connection. Malcolm broke out into a goofy smile at the look of pure terror painted on Aria’s face. The girl turned and looked at Malcolm. He was surprised when she smiled and then hugged him too. “So are you Aria’s boyfriend? Do you go here? Or are you just dropping her off? I’m Rachel, but all my friends back home call me Rachey.”
Aria and Malcolm exchanged a look again before their laughter filled the room. The tense feelings that Aria had wanted Malcolm to leave the room had left his mind by now. In fact, he could see it in her eyes that she was begging him to stay.
“Uh no. I live downstairs. Aria and I just met a couple hours ago.”
“Really?” The blonde exclaimed. “That’s like so cool. Awe, I could totally see you guys as that couple that makes it all the way from freshmen year to marriage.” Rachel squealed. “Aria! I could be your maid of honor, wouldn’t that be so cute?!”
“Totally, Rachey! Mackey and I would like totally love that!” Aria said in a mockingly excited voice that was only brought to Malcolm's attention. Malcolm nodded enthusiastically to keep from laughing at Aria’s high pitched squeal.
“So perfect! Okay, I’m going to get the rest of my stuff but then we can all sit and chat! We’re going to have so much fun this year!”
“Bye Rachey!” Malcolm called after the hyper blonde skipping out of the room. He turned to Aria and gave her a look. “Mackey? Really, Aria, you called me, Mackey? Come on, that’s what my grandma used to call me.”
She shrugged. “It just rolled off my tongue so easily! But hey I think it suits you, Mackey.”
A playful smile crept up on Aria’s face as she began to tease him. She started by whispering her adored new nickname for her new friend. Malcolm chucked a pillow at her head as she continued to chant “Mackey-Mac-Mac-Mackey” getting louder each time. It didn’t take long for the two to realize that their friendship was special. Malcolm was used to looking out for all of his friends, being the voice of reason. Aria was different, in the way that she knew how to take care of herself. Besides maybe his mother, Malcolm had never met a woman so independent and not afraid to speak her mind.
Aria and Malcolm had stayed friends all throughout college. They had both decided to stay in Boston after they graduated. Aria was now in her second year of graduate school for physical therapy. She always dreamed of opening her own practice focused on helping athletes. Malcolm was working for an advertising company called Common Practice. Malcolm and Aria had come a long way from the six years before on the quad. The two of them had been quite a team. They had pulled countless “all-nighters”, a road trip to Florida for spring break, and Malcolm had even been Aria’s date to one of her sororities social events.
During their senior year, Aria’s boyfriend, Robbie, had just dumped her for a perky, blonde freshman. After a week of tears, the cheesy romantic-comedies, and dying her black hair to the brown and blonde, she finally started trying to act like herself. To keep herself distracted, Aria threw herself into planning her sorority’s benefit dinner. The event was planned out with every detail; every I was dotted and every T was crossed. It was not until the night before the dinner when she was going over last minute details, that one of her sisters asked whom she was bringing as her date.
Malcolm listened to Aria list all the guys she could ask to be her date. And then directly followed by all the reasons why they couldn’t be her date. She sat down on his bed the night before the dinner and groaned.
“I’ll go with you,” Malcolm said throwing a tennis ball against the wall of his apartment. Aria stared at Malcolm with her mouth open. “What?”
“You hate suits.”
“I know.”
“And you hate sorority girls. And parties. And---”
“Aria, you need a date, but you don’t want to actually go on a date. Just a friend helping out another friend.”
Aria sighed and a smile crossed over her face. “Thank you, I owe you Mackey.”
That Saturday night, Mackey reached into the back of his closet for his one suit. He scratched off the spot on his blue tie and left to pick up Aria. He still remembered the black strapless dress that she wore and how her lips were stained the color of blood. Malcolm hated when she straightened her hair, so that night she let it go wild. She was standing in her living room waiting when he arrived. Her muscles relaxed as he wrapped her in a hug. Aria gave him a dramatic look over and brushed some imaginary dirt off his shoulder.
“You clean up nice, Foster,” she had said as they walked out the door towards the banquet hall.
The actual dinner party was a blur. They got drunk, danced, and they made fun of the whiny girls in too short of dress that could not walk in their stilettos. At the end of the night, the two stumbled back to Malcolm’s apartment and lay out on the couch. His roommate, Nick laughed as the two drunken friends talked in loud whispers.
