Chapter Thirty
Elle
My feet thumped against the steps, my body barely awake. All I knew was that I wanted food. The onslaught of light that had decided to pour into the condo wasn’t helping with my sight ability, but by squinting I could just make out basic objects and shapes.
When I finally reached the kitchen, I stumbled over to the fridge and opened it. No matter how many times I examine the cooling appliance, I never for the life of me can remember what exactly was in it.
“Morning, Elle,” a deep voice that sounded like a muffled version of Nick’s said.
I took my head out of the fridge, and saw Nick at the counter making something of his own to digest. In one hand was a spoon, and in the other a beer bottle. “Take the hat off, it looks stupid,” I mumbled, returning to my original task after looking at him for a few seconds.
“You’re face looks stupid,” he fired back uncharacteristically. Normally, he would’ve replied with a sweet remark to counter my harsh one. I was thinking too much into it. Besides, he now had a girlfriend; he was expected to focus all his attention on her, not me, despite what he told me about making me jealous… which I wasn’t.
“Right back at’cha,” I yawned, too tired to come up with a properly clever comeback.
“You’re such a bitch!” Well, that was a new one…
“And you’re a bastard,” I countered, spotting the jar of Nutella I had bought a few weeks ago and hid in the back of the fridge so the boys wouldn’t find it. I grabbed for the translucent glass, brown heaven filling it, and happily retrieved it.
“Shut the fuck up, Paterson!” Nick said angrily.
“What is your problem this morning? Are you on your period or something?” I asked, not liking his new found approach to dealing with me.
“Are you?” he shot back, as I closed the fridge, and went over to one of the drawers (Thankfully, not near Nick) to withdraw a spoon.
“No, actually, I’m not!” I said, an unknown fury having the ability to wake me up entirely.
“You’re so fucking annoying, Elle!” he yelled.
“Well so are you, N-” I paused, as I turned around to face a boy whose name didn’t start with an “N” nor end with an “ick”. Shit. To my horror, the boy standing before me was much worse. His name began with an “E” and concluded in a “van”. Evan Ross. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Good to see you too, bitch,” he said sarcastically.
“Nick!” I shouted loudly, hoping he was somewhere in the condo.
“What?” a calm voice called back, as I heard movement coming from the stairs. When I saw Nick’s figure approach us, gladness washed me. I had never been so happy to see Nick.
“What is he doing here?” I demanded, rudely pointing to his brother who was sipping on a beer peacefully. Asshole.
“Drinking a beer,” Nick replied lightly, shrugging his shoulders, as he moved over to the fridge I had spent a good five minutes ruminating through just moments before.
“I’m serious,” I grumbled.
“He’s in town for a few days, so he thought he’d say hi to his little bro before seeing his girlfriend and pretending that I don’t exist,” Nick explained, stifled by the fact that his head was inside a refrigerator.
“You have a girlfriend?” I asked Evan. Though Nick had mentioned it, I was still shocked that anyone would ever date a monster like he.
Evan and I have a relationship based on hatred. Our relationship wasn’t like in one of those stupid teen fiction stories where hatred turns into love- no; we legitimately hated each other with a burning passion. He was a douche, and thought I was prissy.
Relating back to the “teen fiction” analogy, which was more on the terms of Jake and my relationship. I fell for my brother’s best friend; cliché, I’d say so. Jake and I never hated each other; growing up, we were fairly close. I never would’ve guessed in a million years that he liked me, but life is a funny thing, and somehow Jake and I ended up together.
Back to Evan: He’s like a vamped up Nick. While Nick may be cocky, egotistical, and a jerk- Evan somehow is able to exceed the high standards that Nick has set. Evan is uncaring, uncivil, obnoxious, rude, annoying, an asshole, a jerk; there’s a never-ending list of adjectives to describe that boy, most of which happen to be on the negative side.
Besides being a more intense version of Nick, Evan also happens to have blonde hair contrasting to Nick’s chocolate shade. To be perfectly honest, Evan isn’t an ugly guy, but his personality really shows one what type of person he is. Like his brother, he skis and plays football, though I’ve always thought of him to be more competitive off the football field rather than on it.
