When we arrived at the pirate themed party, a kid greeted us by the gate, and not a parent. He grinned at Aaron and winked at me, causing us both to laugh.
"You're a hot pirate," the kid said.
"She's my hot pirate," Aaron said, grinning.
"You're lucky, man."
"I know."
I tried not to blush, truly.
"The party's out the back, my mom's waiting there."
We thanked him and found the backyard, slightly bigger than the one at the previous villa. This one had a decent sized pool, where all the little boys were swimming. The pool was decorated with floating fish and and a large shark, cute decorations that added elements of the actual sea in the pool itself.
The boys stared up at us in awe as we appeared, the few parents who were there laughed and conversed with us as we set down the boxes. They asked us a few questions, admiring the cupcakes and our costumes.
At the sight of the cupcakes, the little kids jumped out of the pool and hurried over, snatching the cupcakes and stuffing them in their mouths.
We collected the money, and I gave the mothers information that they requested of Mom's business.
"Thank you so much, I'll make sure to contact your mother again," said the customer in charge of the party.
We waved goodbye and left, walking back towards Aaron's car.
"Where to?" He asked.
"Back to the villa, where else would we go in this?" I laughed, waving my hand at our costumes.
"The beach," he said, "It'll be fun. The people's faces will be priceless there."
"I don't know, we shouldn't get the costumes wet. We have to return them by tomorrow," I said.
"We won't get them wet. It'll be fun, c'mon."
I shrugged my shoulders, "Fine, but not near the water."
He agreed and grinned, driving a little faster towards the beach.
"Ice cream?" Aaron asked as we stepped out of his car.
"Yes, please!"
We found the same booth we visited the other day, the same teenage girl behind the wooden counter. She glanced up as we neared and grinned from ear to ear as she waved hello.
"Hi!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Hey."
"Why are you dressed up as pirates?" She giggled.
I smiled, "Long story."
"How about I make you guys some ice cream while you explain, 'cause I'm curious. Especially on how you made his beard," she spoke, turning so she could start making our ice cream. "Two vanilla, right?"
"Yep," Aaron said.
I peaked at her label, Zoe, before she turned. At least now I know her name.
And so Aaron and I began explaining how we were helping out with mom's business when Jade walked in and proposed the dress-up idea.
"I bet the kids loved it," she smiled.
"They did, thanks for the ice cream," I said, as Aaron payed.
"Anytime," she waved.
"Oh, how's it going with your crush?" I asked, just as I was about to walk away.
Zoe blushed, brushing her dirty blond hair behind her ear. "It's great, thanks for asking. He sort of asked me out..."
"Awesome," I grinned.
Aaron and I walked down the shore, licking at our ice creams as the pale sky turned a lovely peach color.
"Pirates! Mom, I saw pirates eating ice cream!"
I turned and saw a little boy point at us as he stood from building his sand castle, his eyes wild and dilated with excitement. His mother set down her magazine and opened her mouth for a split second when she saw us before she smiled and said something to her son.
I turned back to face the front where we walked, Aaron laughing at the situation. "Did you see that?"
I laughed along with him, then felt a tug at the back of my shirt and turned to see the same little boy behind me, staring up at me like I was a giant slice of pizza or something.
"Hello," I said, smiling as I bent down to his height.
"Hi," he said shyly. "Are you really pirates?"
I felt Aaron bend down next to me and saw him nod. "Aye! 'Course we're pirates!"
I stifled a laugh at his horrendous pirate impression.
"Where's your ship?" He asked, looking towards the sea.
"It's invisible," I said.
"No it's not! How can a ship be invisible?" The boy frowned.
I smiled, "Magic."
"Pixie dust?"
"Aha," I grinned.
"That's so cool!" He said, jumping up and down. "Do you want to build a sand castle with me? Mom doesn't want to help."
Aaron chuckled, then glanced at me. I nodded, and he said, "We'd love to build a sand castle with you."
The boy squealed, and skipped back to his mom and we followed behind. We sat on the sand and began molding the sand into a castle, careful not to get water on our costumes.
"Do you have a parrot?" The boy asked as he picked a handful of shells from the water.
"Aye, it's back in the ship," I said, mimicking Aaron's pirate accent.
"Why isn't it here with you?"
"Uh, it's his nap time," Aaron blurted out.
I shot him a 'what the eff' look, he shrugged helplessly.
"Parrots have nap times?"
"Aye, don't you?" I asked.