“Finally!” Nick yelled as he walked up the stairs to his room.
“Finally what, Nick?” Aria asked when she finally caught her breath.
“You guys finally went on a date. We’ve all been waiting!”
Nick’s voiced trailed off as the door to his room upstairs closed. Malcolm’s eyes were barely staying open as he played with Aria’s hair. He rested his head in her lap like a puppy. She smiled.
“Aria Michelle Silver,” Malcolm slurred. She laughed at the use of her full name.
“Yes, Malcolm Richard Foster,” she teased.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Mackey. I can honestly say you’re like my best---”
“No, Aria we’re not just friends. There has always been something between us. I’m in love with you, Aria Silver.”
His voice had started to drift off as he fell into a deep sleep. Aria never mentioned that night to Malcolm, so he just pretended that he had blacked out. He could not help but wonder, even after all these years, how Aria really felt about those three powerful words that had escaped from his lips.
The waitress sat Aria’s coffee down first. Malcolm knew without even asking that it was a mocha latte with an extra shot of espresso and extra foam. He watched her dip her finger in the foam and eat it quickly before it dripped on the table.
“Alright, here’s the cheeseburger with the side of fries. And the chef’s special salad. Can I get you guys anything else?”
“I think we’re good, thank you,” Malcolm said taking a big bite out of his burger. He handed it towards Aria. “You sure you don’t want some? Come on, you’re the one who used to say that salad wasn’t a real meal.”
“I’m okay thanks,” Aria picked at the spinach leaves on her plate and forced a smile.
Malcolm looked at Aria and thought about that night on his couch two years ago.
“Do you remember your senior benefit dinner?”
Aria laughed. “Oh god! I try to forget about it! I was such a nervous wreck before you came and saved me.” She reached across the table and gingerly touched Malcolm’s hand for a moment before picking up her fork again. “What about it?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking about all the fun we used to have together. I wish we hadn’t lost touch.”
Aria turned and pulled her phone out of her purse. Malcolm popped a couple of fries in his mouth as she scrolled through picture albums on her phone. When she turned the phone around to the photo she was looking for, Malcolm choked out a small laugh. It was a picture from that night. It looked like Aria had taken the picture of the two of them herself. Their faces took up most of the screen. The picture was incredible blurry, but not enough to make it indistinguishable. Her smile looked a little sad as she stared desperately at the photo.
“You look exactly the same, Mackey.”
Malcolm grabbed the phone and looked. “No way! I’m definitely hotter now. You changed a lot though.”
“I did not!”
It was Malcolm’s turn to arch an eyebrow at his friend. “Really? First off you cut your hair. That was like huge! And you’ve lost a lot of weight, almost too much, man. Are you still getting over the flu you had a couple weeks ago?”
“I’m fine. How’s Sharon doing?” There she went again, Malcolm thought. Aria always changed the subject when it was something that made her uncomfortable.
“My mom? She’s doing good. She says hi and that there is an open invitation to our house for dinner.”
“Of course, I’d love to see her. How are you guys doing since...your dad and all?”
Malcolm’s father had passed away at the end of last year. It was the last time that Aria had seen Malcolm’s family. Malcolm remembered how Aria had held his hand throughout the funeral. She was the shoulder he cried on behind closed doors. Malcolm felt for the envelope in his coat pocket. He had been trying to read Aria all day, but she had always been better at reading people than him.
“Mackey?” Aria placed a hand on his forearm that lay across the table. The blood rushed through his body as their skin touched. “Are you feeling okay? You look like you’re going to puke.”
He nodded. Then cleared his throat a couple times.
“We’re doing fine. We just miss seeing you around, Silver. I’m glad that you came today.” He looked at the girl that he had fallen in love with six years ago. He knew that once he shared the news with her, there was no taking it back. Their relationship would change forever. Malcolm could not believe how much the two of them had grown over the years, but it was time to stop living in the past. Aria’s smile widened.
“What do you have to tell me, Mackey? I know you must have some big news.”
“I don’t really know what happened to us this past year, you always seemed too busy and I didn’t want to push you. But I do wish we hadn’t gotten so caught up with...with life I guess.” Malcolm paused reaching into his coat to pull out the envelope. He held it in his hands and could not force himself to lookup. “I know I should have told you sooner. I really don’t have an excuse of why I kept this from you. I guess...maybe I just didn’t want to change anything between us.”
