Bless Me with Your Knowledge
You don't stop laughing because you grow older. You grow older because you stop laughing." – Maurice Chevalier
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"You know," He said, stroking my cheek with his index finger. "That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one day."
"Oh yeah?" I managed to squeak out. Aiden had moved us backwards and I was now pinned against the door of my bedroom. I can't even remember how we got here, all I know is that if we didn't get some space between us, I wouldn't be responsible for my actions.
A moan escaped my lips as he started kissing down along the base of my neck. Leaning back to give him more access, "We.. should....stop... before.. –"
"Stop?" He pulled back slightly to ask. "Are you sure?"
We seriously needed to stop, I thought to myself.
Instead, I bit my lower lip and pulled his head down back so that our lips were once again locked. I gasped when Aiden reached down and grabbed the back of my legs. On instinct, I wrapped my legs around his waist and bit out another moan.
"You're so fucking sexy." Aiden growled as he continued kissing down my neck.
"Pst!"
"Princess."
"Natalie."
Who the hell was calling my name?
Just then I was jolted out of my day dream and returned to reality.
"A gene mutation is a permanent alteration in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene, such that the sequence differs from what is found in most people." Mr. Monroe drawled out. He proceeded to begin writing on the white board.
"Dreaming about me again, princess?" Asked a voice behind me.
You have no idea, I thought. Instead I said, "When pigs start to fly." I quickly returned my attention back to the front before Mr. Monroe had a chance to call me out for talking in class.
"Amongst the main causes of gene mutations is exposure to specific chemicals or radiation." Our teacher went on.
"Pigs must be flying then." Aiden whispered in my ear. As I continued to ignore him, I felt something poking my hair. Turning around, I saw Aiden holding a Number 2. Pencil and smirking at me.
"Quit it." I hissed in annoyance.
"There are four different types of gene mutations. Who can tell me what they are?" Asked Mr. Monroe. He looked around the room until his eyes finally settled on me. Before he had a chance to call my name, someone else answered.
"Point mutation, deletion, insertion, and frame shift." Aiden spoke from behind me.
"Very good Mr. Cooper." He replied. Phew, saved by the annoying asshole. "We will be having a quiz on Monday so review your notes! There will be no make-up either so plan on attending class and not being late."
Just then then bell rang, releasing us all from this torture. This was the fourth quiz that I have on Monday! Midterms had already passed, but it didn't seem like the teachers had any intention of loosening up on the torture.
Aiden waited for me to gather all of my belongings before the two of us made our way to history. In the past week we'd developed a kind of silent routine if you will, in which we walk to class together. Sometimes when we share a class with our friends they tag along as well, but more often than not it's just the two of us.
..................................
After practice, I was completely exhausted. The weather was really crappy today so we were forced to practice inside. In preparation for our last game of the season next week, Aiden and Coach Garcia had us scrimmage the entire practice.
Now typically, it wouldn't be too bad, however, they decided it was a good idea to have us switch positions every once in a while. That is how I got stuck playing defense and midfield for two out of the three games we played. I was soaked in sweat to my core and I'm pretty sure a wet dog smelled better than I do right now.
I wasn't the only one ready to pass out either. The other girls were either leaning against the walls to the gym or completely flat on the floor. I'm pretty sure this was the best and worst practice we've ever had.
"There's Slytherin blood running through your veins." I groaned as I cranked my neck to look up at Aiden who had stopped in front of me and Naomi.
"There's what?" Aiden furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Stop!" I gasped. "How can you not get my Harry Potter reference?"
He shrugged as he lifted the bottom of his white t-shirt up to wipe the beads of sweat on his forehead. Aiden had decided to join us in the last scrimidge, and let me tell you he didn't care that he was up against a bunch of amateur girls. It was quite the workout for everyone. "I've never watched the movies." He replied, plopping himself on the floor in front of Naomi and I."
"You've never read the books?" I asked mortified. There's no way, I thought.
"Nope." He chuckled waking a swing out of his water bottle.
"Naomi!" I nudge her. "There's no way he just said he's never read J.K Rowling's masterpiece."
"Oh, but he did." Naomi smirked.
"You, sir." I pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Have not lived your childhood to its fullest potential."
"And you, princess." He mimicked. "Are just over reacting."
