♡ CHAPTER TWENTY ♡
The company that Ariana's father worked for opened that weekend. Of course, Damian was there at the evening celebratory party. Ariana and Brandon were there, too.
To celebrate, they went to a karaoke house where practically everyone had their turn singing. This happened four days after Ariana forgave Mikaela... sort of.
During those four days, numerous things had happened:
1) Mikaela tried to befriend Ariana
2) Blair Vazquez had left California to join some rock band in Canada or something
3) Ariana asked Damian out on a date;
4) And he. Said. Yes!
The date was supposed to be on the evening after the celebratory karaoke party thing. The next day morning, Ariana and Brandon went to A.M.O in their costumes.
Brandon was asking a twenty-year-old guy about what made him hate music. "It's so common, man. Just ask anybody on the streets if they like music, and they'll reply with, 'Yeah, I love music. It sets me free' and poop like that. Honestly, I'm sick of music now. There's nothing original about it." Ariana clenched her hands into fists.
"So you're saying that you dislike just because music because its unoriginal?" Ariana asked through gritted teeth.
The guy gave her an odd look. "Yeah. You have a problem with that?"
A few eyes landed on hers. She gulped. "No," she said evenly. Ariana and Brandon went across the room and towards a thirty-year-old woman.
"Hi," Ariana smiled. The woman greeted her back.
"So why do you hate music so much?" Brandon asked her as politely as he could.
"Well, my husband was-" but before the woman could continue speaking, her head snapped up and stared at somebody right behind Ariana and Brandon. Everybody else in the room did, too. Slowly, the two teens faced back.
There was a tall man standing in front of the curtains, with Earl right behind him. The guy was of light skin and had a medium build. He had dark hair and looked like he was in his early thirties. His features reminded Ariana of someone...
She shook the thought from head. Silly idea, Ariana thought.
The man walked through the room and started chatting with random people. "Who is that?" Ariana asked the woman she was talking to earlier.
"Oh that's the founder of A.M.O, Mr. Blue."
"Do you know why he hates music?" Ariana asked. The woman shook her head.
"Nobody does. Not even Earl." Suddenly, Brandon nudged Ariana.
"What?" she asked.
"My mom texted me, I have to get home."
"Why?" Ariana asked.
"I need to babysit Bryce," he sighed. Ariana nodded.
"Can I come with you?" she asked. Brandon bit his lip, texted his mom for permission, and told Ariana she could come.
The two excused themselves and walked home. Ariana went to her house and threw off her wig and changed into sweats and a shirt and then went to Brandon's house. Mrs. Davis had already gone and Bryce and Brandon were playing video games in the living room.
"There's pizza in the fridge, seashell. Just heat it up if your hungry," Brandon told her. Ariana nodded but didn't, since she wasn't hungry. It was already three o'clock and her date with Damian was at six.
After Brandon beat his younger brother, they went outside since Bryce wanted to ride his skateboard around the neighborhood. Brandon and Ariana followed, riding bikes.
The whole time, Bryce kept doing flips and tricks and Ariana was worried he would fall or get into an accident. But he never did. He nailed every single trick he did on his board.
Ariana looked to the side to where Brandon was. His hair was being blown away from his face and he smiled joyously.
"You okay there?" he asked Ariana when they made a turn. The girl nodded.
"Yup."
"Listen, seashell..." Brandon started. "About this A.M.O thing, I think we should just give it up now. I mean, we already know what it is, anyway."
Ariana furrowed her eyebrows. "What? How could you say that?! We can't just let them live their lives thinking that music is something evil!"
"But we don't know them. It's not our lives, it's theirs! We don't have any right to change how they live their lives!"
"We don't need freaking rights! I mean, can't we at least try to change them?"
They arrived in front of the Davis's house. "I won't. If you do, then you're alone in this."
Ariana shook her head, parked the bike in the Davis's garage, and went back to her house without another word. Upstairs, she checked the time and saw that it was 5:30. Quickly, she changed into skinny jeans and a white tank top and a dark brown leather jacket. She curled her hair and put on - hardly any - makeup.
