When the ferris wheel ride is over we all decide to go home. Bianca drops off Omar first and then drives to my house.
"Bye," I say to them as I open the car door.
Bianca and SoHo bid me goodbye and as I'm about to close the door Aaron grabs it.
"What?" I question. He half smiles and walks out of the car but doesn't say a thing.
"What are you doing?" I ask him after he closes the car door.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" He says.
I merely shrug and wait until he explains himself. He let's out a sigh and grabs me arm, pulling me toward the front door.
"Ow," I say, "you're holding me too tight."
He immediately let's go of my arm.
"Sorry," he says, "well here we are."
"Okay," I say, the word sounding more like a question than a statement.
I give him a last glance before I turn around and reach for the doorknob.
"I was walking you to the front door," Aaron suddenly says, "it's supposed to be romantic."
My hand squeezes the doorknob. And I just can't help but think why. Why is he doing this? Why am I feeling like this? Why? And I want to scream it out loud. I want to tell ask him to his face, but instead I force out a laugh.
"Better luck next time," I say teasingly but don't look at him. After waiting a few seconds longer I twist the doorknob and open the door. I turn around to close it catching the sight of Aaron.
"Bye," I add and he nods before turning back and walking to the car. I close the door and let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding in.
The next day I get up early to go to work. On the weekends the diner is the most busiest.
"Hey," I say to Eric when I see him.
"Hey what's up," he says to me with a smile. It is a couple minutes before the diner opens and we use this time to catch up. When it is time to open people begin flooding in. Hours go by as I continue serving customers their food. It is noon when Eric and I have our lunch break and we sit in the back to enjoy some of the sandwiches that were made for us.
Eric and I eat, our phone on our hands as we look through them.
"Oh shit," I hear Eric say.
"What?" I question.
"Look at this," he says as a hands me his phone and shows me a post from instagram. It is from the bad boys aren't romantic page. The picture consists of a screenshot from the notes app of a phone. The words Tune in the radio at 104.7 around 12:30 & listen, typed on it.
"What the heck is this?"
Eric shrugs. "Look who's tagged on the photo."
I tap on the photo and Aaron Reeve's username pops up. I click on, sending me to his profile and surely enough the photo that I just saw is also posted on his instagram. I click on the photo and read the caption: Another surprise, be sure to check it out!
"What time is it Lux?" Asks Eric.
I look at the top right corner of his phone and read the time.
"Twelve twenty-two."
Eric scrambles up.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing the radio station," he says.
"But there's only one radio here," I exclaim talking about the main radio for the diner.
Eric smiles. "Exactly."
Before I have a chance to object Eric grabs his phone from my hand and runs off to change the station. Dread fills in my stomach, knowing this can't be any good.
I stand up and walk after Eric. He fumbles with the radio until he finds the correct station.
"See it was probably fake," I say once I hear the song playing.
"The song is about to finish," Eric comments. And surely enough after another minute or two the song comes to an end and the radio host begins talking.
"Hello everyone and welcome back to this segment I like to call Love and Other Troubles. I am your host, Milo Dawson and I am here with high school senior Aaron Reeves. Aaron why don't you go ahead and tell us a little about yourself and why you're here."
"Thanks Milo," Aaron says, "And thank you for having me. Well like you said I am a high school senior and well, besides the usual school troubles I have noticed something different about myself and my life lately."
"Something different? What do you mean exactly?"
"You see there's this girl," Aaron says.
"Oh no," I mutter.
"Her name is Lux," Aaron continues.
"Why," I groan.
"Sh," Eric says and elbows me a bit so that I can be quiet. I frown and cross my arms.
"So let me get this straight," Milo continues on the radio, "this girl you like, Lux, doesn't like you at all?"
"No," Aaron says, "you could even go as far to say that she sort of hates me." I hear Aaron let out a laugh.
"So why not just let her go?" Milo questions.
"I like her too much. She's," Aaron pauses, "she's amazing and I'm absolutely crazy about her. I'm not going to give her up so easily."
"Well I hope it all works out for you man," Milo concludes, "is there anything else you'd like to say? Maybe to Lux?"