"Yes, but I didn't know animals also had nap times," he mumbled as he placed a few seashells crookedly on his castle. "What's his name?"
"The pirate's name?" Aaron frowned.
The boy turned to me, "He isn't a bright one, this guy."
I laughed at the boy's words as Aaron scowled in irritation.
"His name is youannoyingthingmajig."
I elbowed Aaron as the boy frowned.
"What did he say?"
"The pirate's name is Jay," I said, glaring at Aaron who just smirked arrogantly.
The little boy had to leave a few minuets after that, so Aaron and I decided it should be our time to leave as well.
"Annoying thing ma-jig? Really?"
He laughed, "That kid was an annoying piece of-...yeah."
I smiled, "He was so cute."
"Girls think everything is cute," he grumbled.
I poked him, "You're not cute."
He glared, "Not helping."
"I said you're not cute 'cause you're not. You're..."
Crap, what was I doing.
"I'm...?"
I blushed, "Different?"
He smirked, "The word you're looking for is hot."
I rolled my eyes, "Whatever floats ye' boat, Aaron."
"Aye!"
I shook my head at him, bumping my shoulder against his.
We walked back to his car and got in, I turned on the music and rested my head against the window as I watched everything outside the window blur.
"Thanks, for today," I said, when we got to the villa.
Aaron smiled, "It was a pleasure."
I rolled my eyes, "Goodnight Aaron."
"If you want, I can wait here while you change then just take the costumes straight to the costume store? Besides, my clothes are still in there." He suggested, hands resting atop the steering wheel.
"Alright, you can come in to change and wash off your makeup," I said as I opened the car door.
We walked in and Mom greeted us from the kitchen, then stepped out and enveloped us both in a big hug. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.
"Mom!" I looked away when she stepped back.
She just laughed it off and said, "I got a billion phone calls today thanks to you guys. I just couldn't have been more proud!"
"It was Jade, you should thank her. She came up with the idea of the costumes," I said.
She looked surprised for a second before smiling warmly, "I will, but you two still helped a lot. Thank you."
I grinned, "Anytime, Mom."
"Yeah, it was really fun helping out," Aaron said.
"And thank you, I should pay you back for the costumes...," she said, looking around for her wallet.
"No, it's alright, really. The least I could do," Aaron smiled.
Mom beamed. "Honey, I almost forgot, your father suddenly decided that he had some things he wanted done back home, so we'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon."
I shook my head, "Typical. Does that mean I can return the costumes? I can pack in the morning"
"Yes, of course. Drive safe."
"Okay, thanks Mom."
She wandered back to the kitchen humming along the way.
"Let's go," I said, leading Aaron up to my room.
We took turns washing off our makeup and changing, and by the end of it, I just decided to take a shower. I used it as an excuse to have some time for myself to just think. I needed to be prepared for what might happen with the dreams, what would happen when I had to go back home, Amy, Jace, school...
"You ready?" Aaron asked as I quickly slipped on a sweater, after I glanced out the window and saw how the wind blow the trees in weird directions.
"Yep, let's get those costumes back."
"I got Jade's wings while you were in the shower," Aaron held up the blue wings to show me.
"Thank you. What time do they close the stores?"
Aaron shrugged as we walked down the stairs and out the door after we said goodbye to Mom. "Before midnight for sure. Don't worry, I doubt they'd be closed at this time."
He drove a little faster, anyway. We hopped out the car just as a worker walked out the door. "Wait! We've got our costumes."
She stared for a moment before rolling her eyes, "C'mon in."
We walked in and signed something off a book with previous records as the cashier tapped her nails impatiently.
"Can we go?"
"Yeah, I'll hang these off...," she trailed off as she walked away with the costumes in her hands.
We left the store and walked back to Aaron's car, I sat back with a sigh.
"What?"
"Nothing," I mumbled.
"I hate it when people do that."
"Do what?"
"Hide that they're bothered by something, but don't do a really good job of it," he said, glancing at me as he drove.
"Fine, if you really want to know..."
"I-," he began, but I cut him off.
"I just don't want this to end, you know? It's been great here this summer, even with all the drama with the dreams," I explained.
"So? What's bothering you?"
"I don't want it to end. I know, it sounds childish, that's why I didn't want to say anything," I said.
"We'll come back every summer," he said. The way he said it, like we, would come back every summer made something in my chest flutter.
"Aaron-"
"I mean it. No matter what, okay?"
I wanted to kiss him, right there and then, while he was driving and all. But I didn't.
