Dating Disasters : A Study in Distance

Chapter 13: Evil Schemes

Above is the first picture of what i imagine is Arika Justice, played by Katherine McNamara.

Chapter 13: Evil Schemes.

"What do you mean, he has a girlfriend?" Robyn Summers shrieked down the phone, "I left to get coffee and when I get back he's got a girlfriend!"

Asher scowled as she filled the other girl in on the days news, "Its like he flipped some switch, yesterday he only had eyes for Rikky and today he wont even look at her, that prat is ruining all our plans!"        

Robyn sighed and shook out her long hair, "No, we can fix this, we've come too far. Do you know how hard it was to get Ari up there? We just need to-" she was cut off as someone cleared their throat loudly from the doorway.

Both girls' eyes immediately jumped to Asher's door where a very relaxed Aiden stood leaning casually against the doorframe. He shot them a lazy smile before walking in and shutting the door. "What are you two diabolical femme fetales up to?" He drawled.

Asher and Robyn shot each other guilty looks, they'd been caught, red handed, on Skype no less. Their plans to fix up the two donkeys down stairs had failed spectacularly.

"We were just-" Asher tried a last ditch attempt at explaining but Aiden cut her off with a grin.  

"I'm in." Both girls stared at him for a few seconds trying and failing to grasp what he'd just said, he rolled his eyes ignoring their flabbergasted expressions. "Those two are inevitable, basically fated, they're both just too dumb and stubborn to realise it, its our duty as family to make it impossible for them to ignore it." When they still stared he shot them an unimpressed look, "I'm a professional editor I've read enough happily ever afters to turn anyone into a romantic. Now stop staring before I change my mind."

Instantly both girls sobered up and put on their game faces, they'd get Arika and Avery together, even if it killed them. 

***

"She says she wants you two in some kind of green, something about your hair tones and such." Arika shot Andrew a small smile as she jotted down 'some kind of green bridesmaids' dresses', she'd prematurely agreed to help him finalise some wedding plans this morning. Usually she couldn't be held accountable for anything she did or said before ten am or  a cup of coffee, but today she welcomed the distraction.

All morning she'd been subjected to seeing Avery and his new perfect girlfriend Phoebe, and no she didn't mean that as an insult, Phoebe was perfect. In every way the tall brunette just seemed to be at the top of her game, and no matter what she did Ari couldn't hate her, and she hated it.

Unlike the sleep challenged Arika, Phoebe had waltzed in at nine with Avery, apparently they'd gone on a picnic, and as soon as she walked in she started making breakfast. Phoebe could cook, in fact her pancakes were like clouds, the opposite of the gloop Ari managed every blue moon. And even as Ari chewed the little heaven puffs and mentally scowled she physically smiled and tried not to drown in self loathing.

Where was her usually self confident, bordering on arrogant self? Usually Ari had no problem with having a few flaws and gave anyone hell for trying to make her feel less than her best, but that was impossible with Phoebe. She didn't do it to make Ari look bad, she didn't even do it to be mean, she did it because apparently she was God's missing Angel, and even though Ari wanted her to fall off a bridge somewhere, she couldn't imagine pushing her off.