"Why are we here?" Aaron asks from behind me.
I snort. "I'm here because this is my house and I live here. I don't know why you're here, but you're welcome to leave."
I don't turn around from my desk, where I'm sitting and reading Pride and Prejudice.
Or, trying to read Pride and Prejudice.
Aaron won't shut up, so the whole reading thing isn't going so well.
"That's not what I meant, Cassie."
I roll my eyes at my book.
"I meant," he continues. "Why do you think we're here? Like, in the sense of the universe and our purpose in life kind of way?"
I turn around and eye Aaron, who's laying on his back on my bed.
After Mom left my room, Aaron closed my window and plopped himself on my bed when I sat down at my desk.
And he's been here for the last hour or two; he hasn't stopped fucking talking, and I'm so close to murdering him with a smile on my face.
I shrug at him. "Never really thought about it."
He gives me a look. "What do you mean you've never really thought about it?"
I shrug again. "Don't know. I just... haven't."
He makes a sound. "Well, I have. I think about it all the time, and I can't come up with a reason."
"Then there isn't one."
He sits up. "Why not?"
I sigh. I really don't know why, I just know that there isn't. What I told Aaron is true; I've never really thought about why we're all here and finding my purpose in life.
"We're born, we live, we die. That's all there is. Even if there is a reason behind the fact that humans evolved from lesser beings, and a reason why we can think and things like that, it doesn't matter. Even if we do have a purpose, we're still going to die. Nothing we do is going to change that. Nothing anybody does is ever going to matter because, one day, every last human on this planet is going to die and no one will be around to remember humans and I don't think the flora and fauna will really give a fuck."
He's silent before speaking. "That's a really sad way of looking at the world."
"Yeah," I say softly. "I know."
Somebody told me that once, a while ago.
Multiple people have, actually.
They were all really big parts in my life, but they left when they promised they wouldn't.
Or worse, they didn't promise at all.
"Have you ever thought that, because no one's going to be around one day, we should all be as good as we can?"
I think about it. "Doesn't make sense."
He sits up and rests his elbows on his knees.
"Yes it does."
I roll my eyes. "To someone with your level of intelligence, yeah."
"Funny," he says dryly. "But, seriously, think about it. If we're all going to die and the human race is going to go extinct, shouldn't we try to make the world as good a place as we possibly can?"
"But it won't matter. Even if we do mess up the planet so bad to the point where nothing can survive, it wouldn't matter."
"So we should just not care what we do because it won't matter in the long run?"
"No," I sigh. "We shouldn't drill for all the oil now or cut down all the trees or destroy habitats or things like that, I'm just saying that most human beings are only concerned about themselves, and if that's the case for the majority of people, then they're not going to support anything to preserve the Earth after we're gone. Logically, there's a very low possibilty that the minority would be able to change anything no matter how hard they try."
We're both silent, contemplating, before Aaron speaks.
"Bella Swan or Clary Fray?"
I blink. "What?" His sudden change in topic leaves me confused.
"Bella Swan or Clary Fray?"
I shake my head at him. "I don't know."
"Come on, Cassie," he groans. "The whole point of the game is that you have to choose one."
"I can't choose, they're both equally terrible characters in both the books and the movies."
He raises his eyebrows. "Explain."
I sigh. "Okay, Bella Swan fell in love with a creepy, ugly monster, that for the longest time had the strongest urge to kill her, for his looks, and treated his personality as a bonus. When he left her to 'keep her safe', it broke her, which I didn't understand, but, okay.
"She started talking to Jacob, who was super freaking hot, and he was basically helping her through her state of depression. I think that she loved Jacob too, but the only difference between him and Edward is that Bella actually fell in love with Jacob's personality first, because Jacob is awesome, and then realized that he was attractive, which i think is much better than what happened with Edward.
"She could've been happy and led a wonderful life if only she hadn't gone running back to Edward as soon as he thought she was dead. Like, I get why she would try to save him, but he hurt her and she was starting to move on to Jacob.
"So essentially I feel that Bella hurt Jacob for no reason, and look what happened to her. She got a damned soul and a curse of immortality along with a penchant for blood, and for what? So she could end up with not Jacob?
"Those vampires in those movies weren't even that hot. Like, in all honesty they looked really creepy and I wish I could un-know what they look like."
Aaron stares at me with what I've come to know as his thinking face. "And what about Clary Fray?"
