"..and that's when I found Y/N inside this empty plastic bin with a swing lid pretending to be an astronaut." My mom told this embarrassing childhood stories about me to Ariana and Dominique as they all laughed at my creative childhood imagination that was being made fun of by untrained eyes.
"In my defence...It really looked like an astronaut helmet at the age of 5" I said as I poked a piece of scrambled eggs with my fork from the plate.
I had told Dominique and my mom that Ariana had stayed over after a fight with Pete and that she just needed someone to talk to and not be alone. Which was true but they didn't know about me sleeping with my best friend's girlfriend. Well, ex best friend.
They had both not questioned it at all and instead offered Ariana a shoulder to cry on and that this door would always be opened for her.
My mom had been good so far and I had recalled more than usual, which eased the tension around the place. Ariana had been lovely and all of them were getting along so well.
"You were always a weird ass kid anyway." Dominique said matter of factly which caused Ariana to burst out laughing.
"Yo, she's still a weird ass kid though." Ariana said and Dominique went for a high five.
"You're supposed to be on my side Dominique." I said as I pushed my plate away from me in fake frustration. "At least you're defending me, mom." I said to my mom turning to her.
She looked at me and smiled.
"I think I'll have to take Dominique and Anna's side on this one." She said laughing.
"Ariana." Dominique nicely corrected my mom.
"Yeah that's what I said." She said very sure of herself.
I cleared my throat and started to gather the plates.
"In any case, I'll remember that you have all turned your back on me. You're all a bunch of Judases." I said putting the dishes in the washer, in a serious tone but clearly joking.
"Save your bitching for when it matters, Jesus." Dominique teased me, I laughed and Ariana joined in as well.
"I like you." Ariana said as she turned to Dominique. Dominique pulled her into a hug.
"Why in God's name are you with Pete when you have this wannabe Jesus astronaut right here." She said pointing to me. I blushed, Dominique was putting me on the spot.
"Y/N is not into girls." My mom spoke up from the table a bit confused. Dominique and Ariana looked over at me, a bit panicked.
I looked at my mom and wasn't sure if I should remind her about the discussion we had. This was the second time in a row it was happening and I was afraid that she had totally forgotten.
"I am mom." I gently said in order not to put too much pressure on her.
My mom furrowed her brows in frustration and confusion. The worst part is that she was aware that she was forgetting things. She was starting to slightly panic again. Dominique stood up and made her way to my mom.
"Come on, let's go for a walk, get some fresh air would be perfect and the girls can clean up in the meantime." Dominique said, looking at us at the last bit hinting that they would both leave together.
I suddenly realised the look in my mom's eyes were different. My heart dropped.
"Y/N, go get your father, I'm sure he would love to go for a walk too." I felt Ariana take my hand and squeeze it gently.
I bit my tongue as Dominique took my mom by the arm and led her to the front door and finally outside.
"I'm really sorry." She almost whispered to me. I was fighting back tears, but I didn't want to cry.
"Hey, look at me." Ariana said pulling gently on my arm so that I turned around to look at her. I looked away from her eyes, still trying to keep my tears in but one escaped and fell down the side of my cheek.
I felt Ariana's thumb graze my cheek and wipe it away. She then wrapped her arms around me and placed her head on my chest, not saying anything.
"Sorry you had to get caught up in this." I said as I now myself wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned my head against hers.
"You have nothing to apologize for. It really can't be easy for you and I want to be there for you in anyway I can." I squeezer her lightly in approval and she placed a kiss along my neck.
"Shall we get this place cleaned up?" I asked as I pulled away and cleared the few items on the table.
Ariana's phone suddenly rang. She took it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID. She flipped the phone to show me. Pete.
She took the call and put him on loudspeaker. I had stopped doing what I did and stayed silent in order not to make noise to give anything away as to where she was.
"Babe..." I heard Pete's voice come through.
Ariana looked at me, unsure as what she needed to say.
"Babe I know you're there. Look I'm sorry about yesterday's argument. Want to come over and we can talk it out?" He asked her.
"I don't think so." She simply replied.
Ice cold.
"Look, I didn't mean anything I said yesterday. I was just drunk and not thinking straight." He said as there was a long moment of silence in between Ariana's response and that last sentence.
"So tell me, how straight are you thinking now? Fucked up on drugs again?" Ariana kept asking.
Pete was silent on the other line again.
"I'm sick and tired of your fucking behaviour. You better get your shit packed up from my place. I want you gone." She said, and after that sentence she looked up at me.
"Y/N, did you bring back the car yesterday, I don't see it in the driveway?" Dominique called out from upstairs.
Fuck.
"Why the fuck are you at Y/N's?" Pete asked, sounding very jealous.
Ariana looked at me and I panicked as I went to the corridor to motion to Dominique that Ariana was on the phone. She gave me an apologetic look and went back into my mom's room.
"I needed to talk to someone after you left and Y/N was there for me. I saw you were going to meet someone and I don't know who the fuck it was and I don't want to know what you did. I don't need to justify myself to you. You're the one that keeps fucking up."
A bit rich Ariana....
"You know what, I'm coming over and getting my stuff from your place, and I'll just send your things back to you." Ariana said before brutally hanging up.
She let out a sob once the call was over and I made my way to her, hugging her from behind. She leaned back into me as I placed my head on her shoulder.
"You'll be fine. Maybe it's the best thing to do." I felt her nod as she placed her hands on my arms wrapped around her. I slightly kissed her neck and she leaned her head against mine.
I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and immediately let go of her.
"Could you bring back the car some time today?" Dominique asked as she reached the kitchen. "I was going to take your mom for a drive around the city."
"I think I left it at Pete's house yesterday." I told Dominique "I'll go over in a few and get it back."
"Let me give you a lift over to his." Ariana told me as she smiled at me.
Ariana being anywhere around Pete was the last thing I wanted to see right now, but I needed the car back, plus it would give me a few more minutes of alone time with Ariana.
Ariana said goodbye to Dominique and to my mom who was upstairs and we both made our way out and into her car.
"Will you be okay with Pete or do you want me to stay with you?" I offered.
She looked at me and smiled as had one hand on the steering wheel and placed the other one on my thigh, gently rubbing back and forth in reassurance that everything would be fine.
"I'm just going to grab my stuff and just put an end officially to the both of us. I'll be fine, it was a long time coming already." I smiled back at her, happy that she was finally letting go of his sorry ass.
I was the worst friend ever.
But Ariana proved to be worse.
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A/N: I know you'll probably all hate me now :D
As usual, thank you again for all your support, patience, votes and awesome comments. Your comments are seriously funny as hell sometimes! (: