Aiden crosses his arms as well. “Nah, I think I’m good.”
“That wasn’t a question, Aiden,” Robert says lowly.
“I think I’m just going to hang out with my dear friend Riley for a minute,” Aiden says, standing up. He walks towards me and sits right between Lucas and me.
His dear friend Riley? Where did that come from?
“Hey, Riley,” he says to me. He glances at Lucas and holds out his hand. “Hey, man. Sorry about your face.”
Once everyone sees that the drama is over, they make their way towards the kitchen. Robert and Anna talk quietly to each other. No doubt talking about Aiden and what they will do with him.
Lucas shakes Aiden’s hand. “No harm done.”
Aiden looks at me seriously. “Thanks for last night, even though I was a complete jerk to you most of the time.”
“I don’t know if I should forgive you.” I raise my eyebrow. He thinks he can just come over here and pretend we’re best friends? No, I don’t think so.
“I think you should,” he says to me. “You’re practically the only person who I can tolerate talking to right now.”
“And that’s why I should forgive you?”
“Yes.” He nods.
I sigh. “Whatever. Just know I’m not going to put up with your crap anymore.” I point at him.
He grins. “Okay.”
I look over his shoulder and notice Lucas is no longer sitting next to him. “When did Lucas leave?” I ask, looking around for him.
“Who? The guy I punched last night?” Aiden asks.
“His name is Lucas, Aiden.” I roll my eyes. I spot Lucas talking to Kelly near the kitchen door.
Aiden smirks. “So Kelly got wasted?” he asks quietly.
I nod. “She said she got an earful from Ryan.”
He shakes his head and laughs. “I bet she didn’t even drink that much. She probably just acted like she did.”
How can you tell if someone is just pretending to be drunk?
I hear laughter come from the kitchen and sigh. Aiden and I are the only ones in the living room. Everyone else is enjoying themselves. They are basically all family or are close. I just got thrown in with the bunch and am expected to fit in.
Well, that’s how I see it at least.
I look at Aiden then. “How did we end up sitting in here by ourselves?”
Aiden shrugs. “Hell if I know. Well, I’m not exactly welcome here anyways.”
“Honestly, Aiden,” I start. “You are scary and intimidating and frightening, and I don’t understand why you’re around me. We are not the same.” I look him straight in the eye.
He stares at me before answering. “And you are innocent, nerdy, awkward, and not easy to converse with. But we are the same. We are both outcasts.”
I guess he has a point there. I don’t fit in because I am nerdy. I’m not like all these other girls who giggle every five seconds.
Then there’s Aiden who everyone is kind of afraid to talk to.
“Do you have any close friends?” I ask him out of the blue.
“Define close friend,” he says, leaning back.
I think for a minute. “Someone who you can talk to about anything. Someone who knows the real you and doesn’t care. Someone who will always be there for you.”
He hesitates but eventually answers. “No.”
“Neither do I,” I say as I think about it. Sure, Kelly is a friend, but she hardly knows anything about me.
“So, you think I’m scary?” he asks, sounding amused.
I nod. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
He chuckles. “I’m not that bad.”
“You just keep telling yourself that,” I tell him. “Do you want to go into the kitchen?”
“I told you, I’m not exactly welcome,” Aiden says sourly. “I’m fine right here.”
I stay put and sigh.
“Aren’t you going to go inside?” he asks me after a while.
“Aren’t outcasts supposed to stick together?” I ask him.
A smile plays at his lips. “I guess we are.”
Chapter 9
Later in the evening, I am at home alone again. Mom said something about going out with some friends and won’t be home until late tonight. So here I am, sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and watching my favorite movies.
Currently, I am watching Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I had already watched the first one, The Phantom Menace. And I intend to watch the rest of them tonight.
The sound of the doorbell surprises me while watching the movie. I never have company this late, so I cautiously stand up from the couch. I grab the remote, pause the movie and slowly walk towards the door. There isn’t a window near our front door, so I can’t peek out and see who it is.
