The Most Important Person In Her Life

Once they had chosen their colors and been moved to salon chairs next to each other as their hands soaked in warm soapy water, Aubrey finally began her tale of woe.

Apparently, some unidentified person in the office had mixed up which manuscripts were supposed to go where and three she wasn't supposed to do ended up in the basket on her desk. Being the diligent worker she was, she ended up going through all of them like usual before the mistake was caught.

Since nobody knew who had made the mix-up (and the culprit was too afraid to come forward once the boss got angry), Aubrey had to take the heat for it. Her boss yelled at her for a solid fifteen minutes and it took everything in her not to cry at work.

"How was it my fault that the manuscripts got mixed up? I was following procedure! I work on whatever ends up on my desk!" she finished irately. "If I ever find out who did this, I'm going to scratch their face."

Eden barely managed to hold back her laughter. Aubrey was 5'1" with long chocolate brown waves and delicate features. She looked about as dainty as a fairytale princess but those nails of hers were no joke.

In college, some drunken creep tried coming onto her at a party her sorority was hosting and she scratched him so viciously he bled. Campus police got involved and everything but her actions were ruled as self-defense so she didn't even get written up. The guy was not happy about that.

"I wouldn't recommend it, Aubs. I'm sorry that happened to you though; that totally sucks," Eden commiserated.

"Yeah," she sighed heavily. "I feel like I'm always getting picked on in the office because I'm small and pretty. Just because I look like this doesn't mean I'm not smart!"

Aubrey had always been sensitive about the fact that she looked like a total airhead at first glance. She was actually quite intelligent and had gone to San Jose State on a partial academic scholarship. She maintained a 4.0 throughout college despite being heavily involved in her sorority's activities and eventually becoming the president.

"You're one of the smartest people I know. Anyone who thinks otherwise can suck it," Eden said loyally.

Her best friend grinned at her. "That's my girl. Firm and unafraid to speak her mind against the injustices of this world. For real though, could you say that to my boss's face? He's a total misogynist so hearing it from a blonde bombshell like you would kill him."

She wouldn't go that far. She was blonde and she knew she was conventionally attractive but she always thought Aubrey was prettier between the two of them.

Not that she cared. She had seen how being too pretty had been somewhat of a curse for the poor girl over the years. Constantly being hit on by creeps. Being underestimated in the workplace or school. Getting dismissed as having an easy life by people who knew nothing about her.

Things were harder for Aubrey than she let on. She was dyslexic but had always stayed on top of her studies to prove everyone that ever said she would fail wrong. She wasn't fully over the death of her grandma. She had severe asthma too and had been hospitalized for it more than once over the years.

People shouldn't think her life was easy simply because she was beautiful and had a great family. Eden had been asked a couple of times over the years how she could even stand being friends with someone so perfect and she had always set those idiots straight.

She wasn't perfect. She was a person with her own circumstances, strengths, and weaknesses like anybody else. And she had given Eden a safe place to be during the worst times of her life. She would defend the girl with her dying breath.

They didn't always see eye to eye and their interests didn't align a lot of the time but that didn't change anything. Their relationship would always be rock solid.

"Tell me who he is and I'll do it. I'll track him down and say it randomly so he doesn't know I'm affiliated with you," Eden said seriously.

Aubrey laughed. "You totally would too. But then I wouldn't be able to see the look on his face and that would be the real reward for me anyway. Thanks though. You're the best, E."

She flipped her hair and preened jokingly. "I know."

Eden was glad she had learned how to properly cheer up her best friend over the years. She almost never failed at this point. Aubrey wasn't the type to stay down for long anyway; she had a fighter's spirit and usually bounced back quickly.

All it took was good food or a manicure or laughing with people she loved 99% of the time. The other one percent was more difficult to navigate. David was better equipped to handle those instances than she was as the person closest to Aubrey now.

Sometimes it rankled that the most important person in her life no longer regarded her the same way. Then she reminded herself how happy David made Aubrey and that things were always going to end up this way when one of them got married.

Eden might not be the most important person anymore but she knew she was still number two. She was loved, Aubrey still made time for her no matter what, and that was what mattered.

They had gotten matching tattoos when they graduated from high school. Two small blue butterflies on their right shoulders representing the two of them. They were in a place that was covered when wearing business attire so they wouldn't be seen as unprofessional.

Those tattoos might not be visible all the time but both of them always knew they were there. Just like the bond between them.

No matter how much things changed, the two of them would have each other's backs for life. Even if Aubrey could be a little overbearing and frequently dragged Eden along behind her, she wouldn't trade her for the world.