"I am not!" I said, sticking my tongue out at him.
Okay, maybe I was.
Truth be told, I don't know what had gotten into me but I was all of a sudden much more comfortable around Aiden.
As Naomi and I started gathering all of our stuff and getting ready to leave, something hit me. "I know!"
I then turned to Aiden who was still sitting on the floor, checking his phone. "We're going to watch all the Harry Potter movies!"
"Oh really." He cocked an eyebrow. "Who's we?"
"Me, you, and anyone else who wants to. We can have a movie night!" I replied. "My place, tonight. But you have to bring the food."
"Inviting me over for a sleepover already?" He smirked.
"Oh shut up!" I rolled my eyes. "Do you want to come Naomi?"
"I'd love to, but I have dinner plans with my grandparents." She replied. "I'm sure the two of you will have a blast thought."
The look Aiden and Naomi exchanged didn't go unnoticed by me, however, I decided to ignore it.
For now.
...........................
After dropping Naomi off, I went straight home and immediately headed for the shower. Aiden agreed to come over later tonight with Lucas, and I had told Caroline and Brooke about it but I was still waiting to hear from them.
Mom was out of town through Monday because her firm sent her to Springfield to oversee the opening of their new office down there, so I didn't need to worry about asking permission. It was the first time she's been away for so long, but I'm glad they're giving her more responsibilities at work. If you ask me, the place would crash and burn without her.
Once I was showered and dressed into a pair of black leggings and a random Northside Student Activities Council shirt, I began picking up around the place. It wasn't dirty per say, but my bra probably didn't need to be hanging on the back of the couch for everyone to see. I left it there to dry after doing laundry last night, and I completely forgot about it.
The perks of living in an all-girls household.
I was rummaging through the cabinets in the kitchen seeing what I could whip up quickly in case anyone was hungry, when I heard my phone ping. It was Brooke saying she couldn't make it tonight. Apparently she was driving to Michigan for her cousin's wedding this weekend.
I continued my search for food until I heard a loud knock on the door. "Coming!" I shouted.
Swinging the door open, I was greeted by Lucas's overly ecstatic face. "It is an honor to be invited to your residence, mi' lady." For an even more dramatic effect, he took my hand and kissed it.
"Gross." I shook my head as I moved aside to let him and Aiden in. Aiden merely rolled his eyes at Lucas's childish behavior. I was just about to slam the door shut when Caroline's voice rang from down the hall, "Wait for me!"
Once everyone got settled into the living room, I went to my room and grabbed my secret stash of Harry Potter movies - a Christmas present from my mom a few years ago.
I emerged from my room, holding the DVD set in my hand. "We are all gathered here today, because SOMEONE-" I paused and glared at Aiden. "has never watched Harry Potter before."
"Oh boy!" Caroline chuckled.
"Now, in my opinion J.K Rowling created this masterpiece so that it can be shared with others." I continued. "Even if you haven't watched the movies, there is no acceptable reason as to why you should not have read the books. Were you kidnapped as a child, is that why?"
Yes, I believe myself to be a Potterhead.
A smile tugged at the corner of Aiden's lips. "Please, bless me with your knowledge." He motioned for me to put the DVD in and start the movie.
After setting up the movie, I situated myself on the loveseat next to Caroline and was about to press play when I forgot about the food. "Is anyone hungry?" I asked looking around.
Everyone shook their head no, and so I proceeded to press play.
Halfway through the movie, both Caroline and Lucas were on their phone not paying attention to what was happening on the screen one bit. Aiden however, was engrossed in Hermione Granger trying to correct Ron on his Wingardium Leviosa.
My stomach had also began growling so I took this as an opportunity to put some Pizza in the oven. As I was circling around the kitchen, I heard someone clear their throat.
Turing around, I see Aiden leaning against the counter. He had positioned himself in such a way that he could still see the movie but also keep me company.
"I hope you like Pepperoni." I smiled as I turned on the oven.
"Anything BUT pineapple is good on pizza." He chuckled.
I nodded in agreement. "Are you finally ready to admit that you missed out on a great childhood because you never read any of the Harry Potter books or watched the movies?"
"Not yet." He smirked. "So, what got you so into the series?"