I scoff. "Don't even get me started. Clary Fray had a perfect best friend right there that knew everything about her and loved her despite all of the terrible qualities she had. Did she notice? No. She fell for some dude that looks like a rat. But, when she found out that Jace was her 'brother', who did she start getting feelings for? Simon, the innocent best friend that was going through changes as a vampire.
"I was happy for Simon and not Clary, because, fuck Clary, but then, it came out that Jace actually wasn't Clary's brother, and almost immediately she went running back to him, leaving Simon with a broken heart. She's so ridiculous, like, make up your damn mind already."
The feelings of frustration and dislike that I felt while watching the show and reading the books resurface and I groan.
"Fuck, I hate her. No, wait, I hate the both of them."
Aaron smirks at me. "But you have to choose one."
I bite my lip, thinking. "I'm going to have to go with Clary. That doesn't mean that i like Bella better, it means that I hate Clary more. In fact, Bella Swan is a Clary Fray in her own, but still very similar way, so essentially they're the same person. So that means, by picking Clary, I am picking the both of them."
I sigh contentedly, proud of myself and my logistic abilities.
Aaron chuckles and shakes his head from where he's sitting up on my bed. "You're crazy."
"I'm a genius."
"Crazy."
"Genius."
He shrugs. "Same thing."
"Ha!" I say triumphantly. "So you admit I'm smart."
"You're also impossible to have a conversation with."
I pretend flip my hair over my shoulder. "It's because of my advanced intelligence level, isn't it?" I say smugly.
He snorts. "Yeah, that's definitely it."
"Aw, thanks," I grin.
He eyes me. "That was sarcastic."
"No, really?"
He rolls his eyes before falling back on my bed and spreading his limbs like a starfish.
"Get off," I groan in annoyance.
"No."
"But it's my bed," I say. "Why are you even here?"
"To annoy you."
"Why?" I whine.
"Because I find it entertaining."
"Fuck you."
"Not my type."
"I think that's your favorite phrase."
"Shh..."
I'm silent for five seconds before I do a double take.
"Why are we being quiet?"
"Because you talk too much."
I roll my eyes. "You're crazy."
"Well, according to you, that means I'm a genius, so thank you for the compliment."
Damn. Using my own logic against me. What a smart fucker.
I turn back around to read my book and Aaron doesn't move from my bed.
I stare at the book, but I'm not reading anything. I'm thinking about what Aaron said, about trying to make the world a better place even thought it doesn't, and won't, matter.
Are we supposed to try even though the odds of succeeding are so obviously stacked against us?
Someone grabs my shoulders from behind. "Boo!"
I scream and jump up.
I turn around to find Aaron laughing his ass off.
"You're such an ass," I scowl.
"You should've seen the look on your face," he says, still laughing.
"What time is it?" I ask. "Shouldn't you be at your house?"
"It's only three-thirty, Cassie," he says after checking his phone. "And my parents are out."
"Of course they are," I sigh to myself.
"So..." Aaron says. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know," I say, my mouth opening in a yawn. "Do you like naps?"
His eyebrows raise. He does that a lot, does he have involuntary muscle movement? "I mean, I'm not against them."
I yawn again. "Well, I'm going to take, like, a three-hour nap, so you're welcome to leave if you don't want to sleep with me."
A smirk crosses his features and my eyes widen as I realize what I just said. "No, no, not like that, I meant––"
"It's okay, Cassie, I know you want me to sleep with you."
"That's not what I meant, jackass."
His eye twinkle with amusment and I roll mine before moving to my bed and crawling underneath the covers.
I burrow down into my pillow and I groan when I feel all of my muscles relax at the same time.
I slowly start to drift off to sleep but snap back to reality when I feel the bed dip beside me.
I turn my head to find Aaron laying next to me. "What are you doing?" I ask sleepily.
"Taking a nap."
I nod my head and close my eyes, turning on my side to face away from Aaron.
---------
I come out of my state of sleep because of a slight gasp, but I don't move.
I'm super comfortable, which is weird because I'm never this comfortable in my bed.
Like, yeah, it's comfortable, but not this comfortable.
I'm on my side and my back has this slab of warmth pressed against it, which feels so good, and air is softly blowing down my neck, sending shiver after shiver down my spine.
I sigh and snuggle backwards, hoping to fall back asleep, and a weight settles on my hip and drapes on to my stomach.
