Saturday, 19th November
AURORA
It was Saturday, I'm lying on the couch with the food I ordered, and watching Pretty Little Liars. The seasons continue, and now I'm already at episode 5 of Season 3. It was quick to get there because I already had watched everything with... Yes, because I've watched everything before.
"What do you watch?" Max jumped from the armchair onto the couch to me. He leaned forward at the table and took a piece of my pizza. "Can you give me a piece too?" he bent down again and gave me a piece too.
"So what's that?" he asked, leaning on the couch. "A series. It's about a group of friends who get massages, but they don't know from whom." I explained it to him so briefly that he could understand it.
Max and I sat on the couch eating pizza and watching. Max asked me hundreds of questions that I couldn't even answer properly. "And who is that?" he points his finger at Mike, Aria's brother.
"Aria's brother." "And that?" I rolled my eyes. "Max, can you just watch?" He held up his hands and said an annoyed sorry.
"So kids, I'll go to work then. There's a lot to do in the hospital these days." sometimes I think my mother is overexerting herself with all this. She's been a nurse for 26 years, and she's also very good at it, but she should take a break too.
"Theo doesn't forget to dress warmly when you go with Max, it's supposed to be colder today and probably raining." Theo just finished drinking from his cup and nodded.
My mother stood on tiptoe for a moment, gave Theo a quick kiss on the lips, and said goodbye again as she walked out the door to the car.
Theo claps his hands once and looks at Max. "Max, are you ready to see the Boston Bruins?" he said, full of intuition and joy in his voice.
"Where did you get tickets for the hockey game from?" I fiddled around on the remote, as Pretty Little Liars don't continue until tomorrow. "I won it at work and since our little one here loves hockey, we're going." Max stands on the couch, swings both arms up, and yells a loud "Oh yeah."
Theo walked up to him, they high-fived together and ran upstairs to get changed for the game. That means I'm alone today. Maybe I should study in the living room? I mean, it's such a bad idea, isn't it?
A whole couch and also the TV. I can also study politics because we write a test on Thursday.
This exam phase will soon be over, and I can relax again. So I ran to my room and got everything I needed to put it on the table in the living room.
I walk to the kitchen to make myself some tea. At that moment, Max and Theo came down. They stood in front of me and made a superman pose with their hands in a fist.
"And don't we look cool?" Theo asked me. "Totally cool," Max answers his question. "You guys look really cool." They were both wearing hockey jerseys from our hockey team.
"I'll be ready then." "Okay, go to the car, I'll be right there." Max nodded went to his shoes and quickly put them on before he ran out the door, I yelled after him, "get a puck for me." He gave a thumbs up and was gone.
"I'm sorry I didn't take you with me. I know you love hockey because of your dad..." "Theo it's okay. I'll just watch it on TV. I've been to a game before. Max never." Theo ran his hands up and down my upper arms while smiling warmly at me.
Theo is a wonderful father, also for me. I would never accept him as my real father, but he knows that and understands it. He tries to be good with me as he is with Max his son and in fact his real one. He contacts me, helps me with things, and is there for me. But he cannot replace my father. This hockey thing was our thing, and it's going to stay that way.
"Call me if something's happened, okay. And please don't sit by the books for so long, or you'll get brain damage."
"I want to study medicine, what I do now is nothing like how much it will be later." "Oh god." he rolled his eyes. I just smiled. "Well, I'd rather go before Max leaves without me." I nodded, got a kiss from him on the forehead, and saw how the last person walk out of the house.
I finally have some rest. I picked up my tea and put it on the table as I started studying while watching friends on TV.
---
I slightly opened my eyes. In the background, I hear the game. I must have fallen asleep. I rubbed my eyes.
Man, how long have I slept? Is it tomorrow already? I looked around. It was dark outside. Only the colors from the TV illuminates the room.
On my chest where my phone, which began to vibrate. I picked it up, so I could look at the display as the too-bright light hit my eyes.
I pinched them and slowly tried to get used to the boasting light. It was an unknown number that sent me messages. Who is still awake at this time and annoying me?
I checked the time. 3 a.m. My mother doesn't come until 6 a.m Theo and Max should have been there by now, but they're certainly asleep. As my eyes adjusted, I went to the messenger.
Unknown:
Fuck, why can't I stop thinking about you?
I hate it, and most of all I hate that I like the thought.
