The next morning I wake up and have a text, and I can't help but feel sad that it's Scarlett, and not Aiden.
So?
So, I took your advice, and I'm trusting Aiden. He says he likes me and I'm taking his word for it. :)
Yay! Mora, I'm so happy. You two are both hot, and belong together.
I roll my eyes, and copy it with the rolling eye emoji, and she just responds with an lol.
After breakfast I text Ross because I told him I would, but he doesn't text me back. I think about calling him but I don't think it would do any good. I'd rather him cool down, so we don't get into another argument.
I decide to go to the mall by myself because Scarlett is busy hanging out with her mom, and Emily is out of town this week.
I'm in a sports store looking at Texas A&M hoodies when Aiden calls me. My heart drops to my stomach. He has that effect on me.
"Hi."
"Hey, you couldn't possibly be in cute ripped jeans, and a cute ruffled shirt, with your hair up in a hot messy ponytail could you?" I blush. He must be here somewhere, so I start looking around.
"Aiden Bryant, it's too soon to be stalking me." I tease him.
"Who said I was the one stalking." and now I can hear his voice outside of my phone, and I feel his hands take a hold of my waist from behind.
"Hey." his breath is hot on my ear, and it makes my stomach turn.
"Hi." I turn around in his arms. "What are you doing here?" I ask.
"I'm shopping." he smiles at me. "What are you doing here." he ask back sarcastically letting me know my question was stupid.
"Ha ha." I respond slowly, and roll my eyes. I can't help but smile at him.
"Are you here alone?" he asks me before letting me go. "Yeah. What about you?" I ask.
"No. My mom's around here some place." His mom is here. I start to freak a little. I'm not sure if I'm ready to meet her yet.
"Really?"
"Yeah. She wanted to look at some furniture, and asked me to tag along. So what are you doing in here? Thinking about getting some cleats and joining the baseball team?" He laughs. I like seeing him laugh with me, because usually he's more dark and gloomy. I must be doing something right.
"Funny funny." I respond "Really though, what are you looking for in here?" he's serious this time.
"Just looking at some A&M stuff. You know Conner made the team for next season?" I ask.
"I did. That's awesome! I bet he's excited."
"Yeah he is. We're all so proud of him." I smile.
"You should be." he says, then grabs my hand and pulls me to him. "Well Mora, I better go find my mom. What are you doing later?"
"Nothing planned."
"Do you want to come over and we can watch movies or something?"
"Umm, are your parents going to be home?" I ask.
"My mom is. My dad doesn't live there anymore after their divorce last year." he says and I feel like an ass again. There's so much I don't know about him.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's cool." he laughs "You didn't know."
"What time?" I change the subject.
"Six?" It's more of a question than an answer, and I say nervously. "Sure, okay."
"I'll text you my address."
"Okay." and he leans in and kisses me on the cheek. "Later Andrews." he smiles.
"Later." I say, and he's gone.
While I'm at the mall I decide to buy a new outfit since I'm going to his house. I decide on a thin red plaid shirt, and brown leather sandals.
When I get home I go ahead and start getting ready. I straighten my hair, pulling one side behind my ear with bobby pins, and go with a light lipstick, and neutral eye tones.
I go down stairs to hangout with Dad. "Hey kid, you look nice. What's the occasion?"
"I'm going to hangout with Aiden Bryant." I admit.
"Oh yeah? So do you like this just a boy?" he asks with sarcasm.
"Maybe." and we both just lightly laugh.
"Do I need to have the talk with you?" now he blushes. Oh my gosh, is he seriously about to give me the talk? "Oh my gosh Dad. Please don't." I say.
"Well, I just want you to be safe." I interrupt him. "Dad, I promise. It's not like that. We're just friends."
"Okay, but if you want to talk, we can." We're both sitting there uncomfortable.
"No!" I say, and I walk away before he can say anything else. When I get back to my room I have one miss call, and two text from Aiden.
Hey. Can u call me back as soon as u can?
Hey, I'm sorry but i have to reschedule. Just text me when u see this.
Sudden disappointment rushes over me. I sit for a minute, then decide to just call him. He doesn't answer.
After about ten minutes he texts back.
I can't talk right now. call u back as soon as I can.
It's about twenty minutes before he calls me back, and I can't help but wonder if he's with another girl. "Hey." I answer the phone. "Is everything okay?"
"Mora, I'm really sorry. I wanted you to come over, but my mom." and he pauses, and the silence starts to get uncomfortable. "Aiden, are you okay?" I ask again.
"She's having a rough day, and it just came suddenly. I'm sorry. She's just not up for company right now. Please understand."
"Okay." I'm curious, but decide against asking what's wrong with her?
"I don't know what's going on Aiden, but if you need anything you know how to get a hold of me." I say because I don't know what else to say.
"Thank you for understanding Mora." he has a hint of sympathy in his voice.
"No problem Aiden. I'll talk to you later okay?"
"Okay."
Now I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go, so I decide to call Zoe because Scarlett has a chat date with my brother tonight. They are so ridiculous sometimes.
"Andrews!" she picks up the phone. "Hey, what are you up to?" I ask.
"Melrose, and I are thinking about going to one of his friends' parties from college."
"Need a DD?" I ask.
"Shit Mora, no way. Melrose is DD, you are my drinking buddy tonight!" she shrieks on the phone. I love how you don't have to ask. Zoe knows anytime I'm calling her that it's not for a book club and coffee. That's why we have Emily.
