remember when I knew

JAI PRICE

"ALRIGHT, how's that fair?!" Lucas cried out. "I mean, I know I'm not freaking Harry Styles, or I don't know who, but still!"

His twin patted gently his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure every cool guy's got beaten up by a girl just because he asked her number, at least once."

"I don't agree," Aiden piped in. "She should've hit him harder."

Some of them nodded their heads, as well as Reece. Jai was surprised Reece was following the conversation since he was busy staring and scowling at his food. He was mostly the silent one of the band.

"The point is," John continued, glaring at the blond, "you can get whoever you want whenever you want."

Aiden snorted, and Jai couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah, man," he said. "You could even get me if you wanted to."

Lucas looked at him, scratching his jaw thoughtfully. "I could do this, yeah. Do you think you could be husband material?"

"Of course I could be!" Jai exclaimed, pretending to be offended.

Lucas bent on one knee, taking his hand in his own. While John and Aiden were laughing their asses off and Reece was smirking a tiny bit (his way of laughing), Jai tried to calm his heart. But him brain couldn't help but scream "Touch! Touch! Someone is touching you!".

What should he do? Did that mean he was supposed to touch back? Or just let it happened? Oh gods, could they hear his heart beat? Because the damn thing went fast.

Breathe in. Out.

Loser. They find you weird. You're always weird. Know what? They only spend time with you cause they pity you. But when they're alone, they talk about you and laugh about how pitiful you are.

"Will you marry me?" Lucas finished his speech with a dramatic expression in a somehow German accent.

Right. The act. Blending in. Concentrate. You can do this.

"Yes," he faked a sob. "I will."

"You may now kiss the bride," Aiden added, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Lucas wrinkled his nose, waving Jai away. "Yeah... no. I'm good. I'll let my bro be the only gay twin."

"Honey?" Jai responded, feeling like he should keep the act.

"I'm sorry, buddy. I'm not into boys anymore. We'll have to end this."

Jai gasped, wrapping his hands on his heart and standing up. "How could you do this to me?!" He pretended to cry. "I loved you with all my heart and that's what I get?"

Lucas faked a look of compassion. "It's not you. It's me," he announced, keeping the accent, making gigantic ridiculous gestures.

"Ouch!" Aiden complained when Lucas hit him in his act, immediately giving him a small swat on the head back.

"I think that's enough show for today," John commented, forcing both of them to sit again. "Gods we have weird lunch breaks."

That's when Jai noticed an angry walking brunette storming to them. She was followed by two tall girls. One blonde and white skinned, and the other tanned and dark haired. There was also a redheaded boy —Roy.

"Here comes your girl, Addy," he said, feeling like he should warn him.

"AIDEN!" Frigg screamed. "YOU BIRDBRAIN!"

Annie –the blonde– grimaced, and Bellary snickered behind their friend as Roy kept looking around him shyly, probably wishing to be anywhere but here.

"Here we go again," Reece sighed, putting his hands over his ears, phone now laying on the table.

"Freya," Aiden greeted the bloodthirsty girl calmly. "What's up? Didn't class go as planned?"

She hit the table in front of him, leaning in so he had to look at her in the eyes. "I don't know how, but I do know you have something to do with my phone diffusing frigging Despacito in maths class."

Aiden gulped bit did his best to hide his fear, and leaned closer to her, smirking. "Really, now? And didn't your teacher like it?"

She groaned. "You made me get a freaking detention! Do you know how my parents will react!"

Aiden shrugged. "It's not like you never get in detention. Your stupid pranks must have got you like three years there already. I'm surprised you don't consider moving in."

She huffed. "Well they don't, actually! I'm smart, and I do clever pranks. They never could prove that anything was me! I'm like a sneaky Keefe Sencen!"

"Well go cry somewhere else, 'cause I'm trying to eat here."

She made a sound that could've come from a beast in a horror movie, and took Roy's lunchbox, opened it, and smashed the sandwiches in Aiden's face.

"Welp, there goes my lunch!" Roy whined, but everyone ignored him, to busy to watch the eggs roll down the boy's cheeks to fall on the table.

"Eat that and shove your stupid smirk up your ass, Birdbrain. Now if you'll excuse me, my doctor doesn't allow me to stand next to jerks more than five minutes. No offence, Reece."

"Uh... Offence taken," Jai commented. "I thought we were friends."

She didn't give him a glance, throwing one last glare at the blond. "This is not over," she warned him.

With that, she left. Bellary laughed a little, stole a carrot from Lucas' plate and followed her friend.

"Sorry about her," Annie apologised, taking Roy's now empty box, and patting her friend's shoulder. "Let's go buy you something to eat."

They also disappeared and Lucas whistled. "Well damn, you and Frigg know how to put a show. Perfect mix of hatred and sexual tension there."

"It was painfully straight to watch," his twin agreed.

"There was no sexual tension," Aiden only groaned back, blinking to get a tomato off his eye.

"You have something... everywhere," John grimaced.

"What a waste of food," Jai sighed.

He looked at his friends laugh and talk about some random party.

His eyes then left his friends and wandered around the cafeteria. They landed on the same silver haired girl. This time, her top was black and said 'Hello darkness my old friend. I've come to talk with you again'

He wondered who she could be. She had a cool top, though. He wondered if he should go and ask her where she bought it, but the minute that left his mind, he had to stop himself from snicker.

Initiating a conversation with a human being he didn't know? As if.

She was sitting alone, her eyes inspecting some younger kids as they ran giggling. Then, she turned her head and their eyes met. Once again, he had that same impression that she was mouthing something at him. Even though her lips were closed and didn't move a bit.

It was as if a single message was thrown back and forth between them.

'I know.'

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A/N: There!

Fun fact: Frigg and Aiden were actually the first characters I created. Jai and Azalea came later.

Question: What's the book series that's making you wait the most?

Frigging. Keeper. Of. The. Lost. Cities.

I can't believe the nine's only coming in November 2022! But I'm happy it's coming :)