“Yeah,” Evan scoffed, “I do.”
“Who?” I questioned.
“Aspen Ricci,” he spat, rolling his eyes at the stupidity he thought I possessed. Realization flooded me like a sinking ship. Aspen was Evan’s girlfriend. That’s why she was so close to Nick. That’s why she knew Nick. It was all coming together and making sense like the last piece of a puzzle.
“Aspen’s your girlfriend? I thought-” I began, though was cut off by the other brother who lived with me.
“She was mine?” Nick filled in.
“Uh, yeah,” I mumbled, putting my face down so the blush that wanted to show wasn’t exposed to the two brothers whom I despised.
“That’s gross. Nick, if you ever fucking try anything on that girl, I will cut both your balls off,” Evan threatened.
“I love you too, bro,” Nick laughed.
“Besides,” I said slyly, “Nicky has a girlfriend now.” Nick turned to me and glared, as if the information I had just disclosed was private.
“So,” Evan smiled at his younger brother, “you finally moved on from this bitch, huh?” I gaped, though I wasn’t surprised by the remark.
“No,” Nick replied lightly, “I don’t plan on ever moving on until we’re back together.”
“You’re an idiot,” Evan sighed. “Is the chick you’re playing at least hot?”
“You know what, we should have a triple date: you and Aspen, Jake and Elle, and Lexie and I,” Nick suggested, changing the topic quickly.
“No!” Evan and I both screamed at the same time.
“So it’s settled, dinner at Nino’s at seven, I’ll make the reservations,” Nick said firmly.
“I’m not sitting through dinner with him!” I protested.
“I’d rather eat Nutella,” Evan said through clenched teeth.
“Are you implying that you don’t like Nutella?” I gasped, horrified as I held my jar of heaven close to my chest.
“It’s disgusting,” he spat.
“You’re disgusting!” I raged.
“So, I’ll see you both in evening attire, downstairs at six thirty?” Nick said, making up his mind that that was indeed the plan. “Do you need me to call Jake and Aspy, or shall you?”
“I can,” I mumbled.
“She’s not going to want to go,” Evan muttered.
“I’m going to go work out now, see you at six thirty,” Nick said, walking over to the door, and leaving me with the enemy. Neither Evan nor I were responsible for anything that happened between the two of us without a moderator. I was not liable for any actions that took place, such as Evan somehow getting a black eye.
Nick
“Nick!” Elle called from across the hall.
“What?” I yelled back.
“The doorbell rang,” she informed me.
“Did it?” I said sarcastically, exiting my room to roam into hers.
“Get out!” she commanded upon my entrance.
“You look gorgeous,” I complimented, looking over the girl who stood in front of me.
Draped on her body was an aqua dress that wasn’t supported by straps and came just above her knees. It made her light skin tone stand out, and looked amazing on her; Elle always looked amazing. On her feet was a pair of towering heels so she matched my height, and, though they weren’t what she usually wore, they looked great on her.
Her hair fell over her shoulders in loose curls, and all I wanted to do was run my hairs through it. When she pursed her lips at me in a disapproving action, I noticed how pink and glossy they looked. If I was impulsive or had bipolarity, I would totally kiss her without a second thought. Alas, I’m normal and a relatively good guy who recognized the fact that she had a “boyfriend” (If Jake can even be classified as one).
“What?” she snapped, catching me staring at her.
“Honestly, Elle, you look beautiful,” I said.
“Uh, th-thanks,” she muttered quietly.
“Shall we?” I offered up an arm for her to take.
“Yup,” she stepped around me, ignoring my toned arm I had graciously given her the option of taking.
“Did someone answer the door?” I asked suddenly.
“Probably your ass of a brother,” she mumbled.