After that, she told her mom where she was going and they bid each other goodbye, but not before Ariana fed Percy and Jaz.
The girl rode a taxi to the restaurant where she and Damian were meeting up. When she arrived, she payed the driver and went in. Damian was there, sitting at a table for two. He was wearing a dark blue button-down and his hair was combed neatly, his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He pushed them back up.
Taking a deep breath, Ariana strode towards him. When Damian saw her, he smiled and stood up then he pulled her chair back for her. "Thanks," Ariana smiled.
Damian sat back down in front of her. He asked her what he wanted. "I'll just have the mushroom soup first."
He nodded and called the waiter. He told him the order, stuttering and all, and then the waiter left.
"S-so..." Damian started.
"So..."
"I-uh..."
"Um, you told me once that you're helping out in Kenzington this summer?" Ariana asked. Damian nodded.
"Y-yeah, but I stopped a few weeks ago. Now I'm j-just working at the mall and focusing o-on my music."
Ariana nodded. "Yeah, how's that album coming along?"
"It's s-still halfway, but it isn't really a problem s-since I'm just singing covers. I'm s-starting to write my own songs though, for when I get t-to have an album that's r-really... mine."
Just then, their drinks arrived. The waiter set down the lemonade and the water. Ariana took the lemonade and started sipping.
"S-so how's Brandon? We haven't hung out m-much lately."
"He's good, I guess," Ariana shrugged glumly.
"You d-don't sound happy," Damian observed. Ariana sighed and shrugged again.
"He's just... kind of complicated, I guess."
Damian nodded. "Don't worry, Ariana. H-He has a lot of walls, but if you try h-hard enough, he'll let them down for y-you eventually." Ariana gave him a weak smile and nodded. Their food arrived, and Ariana took small spoonfuls of her soup.
"H-How about you? What've y-you been up to?" Damian asked as he took a bite from his burger.
"Just the usual, really." Ariana didn't want to tell anyone else about A.M.O just yet.
"Still l-looking for your own secret p-place?"
"Yeah, kind of."
"I could a-always give you my shed, y-you know."
Ariana shook her head. "No way, no thank you. I'm grateful, but no."
Damian chucked lightly. "J-just know that the offer is always o-open."
Ariana smiled gratefully as she took another spoonful. The two ate in silence for a while.
"So how's working my dad like?" Ariana asked him.
He smiled. "He's very c-cool, and supportive. He's r-really like a second f-father to me." Ariana smiled upon hearing that. She finished her soup.
"What do y-you want for dessert?" Damian asked after he finished his burger.
"What do you want?"
Damian chuckled. "Ice cream." Ariana smiled.
"Me too." Damian called the waiter and ordered two cups of ice cream. After that, Damian and Ariana played a game of any three questions.
"You start," Ariana said, settling into her seat.
Damian tapped his fingers. "Do you h-have any siblings?"
Ariana nodded. "Two younger brothers who are twins. Their names are Toby and Cory. Do you have any siblings?"
Damian shook his head. "What s-song are you obsessed w-with right now?"
"I like it like that," Ariana sang. "What song are you currently obsessed with?"
Damian laughed. "Can't you th-think of any original q-questions?" he asked teasingly.
Ariana laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly, no."
"Um," Damian laughed a bit. "C-counting stars, m-maybe?" The waiter arrived and served them their ice cream. Damian asked for the bill and then they dug in.
"Okay, what's your third question for me?" Ariana asked.
"I-I'm gonna s-save it," Damian said, taking another spoonful of his ice cream.
"Fine. I am, too." When they finished with their ice cream and Damian payed for the bill, they went home.
"Thanks, Damian. Bye."
"B-bye." And with that, they went their separate ways.
~~~Author's note~~~
Hi!
Sorry that this chapter's filled with fluff and stuff :( I just... things are kind of meh for me right now and I hope you guys'll stick with this book until the end, which is only just five chapters away...
Okay, I'll try to keep this short.
My question for you guys is...
Beaches, or mountains?
For me, it's beaches all the way. Once again, please don't forget to comment, vote, and fan! Bye, peace :)
-J.Q