Los Angeles, California
•••••Josh's Perspective
"I hate you."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "No, you don't."
I crossed my arms, scowling at him. "Yes, I do."
Sky rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that there isn't a single person on this planet that you legitimately hate."
"Actually, there is." I shot back. "His name is Benjamin Tyler Cook, and he's a jerk."
"Josh," Ben sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I'm not leaving for another two months."
"Yeah, but you're still leaving!"
"Boys!" Aiden stuck her head through the doorway, an air of urgency about her. "Time to go!"
"I'm still mad at you." I spat at Ben, before walking out into the hallway.
I remained quiet and upset during the short trip from our hotel room to the parking lot, and I didn't even say 'hi' to the birds that like to gather outside in the mulch by the front doors.
We let Aiden drive, since she was the only one of us who was familiar with L.A. traffic, and Sky called shotgun.
Ben and I sat in the back, but I was still determined not to speak to him for the rest of my life, so I sat as close to the door as I could.
The car was completely quiet for a good half of the drive, and we were all well aware that it was my fault.
When we were about a mile from our destination, Aiden finally broke the silence. "Josh, would you please stop pouting?"
"I'm angry!" I retaliated. "I pout when I'm angry!"
"I know you do," she sighed, "but you're hurting Ben's feelings."
Ben furrowed his brow in confusion and started to say, "I'm fine," but he was interrupted by Aiden clearing her throat loudly.
"As I was saying," she continued, glancing at me in the rear-view mirror, "you can't be upset with him forever. Just because he's leaving tour doesn't mean you won't see him anymore."
"I live with you." Ben added. "And I'll visit whenever I can."
I was still scowling, but my anger cooled a bit. "You will?"
He nodded. "I promise."
"Wipe that frown off your sweet little face." Aiden instructed in a motherly tone. "You get to meet a new person today, remember?"
I gasped in remembrance, any trace of pettiness vanishing in an instant. "I forgot about that!"
Sky gave me a puzzled look. "And you didn't wonder why we were leaving the hotel?"
"Well," I shook my head, "no, but Aiden said that we had to leave, so I left."
Aiden shot me a smile. "Atta boy."
She pulled the car into a parking space outside a cafe on the corner of two streets.
"She should be here already." Aiden mumbled under her breath, sliding the car keys into her jacket pocket. "I don't think she had anything going on today."
"Work?" Ben suggested as we stepped inside through the glass door.
She shook her head. "That's why you guys are here."
I tilted my head. "What does that mean?"
"We're making new friends." She said, but her voice told me that she didn't mean it. "Ah, I see her."
Aiden lead us across the cafe, all the way in the back, to a table with five chairs.
One of the chairs was occupied, by who I assumed was the friend of Aiden's that we were supposed to meet.
Her hair was black as the night, pulled back in a bun that she clearly didn't care to put much effort into, and she was dressed mainly in a shade of dark grey. She sat with her arms and legs crossed, giving me the hint that she'd rather be somewhere else.
Off the top of my head, I guessed that she either needed sleep, food, or maybe a hug, but I decided not to offer my services. She didn't look like the type of person who would appreciate that.
"Cricket!" Aiden addressed her as we approached the table.
She looked up, acknowledging our presences, before nodding to the table, which had a ziplock bag of cookies sitting atop it. "Nat made me bring those for you."
"Sounds like Natalie." Aiden replied, taking the seat next to her. "Nice job on finding the most secluded spot."
"It's a gift." Cricket mumbled, before falling into silence again.
Sky sat next to Aiden, as usual, and Ben sat next to him, leaving the chair next to Cricket for me.
A server came up to our table and began distributing glasses of water while we got settled.
As I was slipping the jacket off my shoulders and draping it over the back of my chair, I felt my elbow hit something, followed by, "Clearfix,"
I had no clue what it meant, but Cricket uttered the word like a profanity as she assessed the damage of the overturned glass of water.
"Shoot!" I set the glass right-side-up and grabbed one of the thick, non-disposable napkins off the table, holding it out to her. "I'm sorry."
She snatched the napkin out of my hand and started dabbing at the moisture that soaked her leg from her thigh to her knee.
"I didn't mean to knock it over," I continued, trying to explain myself while she angrily attempted to dry the fabric of her jeans.
She lifted her head, her eyes giving me a hard, piercing glare.
Deep, dark, ink-colored eyes.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd exercise more awareness in regards to what your arms and legs are doing." She snapped in a biting tone.
"Okay," Aiden cut in, raising her hands in a calming gesture, "Cricket, trust me, Josh is about the last person on earth who would do that on purpose."
Cricket turned her glare on the violinist. "That doesn't change the fact that he did it."
"He didn't mean to." Ben blurted out. "And he already apologized."
"Clam it, blue eyes." She retaliated without a second thought, leaving Ben speechless.
I watched the whole argument in bewilderment.
Why was she so upset?
"I really am sorry." I decided to give it one last shot. "I should've been paying closer attention."
Her glare melted into skepticalness, and she murmured, "Fine," before dropping the conversation altogether.
Aiden exhaled slowly. "Boys, this is Cricket Alexander, an old friend of mine."
Cricket glanced up, briefly studying Sky and Ben's appearances, but she wouldn't look at me.
"I'm Sky." The redhead began cautiously, raising his hand and giving her a small wave.
"Softy." She said with a nod.
Aiden put her head in her hands while Sky frowned in confusion.
Ben continued the introductions, stating his name and offering a small, forced smile.
Finally, Cricket turned to me with a dramatic sigh. "And what's your name, waterboy?"
"Joshua." I said quietly, trying not to let on that I was a little bit afraid of her.
She gave me a nod as well, before sitting back against her chair and crossing her arms again. "So, rumor has it that you three are supposed to convince me to go back into the theatre industry."
"They're here to give you an idea of what tour life is like." Aiden corrected, giving her a stern look.
"Right," Cricket nodded, drawing out the 'i'.
Aiden put up a smile, before elbowing Ben in the ribs.
"Ouch," he whispered, taking the hint and snapping to attention. "Um, tour's pretty fun. Travel's a little rough, but they give us a couple days off here and there to recharge."
"How complicated is the lighting system for the show?" Cricket asked.
"It's not too bad, I don't think?" Ben shrugged. "I don't really pay attention to that."
"Even if it is," Aiden interjected quickly, "you're more than qualified to cover it."
"I know I am." Cricket answered, taking a deep breath. "So, would I have to go in and talk with the director about it?"
Sky nodded. "You'd probably have to talk with him about your experience, and then he'd walk you through the procedure and see if you're capable—or, so you can show him that you're capable."
"Easy enough."
"So, you'll do it?" Aiden bit her lip hopefully.
She shrugged. "Maybe."
"Ben?" Sky spoke up suddenly. "You feeling okay?"
I looked over at where the blue eyed boy sat, and my face creased in concern.
Ben's complexion had always been pretty fair, but now it looked a sickly pale. A light sheen of sweat gave his skin an almost glistening appearance, and he was taking in generous, measured lungfuls of air.
I swear I could feel the impact of Aiden's motherly instincts kick in within the time span of 0.5 seconds.
She gazed at him intently. "What's wrong?"
"I do not feel well." He stated bluntly, not even bothering to try to smile and play it off like he usually did.
"Drink your water." Aiden instructed firmly.
He nodded down at the glass that sat in front of him—empty.
I handed him mine, which was nearly full to the brim. "Are you nauseous?"
"A bit." He mumbled, taking a sip of the water.
"Why don't we just cut this short?" Cricket suggested, surveying Ben's condition with a disinterested gaze.
Aiden shook her head. "We haven't even eaten yet."
"He doesn't look like he's gonna want to eat anything anytime soon." She responded.
Sky exhaled slowly, trying to formulate at least a slightly structured plan. "What if Josh and I drive Ben back to the hotel, and the two of you stay?"
"I'll probably just walk back to my apartment, then." Cricket said with a shrug.
A smile danced across Aiden's face. "I'll walk back with you. I want to say 'hi' to Natalie."