“Who is it?” I call out. There is no answer though.
I reach out and grasp the doorknob. I take a deep breath, raise the remote in my hand, and swing open the door.
Standing there with surprised faces are Kelly and Aiden.
“Riley?” Kelly questions me.
Jeez. I probably look ridiculous holding this remote in my hand. I find myself blushing. “Oh. Hey.”
Aiden starts to laugh at me, making my face grow even hotter. “What the hell were you going to do with a remote? I don’t think you can kill anyone with that thing.”
Kelly chuckles along with him. “Seriously, Riley. Just let us in. We’re not killers.”
I stay quiet and open the door wider for them. They walk into my house and I shut the door behind them. I still feel embarrassed.
“So what are you guys doing here again?” I ask them.
Kelly looks at me. “I was bored at home and recruited Aiden to come here with me.”
“I had nothing to do either.” He shrugs.
“Well, I’m not really doing anything either. Just watching movies,” I answer.
Kelly starts to walk into the living room, so Aiden and I follow.
“What are you watching?” Kelly asks me.
“Star Wars.” I smile, easing up a bit.
Aiden chuckles. “Nerd.”
Kelly sits on the big chair and makes herself comfortable. “I’ve never seen this movie.”
She did not just say that. “You’ve never seen Star Wars?” I ask her immediately. “Have you been living under a rock your whole life?”
“Oh, the irony,” Aiden says as he sits down on the couch. That is the spot where I had been sitting this whole time.
I shake my head. “You can’t sit there. I basically claimed that spot.”
Kelly laughs. “You sound like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.”
Well, at least she’s seen that show. “It’s decided then. You must stay and watch Star Wars,” I tell her, smiling.
She shrugs. “Okay.”
I find the first movie and put it back on. When I walk back to the couch, Aiden is still sitting in my spot. “Sorry, but you’re going to have to move.” I cross my arms.
“And what’ll happen if I don’t?” he asks. Amusement fills his eyes.
“Then I will sit on you.”
He grins. “Go ahead. I don’t think I would have a problem with that.”
Oh goodness. “Never mind.” I roll my eyes. I sit next to him instead of fighting with him. I press play on the remote and sit back.
“Is this popcorn?” Aiden reaches for the bowl. He grabs a handful of popcorn and stuffs it into his mouth.
Sometime during the movie, Aiden finishes the popcorn himself and starts to complain how he wants more. Kelly repeatedly tells him to shut up, but he continues to whine.
I finally grab the bowl and stand up. “Fine. I’ll go make some more.” I stalk off towards the kitchen.
I stick a bag of popcorn into the microwave and wait. I cross my arms and I notice it’s quite dark in the kitchen. Feeling a little uneasy, I turn to flip the switch. But a tall figure blocks me from it. I jump back, not expecting anyone to be in here with me.
Aiden chuckles at me. “Jumpy, are we?”
“Just a little bit.” I lie. “What are you doing in here?”
“Waiting for the popcorn of course,” he answers as he takes a step towards me. I feel how close he is to me and swallow.
I take a deep breath. “Um, can you turn on the light switch behind you?” I ask nicely.
“Why? I kind of like it like this,” he replies.
I turn back towards the microwave and sigh. Just twenty more seconds.
If Aiden wasn’t standing close to me before, he sure is now. I feel his presence directly behind me and it’s a little unsettling. He doesn’t say anything for a moment. The microwave beeps and I open the small door. I grab the bag, shake it and listen for any loose kernels. When I hear none, I start to open the bag. Suddenly, Aiden’s hands cover mine.
“Careful there. Wouldn’t want to burn yourself, would you?” he whispers into my ear, sending shivers up my spine.
“I’m fine,” I say, sounding a bit shaky. I open the bag and pour the popcorn into the bowl in front of me.