"Yes. Lux, if you're listening, just know that I like you. I like you so much and I'm going to try my best to prove to you what a great guy I am so that you can like me too."
"Well there you have it folks. Young love am I right? Tune in tomorrow for another segment of Love and Other Troubles."
"Well damn," voices Eric, "this guy really is something else."
"Tell me about it," I say as my eyes dart to the clock and I let out a sigh once I see that my break is up.
By the time I am done working it is half past five. I clock out and grab my things from the back.
"Leaving already?" Asks Eric.
I turn to him and smile. "Yeah, what about you?"
"Not yet, but I'll see you Monday?"
"Yeah," I say, "bye."
"Bye."
I say bye to some of my other coworkers before leaving the diner. I walk out the front door and am startled when I am faced with Aaron.
"Are you spying on me," I say.
Aaron let's out a laugh. "No."
"Then what are you doing here?"
Aaron shrugs. He has a dark jacket on that's zipped up along with some dark jeans. His hands are in his pockets as he leans on the wall of the diner.
"Well then bye," I say and turn away.
"Can I have a ride," Aaron speaks up.
"What?" I say and turn to look at him.
"Can I have a ride," he says and pauses for a bit, "please."
I cross my arms. "Where's your car?"
"Don't have one."
"And your motorcycle?"
"Got it taken away."
"How did you get here?"
"I came walking," he says.
"Then go back walking," I say and turn around and walk toward the parking lot. I can hear Aaron's footsteps behind me.
"Come on," he says.
I let out a huff.
"Remember yesterday when I said that you and I getting along won't last because you'll eventual start pissing me off again?"
"Yeah," he replies.
"You're pissing me off," I say annoyed.
"Its pretty obvious, when you're mad your face gets red."
I let out a scoff and touch my face. "No it doesn't."
"Yeah it does."
"Just go away."
"I'm guessing you didn't like the radio confession," he comments with a smile.
"Not really, no."
"Please just let me have a ride. I really need to go somewhere."
"I already told you to walk."
"Please?"
"Just get in the freaking car and don't speak," I remark begrudgingly as I swing the driver's door open.
Aaron opens the passenger door and gets in.
"Thank you," he says.
"I said don't speak," I tell him as I turn on the car. And he doesn't for the rest of the ride until we reach his house. I park in the driveway when I see that nobody is home, knowing I won't take long.
"Wait here," he says.
"What? Why?"
"I need to go somewhere else, but I need to change."
"Do I look like a taxi?"
"Fine. Do you want to come inside then?"
"What no? I want to go home."
"Please, I won't take long."
"Fine," I grumble and turn off the car. Aaron and walk to his house and he opens the door. He leads me to what I think is the living room.
"You can just sit here, I swear I won't take long."
Before I have the chance to say a word he turns around and walks off. I let out a sigh and decide to sit on the sofa chair next to me. As I sit I hear the front door open.
"Aaron are you home? Some random car is parked in the--" the words come to a stop suddenly and I turn my head to look at who it is.
"Who are you?" says the girl who looks around twelve or thirteen years old.
"Um," I say, "I'm Lux."
"Okay," she says slowly, "Are you here with my brother?"
"Yeah," I reply awkwardly.
"Okay, where is he?"
"Changing."
Her eyes widen at my words and I scramble up.
"That's not what I mean. He just want to change his clothes after I dropped him off and--"
The girl starts laughing. "Relax," she says, "I figured, I was just teasing."
"Oh," I say, "um how exactly did you know?"
"Well," she says and drops her school bag on the floor along with taking off her shoes before walking inside the living room and slumps her body on the couch. "No offense but you don't seem like my brothers typical girl. Not that's he's ever brought one home but I've seen the girls he's flirted with."
"He's never brought a girl home?"
"Are you kidding? And take her where? To his messy room?" She says and let's out another laugh before reaching for the control on the table in front off her and turning on the TV.
"Besides," she adds, "my parents have a rule about inviting people over."
"Which is?" I can't help but laugh.
"They have to be here to supervise, which is probably why Aaron likes to go out."
"So you're his younger sister?"
"His only sister," she corrects and sits up before pulling her hand out, "I'm Gaby by the way."
"Oh," I say and take her hand.
