Arabella Malik hated dresses.
Skirts, she loved, but she also had a habit of pulling them up or fiddling with the hem, but with dresses, she couldn't do that, so she felt as if she was enveloped into it.
Right now, at her brother's birthday function, she was trapped.
"Darling," her mother said soothingly across the table, and Ari's attention snapped there. "It's only a few more hours."
Ari smiled. "The dress is beautiful, mum, it'll sell out in seconds." She assured and the consideration caused Serena Malik to smile softly. "You just... you know how I am."
Serena's smile widened slightly, her eyes crinkling at the sides. She nodded. "That I do."
Ari returned her smile, and looked up as her brother's fiancé, Irina Lopez, took a seat beside Ari's mother, dropping a soft kiss onto the cheek's of both parents, and sending a small smile in Ari's direction.
"Irina," said Asher Malik, his silver eyes brightening at the sight of his soon-to-be daughter in law. "I didn't think you would make it, tonight."
She smiled, and Arabella felt a pang of jealousy in her chest at how stunning the girl was. Lucky Isah.
"I would never miss Isah's birthday," she said, voice like honey. "Partly because of how much I love him. Partly because he will call of the engagement if I did."
The family laughed, knowing damn well how true that was.
"Here he comes now," mused Ari, standing to hug her brother. He came, and gave her a charming smile, his cheek tilted into a dimple. He gave her a small kiss on the cheek, bending down to hug his little sister. "I'm so proud of you, Isah."
His smile widened slightly to cocky. "I know you are, baby sister."
She shook her head as he took a seat next to his girlfriend. She hitched a thumb to the food bar. "I'm gonna go grab a bite." She said, but her parents were busy with her brother. Ari smiled slightly and walked to her destination.
The room's temperature suddenly dropped, so much so that Ari stopped in her step. Every eye turned to the door as two figures stepped in, and Ari took a small step back.
One of the boys who had just walked in had dirty blonde hair, shaggy, almost like a surfer boy. His expression was blank, as if he didn't fully understand why he was there in the first place, and his cheeks had tinted slightly pink, almost shy of the attention on them. His eyes were a bright blue, the piercing, rock-your-world type.
The other boy was scowling, hands dug into his trousers' pockets. He had dark brown hair, styled perfectly. It looked so soft, that Ari's hands itched to get inside it. His eyes were darker, the colour of a dark rain cloud. He was taller than the other boy, slim but muscular, while Shaggy had a surfer-boy body.
Both were dressed head to toe in top brands, and she noticed with a small frown that they were wearing matching shoes and watches- both of which were from her mother's brand.
Ari's heel clicked against the floor as she took another step back, attracting the attention of the boys.
The boy with the silver eyes glared at her for a moment, before silently deciding she wasn't worth his time as he muttered something to Shaggy then walked off, hands stuck in the pockets of his slacks.
Shaggy, however, watched her curiously, as if he hadn't seen her before. She wasn't surprised- it was the same look she'd given him just moments before.
He gave her a small greeting nod, and she instinctively turned behind her to see if there was someone there this beautiful boy was greeting. Upon coming up short, she turned again and raised the sides of her lips in a small smile.
With that, satisfied, Shaggy walked off. Ari frowned to herself. Shaggy wasn't the right word- his hair may have been a little longer, and blonde, but his stance, his walk- they were both so sophisticated.
Ari wondered with a grimace whether she possessed even half an inch the grace he did.
She walked over to her previous destination, forgetting all about the two. The rest of the hall, however, was not the same. There was now more of the quiet chatter that Ari had come to recognise in the high-society as gossip.
They talked among themselves and Ari sidelined this one out.
"I haven't seen you here, before." A voice said, curious but still low. Ari turned to look over her shoulder to see the blonde boy watching her, intrigued. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
She cleared her throat. "I don't usually go to these." She said quietly, unable to fathom why she was even talking to him. "But it's my brother's graduation."
Blonde- boy's eyebrows raised to disappear under the fringe of his golden hair. Ari suppressed an amused grin.
"You're Isah's Sister?" It was funny how people not from the Middle East said her brother's name, Ari thought with a barely suppressed smile. It came out as "Ee-sa." when it was actually "Ee-seh." "A Malik that I haven't heard of? Now that's news."
"Who are you disturbing now, Andro?" A new voice added, and Ari turned again to see who was behind her. This time, it was Silver eyes, who watched the boy behind her and ignored her presence. "Mother wants us."
Andro rolled his eyes as Ari stepped back so she could see the two without acting as if she were in a tennis match. "When does mother not want us, Hero?"
Hero, Ari cringed. What a name.
"I think it's important, Andro," Hero sighed, looking slightly disappointed. Andro smirked slightly. "Let's go." Andro didn't move. Hero's silver eyes hardened. "Now, brother."
"Mommy's boy," Andro muttered, causing Hero's jaw to tightened. Ari sighed, trying to mentally decide who was hotter. Hero had that rough and rugged look, the look that turned heads of intrigue of people who wanted to find out what secrets he hid, while Andro had that aura of happiness around him, as if he would retract your darkest secrets to him with barely a glance. "What's your name?" Asked Andro, breaking Ari from her thoughts.
She glanced to him, slightly bored. She was saved from a reply as she saw who had just come in.
"Bash!" She yelled, walking past the boys without a glance back and straight into the arms of her best friend.
• • •
The Edens were left bemused. While Andro's eyebrow had risen ever so slightly, Hero looked amused. "What the hell?" Andro let out, his voice utterly confused. He glanced back to the low dress of the girl he'd just met. "Did she actually just..."
"Not everyone is interested in you, brother," Hero said, eyes trained to the floor as he blinked to rid his eyelids of the image of emerald eyes. "It's time you had a reality check anyways."
"Fuck off," the younger Eden replied, eyes glued on the girl's back still. "Didn't you say Mom was calling us?" Hero looked up through his eyelashes at his younger brother, a small smile on his lips as he watched on, amused.
"That's exactly what I said," he replied quietly. He motioned with his hands, bending his back leg slightly. "After you, good sir." Andro smirked slightly.
"Thank you for your chivalry, fair woman." Hero threw his arm around his brother's neck as he walked them both to their family's table, his eyes scanning the room for his best friend. Sat on the opposite side of the room, Hero finally recognised the golden cropped hair and dark emerald eyes. He grinned.
"You go talk to Mom," he said, eyes trained on his friend. "I'll go say hi to Isah."
"Wait!" Andro yelled, causing his brother's eyebrow to raise. He looked tentatively towards where his mother was sat, her legs crossed one over the other and her red dress perfectly resembling her terrifyingly intimidating self. He continued in a quiet voice. "You're gonna leave me alone with Mom?"
Hero rolled his eyes, but was smiling slightly, as he slapped his younger brother's back. "Just move, little brother." He said. "She'll go easier on you if I am not there."
Andro's eyes immediately darkened. "Did you guys-"
"Don't worry about it." Hero interrupted before Andro could finish. He opened his mouth to argue, but Hero gave him a smile that made him forget all about it. It was the smile he had grown up with, and the smile he trusted and loved more so than anything else in the world. "Stop looking at me like that, Freddy Krueger," He said, smirking slightly. "and move your ass."
Bowing his head in a silent nod, Andro took a deep breath in and walked to his mother's table.
Immediately after his brother's eyes were off of him, Hero's smile disappeared. His hands fisted up, and he bought one to his chest to try to calm the slight ache that had suddenly presented itself to him. Pushing his shoulders back slightly, he cracked his neck, then walked over with his hands dug into his pockets, to the Malik's table, attempting to ignore the number of eyes watching his every move.
He stood behind Isah and smirked. The guy might have been talkative, rash and damn right annoying, but he still managed to become the Edens' best friend. Hero glanced gently over to Greeny and took a moment to collect himself before he tapped slightly on his friend's shoulder.
"Isah," he said gently. "You old fucker."
Isah sprang up as if something had come loose in his chair, causing every eye to turn to them again. Hero noted that Greeny had shrunk away from the attention as if it had burnt her.
"Finally, dick face," He replied, quietly. "You're late. Then again, when are you not?"
"Blame Andro," He said, smiling softly as they clapped hands. "You know how he gets about his hair."
"And even then it looks like you've taken longer on yours." Isah said, emerald eyes shining. Hero smirked slightly and instinctively ran a hand through his hair. From his peripheral vision, he saw Greeny tilt her head slightly. Beside her, a boy was trying to get her attention.
"Who's that?" he asked, still trying to believe that she was a Malik. He'd known Isah half of his life. How could he not have met his sister?
Isah glanced back, confused. His eyes shone with recognition, and love. "Aria," he said, causing Greeny's attention to shift to them. She raised a perfect eyebrow. "This is Hero Eden, my best friend. Hero, this is Arabella Malik, my little sister."
Hero couldn't keep his gaze on her when she smiled. He looked towards Isah. "Why have I not met her before?" he asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.
Isah smiled softly, his one dimple rising through the action. "She lived in England." He replied. "She's only here for college."
Hero nodded. "Freshman?" he asked, glancing back to Ari to see that she was now in a conversation with the boy beside her.
Isah shook his head, eyes clouding over. "Junior."
Hero nodded, intrigued. She must look a lot younger than she really was.
Isah cleared his throat and beckoned Hero down to his sitting height. Hero leaned his ear down.
"Just keep this information between us." He said quietly. Hero frowned. "If she wants people to know I'm her brother she'll tell them. Just—"
Hero leaned up before Isah could finish and clasped his shoulder slightly with a nod. He turned his head and pursed his lips at the sight of his younger brother slouching in his seat and his mother relaying a lecture.
"I'll see you later, mate," he said to his best friend. "I think Andro needs saving."
Isah laughed, and Hero sighed, before trekking over to his worse nightmare, all the while feeling Aria's eyes burning into him.