"All right," was all I said in the end.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Aaron asked when we stopped at the villa.
I shrugged, my hand reaching for the door.
"Wait."
"Why am I getting a sense of Déjà vu?"
He smiled and said, "I was thinking about what you said. That this summer break will be over soon, and of course that's true. So let's hang out tonight, one last time before you leave tomorrow."
"What do you have in mind?" I asked.
An hour later, after I changed into my pajamas and convinced my parents to stay the night at Aaron's (which took a little longer than I liked), I found myself standing in front of his villa. He walked beside me, his hand intertwined with one of my hands while the other held my bag with all my necessities for the night and following morning.
"Tell me," I whined for the millionth time.
"You'll see in a minuet, I'll actually need your help to set the stuff up," he answered.
I sighed, inpatient and desperate to know his plan. We passed Adam on our way up to Aaron's room, who smirked knowingly before disappearing. "He thinks...you know, doesn't he?"
Aaron just grinned, which was enough for me to know that yes, Adam did think someone was getting lucky (cough, Aaron, cough). Too bad, he was wrong.
Aaron ordered two pizza boxes of medium sized Margarita, and three bottles of coke.
"Three?"
"Two for me, one for you," he smiled sheepishly.
"That's bad for you, Aaron."
"Fine one and a half each, sound good?"
I sighed but shrugged anyway.
"I love it when we agree on things."
I smile, then said,"What else do you want me to do, oh master?"
He smirked, "Be careful of what you ask, Kat."
I blushed, then glared. "You're the most dirty minded guy I've ever met."
"Not my fault, you instigated it. Anyway, slave, grab the pillows and blankets from the cupboard over there," he pointed at a wooden cupboard in the hallway.
I did what he said and piled a few pillows and comfy blankets on my arms and tried not to drop them.
"Set them on my bed, I need help with other things too. Plus you won't be able to carry those all by yourself."
"I can."
"Doubt it."
"You're such an a-hole sometimes."
"No need to keep things PG around me, Kat."
I glared at him but did as he said anyway, I mean how could I resist, look at his face...
After I carried a bunch of fairy light wires and candles to Aaron's room I realized what his plan was. We carried all the stuff up to the roof on top of the villa and layed all the blankets and pillows on the ground. The pizza man arrived and Aaron went to get the food as I lit the candles and managed to turn on the fairy lights, scattering them over the blankets.
"Oh, you finished," Aaron said as he appeared on the roof with the food in his hands.
"Yep, now let's eat, I'm hungry."
"I got you one of my hoodies, if you want."
"I've used too much of your things already Aaron, you can keep the hoodie. I have my own sweater anyway."
He shrugged but kept his hoodie folded in one corner, "Fine, but I'm making you put on those fuzzy socks on."
I bit my lip as I smiled, "Lemme see."
"Don't laugh," he said as he tossed the socks in my direction.
I caught them in my hands.
"Is that...Finn and Jake from Adventure Time?"
Aaron grinned, "Don't I have the best socks in the world?"
I tried not to laugh, but couldn't keep up my promise for long and almost rolled on the floor with hysterical laughter.
"I said not to laugh," he muttered.
"First the pizza patterned boxers, and now these? You're full of surprises, Aaron."
"Funny, that's what my math teacher said when I got an A+ last semester..."
I grinned, "Come here."
At that point, I was lying down on the blankets and pillows, leaning on my elbows. Aaron narrowed his eyes.
"Why should I?"
"Because I have blankets and really comfy pillows? Plus Adventure Time socks."
He pretended to think about before walking over and lying down beside me, setting down the bag of food.
"So, why are we on your roof again?" I asked, sitting up to grab a pizza box.
"You're leaving tomorrow, for one. Two, I'm making up for that other 'date'."
I blushed, "I should be the one making up for that..."
He shook his head, "Nah, I got it."
"How many slices are you having this time?" I asked as Aaron grabbed his third.
"Don't make fun. I'm a growing teenage boy."
"And I'm a growing teenage girl, not much of a difference there."
"Actually there is. You're a female, I'm a male. Big difference." He raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from his drink.
"Whatever," I didn't feel like initiating another argument. "So, what's on tonight's menu?"
Aaron put down his pizza slice and jumped up, hauling me up along with him.
"What-?"
"Dance with me."
"Why should I?"
"Because you owe me one from last night. And from the last day of school, when you didn't come to the party," he pulled out his phone and started scrolling down the screen for a song.
