5.
I can't stop thinking about the other day when Ethan Gray brought me to Marcy's. We talked, and I learned a lot of stuff about him, like how he prefers Vanilla to Chocolate, his plans of taking up Engineering, or if given the chance he would rather be on the track team than on the football team .
I stared at him for a long time and I noticed that his eyes shifted from blue to green at times. What bothered me though, during our talk was how he spoke so nicely about Aiden, his bestfriend. It was as if he purposely said stuff like how hopelessly romantic Aiden was and once when he was so in love he went to the girl's house to serenade her, but everything changed and Aiden became the confused boy who dated girls around and eventually admitted he was in love with his best friend.
I didn't know what to make out of it. I didn't want to pity Aiden and let him out of the deal just because his bestfriend said he was "confused".
I made my way to the bathroom to have a quick shower, my evil sister was there standing by the stairway. "Been dreaming 'bout your boyfriend, twerp?" She asked. She was smirking yet her jaw was moving in a weird circular way; she must be chewing gum.
"Whatever London," I muttered as I walked past her.
I closed the bathroom door and settled on the toilet for a moment to just pass the time. I've been pondering a lot lately and that isn't a good thing, even for me. I closed my eyes and tried to see whose face appears when my eyes aren't open. There was a part of me that wished for it to be Ethan's but, there's someone else.
'Oh Cupid, not him.'
I opened my eyes abruptly and shifted my gaze to the trash bin, there's nothing else to see here unless I would risk watching mom's kitten cross-stich. Why'd she hang it inside the bathroom? I don't know and I never want to know.
Something narrow and white caught my eye and despite the disgusting wastes I stuck my hand in the trash bin and retrieved the narrow white stick which happened to be a pregnancy test. I gulped as I tried to remember what my mom said about this stuff.
'Gosh I remembered that whoever used this peed on this. Ew.'
I scrunched my nose, as if it would keep the germs away as I tried to check the test and saw two lines, although the other was purple and a bit faint I still can't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time. Whoever used this, most probably Mom was definitely and positively pregnant. I washed my hand and grabbed a zip lock from the medicine cabinet. I can't wait to show Claude that we're expecting another sibling next year.
"Dad, by any chance are we having a brother or a sister next year?" I calmly asked my father as he drove us to school.
"Why are you asking A?" He replied, his brows were furrowed as if he was confused and had no idea about it. I was not expecting his reaction to be like that, "do you want us to adopt?"
"Oh no, I was just uh-I was just wondering you know how it feels like to be an older sister." I replied. I made a mental note to slap myself once I arrive in school.
Claude snickered from the backseat. I should slap him later as well.
It was his brilliant idea to not bring the positive pregnancy test up at breakfast. "Maybe they want to surprise us, so let's just pretend not to know," he said. I observed Mom at breakfast. She was her usual bright and cheerful self, although London kept on excusing herself to the bathroom.
Hmm, fishy, very fishy.
"Is this about London again?" Dad asked. He was probably aware of her hostility towards Claude and me but mostly to me.
I shook my head, "no not exactly." God, yes exactly.
I took my phone from my bag and texted Claude, 'Dude, I think London's pregnant, not mom. :/'
Seconds later I felt my phone vibrate, 'God, I knew it. Should we tell Dad?'
I turned my body towards the side so that Claude could see me shrug. Right now I'm confused on how to deal with this.
'Let's bring this up tomorrow at breakfast.' I texted him back. Breakfast because it is a London thing to be home two hours after dinner and what's the point of having a family talk when the supposedly 'concern' is not around?
"I would like to congratulate those students who got an A on their analysis for The Tempest," Ms. Mackenzie said in her usual dreamy, hypnotic voice. She passed our papers back to us, and I was so glad to see a big fat red A+ on my paper. I turned around and smiled at Aiden who was sitting beside the person behind me. He gave me a 'thumbs up' in return.
"So for your next assignment, to be passed next week I would like you to research about a poem," Ms. Mackenzie said, sounding thrilled despite the groans of my classmates, "do not fret young ones for you'll be doing it by pairs."
My eyes immediately flew to Emerald who was looking at me expectantly as well. We always do this, whenever there's a paired activity. The others, I noticed where hurriedly searching for their friends or favorite partners.
As Ms. Mackenzie was blabbing about choosing a romantic poem a crumpled piece of paper landed on my desk. And then another, and then I felt another one hitting my head. I turned around grudgingly to see Aiden motioning towards the paper on my desk. He then made a gesture that looked like opening the paper. I rolled my eyes at him and focused my attention back at Ms. Mackenzie.
"Hold on, don't get too excited," she said, "I would be the one choosing the pairs, because I want it to be a boy-girl pair."
I heard my classmates groan, and I saw Emerald look down in disappointment. I felt something hit my head once more and I turned my head around to face Aiden. I glared at him but he ignored my death glare and proceeded to do some hand gestures again. I held a hand at him and faced forward once again, only to see Ms. Mackenzie raising her brow at us.
"Mr. Walker, if you wanted to be paired to Ms. Cassidy all you had to do was tell me. Seriously dear boy, there's no need to throw rocks on her window pane."
What the hell Ms. Mackenzie, I hope you're just finding a romantic way to say that Aiden was throwing papers at my hair.
I groaned, "But Ms-"
"No buts Ms. Cassidy," Ms. Mackenzie replied, shaking her head, "your partner for this assignment would be Aiden Walker and that's my final decision."
"Great, just great," I muttered under my breath.
At the end of the period I walked to Aiden, crossed my arms and glared at him, "way the go idiot."
