Here to Eternity

two

ON THE WAY HOME IN AIDEN'S CAR,
he stops by our town's Dave's Deli for ice cream.We haven't exchanged so much as a few words since we left the party.Aiden pulls up, and exits the car without looking at me.The anger washes off him in waves.I snuggle closer to the seat, hugging my knees to my chest.He's turned the heater high for me.The numb feeling in my chest has slowly begun to wear off and the pain began to sting.I pick up my phone, and the time is 1:30AM.I stare wistfully at my lock screen, a picture I took of Eric when he brought me to the funfair last week.We were riding the Spinning Top, the one that goes round and round and you feel like throwing up but you're also giddy and happy at the same time.His eyes are bright and his smile so wide.I put my phone away as tears began to blind my vision.Like it or not, I really did love that boy.The way he adorably crinkled his nose when he was confused or when he snuggled his chin into the crook between my shoulder and my neck.And how it hurt so much what he did to me. I was just trying to hold back because of Aiden. He can't see me like this.Not again.

From a distance through the car windshield, I see Aiden exiting the deli with a cone in his hand just as Natalia Richman approaches him.I bet she's been waiting a long time for this.She saunters up to him, a flirty smile on her face as she opens her mouth.Aiden brushes past her as if he didn't even see her.I try to stifle a small smile as I see the smirk dissipate into thin air.Any other day, Aiden would have spared some time to flirt back.It feels kind of nice that he's putting that aside for me.

He opens the car door and finally looks at me as he hands me the cone.His eyes sending a chill down my spine. I take the cone and sniffle slightly. He's bought my favourite flavour, vanilla cheesecake.

"Are you crying?" Aiden asks, slamming the car door with brute force. His voice isn't concerned or friendly, more like laced with anger and frustration. And something else I can't quite pin down. He grips the steering wheel tightly, until his bruised knuckles go white.

"Why are you so mad? Is it because I stopped you from beating Eric up?" I asked matter of factly. You'd think I'd have gotten used to Aiden's temper by now but I'd rather have the good mood Aiden back, thank you very much.

He glances at me and rolls his eyes.He shrugs of his jackets and says "I'm mad because you won't let me hurt the person who hurt you." He lays the jacket on my exposed legs.

"Thank you, Aiden. I really appreciate you being here for me." That's all I say.

Aiden grunts in reply as he shifts the gear into drive. "Just so you know, I'm spray painting that asshole's car tomorrow at school and you can't stop me."

"It's a pity I won't be there for the show then," I chuckle slightly.

"You're not going to school tomorrow?"

"I am. But I've got this meeting to attend for the school newspaper thingy right after school." To be honest, I wanted to say I wouldn't be coming to school.After what happened tonight, I'd rather not show my face tomorrow. But my parents would disown me if I cut school and I'd rather have a house to return to.

"I can skip with you if you want. I know you're not particularly eager about facing them tomorrow." Them, being the student body of Whitewood High.

"No. You can't afford to miss anymore classes. Coach is going to kick you off the team if you don't do well in the next term of exams," I chimed in, licking the tip of my ice cream and savouring the sweet taste in my mouth.

"You sound like my grandma. And I don't care if he kicks me off the team. If you need me, I'll be there." He glances at me and gives me a little smile.

My eyes well up as I try not to cry. Aiden's gotten better with his words these past few years. Expanding his vocabulary library. But he has always been there for me even when he couldn't express it as well as he can now, and I am more than grateful for him in my life.