Midnight Arrow

Chapter 25: Not That Bad

I don't even think about checking behind me. Judging by the disgusted look on Aiden's face, those two are probably showing some major PDA right outside this window. I smile at him, trying to make the situation light.

"What are you talking about?" I laugh, but it sounds forced even to my own ears.

"Just look behind you!" he snaps, pointing a shaky finger at the outside.

I slump my shoulders at his command and unwillingly turn around to see if Travis and Kimberly have blown their cover. 

It was them, alright. It's getting pretty easy to identify the couple that never seem to leave each other's side.

Currenty, they're both seated on a bench in the middle of the stream of people. They seem to be happily discussing something while Charlie, Kimberly's dog, wags his tail enthusiastically and watches Kimberly with an endearing, protective manor. Travis notices and scratches the dog behind his ear. Charlie, immensely enjoying the attention, places his paw on Travis's lap. Although it's silenced through the window, Kimberly laughs out loud and throws her arms around the dog's neck with affection.

"They're just talking, see? There's nothing wrong with..." Kimberly, with her horrible sense of timing, snuggles into Travis's chest. He ties his arm around her shoulders and keeps her close to shield her away from the oh so very brutal weather. It's not like they have on layers of clothes or anything.

Then Kimberly tilts her head upward and puckers her lips. Travis, unknowing of his watching best friend, presses his mouth against her's in a sweet and gentle kiss. She responds with eagerness as she wraps her hands around his neck.

"Just talking?" Aiden repeats with a dry laugh, watching the two swallow each other with disdain. "How come we never 'just talk', Addie?" he snipes, turning his head away from the window to face me.

I roll my eyes at his remark, immune to his charming whips at the moment.

"I'm gonna go ask them what the hell is going on," he tells me, scooting out his seat in the booth. 

At that, I abandon my school bag and clumsily twist out of my seat as well. "Wait! You can't!" I beg, catching up to Aiden.

"And why not?" he calls over his shoulder as he pulls open the door.

"B-because it's an invasion of privacy!" I argue futilely, squeezing through the door before it slams in my face.

In a desperate attempt to keep him away from poor, unsuspecting Travis and Kimberly, I grab onto Aiden's hand and dig my heels into the sidewalk, ignoring the odd and judgemental glances thrown to me by onlookers. Aiden grunts at my try to stop him, and yanks his hand out my grasp with ease, as if he's merely pulling it away from a toddler's. 

"Babysitting your sister, huh?" Aiden growls as he finishes off the walk toward the couple in three long strides. 

It takes a lot more steps for me than it did for Aiden, but I eventually get there as well. Travis and Kimberly pull away from each other's lips with mildly annoyed faces, obviously just thinking that it was some rude stranger who interrupted their passionate make out session. When they see that it's instead Aiden, their unamused frowns turn into wide-eyed looks of horror.

"What?" Travis mumbles, struggling to twist away from Kimberly.

Kimberly doesn't argue as her boyfriend pushes her away. She just continues to stare at Aiden, horrified.

I catch up to conflict, panting at the sprint that I just had to accomplish. I curl over with my hands on my knees, waiting for the air to return to my lungs.