Mocked: A Marcel Fanfic

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One 

Aiden leads me to a staircase that in turn leads us to a balcony overlooking the entire backyard. It's made of wood, the kind that still splinters off. Aiden leans against the railing and motions for me to join him. 

"So, what are your questions?" He asks casually. 

I look out over the edge and down at the party below us. Everyone looks like blobs of color, but there's  so many teenagers here at his house. How do they get through school every day? Doesn't anyone have anything better to do other than party all night? 

I think about the questions I have. Obviously I don't want to just jump into really personal questions about him and Veronica. I have to first make sure that he is actually up for answering truthfully.

"Why the parties?" It seems like the most simple question. Aiden stays quiet and I notice him frowning. "Aiden?" 

"Sorry, what? I thought I saw something down there," he mutters and waves airily towards the people below us. I don't really believe him, but I don't press him further.

"Why do you throw so many parties?" 

He turns around and leans his back against the rail, his elbows on the flat wooden top. "You know, to provide that escape place for teens and shit. How many kids want to spend their night sitting in a house doing their homework? I know I don't. And that's why I let all these people come over." 

"But surely your parents care?" 

"I thought you had questions about Veronica?! What's with the twenty questions directed at me?!" Aiden suddenly spits out, anger rising in his light blue eyes. His black hair contrasts with the night sky above us, making him look a little scarier than normal. 

"Right, sorry," I apologize and watch as a couple guys -I'm assuming from their lack of shirts- cannonball into the pool. It's almost directly below us and everyone starts gathering around it doing dives into the water. 

"So what's your question? I've got a party to host if you haven't noticed." Aiden starts being pushy again. 

I guess I have to start asking real questions. I mean, he is open to answering them so I can only hope I ask the right ones. "Are you and Veronica really dating?" 

Aiden chuckles darkly under his breath, a sound that sounds a bit forced. "We're a couple, yeah." 

"What does that mean?" 

"It means that we are considered to be dating!" Aiden snaps at me. 

"You and Veronica."

"Yes, me and Veronica, Veronica and I. Take your pick, either way you word it, we're dating." 

"And you have feelings for her," I add.

Aiden shakes his head and starts laughing in disbelief, as if my questions were sounding completely ridiculous to him. "Are these serious questions?" He looks at me amused. 

I nod. "Yeah, I'm curious," I shrug, trying to act a little uninterested. His eyes pass over me and continue to look outward. "So, feelings?" I prompt him. 

"Obviously I have feelings or I wouldn't be with her. What kind of questions are these, Clark? Do you have some kind of interest in Veronica? God, you're acting like-," he breaks off and I wait for him to continue. 

When he doesn't, I take it as my turn to break the silence. "Aiden?" I don't know what came across his mind, but I'm curious as to the other end of his sentence. What was I acting like?