She's the poison I'm dying to drink.
- Perry Poetry
-
Edward's plan had worked. He had in fact raised Aris's standards, to where now Clay was no longer even on her radar. He was right, why should she settle for a human when she could have an immortal who she could live forever with. That being said, she still had yet to find an immortal that she felt attracted to as more than a friend.
Well... with one exception.
However, though she was no longer interested in Clay, that didn't change the fact that she had already agreed to go out with him the next day, and cancelling last minute would just be poor form, no matter how much she didn't want to go.
So there she was, driving to where Clay had instructed her that Saturday night.
From what limited info Aris had gathered from the time she'd spent with Clay in groups and what not, one thing was obvious;
He was fun.
Though he wasn't Edward, I mean, it would be unfair to even try and compare anyone to him, Clay was carefree, fun, and high spirited, something that Aris had yet to see from Edward. Knowing that, Aris could only assume that this date was going to fall into those categories, seeing as she was pulling into the parking lot of what looked to be a building that was just bustling with energy from the inside.
Clay wouldn't tell her what the place was, and he made her promise not to look it up, seeing as the name of the building was very vague and unhelpful with trying to figure out what it was.
The giant brick building was labeled with a huge neon lit sign across the top that you could see from miles away reading: House of Fun (where dreams live on)
'That is so corny.' Aris thought with a chuckle, though she couldn't deny that she was in fact excited. She'd always enjoyed crowded places with lots of energy and people, and from the loud music and noise inside, she could only assume that this place would be no different.
Aris spotted Clay parked a few cars down, stepping out of his Toyota Corolla. She made her way over to him, plastering a smile on her face. She was excited to be there, but not necessarily because of Clay. It was more because she was just excited to have some much needed fun for the first time in awhile.
"Hi Aris!" He beamed once she was close.
"Hey Clay." She smiled, pretending not to notice the awkward hand he was slightly holding out for her to take.
"I know this isn't a fancy dinner or anything like that, but if I'm being honest, I've never been big on those types of things anyways," he confessed as they made their way towards the building across the parking lot, "and I know the last time we went on a date, it was to dinner, so I thought we'd change it up this time." He opened the door for her, letting her step through into the busy atmosphere.
The whole inside was chaotic, but in the best way possible. On one side of the ginormous room was a big roller rink, already filled with several couples and friends taking it away to the music. On the other side was an arcade and bar, also crowded with adults and teenagers of all ages, talking, partying, running around, etc.
This atmosphere was definitely not for everyone, but it sure was for Aris.
"Clay, this is awesome!" She exclaimed, meeting his piercing green eyes, "I was wondering why you were having us drive so far out of town, but it totally makes sense now. If there was a place like this near home, I'd be at it every weekend." Her voice was loud, desperately trying to talk over the booming music. Clay's smile lit up his face, glad that this was a success.
"I'm glad. I wasn't sure if it would be your scene or not," he explained, "so, what do you say we go and grab some roller skates?"
Aris nodded excitedly, taking his hand and running them over to the counter. She felt like a child again. Her heart racing with adrenaline at the excitement of all the things that they could do there. She found her interest in Clay resurfacing again, seeing as they had found another thing in common, that being they both shared a love for fun and chaotic atmospheres.
Their time on the rink went by insanely fast, the both of them making each other laugh nonstop and conversation never seeming to run out. Aris loved Clay's company, and found herself genuinely enjoying the time she spent with him. He was fun, they had several things in common, and he was super nice. He was everything she could want in another person, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find within herself the infatuation you got from being around someone that you like as more than friends. When they held hands on the rink, no sparks shot throughout her body. When he sent compliments and subtle hints her way, she didn't get any butterflies whatsoever. Maybe slight nausea, but no butterflies. She wanted so badly to just be best friends. That's all she could ever see him as, and she knew that even before going into this date. They had spent a decent amount of time together in groups and in gym class over the past two weeks, but the closer she got with him, the more she just saw him as a best friend, a brother even.
They both sat down on the bench outside of the rink, unlacing their skates and catching their breath.
Aris felt her phone buzz in her back pocket, her then immediately pulling it out to see who had texted her.
Edwhore (pain in my ass)
Having fun with concrete on your date?
read 04:52
Concrete? I'm confused
sent 04:52
Clay, concrete - they're both
building substances, what's the
difference?
read 04:53
You're an ass. And to
answer your question, yes,
I am having fun. The "House
of Fun" is in fact fun. Thanks
for asking :)
sent 04:53
You sure? You don't need me
to come and rescue you
again?
read 04:53
That wasn't rescuing, that
was ruining. Plus, you
promised you wouldn't do
it again.
sent 04:53
I was saving you from his
cliché and boring mind.
There's nothing original going
on in that kids head. You need
someone who'll keep things
interesting.
read 04:54
Who? Like you? Also, if
"rescuing" in your mind
means putting an
innocent girl in the
hospital, then you're a
mad man and need
some heavy therapy.
sent 04:54
Don't be stupid, I wasn't
referring to myself. What about
that kid Clark you seemed
pretty close with at the Denali's?
He seems better suited for you
than someone named after
something that comes out of the
ground.
read 04:54
You mean the one you
threw a hissy fit over
because he had his
arm around me?
sent 04:54
It wasn't a hissy fit, and
it wasn't because of
that. I just wasn't having
a good day, don't flatter
yourself.
read 04:54
You, Edward Cullen,
are a horrible liar, even
over text.
sent 04:54
Whatever. Go have fun on
your date with pavement.
read 04:55
I will :)
sent 04:55
Aris sat her phone back down, running her fingers through her hair. How was it possible that she got more butterflies from a set of texts than she did throughout an entire date? And what was so wrong with her to the point where she couldn't even focus her attention towards a nice boy who liked her and was good for her, because she was too stuck on the thoughts that never seemed to leave her mind, circling around the one person that she hated so much, but also drove her absolutely crazy in the best way possible. She knew that she had made him promise to not ruin another one of her dates, but that was more for Clay's sake than hers. And honestly, right now, even though she'd never admit it, all she wanted in that moment was for Edward to show up and give her the sparks and butterflies that he always did when she was near him.
Edward paced around his bedroom, his phone faced up on his bed with the screen of their text messages glowing.
'I promised her I wouldn't do it again, so I won't.' He repeated to himself over and over, clutching his auburn locks frustratedly as he continued to walk in swift circles around the room.
He didn't want to be controlling. He didn't want to be possessive. He couldn't help it though. The grip that Aris held on him was too great. The thought of her enjoying herself on that date with Clay was maddening. It was so maddening that it was physically clouding his sense of judgement.
'Oh for Christ's sake.' He grabbed his phone and keys, storming out of his room and out of the house, towards his car.
Edward knew that it was wrong and that he was breaking his promise, but it was a spur of the moment decision he had made out of sheer anger and impulse. He didn't hesitate before stepping on the gas and speeding out of the driveway while typing "House of Fun" into his GPS. He knew that Aris would be livid, but he also knew she'd forgive him. He could tell that, even though she hid it well, she felt the same way for him that he did for her.
So there he was, speeding through town like his life depended on it, on his way to ruin another one of Aris's dates.