Sky gave his girlfriend a wary glance. "I'm not sure I want you out by yourself."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Out of all the women in L.A., we're probably the last ones that need a chaperone."
He raised his hands in surrender. "All the same, why don't you take Josh with you? It'd make me feel a lot better, and he'd like getting to meet two new people in one day."
"Mhm." I agreed. "Natalie sounds like a fun person."
"She's gonna love him." Aiden said to Cricket, nodding to me.
"Alright," Sky stood up, setting his hand on Ben's shoulder, who slowly rose from his chair as well. "I'll get him home, and then I'll come back and pick you and Josh up."
Aiden nodded and reached across the table, patting Ben's arm. "Feel better."
He managed an unamused smile. "Yes, ma'am."
"Bye!" I waved at him as he and Sky left.
"Cool." Cricket let out a breath and looked over at Aiden. "Are we ready to go?"
I tilted my head. "We aren't going to eat anything before we leave?"
"You and I can get something before Sky comes back." Aiden said.
Cricket shrugged. "I'm not hungry."
"Did you eat lunch already?"
"No." She shook her head.
"You can't skip a meal." I protested with a confused frown. "That's not good for you."
She gave me a weird look, before returning her attention to Aiden. "Do me a favor and keep that bag of cookies with you. Nat'll kill me if you don't eat them."
The little cafe was only a mile or two from Cricket's apartment complex.
She knew the way by heart, and led us there without a single faltering step.
Since Cricket was the navigator, and Aiden had more of an idea of where she was going than I did, I was the last one in our little three-person cluster.
It made my job a little more difficult, and I did my best to walk as close to them as I could.
"This is it." Cricket declared with a mockingly grand tone, lazily spreading her hands and gesturing to the sight ahead of us.
Five, maybe six buildings, all squished together: some beige, some brick, and one a pale green.
"Which one is yours?" I asked, looking up at them.
She pointed to the tiny, pale green apartment complex, sandwiched in between two beige buildings.
Cricket and Aiden walked through the front doors and crossed the small, empty lobby to a flight of stairs, and started up.
I followed after them, growing more and more uneasy with every floor that we passed.
The building wasn't dirty or sketchy or falling apart by any means, but it still creeped me out.
The steps groaned and creaked underneath my feet, the paint, a shade of kiwi-green, was starting to peel and chip off of the walls, and a light would flicker every so often.
I'm not sure how many floors up we were before they finally took a left turn down one of the hallways.
Cricket produced a light copper colored key from her jacket pocket and inserted it into the lock, twisting the doorknob and throwing the door open.
I stepped through the doorframe, and any trace of anxiety evaporated: the apartment's interior was much more welcoming than the freaky hallway.
The walls were painted a simple beige, with picture frames hung here and there. It was a smaller place to live, with a living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms that could all be accessed from the front hall.
Sweet scents of cinnamon and brown sugar filled the air, wafting out of the kitchen.
"She's been busy already today." Aiden remarked, smiling at the pleasant aroma.
(Y'know, as opposed to an unPLEASANT arOMA)
"Yep." Cricket rolled her eyes—an action that was proving to be a habit of hers. "I'm not entirely sure why the baking can't stay at the bakery."
"You know it's like breathing for her."
"Baking is important." I chimed in, following them around the corner into the kitchen.
A girl with flaming red hair was standing on her tiptoes, reaching for a mixing bowl on the top shelf of a cabinet.
Cricket pulled out a chair at the counter, letting it hit the floor with a loud 'thud' before sitting down.
The girl with the red hair turned around at the noise, and a smile spread wide across her face.
She rushed forward, enveloping Aiden in a tight embrace, before pulling back and beginning to wave her hands around wildly.
"Oh my gosh, I've missed you so much." Cricket said, her voice a monotone drawl. "How's the tour going?"
"It's going really well!" Aiden replied emphatically.
"How's your boyfriend?" Cricket asked, while the girl continued to perform excited hand motions.
"He's good, too."
I tilted my head, watching the exchange with a confused expression, until it dawned on me.
"Oh," I said loudly, drawing the word out.
Cricket glanced back at me. "There is no way you're that clueless."