"I didn't know Aaron had more friends than the annoying three."
"Annoying three?"
"SoHo, Bianca and Omar."
"Oh."
"So how did you two become friends."
"We're not exactly friends," I admit.
"But you're not dating either?"
"No."
"Then what are you guys."
"Um acquaintances, I guess."
"Weird," Gaby replies, "I would never invite one of my acquaintances to my house."
"Its complicated," I tell her.
"Sure," she replies and then gets up. "I'm thirsty what about you?"
"I'm fine."
"I'll give you some water, follow me."
At that moment I could see the similarities between the two. The way the both carried themselves so confidently and how they somehow tell me what to do.
I get up and follow her and we walk inside the kitchen. Her hair is dark like her brothers, cut in a short bob and she's wearing her middle school uniform. She walks over to a cabinet and reaches for two cups.
"Aaron's so rude," she says, "he doesn't even offer you some water."
She fills the cups with water and hands me mine. I take a sip and thank her. It is then, with the few information that she's given me about Aaron and his home life that shows me who he really is and what he really acts like.
And suddenly my mind goes to all the cliche bad boy novels I've read. How the bad boy always has a dark past and is the reason why he acts the way he acts. A death of family member or a traumatic past event. But as I look around the kitchen my eyes find a picture frame hanged on the wall with Aaron and his sister and his parents smiling. And I realize that maybe a dark past isn't what drove him to be this way at school. Everything about this house and his sister makes him seem so normal.
"What are you looking for?" Gaby suddenly asks.
"What?" I question startled.
"Well you're looking around as if you're trying to find something."
"I'm just looking around," I say, "it's just this isn't what I expected for his house to look like that all."
"Well I don't know what you expected but if you want I can show you more. I think we even have baby pictures of him if you want to see."
"No that's fine," I say.
"Suit yourself," she replies and opens the fridge again taking out some strawberries.
"Do you want some?"
"Sure," I reply.
She washes the strawberries before putting them on a plate and setting them on the table. We both sit and begin eating some.
"So what's it like having Aaron as a brother?" I can't help but ask.
"Do you have an older brother?" Asks Gaby.
"Yeah I do."
"Then I'm pretty sure you know the pain. I mean he's not that bad, there are times when he's pretty cool and takes me out to eat or buys me things. But he can also be mean, he loves to tease me but I already told him that the next time he messes with me I'll kick his ass."
I can't help but let out a small laugh.
"I don't doubt you will," I comment. And it's like I want to know more, I'm not sure why. I just want to figure out and see what he's actually like and the more I ask about him the more I realize that he's completely normal.
"Okay I'm ready Lux let's--" his words come to a stop as he sees me and his sister. "What are you two doing?"
"Who me?" Gaby says, "Well I'm being a good host unlike you. But just wait until mom and dad find out that you invited someone, especially a girl without permission."
"I'll give you five dollars."
"Ten," replies Gaby.
"Eight."
"Mm, better yet I want fifteen dollars."
"This is not how bargaining works Gaby."
"Take it or leave it," she says.
"Fine," he says and take out his wallet before handing her the money.
"Thanks," she says with a smile on her face before turning to me, "I guess I'll see you next time."
I nod as I get up but don't say a thing. Aaron and I lock eyes for a split second before he turns away.
"Lets go," he says and walks out the door.
"Bye," I tell Gaby and she waves me off before I walk to my car and unlock the doors.
Aaron and I get inside and I turn on the car.
"Where to?"
"The park," is all he says.
"Okay," I say and begin driving. By the time we're at the park it is a little past eight at night.
"Thanks," Aaron says.
"Yeah, no problem," I reply.
He's about to open the door but stops and looks back at me.
"Did Gaby tell you something?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, just," he pauses contemplating his words, "Just don't believe whatever she says. It was probably nonsense." With that said he opens the door and gets out of my car before walking off.
I watch as he disappears within the crowd and drive off when I don't see him anymore. I ignore the last words he told me about not believing Gaby because I'd like to think that he's not the complete jerk he wants people to think he is.
Hello again friends! I really hope you're enjoying these chapters! Only a few cute chapters left before things begin speeding up ;) lol
Hope you all are having a great day!
-ari