I watched the light from the screen on his phone reflect on his face, the glow adding more shadow to the sharp lines on his face.
Music began blaring through his phone's speakers. He shoved his phone in his pocket and held my hand.
"Dance?"
"I'm not very good at it," I said, feeling self conscious a bit.
"Don't think about it, just let go," he said as he pulled me against him and began moving along with the music.
I swallowed, Aaron's breath warm against my cheeks.
"I don't-"
"You don't know until you try. What do you have to loose?"
I thought back to all the dance parties I've had with Amy in my room back home, the way we jumped around and screamed along with the music. But this was different, this music was slow, whereas with Amy it was always up-beat and loud. This was different because I wouldn't be dancing with Amy, or Jace. I would be dancing with Aaron.
Oh, screw it.
I took a deep breath and felt my muscles begin to relax. I stopped thinking, as much as I could anyway, and just let myself tune into the music. My body connected along with the rhythm and I moved accordingly, slow when the song was slow and faster when it got more upbeat.
When I glanced up at Aaron, he just smiled at me, a simple smile, but it came from Aaron nonetheless. I moved closer to him so our bodies touched gently and I let him guide me through the rest of the song.
After a while he paused the music and said, "Let's take a break?"
I was a little breathless, mostly because of the nervousness I felt and the adrenaline rush that came along with dancing. I just nodded as he led me towards the ginormous pile of pillows and blankets. I flopped down and grabbed a drink, chugging it down.
"Somone's thirsty," Aaron winked.
I rolled my eyes, then buried myself under the covers.
"Don't sleep on me again," he complained.
I glared, mumbling under the blankets.
"I didn't hear that. What did you say?"
I mumbled again.
Aaron pulled back the blankets and smirked like he just won a bet against me. "Hmm?"
"I didn't say anything."
"Aha, yes you did."
"Did not."
He shook his head, "And I thought I was the immature one."
"I want more pizza."
He frowned, "What?"
"I said, I want more pizza."
"What does that have to do with anything? You're changing the subject!"
"You idiot, that's what I was saying under the blankets. Honestly, sometimes I have to remind myself why I even hang around you," I shook my head jokingly.
"I know why," he said smugly.
I raised my eyebrows, "Oh? Enlighten me."
"It's because I kiss you better than that Felix guy."
Ignoring the giddy feeling bubbling inside me, I spoke, "Wow, you finally remembered his name."
"I can prove it, you know. Then you can decide who's better," he dared, inching closer.
I bit my lip as he leaned over me, arm behind my head, and tilted his head so his lips were hovering right over mine. "At your command."
His breath tingled my skin, and I suddenly felt hot despite the cold air. "All right, but I bet you-"
Aaron interrupted me, which wasn't much of a surprise. He pressed his lips against my own, molding the two together like Lego pieces, teasing, until I moved my lips along with his. I tilted my head as he deepened his movements, the hand he wasn't using to lean against was playing with my hair, his fingers brushing my hair back.
When he pulled back, I was out of breath, and I was also pretty sure my face was flushed.
"So?" He asked as he sat beside me.
I stared at him until I looked away, focusing my gaze on the stars above us.
"Ha, I'll make sure to tell him that next time," he said.
I snorted in un-lady like manner, "You wouldn't dare."
"Okay, maybe I won't, but I can practically feel my ego grow. Damn," he whistled.
I peeked a glance at him and saw that he was smirking. His position had changed, and he was lying on his back like I was, his hands under his head, the shirt he was wearing had hitched up and I could see the little bit of his skin that showed.
I sat up and reached for a slice of pizza, the whole reason to why we were in an argument only seconds ago. The mild wind blew my way and I reached up to tuck my hair behind my ear, then felt another hand on my hair and turned to see Aaron sitting behind me, his fingers running through the length of my hair.
He smiled at me, "It's so soft."
I smiled teasingly, then said, "I straightened it, that's why."
That didn't seem to bother him, as he continued to play with my hair and I found myself sitting between his legs, my back against his chest as I continued to chew on my pizza. "Want a slice?" I asked.
"I don't want to get grease on your hair."
I turned in exaggerated shock, "You're picking my hair over pizza?"
"Only for a little longer..."
For the rest of the night, I lay beside Aaron, and not once did he pick up another slice of pizza. Only moments before my eyes shut I asked, "Wouldn't it be a better idea if we slept inside?"
His genius reply was, "Where's the fun in that?"
Ehhhhhhh...
I finally changed the cover! What do you think O' mighty silent readers?