"Cricket." Aiden snapped, putting her conversation with the redhead girl on-hold.
"Sorry." She apologized, unapologetically.
I shrugged. "You're not wrong. I am pretty clueless."
The girl with the red hair frowned at me, before turning to Cricket and signing something.
Cricket nodded and looked back at me. "She says you're very tall."
"Oh." I laughed. "Uh, thanks."
"This is my baby sister, by the way," Cricket pinched the girl's cheek between her thumb and index finger. "Natalie."
Natalie shoved her sister's hand away, and smiled at me.
Then, suddenly, she gasped and grabbed my arm, dragging me into the kitchen.
She pointed up at the bowl she'd been trying to reach earlier, tapping my shoulder repeatedly.
"She wants you to get it down for her, waterboy." Cricket called.
"Well, that I understood." I mumbled, standing up on my toes and retrieving the bowl for her.
Her smile widened, and she placed her fingertips on her chin before bringing her hand down, palm facing upward.
"Thank you." She mouthed.
I nodded, giving her a shy grin.
She let out a clear, ringing laugh that bounced off the walls of the kitchen, and signed something to Cricket.
Cricket rolled her eyes and responded sharply, before looking back at me. "She thinks you're cute."
I blinked, feeling my cheeks grow warm. "Um,"
Smirking, Cricket signaled something to her sister, who shrugged and returned her attention to Aiden.
"What are you making?" Aiden asked, gesturing to the slightly cluttered kitchen.
Natalie's eyes—light brown eyes—lit up, and she picked a sheet of paper up off the counter, showing Aiden the recipe she was following.
It was weird, watching Natalie's mannerisms as compared to Cricket; they were almost like day and night.
"We're nothing alike, I know." Cricket spoke up, as if reading my thoughts. "She's definitely more pleasant of a person."
I shook my head, protesting her self-deprecation. "You're a pleasant person, too."
"Ha." She laughed, managing to do it without smiling. "That's funny."
"Well, you're fun to be around, aren't you?" I chirped, furrowing my brow.
She rolled her eyes. "You ain't no Cinderella yourself, sweetheart."
"You'd be surprised." Aiden interjected briefly, stepping out of the conversation as quickly as she'd stepped in.
"So," I nodded to Natalie, who was currently using Aiden as a taste tester. "What's the age difference between the two of you?"
"I'm twenty-one. She's nineteen." Cricket shrugged. "Although, she could pull fifteen off pretty well."
"And she's..." I stopped, not entirely sure how to approach the subject.
Cricket noticed my struggle. "Hard of hearing. Lost most of it before she turned one."
"But, how'd she hear us come in?"
"Felt the vibrations in the floor when I set the chair down."
"Oh." My face creased in sympathy. "I feel bad for her."
Cricket shook her head. "She doesn't mind, actually. Says she wouldn't have it any other way."
"Did she ever learn how to talk?"
"Eh, Nat prefers not to speak out loud." She shrugged. "The most of her voice you'll hear is when she laughs."
"I'm assuming that happens a lot?" I guessed. "She seems like a generally happy person."
Cricket nodded. "Mhm. She's addicted to smiling. She loves it almost as much baking."
"Does she work at a bakery, or something?"
"Yeah, and she constantly brings home ideas and experiments."
I laughed. "I bet that's fun for you."
She rolled her eyes. "It's pretty annoying, actually, but she's the one who's able to consistently uphold her side of the rent payment, so I'm not allowed to complain. If I do," she shuddered, "she'll make me taste everything."
"Do you not like sweet things?"
"Nope." The slightly traumatized look left her face. "Sunshine and rainbows are her thing, not mine."
"What is your thing, then?" I asked.
She raised an eyebrow. "How is that relevant?"
I shrugged, sliding my hands into my pockets. "Just out of curiosity."
"Curiosity killed the cat." She stated simply, ending the discussion and averting her eyes.
"Joshy," Aiden held her phone up. "Sky's on his way back. If you want to go get something for lunch, we'd better go now."
I nodded, still slightly puzzled.
Not that I was trying to figure Cricket out, but I was slowly beginning to realize that it was a very difficult task to hypothetically complete.
