Shut Up And Kiss Me (gxg)

13. F*ck The World

       "I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ambushed me like that," I hissed to Aaron on the drive to Cody's house. "Not even a little warning."

       "You would have said no."

       "Well, yeah!"

       Aaron shot me a sideways grin. "Come on. You liked it, though."

       I'd always had a thing about cute promposals, and he knew it. "You used my weakness against me."

       "Exactly." He leaned over to kiss my cheek. 

       "How'd you put Monroe up to that, by the way?" I asked. "Holding the sign up? She must have hated that."

       "Actually . . . she volunteered."

       Before I could question him, Aaron parked the car and muted Bad Blood. 

        "We're here," he announced.

        It seemed we were the last ones. Skylar was already on Cody's front porch, and the first thing I noticed was her dress.

        "Do you have any idea how hot you look right now?" I told her once I'd gotten out of the car—barely upright, thanks to my matching yellow heels.

        "Of course I do," Skylar said. "Being hot and knowing it is badass."

        Her pink dress was the colour of cotton candy, silky and tight, clinging to her lean curves with faint ripples. With her matching pink-and-violet strands of hair, she seemed more like a character from an anime come to life than an actual human.

         Beside her was the girl who must have been Lila Bard.

         She had brown skin with long braids that clinked at the end with little silver beads. Her dress was white, showing off her round hips and ample chest.

         No wonder Skylar had been head-over-heels for her when we were freshmen.

         Lila smiled at me, and her pearly teeth glinted. "Hey. You must be . . ."

         "Talia," I supplied. "And this is Aaron, my best friend."

         "Boyfriend," Aaron corrected, sliding one hand over my waist. 

         Fuck, I thought.

         "Mom!" Cody called from inside the house. "Aaron and Talia are here."

         Cody's mother came out of the house, armed with professional cameras, and his father followed soon after.

         "Oh, God," I groaned. "I can't take it. There'll be a million pictures."

         Cody had certainly gotten his photography skills from somewhere—his mother. 

         Aaron settled next to me, Skylar and Lila moved together, and Cody's date—Teagan Ray—held his arm. 

        "You look really pretty," Aaron said into my ear, as the cameras began flashing. 

        Through my smile, I replied, "Thanks. So do you."

        "BE RESPONSIBLE!" SAID CODY'S mom as soon as she had taken every picture she could ever humanly need.

        Cody's father had already retreated into the house, but now his mom squeezed me tightly. "I always knew you and Aaron would end up together," she whispered.