“Hey! Don’t talk that way about your future brother in law!” I scolded, receiving a glare and a slap on the arm. I watched as she strolled down the hall, and down the stairs until I heard a deafening, “JAKE!” Maybe I wasn’t going to survive this evening either…
I put my game face on, prepared to do whatever it took to make this evening go nice and smoothly. After straightening my collared polo shirt, and making sure it was tucked into my pants to perfection, I was ready to face the girl I had somehow agreed to date. Note to self: Stick to the whole “Elle” plan, and don’t date crazy chicks.
“Nick!” Lexie screamed upon seeing me.
“Nick,” Evan said with an evil smirk, “you never told me how, uh, interesting your girlfriend was!”
“Sorry,” I muttered, as Lexie pulled me into a hug. I glanced over to Aspen who was attached to my brother, and knew that there was no way of getting any help from her tonight.
When Aspen and my brother are together, it’s like they’re two different people. Aspen turns into a ball of mush, and my brother- dare I say it- turns into a gentleman. It’s an odd transformation to witness.
“You look so cute!” Lexie exclaimed, her words dripping with every bit of falsity that I hated. I detested when people were fake. When I complimented Elle, I meant it; it was real, and true. With Lexie, she was trying the possessive approach, proving to the other two females in the room that I was “hers”. I should really do a background check on the girls I pretend to date before actually dating them.
“So do you,” I returned, her look reminding me much of Kara’s wardrobe choices. She had on a shimmery, pink dress that was short, tight, and strapless. Elle’s dress looked effortless on her, while Lexie’s looked forced.
“Jake, just curious, why take what my little bro was finally smart enough to get rid of?” Evan asked Jake.
“Evan!” I scolded, his remark uncalled for as Jake firmly put his arm around Elle’s shoulders.
“How about we go now?” Aspen suggested.
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed quickly, not wanting anything to escalate too far. The one thing my brother was good at was pushing people’s buttons, and I didn’t need him to do that to his best friend.
After a rather awkward ride with Lexie telling me that she thought we should coordinate our clothes from now on, I finally arrived at the restaurant. We had agreed to take three separate cars so no one got killed on the way over, and, honestly, it was the best idea that had been brought up yet. The restaurant we were going to was a chill Italian place that was kind of fancy. I thought it’d fit everyone’s needs.
“Wait- we’re going to Nino’s?” Lexie all but screamed.
“Yeah,” I said calmly.
“I love this place! I used to come here all the time with my grandpa when I was younger!” she said happily.
On the ride over, I had found out that Lexie was a born and raised Bostonian, she attended some crappy prep school, much like myself, and her parents were divorced. Surprisingly, I had actually listened when she spoke. It wasn’t the most fascinating one-sided conversation, but I managed.
“Oh,” I said, getting out of the car. I walked over to her side, and opened the door, being the chivalrous gentleman that I am.
“Thanks,” she said politely, taking my hand as she exited. I one-upped her, hesitantly putting my arm over her shoulder. It didn’t feel right, though, the uncomfortable expression on Elle’s face when we approached the entrance of the restaurant was well worth it.
“Shall we?” Jake offered, holding the door open. After shuffling into the marble floored structure, I advanced over to the hostess’ podium. A middle-aged woman with a slight accent checked the reservations, and, sure enough, our table was set-aside in a back room as planned.
The six of us followed the lady to the back of the dimly lit, yet incredibly hectic restaurant. A round table was set with a white tablecloth, all the proper utensils and dishware, and there was a small candle burning in the center- fire hazard right there. We all took our respectable seats, I next to my brother and Lexie, across from Elle who sat between Aspen and Jake.
“Thank you,” I said to the hostess as she left us to await the person who would be serving us.
“Nice place, bro,” Evan commented, looking around.
“Good choice, Nick,” Jake said, as he brushed a piece of Elle’s twirled hair off her face to my discomposure.
Thankfully, a girl I assumed to be our waitress finally came over to relieve us from the rather tense conversation. She looked to be about our age, maybe a year or so younger. With her tanned skin, dark hair, and heavily applied makeup, she looked like she was part of the cast of Jersey Shore.