He looked at me like I was the stupid one as he grabbed his bag, "you should be thankful you got paired with me. That would mean another A+ for you."
I felt myself blush, well I owe that grade to Aiden in fairness to him. I sighed and tried to look less angry this time, "what was it that you're pestering me about?"
"I just wanted you to freakin' open the paper," he replied as he ripped another piece of paper from his notebook, scribbled something on it and handed it a bit to hatefully at me.
"See you later. I better hurry off to Calculus now," he said as he hurried off away from me.
"I can't believe my own best friend is being close with the worst person in my life ever," Emerald said fuming. She hated every single fiber of Aiden Walker's being and I can't blame her but I've tried reasoning with her that it was never Aiden's fault that her mother left her.
"Ems, you should chill out," I said as I replaced my books inside my locker, "It's just Literature assignment. It's not like we're dating or something."
Emerald snorted, she was now leaning on the locker beside mine, "yeah right, the next thing I know you'll be alone with him in your car and you'll be driving off into the sunset, leaving me once again, like she left me."
I forced out a laugh. I didn't tell Emerald about my car and Aiden rescuing me from the rain and everything in between, "yeah, about that..."
Emerald glared at me, "oh my god, Asia!"
"It's not like that Ems I swear!"
"Oh yeah, A I'm starting to think that you'd pick him over me," Emerald replied, her tone was dangerous.
"Emerald, my car broke, his uncle offered to fix it and Aiden is giving me my car back today," I said in an exasperated voice.
Emerald rolled her Emerald eyes at me, "Asia," she said in a soft voice, "you know how much I hate that guy, but most especially you should know how much I love you but..."
I closed my eyes.
"Asia I think we need to stay away for a while, a couple of days probably. I'll deal with my problems first and you deal with yours."
That was the last thing Emerald said as she turned around and walked away.
I stand on the parking lot as my fingers played with the piece of paper Aiden gave me. He said to meet him here by 5:30 and here I was, eyes soaked in tears, alone in the parking lot. Emerald was my best friend ever and now she's not talking to me, just because I decided to befriend Aiden Walker.
I wanted to understand her hatred towards him that caused me to hate him without knowing him as well. I was wrong, Aiden might be despicably annoying and a really dangerous heart breaker but he was a good guy. He'd helped me a couple times in a span of one week.
I heard a familiar honk and I turned my head to see Aiden, driving my baby. I hurriedly wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt as Aiden opened the window.
"Hop in," he said, smiling but then he noticed my red nose maybe and his smile turned into a concerned frown, "are you crying?"
"It's nothing," I replied, shrugging my shoulders, "can I have my car now. I want to go home."
"No can do Asia, you still owe me for fixing your car," he replied as he went out of the car and led me to the other seat beside him.
"Okay how much?" I asked. I wasn't really in the mood for him.
"I don't want money Asia, he said as he drove away from school. I just want to kidnap you," he replied smiling, "just kidding, I'll take you out on a test drive."
I didn't bother to reply. I was tired and in a bad mood. I leaned my elbow on the side as I watched the trees outside, avoiding Aiden Walker as much as possible.
~
"Why are we here?" I asked him as he parked the car outside the park by the hill. My spirits were starting to lift, I've never been here for a long time and I'm thrilled to see that the huge fish pond was still here.
"I dunno, I thought about bringing you to the theme park but I thought that would be totally unromantic and I kinda noticed that you needed more than just cheering up," he replied with a cocky smile.
I opened my arms mid-hugging him but I thought against it, the awkward monster enveloping the both of us instead, "er thank you?" I said shyly.
Aiden sat on a patch of grass by the pond and I followed him. The skies were painted in between shades of oranges and purples, it was a beautiful sight.
"So why were you crying?" He asked.
"Nothing," I answered.
He cocked his brow at me, as if to say that he's not going to stop asking unless I spill out my problem.
"Friendship issues," I replied, drawing my knees near my chest.
"Is this about Emerald Delaney?"
"Yep," I answered him. I didn't want to say more because tears were sprouting in my eyes once again.
Aiden sighed, "do you think it was my fault, Asia?" Aiden asked, "because from the way I recall it, I was a victim here as well."
"I know."
"So you don't blame me?"
"Nope, but she does though, and now she thinks I've chosen you over her," I replied and I didn't care about the tears falling from my eyes.
"I'm trying to figure out if that's a compliment or something," Aiden muttered, loud enough for me to hear.
I ignored him as I sobbed into my sweater. Aiden reached out his hand and wiped the tears from my face, "why are you always crying whenever we're alone?"
I cracked up laughing and pushed him away, "you're a heart breaker remember?"
He laughed as well, but not as much as I did. He looked at the sky and pointed his finger upward, "It's 8:00 the news said there'd be a meteor shower. This must be your lucky night," he said with that usual arrogant smirk of his.
'Pfft know-it-all.'
I smiled at him and looked up, the sky was beautifully adorned by twinkling skies and yes Aiden was right stars were falling from the sky.
"Don't you wanna wish for anything?" He asked as he turned away from me and closed his eyes.
I closed my eyes too and wished all the wishes I could wish.
'World peace,'
'More Harry Potter movies,'
'For my friendship with Emerald,'
'For my family, I wish we'll be together forever,'
I looked at Aiden and saw he was closing his eyes as well. He looked kinder that way. Even in the dark I could make out his long lashes, and that lone dimple on the right side of his face.
'Shit, why am I thinking about him? Worse why am I seeing his face whenever I close my eyes?'
I made one final wish, a wish so unconsciously made I almost gagged.
'How I wish you weren't gay.'
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRETTY BANNER MS. SASSMAX (SEE MULTIMEDIA)