“You’re right, it’s my fault that we haven’t talked much. I’m sorry.”
“It’s no one’s fault. But the least I could do was give you this in person, Aria.”
Aria grabbed the cream colored envelope from Malcolm’s hand. Her bony wrist grazed his hand. Aria Michelle Silver was written in professional calligraphy in the center of the envelope. She glanced up at Malcolm with her ever-familiar one eyebrow arched before tearing it open.
“You are cordially invited to celebrate the...the wedding of Jennifer Elizabeth Johnson and Malcolm Richard Foster on the date of Saturday, August 14th, 2014 at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.”
Aria rested the envelope in front of her. For the first time since Malcolm had known Aria, he felt the energy in the room getting grim. She widened her glassy brown eyes with the tiny green specks, before she looked up and smiled.
“How are you two doing over here?” The waitress asked appearing out of thin air. Malcolm sent her away, with a wave of his hand. His eyes were glued to Aria’s lips, waiting for her reply.
“Congratulations, Mackey,” she swallowed the tears. “I’m so happy for you. But...Malcolm I don’t think I can come to your wedding.”
Aria’s words hung in the air. At the back of the diner, the man with the newspaper helped his girlfriend put her coat on. He draped an arm around her and guided the redhead out of the cafe and onto Third Street. Malcolm watched them kiss at the door and the love in their eyes. He turned his attention back to Aria, who stared at the invitation almost as if she could not fathom its existence.
“What do you mean you can’t come to my wedding? I know I was a little late getting the invitation to you, but I need you there, Aria. I still think of you as my best friend and I...I can’t imagine you not being there.”
The tears rolled down Aria’s cheeks. Malcolm had only seen Aria cry once in six years. He grabbed her hand and cupped it between both of his palms. She took her free hand and traced the cheesy message engraved into the table.
“MRF and AMS are Friends Forever,” she whispered. A sickly chuckle came from her throat. “I guess this is karma. I’m sorry, I was just trying to protect you.”
“Aria, slow down. What are you talking about?”
“Malcolm,” she choked. ‘I have leukemia.”
His eyes locked on the beautiful girl sitting across from him. As soon as the word left Aria’s lips, all six years of their friendship flashed before his eyes. He tightened his grip on her hand.
“No. No, you can’t. You’re only twenty-four. You’ve always been healthy.” Malcolm’s mind flashed back to the first day they had met and all the pill bottles she had dropped. He thought about her weight loss and seeing the ghostly features in her sunken cheeks, for the first time. It would explain why her lunch was so specific, instead of the usual chicken wings, fries and a latte she used to get. He understood why she had cut her beloved mane now. Malcolm did not want the news to be true, but all the signs were there. He needed Aria to be the strong one. “This isn’t funny, Aria.”
“I wish I was joking, Mackey. I really wish I were, but this stuff happens. All through college, the cancer was dormant, but it started up again about eight months ago. I start heavy chemotherapy on the first of August. I don’t know how my body is going to take the medicine, so I can’t get your hopes up and tell you I’ll be there. Plus,” Aria forced a smile through the tears that now were steadily falling. “I dont want to take any attention away from you and Jen on your day.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Aria?”
“I guess I was in denial. I saw my doctor last week and he said it’s spreading. I was there again this morning. You’re the only person besides my family that knows about the cancer. I don’t like being treated different or looked at as weak.”
Malcolm did not know when he started to cry but all the sudden he was sobbing uncontrollably. Aria stood up from her chair and kneeled next to him on the floor. Malcolm hated that she was taking care of him again. He knew it was his turn. She took his hands and kissed them softly. He buried his head on her shoulder. Malcolm shook violently. When he opened his mouth to speak, no words came out.
“Everything is going to be alright, Mackey. I need you to be strong for me. Jen needs you, sweetie, she needs all of you. I’m always going to love you, but we need to let each other go, Mackey.”
In a matter of minutes the wedding had been forgotten. The invitation lay on the table, tear-stained. Malcolm wanted nothing more to go back to the girl with the wild hair and the boy with the skateboard six years ago. He wanted to relive every waking moment he had had with Aria Silver. He wanted to tell her that apart of him was still in love with her, too. When he tried, he just cried harder. So Aria hugged him tighter. Malcolm and Aria clung to each other in the Third Street Diner, regretting the time that they had let slip away.