After Natalie and Aiden had their fill of goodbyes, the redheaded girl turned to me.
She signed something, stuck out her hand, and gave me a warm smile.
"It was nice to meet you." Cricket translated.
I returned Natalie's smile and accepted her handshake. "You too."
"See you soon, Cricket." Aiden called as we stepped back into the creepy hallway. "I'll call you and let you know when Mr. Calhoun's available."
"Uh-huh." Cricket replied lazily, before closing the front door.
"Alright," Aiden started for the stairwell. "Let's go get you some food."
"Aiden?" I asked as I followed after her, retracing our steps back down the creaky stairs.
"Hmm?"
"Why is Cricket like that?"
She glanced back at me. "You mean, why is she so sarcastic?"
I shook my head. "No, I mean, why does she act...the way that she does?"
"It's complicated, Josh." Aiden shrugged. "She's a little rough around the edges, that's all."
I looked down at my feet, still confused. "She's not very nice."
Aiden sighed. "I think she's lonely. She just needs a friend."
"Oh."
It did make sense, looking back at the way Cricket had snapped at everyone at lunch, the way she'd been entirely unsympathetic to Ben's short episode of nausea, and even the bored interactions she'd had with her sister.
In the hour and a half that I'd known her, no matter where we'd been or what the topic of conversation was, she'd always seemed like she'd rather be anywhere else.
I didn't think I'd seen her smile even once.
In my opinion, she was just too sad and too angry.
A friend was exactly the right remedy for that.
But, with a frown, I realized that friends might be a difficult thing for her to achieve. I went through the names of all the nicest, happiest people that I knew, but none of them struck me as brave enough to accept the challenge.
Whoever was going to step up to the task would have to be willing to try to make her to smile over and over again, no matter what it took, and I didn't know anyone who I thought would want to devote themselves to that.
And then a thought struck me.
I looked up at Aiden with a set, determined face. "I'll be her friend."
•••••
•••••Cricket's Perspective
"Where are you?" I muttered underneath my breath, scanning the screen for the mistake. With every line of code that I read over, my grip on Siegfried tightened, practically strangling him.
Suddenly, a pair of hands came down on top of my computer, slamming the lid shut.
I scoffed loudly, shooting an indignant glare at Natalie and spreading my hands as if to say 'what the heck?'.
"You have some explaining to do." She raised her eyebrows and set her hands on her hips.
"I was trying to fix a pseudo selector problem!" I retaliated, throwing Siegfried at her. "This better be important."
She rolled her eyes, picking Siegfried up off the floor and setting him atop the computer. "It's not too big of a deal, I guess. I'm just a little curious about the fact that you brought home a boy."
"Joshua?"
"Yes, Joshua!" She scowled at me. "At first, I thought he was Aiden's boyfriend, but then I remembered that she told me her boyfriend has red hair."
I pursed my lips in a disinterested expression. "Your point?"
Her scowl melted into a mischievous smirk. "Josh does not have red hair."
"Wonderful observation, Natalie. You might actually be smart after all."
"Shut up!" She demanded, her hands moving at about a hundred miles an hour. "How did you meet him?"
My forehead creased in confusion. "He's a friend of Aiden's. Why?"
"Because I've never seen you carry on that long of a conversation before."
"I've had longer conversations with Aiden."
"She doesn't count! Josh is a boy!"
"Oh, no." I shook my head, narrowing my eyes at her. "I swear, if your train of thought is on its way to the twisted, incredibly misinformed notion that I have feelings for him, I will throw you out the window."
She smiled big, letting out a short laugh. "Hate to break it to you, sis, but the train's already there."
"Why?" I asked, exasperated. "Have I ever given you the hint that I'm interested in any kind of romantic relationship?"
"Actually, you haven't ever given me the hint that you're interested in any kind of relationship in general, but my judgement has never failed me before."
I reached forward and patted her hand. "Well, there's always a first time for everything, isn't there?"
She ignored my comment. "Do you think he's cute or not?"
"I really couldn't care less, Nat." I sat back against the couch, rolling my eyes. "He's just a newsboy."