His hands trail up my arms, making me freeze. They rest on my shoulders for a moment before they pull my hair back, exposing my neck. I close my eyes when I feel him breathing. “Are you sure about that?” he asks quietly. As he speaks, his lips brush against my skin.
I involuntarily sigh and nod, not trusting my voice.
His lips press against the skin on my neck. My heart is beating so loudly, I’m sure he can hear it. He places small kisses from my neck to my jawline as his hands rest on my hips, holding me in place. His hands put a bit of pressure on my sides. My shirt rides up a bit, and his fingers brush my skin. His touch feels like fire.
“Let’s get back. Wouldn’t want Kelly to make any assumptions, do we?” I feel his lips touching my ear as he speaks to me.
Aiden grabs the bowl and steps away from me. I look at him incredulously and he just winks at me.
When we reenter the living room, Kelly’s eyes are glued to the screen. She pays no attention to us as we sit on the opposite ends of the couch.
I don’t pay attention to the rest of the movie. My head is still trying to process what just happened in my kitchen. What was going through Aiden’s mind during all of that?
“Riley.”
What on earth possessed him to do such a thing? I couldn’t even do anything either. I just stood there and let him do as he pleased.
“Riley?”
How helpless I felt. How did he make me feel that way? I have never been touched like that. Knowing I let Aiden do that to me feels unnerving, but then it feels okay.
“Riley!”
I blink and look at Kelly. She frowns at me once I look at her. “Were you zoned out or something?” she asks. “The movie is over. I thought we could watch the second one now.”
I nod. “Oh. Okay.” I stand up and look for the second movie. Once I find it, I pop it in and go back to the couch.
Aiden glances at me as I sit down. “Are you okay, Riley? You seem…distracted.” A smile plays at his lips.
He is toying with me.
“I’m fine. Not distracted at all,” I tell him confidently.
“Can we watch the movie now? You two can flirt some other time,” Kelly says.
Aiden chuckles while my cheeks burn with embarrassment for about the millionth time tonight. I have never been accused of flirting with someone. Hearing that come from Kelly feels weird.
I press play on the remote and let myself get zoned into the world of Star Wars and not the world of Aiden.
Chapter 10
The next few days go by pretty quickly. There’s nothing like spending eight hours surrounded by people who you can’t stand. Seriously, I’m just ready to graduate already and leave this stupid school. I don’t know why, but lately, it seems like I’m always on edge. I snapped at my mother on Tuesday morning because she didn’t buy the right jelly for my toast.
Ridiculous, I know.
It’s now Thursday, and I’m stressing over a test I have in my Principles of Democracy class. I really haven’t studied for it and I’m worried about getting a bad grade. I try studying during lunch in the library but my brain is just not functioning today. So that puts me in a bad mood.
I’m making my way to class when someone bumps my shoulder as they pass by. I end up dropping my binder, causing a few papers to fly out.
“Great,” I say sarcastically. I get down and start to pick up the papers. I think I have them all until someone hands me two more papers. I look up and see that it’s Ryan handing them to me.
He smiles at me. “Losing your papers?”
I grab the papers and stuff them into my binder. I stand up and look at him. “More like losing my mind.” I sigh.
“Is something wrong?” he asks.
I shrug. “I’m just in a bad mood and I don’t want to deal with people.”
“Then you shouldn’t come to school if you don’t want to deal with people.” Ryan chuckles. “Or any public place for that matter.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Well, thanks for that wonderful advice.”
“So are you ready to take pictures tomorrow?” he asks me.
Pictures? What is he talking about? “What?” I ask, confused.
His eyebrow rises. “The pictures for the wedding. Remember? We’re supposed to have our outfits by today.”
“Oh crap.” I close my eyes. As if I don’t have enough to deal with. Now I have to get that stupid dress so we can take stupid pictures tomorrow.
“You forgot,” Ryan says, sounding amused.
I nod.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m barely getting my tux this afternoon.”
