Chapter ten: "Childhood Friend"
I accepted his offer but I must have at least a say in all this, so when I was about to say something to Cloud someone pulled my arm
"Alice?"
She gave me a grin and pulled me away from Cloud, his face has pure satisfaction from me accepting his offer and I might be under his thumb right now. Alice pulled me outside the book fair and put an arm around me
"Alice where are you taking me?" I asked her
"Remember the guy that I told you about 3 months ago?" She told me, 3 months ago Alice met this new guy in Vancouver over the summer and she wanted to introduce him to me because she thinks we might be the perfect match. She has the habit of doing matchmaker
The meeting place is not that far from the book fair because it was the Music Lounge that is well known in the area for having the best musicians
"But what about the others?" I asked her as I went into the lounge, she winked at me
"Don't worry I'll take care of it, so just sit here" she put me in a booth and wave goodbye to me as she walk out of the entrance door. I was feeling a bit awkward for being the only person at a table since the lounge is a place where you either go on a date or hang out with friends in
I heard the MC introducing someone but I didn't hear the name of the next musician playing because I was too distracted to look for the person that Alice tried to matchmake me with, I suddenly heard an alluring guitar melody on the stage
As I look up at the musician who was seriously amazing at playing the instrument, his face was more alluring than the song he was playing. He caught every attention of the ladies inside the lounge and they all swooned at him
I enjoyed the music, I closed my eyes and hum quietly to the music as I tap my finger on the table. The song finally ended and the guy is still not here, I got tired and bored quickly so I messaged Alice that I was going to leave but before I could press send I heard someone sitting across from me
I raised my head and I was greeted by the face that the ladies swooned for minutes ago, he smiled and greeted me with a "Hello"
I smile a little at him "Hi"
I look around the lounge trying to find a way to try and talk to him because I never got used to me meeting new people even if Alice tried to matchmake me with every guy she meets on her summer travels
He was gazing at my face like he was waiting for me to say something next, I tug a strand of hair behind my ear and gave out my hand for him to shake
"My name is Penelope, what's your name?"
He shook my hand and his mouth formed into a grin "It's Aiden"
I thought for a moment
"That sounds familiar, it's like I heard it before or maybe I just mixed you up with other Aidens" I joked to ease up the awkward tension that I'm feeling between me and Aiden
"Yeah, we met before actually" He answered as he leaned back to his seat, I raised my brow at him. Before I could ask he asked me "do you want a drink?"
I shake my head "sorry I don't drink, just order something sweet for me" and he gave me a thumbs up then he walk up to order
I felt like I was being watched and I turn my head around and there is a group of very familiar people, I pulled out my phone and Message them in the group chat
Sleepy: what the heck are you guys doing here?
Happy: Duh I already told you that you will be fine because we will be watching over you
Doc: If he tries to do anything shady we will run and help you
I look at them and they gave me reassuring looks except for Cloud who has his arms crossed and is gazing at me with his piercing green eyes, he has a poker face on so it is very hard to read his expression right now. I felt something was put in front of me and it was a small bowl of Vanilla ice cream with small pieces of strawberry on top and some on the side, the guy got the same thing
This was my favourite, did Alice told him what type of ice cream I liked?
I thought as I look at Aiden who ate a spoonful of the vanilla ice cream
"Is there something wrong? You don't like the flavour?" He asked me as he put down the spoon at the side of his small bowl
I shake my head "no, it's just this is the exact flavour of ice cream that I liked when I was a kid" I chuckled a little and smiled at him, I reminisce of the past to where I don't have to worry about people calling me dumb because I worry too much about my toys and favourite foods
He is still looking at me through his hooded eyes, he laughed a little then sighed
"You haven't changed much Pip"
I stopped eating my ice cream and I look at him with bewildered eyes
I was confused but then it hit me like a train, there was only one person who gave me the nickname Pip because he felt like it suit me more. It was the friend who I met in preschool and is the reason I met Cloud
"Aiden.." I said out loud still trying to process the information
"HOLY FU-" I yelled and I cover my mouth quickly, I got the attention of all the people in the bar and after some awkward exchange with them they went back to their busy conversation
Aiden laughed at my reaction "took you too long to realize Penelope or should I say Pip"
Pip or for a more familiar term Pipsqueak, I was very small when I was a kid. Like all of my classmates in preschool are taller than me but right now I am just the average height of 5'6
"I thought you would stay and live in Korea?" I ask him as I smile in happiness seeing my childhood friend back in preschool
He shrugs "I got bored and wanted to visit my old hometown, how are you?" He asked me as he leaned forward with his arms
"I'm great except for the part where I have to deal with Danny" I answered him leaving him confused
Danny was Aiden's neighbour when we were little, it was only just us four
Me, Aiden, Cloud and Danny
It's crazy how through the years you either grow closer or grow apart because of many reasons, I doubt Danny has a reason for bullying me
It's because you're the school's idiot, you idiot
My other self in my head told me as she rolled her eyes
"Yeah, I heard some news about her from old neighbours. I didn't know she would change a lot, I feel sad about it but hey friends to enemy and enemy to friends" he confessed
I was about to add something in his sentence along the lines of where she is now a school bully but suddenly someone sat next to me and an arm was now around me hanging on the top of the chair, my eyes widened when I saw Cloud
He was looking at the guy as if he was trying to observe him
I guess he forgot his old childhood friend
"Cloud" I whispered to him and his eyes finally now looked at me
"It's Aiden Elliot, our friend" I added to the whisper
He didn't react much and so did Aiden, Aiden's face shows that he isn't much too happy to see Cloud. Gave my friends a 'help me look' and they easily responded by sitting at our table
What the heck happened here? They used to be so close like attach to the hip kind of close I thought to myself as I was confused as to what the heck is with this tension that I have never experienced between Cloud and Aiden before
They fight sometimes but they always managed to fix their friendship easily so why now?
I nudge Cloud's side with my elbow
"Cloud be nice and greet him" I muttered under my breath that only we can hear, Will was the first to introduce himself
"Hey I'm Will and this is my sister Jane" he pointed to his sister who is now eating my ice cream, I look at Jane
"What? It's going to melt soon" she whispered to me as she continues to eat it
"There you guys are!!" Nick said loudly, he walked in with Yara holding a box filled with books that she purchased. The last time I check before Alice pulled me out of the book fair, Yara has a shopping cart filled with Ero-romance books
You really are a hardcore reader Yara I salute her to even read those books out in public with a straight face
With Nick presence here I finally got to breathe easily, he sat beside Cloud and introduced himself to Aiden. Yara also introduced herself to Aiden as she fixes her curly hair into a low ponytail
As soon as Nick introduced himself to Aiden, his eyes went wide
"Oh damn, I'm a big fan dude" he grinned widely at Nick
I shake my head with a smile on my face Aiden you've just made his ego more bigger
When Aiden told Nick his name, Nick raised both of his brows with surprise
"Wait I heard about you" Nick told him
"Heard about what?" Alice asked him as she looks up from the Ero-romance book that Yara lended her, I gave the look to Yara and she replied to me with a sheepish grin
"He is an upcoming star in the music industry" Nick searched up about Aiden in his phone and a lot of Aiden's pictures pop up
"Woah" I said and awe, Aiden finally reached his dream of becoming a star at a young age
"Then what are you doing here?" I asked Aiden who already finished his ice cream
"The signing of contract event will be here and I need to look for more inspiration for my music" he said then his eyes went to me