And then a whisper sounds.
"Cass!"
My eyes shoot open and I lift my head to look around, confused, before I spot Gracie and Gabs in the doorway.
"Guys?" I whisper.
"Cass, what are you doing?" Gabs whispers.
"What about what you told us?" Gracie says, looking confused.
"Why are we whispering?" I ask, shooting them a funny look.
"Because of the guy asleep in your bed."
The guy in my bed?
Movement comes from beside me and I freeze.
I look beside me to see Aaron sleeping, his arm around my waist, his eyebrows furrowed, his torso bare, his––
Wait, what?
He doesn't have a shirt on. I'm pressed against his six-pack. It's really hard. Like, rock hard.
"Cass!" Another harsh whisper.
My eyes snap to Gracie and Gabs standing just inside my bedroom doorway.
"Nothing happened, guys, I swear."
"It doesn't look that way," Gabs says.
"Get it, girl," Gracie adds before she erupts into giggles.
Aaron stirs and we all freeze.
The three of us girls relax once he starts to snore softly.
Damn, even his snores are cute.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"It's the first school day where there's no school. Theme park, remember?"
I groan softly. "Why do we have to have so many traditions?"
They both shrug at me.
"Okay," I whisper. "Just give me, like, half an hour and I'll be at Gracie's house, okay?"
They both nod, but don't move.
"That means, go and I'll meet you there."
Looks of understanding cross their faces and they leave, closing the door behind them.
They should give my parents a lesson on closing the door after they leave my room.
I turn to my other side and prop myself up on an elbow, Aaron's hand still around my waist, and gently shake him. "Aaron," I say softly. "Wake up, I have to go somewhere."
He groans and tugs me down to his side.
Still hard as a rock.
"Go back to sleep, Cassie."
"No, you have to wake up, I'm going somewhere."
"No, you're not."
I roll my eyes. "Yes, I am."
"Shh," he says, slowly rocking me. "It's sleep time."
How old am I, five?
I huff and roll out of his grip, standing up at the side of my bed.
He opens his eyes and looks at me, his mouth opening in a tired yawn.
He looks like a yawning puppy.
"What time is it?"
"I don't know, like four thirty."
"I thought you said three hours," he says through another yawn.
"Yeah, well, plans change."
He sits up and rolls out of my bed, the covers falling away to reveal his shirtless body and his shorts hanging low on his hips.
How much money do you think he could make as a male prostitute?
I internally cringe. I can't even with myself sometimes.
But I can't stop my eyes from traveling over his six-pack and his v-line and his chest and his collerbone and his––
"Done checking me out yet?"
My eyes snap to his, unfortunately, attractive face, and I glare.
"I wasn't checking you out."
He snorts, so obviously not believing me.
I open my closet and take out a pair of shorts and a tank top.
"Ooh," Aaron says, wiggling his eyebrows. "Are you gonna give me a show?" He rubs his hands together in front of him excitedly.
"No, dumbass," I say rolling my eyes. "I'm gonna go change in the bathroom."
I walk into my bathroom and shut the door.
I stand in front of the mirror for a few seconds before I turn back around and open the door.
"And make sure you put a fucking shirt on."
I close the door again and smile as I hear his laughter sound.
I lean against it and sigh.
I'm already begining to actually enjoy his company, and that might turn out to be a problem in the future.
I've got to be careful.
---------
Any tboughts on the chapter? What are your views on conservation?
--Naomi
EDIT: guys please i was like so so young and so angry at twilight and shadowhunters and i don't think i even agree with the opinions about them expressed in this chapter (I HAVENT READ THIS SHIT IN LIKE A YEAR and i honestly have no plans to). please please stop being mean to me -- or cass -- in the comments by calling me/her stupid, a dumbass, etc and the passive-aggressive comments about it can please stop as well. there will be a point in time where i will come back and edit all 100k+ words of this book and it'll be so much better and while i probably will still include jokes poking fun and throwing shit at twilight (and shadowhunters tbh) it wont be as incorrect or whatever else some of yall are saying it is. thank you :) ~naomi
(i know the sign-off is different -- im going by naomi now, please no longer call me rose, the rest of the sign-offs are rose because there's no way im going through all like 50 chapters of this JUST to change my name, the only reason it got changed here was because im literally already in this chapter ok please and thank you)