“I can’t believe I forgot about my dress,” I say then sigh. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make a phone call to my mother,” I say as I start to walk around him. I feel his arm wrap around mine and pull me back in front of him.
“I could take you with me this afternoon. I can get my tux and you can get your dress,” he suggests.
I purse my lips. It will save me from getting yelled at by my mom. She will probably get all peeved off about me not telling her until the last minute. “Okay.” I nod. “I’ll go with you.”
Ryan smiles. “Great. I’ll meet you at the front entrance of the school when the bell rings.”
***
Good news: I passed my Principles of Democracy test with an 89. It isn’t an A, but it’s close enough.
Bad news: I forgot to finish the homework that’s due today and I got scolded by my teacher.
Once the bell rings, I make my way out of the classroom and start to walk towards the front entrance. Honestly, all this wedding stuff is the least of my worries right now. But if I forget to get my dress in time for the pictures, that will be so disrespectful and I will be letting Anna down.
I notice Ryan leaning against the wall near the front doors. He sees me walking towards him and pushes himself off the wall.
“Ready?” he asks.
I nod.
“Let’s go then.”
We walk out of the school and into the parking lot. Ryan says hi to numerous people as we walk. Most of them give me weird looks. They are probably wondering what I am doing walking with Ryan.
Leaning against Ryan’s car is Nicole. Once she spots me, her eyes turn to slits. “And what do you think you’re doing?” she asks me once we are close enough.
I’m about to answer, but Ryan cuts me off. “We’re going to get some stuff for the wedding.”
“Why does this involve her?” Nicole asks him. More like demands.
He crosses his arms. “She’s a bridesmaid.”
“So your mom asked her to be a bridesmaid and not me?” She sounds offended. “I’m your girlfriend, Ryan!”
He holds his hands up in defense. “I have no control over who she picks.” He takes a step closer to her and kisses her cheek. “We have to go now. I’ll call you later.”
She p
uts her hands on her hips. “We’re not done talking about this.”
“It sounds like you are,” I say as Ryan unlocks his car. I rush by Nicole and get on the passenger side. Ryan chuckles as he gets on the driver’s side.
He pulls out of the school’s parking lot. “What’s with the sudden burst of confidence?”
“I said I wasn’t going to deal with people.” I give him a small smile. “So, where to first?” I ask him.
“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to get my tux first. Then we can get your dress,” he says as he stares at the road.
“I don’t mind. You’re the one driving,” I tell him.
We fall into a comfortable silence for a while. I stare out the window and watch cars as we pass them.
“I’m sorry about Nicole.” Ryan’s voice interrupts the silence. “She can be really cool, I promise.”
I smirk. “I’m sure she’s ‘cool’ to half the guys in the school.” I instantly slap my hand over my mouth once I realize what I said. I basically just called his girlfriend a slut in front of him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. That was totally out of line. You can kick me out of the car right now if you want to. I won’t be offended—”
His hand covers my mouth and he chuckles. “No worries, Riley. Calm down.” He uncovers my mouth. “I know she was like that last year before we started dating, but I know she’s changed.”
That’s what he thinks. But I’m not going to say anything.
“She just gets kind of jealous when I’m talking to another girl.”
“Doesn’t any girl get jealous when she sees her boyfriend talking to another girl?” I ask him.
He raises his eyebrow. “Are you defending her?”
“No. I’m just asking.” I cross my arms.
“Why? Do you get jealous when you see the guy you like talking to some other girl?” he asks, sounding entertained.
I scoff. “I do not like anybody. All the guys at our school are idiots.”
“Well, thanks.” He rolls his eyes. “C’mon, Riley, you can tell me who you like. We’re basically best friends.”
“Best friends my ass.”
Ryan laughs. “That is the first time I’ve heard you swear, Riley.”
“I can promise you that I don’t like anyone,” I tell him. It’s true though. All guys are idiots, but especially the ones who go to Fairfield.
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