"I think I was like 11 and my aunt took me to run errands with her and while we were out, we stopped at a book store. I was still a kid so I was just browsing around looking at the pretty covers when I saw this big yellow book with a boy on the cover. It was actually the last book, the Deathly Hallows, and after reading the back I just had to have it."
"When I got home that night, I started reading it and I was hooked from the first page. I actually read the whole book in like three days and it wasn't until I had finished it that I learned it was part of the series. As time went on, I read the entire series – this time in order." I smile at the memory.
What a time to be alive that was.
Technology was still on the rise back then and it hadn't hit its booming period yet. The iPod touch was actually the latest craze at the time.
Don't get me wrong, I love the internet and my iPhone as much as the next person. I just think that things were much simpler 7 years ago. We weren't in this constant bubble everyone seems to find themselves in today. Everyone seems to have their noses in their phones, constantly comparing themselves to what they see online.
And don't even get me started on the lack of privacy this has caused. I mean, it used to mean something to ask permission before you can take a picture or a video of someone. Nowadays? Permission doesn't mean shit.
I was drawn out of my inner thought by Aiden. "Ah, so you were a nerd with her nose in a book back then as well?"
"I've had my nose stuck in a book circa 2003." I smirked at him. To me, books have always been more than just part of my academic life. I started reading books when I was just five as a way to escape my parents' yelling. In the year leading up to their divorce, it was like every time they saw each other, a screaming match would commence.
As I grew older and I began to understand things more, I moved on to bigger books – chapter books. One of the first series I read was Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan. That kind of set the stage for my obsession with books later on. Now a days, you can find me cuddled up in a blanket reading a romance novel into the early hours of the morning.
If you ask me, my mom should consider herself lucky that the only thing she has to yell at me for is staying up too late reading. There are teenagers out there doing drugs and getting pregnant.
"I should have guessed." He says folding his arms. Today Aiden had opted for a long-sleeved shirt, depriving me from seeing his muscles flex as he crossed his arms. "So, is it just you and your mom?"
His question took me by surprise, however, he was bound to ask – everybody does eventually. "Yeah, has been for a while."
"I'm sorry." He says shifting uncomfortably. "I shouldn't have pried."
The oven took that as a perfect opportunity to beep, indicating it had finished pre-heating and it was ready for the pizza. "Don't worry about it." I gave him a small smile as I took the pizza tray and shoved it in the oven.
As Aiden and I went back into the living room, Caroline had moved to sit next to Lucas on the sectional where he was showing her something on his phone. Whatever it was, must have been pretty funny because she tilted her head back laughing.
It was the first time in a while that I had seen her genuinely happy. I guess I have Lucas to thank for that.
Because Caroline and Lucas had taken up most of the sectional, it left Aiden and I with no other choice but to share the loveseat. Trying to scooch myself as far away from Aiden as possible so that I wasn't touching him proved to be not only difficult but impossible. After he plopped himself down next to me, I finally accepted the fact that our knees were bound to touch.
"They seem to be getting along," Aiden nudged me. "Don't they?"
Glancing over at Caroline and Lucas, I nodded in agreement.
..........................
One pizza, two bowls of popcorn, and endless candy later, we were on the third movie – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Caroline had drifted off towards the end of the second movie, so it was just Lucas, Aiden and I that were paying attention. Lucas kept making remarks about Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy being a cute couple which earned him a pillow thrown by Aiden. Meanwhile, Aiden continued to remain engrossed in the movies throughout the night.
"OH!" Lucas shouted jumping from his seat when Hermione's fist connected with Malfoy's nose. "Did you see how she punched him!"
"I can't believe she punched the ferret."
His outburst caused Caroline to stir awake and look around startled.
"Dude!" Aiden chastised him. "Do you have ADHD or something?"
"Lucas," I began. "I swear if you don't shut the fuck up, you're never invited to my house again."
"There's no need to gang up on me!" He replied sinking back into his seat.
I felt Aiden shift next to me, and next thing I know he's leaning in to whisper, "You know, I think I felt a shift in the in the space-time continuum."
I gave him a questioning look. What the hell was he talking about. He continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you and I just agreed on something."
I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. "Looks like we did."
"Careful, or I might think you're starting to like me." He winked.
Oh, little do you know.
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Any Potterheads in our midst? What was your favorite book/movie from the series?