"Pick you up at nine?"
"Okay, but Zo, don't forget that I have a two a.m. curfew."
"Shit!"
"Yes, shit!" I laugh, and I can hear her mutter something and she gets back on the phone. "That's cool. We'll make sure you're home."
I run down stairs really fast, and dad is cooking dinner. "So, Aiden had to reschedule so is it okay that I eat dinner here, then hangout with Zoe and her boyfriend later tonight?"
"Mora, you've been out almost every night." he huffs at me.
"Dad, it's my last summer. Please." I put my hands up in a begging motion.
"You know I don't trust Zoe." he says.
"I'll make sure my phone is fully charged, and you have her number. I promise I'll be home by two."
"Where's the party at?" crap. I don't know. "Um, I'm not sure. I think it's at her house." I lie, and he can tell.
"What's the occasion?" he interrogates me, but I keep up my bluff.
"It's just a few kids from school hanging out having a bonfire I think." and he stares at me for a few minutes before looking back at the frying pan.
"Okay. But you need to be safe, and you need to text me when you get to Zoe's." He says Zoe's with sarcasm.
"Thanks Daddy." I skip over to him, and kiss him on the cheek. "Need me to help with anything?"
"Sure. Can you peel some potatoes?" He asks. "Sure, how many?"
"Eight or nine."
"Eight or nine? That's a lot isn't it?"
"No, I thought you were going out for dinner so I invited Lorene over for dinner." oh man. That's weird. I hope I'm not interrupting something. "Lorene?" I eye him.
"Don't look at me like that." he says as he throws a dish towel over his shoulder.
"Do I need to give you two some privacy?" I ask teasingly.
"Mora Diane, stop it. It's just Lorene." I just snicker at him, and start peeling potatoes.
The doorbell rings about thirty minutes later. I run to let her in. "Hey Lorene!" I greet her and give her a hug. "Hey kiddo, what are you doing here? I thought you had a date tonight?"
Ouch. She's reminding me that I got stood up. "I was, but something came up, so I'm going out with Zoe instead."
"Well don't think that you are getting out of here before you give me all the details on this boy." she beams at me, and I can feel my cheeks blush for a second. "It's nothing serious." I say.
"Sure it is. It's your senior year Mora. It's a major time for you, and anybody that catches your heart during one of your most monumental times in life is serious."
Lorene has always been a hopeless romantic since I've known her. She would always loan me her old Jane Austen novels, and more current Nicholas Sparks novels. Believe it or not she was the one to introduce my love for books, and movies; Not my mom.
"Smells good Jared. What are we having?'' She walks over to the island and sits down next to me.
"Fried chicken, garlic potatoes, and cheese bread out of a box."
"Don't worry Lorene. Dad makes the best fried chicken." and dad grunts. "How sweet. Thank you." and we all laugh.
"So, what's his name?" Lorene asks me while dad fixes our plates, and we're setting the table.
"Who?" I ask stubbornly. "You know who." she smirks at me.
Dad chimes in. "His name is Aiden, and no I haven't officially met him yet." he jokes, and I just roll my eyes.
"Yes, his name is Aiden. I'm just getting to know him right now, and we're just friends." Before she can ask another question Zoe is at the door. "Saved by the bell." I tease Lorene.
I go ahead and gather my stuff before opening the door. "Thanks daddy. Love you."
"Pause Mora, what did I say?"
"Text you when I'm there." I mock his orders. "And be safe."
"Two a.m. and not a minute later." he demands.
"Yes sir." I grab my purse, and give Lorene a hug before I run out the door.
"Thanks for inviting me." I tell Zoe when we're outside. "Thanks for coming! I feel like it's been forever since we've hung out without Emily, and Scarlett." she says.
The last time Zoe and I hung out alone was back in junior high when she talked me into skipping school, but later that night when I got home my dad grilled me. Conner tried to cover for me, but it was too late. The school already called him, and he grounded me for a month. The older I've gotten the more lenient he's become.
Melrose drives an older SUV that looks like it's been through hell and back. "Is that safe?" I can't help but ask.
"Oh Mora, since when are you one to judge?" she eyes me, and I just laugh. "Hey, as long as I have a functional seat belt I should be okay." and she rolls her eyes. As I make my way into the back seat, he gives me a small wave. "Hi Melrose. Thanks for inviting me tonight, and driving." I say.
"Ah no biggie." he says calmly.
He's such a laid back guy. He's not someone I could see Conner, and Ross hanging out with. He's more of the eccentric type.
His radio is playing some old rock that sounds like something from my dad's old cd collection.
"Are you sure you don't want to drink tonight? It's not too late to turn around and grab my car." I offer.
"Nah. It's cool. I'm not a big drinker." he claims.
"Oh, okay."
As we're riding, he has the music up loud and Zoe is swaying side to side singing out loud, and he just grabs her hand and starts to kiss it. They are actually really cute. Zoe is such a free spirit. I've always admired that.
Conner used to always seem annoyed that Scarlett and I hung out with her. "She's so weird." he would say, but what he said didn't matter. I guess it's because the four of us have been friends since grade school. We made a pack at five or six years old that we would always be friends, and we never broke it. Over the years we did start to change, and Scarlett and I clicked more with my brother and his friends, and Emily and Zoe started to become best friends, but anytime there were big social events, or just simply being in the cafeteria it was always us four. You pick on one, you pick on all.
"I love you guys." Zoe yells over the radio, and I just laugh at her.