Me:
Who are you?
Unknown:
your enemy.
Ares?? I drew my eyebrows together. Why is he texting this to me? How am I in his thoughts? Positive or negative?
Unknown:
I don't even want to think about you. But that's the only thing I do. It kills me.
You're killing me.
Always the same mood swings.
Sometimes you are nice and the next moment arrogant.
I can't understand what turned me on the most.
Okay. Stop. Did Ares Hall just text that he finds my mood swings attractive? I mean, of course, we had Moments, but not where you can say something like that.
Unknown:
This stupid song is playing that we sang together. I think I like Bruno Mars after all.
He must be drunk or at a party.
Unknown:
You see my messages but don't reply.
Why?
Am I embarrassing to you?
Do you have someone else next to you?
I hope not because the only person who can lie next to you in bed is me.
My air stays away. Okay, he must be drunk. To lay next to me? In addition, he finds it attractive that I have mood changes and also that he likes to think of me.
I got on Mason's number, who always has to be by Ares's side. "Yes, bird? Why are you still awake?"
"Because your best friend is texting me thousands of messages right now. Is he okay? I mean, is he drunk Or high?" "Maybe he's at a party. I had to go to dinner with my mother and Zeth. Wait, I'll call him."
I said okay and Mason hung up.
Do I really need to worry about Ares now? I mean, it's definitely not the first time he's been drinking or smoking weed. But then why do guilt wash up in me? Or rather worry if everything is fine.
My phone rang again. "Yes?" "I'll pick Ares up, please do me a favor and call him to get him out of there."
"What's the point?" "If he is on the phone with you, he'll leave the house because it's probably too loud. So call him and stay tuned until I let you know on his phone, okay?" I was about to say no when Mason started talking again.
"Please Aurora. I know you don't want to talk to him, but this is about his condition." "Okay." I exhaled heavily. I just hope Mason doesn't take too long.
"Thank you, you're the best." he hung up. I pushed myself to the unknown number that belonged to Ares. The first thing I did was just stared at her when I actually pressed the button and put the phone to my ear.
It rang and after a few seconds, someone answered. "And which dog is calling again?" "I'm not a dog. I'm just doing Mason a favor."
"Mason? Are you guys together?" "No, he's coming to pick you up, so go in front of the house."
"Why should I listen to you? I mean, like you want something good for me." I groaned in annoyance.
"Just go okay." It came very energetically. "Okay." I heard a lot of people screaming and also the music in the background. Man, what is that for a party that commits it like this?
Slowly the sound became quieter as I only heard one voice. "So what's now?" "Nothing, just stay there and wait."
Do he wants me to explain everything to him too? "What did you do today?" "I watch a hockey game." all for Mason, all for Mason...
"You watch hockey?" "Yes. So unusual?" "I mean a bit." "Because women belong in the kitchen and shouldn't be involved in sports? You woman sexist," I made a fool of him when his voice softly spoke to me.
"I'm not a woman sexist, you're just the nerd who just sits home and studies, you don't watch hockey in my eyes." I heard a small laugh on the other side of the phone. He must be really drunk when he's like to talk to me.
"But I'm not a nerd." "There's nothing wrong with being a nerd. Some are even cute, have you seen Zeth?" I laughed.
"I'll agree with you this time."
"Why are you even interested in hockey?" He picked up the topic again. "It's something that my father and I did. We always watched it together."
I explained it to him. We talk really long, I mean really long without any fights. When he wanted to continue the conversion, I heard Mason. "Aurora, you can hang up, I'm here now." I breathed okay as Ares then told Mason to give his phone back.
"Aurora?" "What is it?" "Before you hang up, can you answer a question for me?"
"Ask."
"Is there any chance you'll forgive me if I ask you?" That was unexpected. Should I say yes or no? Can I forgive him? This week, my thoughts have been very different than they are now. They are jumbled and confusing. Don't know what to answer.
My head says no, my gut says yes, and my heart doesn't know. I am so confused.
"Aurora?" "I don't know. But if you wanted an answer right now, it would be no. But at the moment, No, I couldn't forgive you."
"At the moment," Ares repeated my words.
"Yeah, at the moment," Mason asked Ares to hang up, he said goodbye and did it.
He was drunk, I shouldn't worry about it, he'll probably forget. Also, our conversation.