“Hi, I’m Cassie, and I’ll be your- HOLY FUCK! I hit the jackpot tonight! Three hot guys!” our waitress exclaimed in the cliché Boston accent that I found rather annoying. “Please tell me that you’re all one big family and no one’s romantically involved!”
“Unfortunately, we’re all in relationships here,” Lexie said, awkwardly kissing my cheek in a possessive way.
“Well that blows!” she said sadly. “Can I guess the connections?”
“Knock yourself out,” my brother snorted.
“Yous two,” she pointed to Aspen and Evan, “been going out for what, a year and a half? You make a hot couple.”
“On target so far,” Aspen said, grossly diving her lips into my brother’s.
“And the chick in the green and the hottie in the blue are together, but currently in a fight,” she said. I looked over to Jake, not noticing that he too had been wearing blue. His shirt was red. I glanced down at my own shirt: navy blue.
“This is turquoise, and we’re not together,” Elle informed the Snooki lookalike.
“Could’ve fooled me,” she shook her head.
“How?” Elle demanded.
“Firstly, yous look good together, yous won’t stop staring at each other, and lastly yous are in fucking love!” she laughed.
“We’re exes!” Elle exclaimed, irritated.
“You’re going out with the fire truck then?” she questioned, causing both Aspen and I to cover our mouths to keep from laughing.
“Yes, yes I am,” Elle said, as Jake dully placed his arm over her shoulders. What a douche.
“Sorry hon,” she said, addressing Jake, “but she’s is going to dump you’re ass for the guy with the attractive face over here.”
“And how can you tell?” Jake questioned, slightly amused, but more distressed.
“I’m normally working at the bar, I read peoples well,” she laughed.
“You really suck as a waitress,” Evan commented.
“I know, but there’s this thing called nepotism which means I can’t really get fired; it’s better than a union!” she said with the exclusion of all R’s from her dialect. “My Nonno’s not going to get rid of me; can’t really do that to family.”
“I know exactly where you’re coming from!” Aspen said.
“Yeah? What’s your last name, sweetie?” she asked Aspen suddenly.
“Ricci,” Aspen replied.
“You Italian?”
“Yeah, my family’s from Tuscany.”
“Last summer I was there; beautiful place! I’m actually Sicilian, but Tuscany’s gorgeous. Can I get yous guys anything to drink? Yous look underage, but I’ve talked too much, so I don’t really care. Wine? Beer? Whatever,” she said, winning over at least half of the table. I think Lexie, Elle, and Jake weren’t too thrilled with her, but the rest of us definitely liked her.
“What do you recommend?” I asked.
“Well, judging by you’re clothes, I’d say mummy and daddy have money, so I’ll get yous something good; red or white?”
“Surprise us,” Aspen mused.
“Okay then- oh, and I’m required to ‘apologize in advance’ for my behavior; yeah, my Nonna’s not so lenient when it comes to socializing with customers. If you need anything, there’s a sixty-four percent chance that I will get it for you,” she said disappearing, leaving Aspen, Evan, and myself in a fit of confused laughter.
“I like her,” Evan said.
“Me too,” Aspen agreed.
“I don’t,” Elle said.
“Me neither,” Jake complained.
“Why? Because she was able to see the future that the two of you couldn’t?” I asked, realizing the Lexie was beside me. Thankfully, she had resorted to texting, so was most likely unable to hear anything going on around her.
“Please, Nick!” Elle laughed uncomfortably. “I’m with Jake!”
“And yet, you want me back,” I shook my head.
“You’re so freaking annoying!” she cried, as I smirked at her response.
“Okay! We have this big bottle of old alcohol that cost more than my apartment, what do you think?” Snooki asked, returned to our table with a large glass bottle in her hand.
“It sounds perfect,” I smiled. Wine, my brother, my brother’s girlfriend, my girlfriend who didn’t know our relationship was fake, my ex, and my ex’s current boyfriend; it sounded like the start to a bad joke, and yet, it was my life.