Best Friend
The next days came and went with nothing special. Aria was still sad, but every day it got a little better. All his classes had very good students. Jessica wasn't bothering him, so he'd just forget she existed from time to time. But if there was something he missed, was his best friend, Hardy, who he'd meet that night.
Hardy and Ezra were friends since the dinosaurs' age. Sometimes they fought, yes, but it is normal and it was just sometimes. Most of times they are together making history to tell their grandchildren.
That night was the night they'd meet again. The old partners in crime would be reunited haunting the neighborhood, or maybe just drinking a few beers at the Hollis' Bar.
"Hardy!"
"Hey, man!" they hugged "God, it's been a long time! I see you've been exercising a lot" he playfully punched Ezra's chest that was definitely stronger than the last time they'd met
"You know, just jogging whenever I can."
Hardy looked at him in the eyes and said in a serious tone "dude, jogging is a gay word for running. Please don't say it again."
Ezra laughed
"As you wish, milady"
They sat on the bar's stools and caught up for hours. They had more to talk about than Ezra would've imagined.
"So tell me about teaching teenagers. Anyone hot in your class?" joked Hardy
"Yeah the quarterback is, Oh my God, Soooo Hot" Ezra joked back
"Dude! You're freaking me out!" Hardy laughed, "Stop!"
"Fine. Well, there...is a pretty girl."
"One? Singular? Just one? That sounds good."
"Well, she's pretty. That's it."
"That's it?! Tell me more! What's her name?"
Ezra didn't want to talk about her. But it was his best friend after all. How could he not tell?
"Aria."
"Aria?" Hardy yelled
"Shut up!" Ezra whispered "there might be some teachers in here."
"Oh, sorry." of course he was already tipsy. It was Hardy. "Tell me more about the lady in your heart."
"Well, I wish there was much more to tell, but there isn't. She is my student. That's all." he shrugged
"You think you can fool me, Ezra Fitz. Nice story, now tell me the truth."
"This is the truth!" Hardy continued staring at him "Fine. But there's nothing big. I saw her crying one day and took her to my hill."
"Your hill?"
"Yeah..."
"You mean the hill you won't take anyone, not even me!"
"Well, it was a special occasion."
"Of course it was! Did you kiss her?" he was deadly curious
"What?! No! Hardy, she's my student for God's sake"
"Are you telling me you don't want to?"
"No... I'm just saying I won't"
"Why not?"
"Do I really have to repeat myself?"
"Yes, please"
"Dude, SHE-IS-MY-STUDENT."
"You're an English teacher." Hardy took a sip of his beer.
"Yeah. I think I know that."
"Aren't you supposed to be that romantic guy that would do anything for the love of his life?"
"Maybe... But where did you learn all that?"
Hardy sipped the beer again before answering
"I like reading now. After all this years being your friend I finally like it."
"No way!"
"I'm kidding. I just made that up."
They laughed whole-heartedly
"Come on, I think you should get going. It's enough of beers for the night." Ezra got up and put twenty dollars on the table
"Wait! Just one last sip!"
"Okay. Go ahead."
In one sip, Hardy drank all that was left in the cup, and it was A LOT.
"Hardy!"
"Ezra!" he said with a girly voice
"Fuck. I'll have to carry you to the apartment."
"Take me in your arms prince charming!" Hardy yelled making people around them laugh
"Oh God. Let's go."
The way back to the apartment was getting harder. Every minute that passed, Hardy would swear he forgot something important at the bar and wanted to go back. Which never happened because Ezra knew he'd find everything he wanted when he got sober. None of them had driven to the bar, so they had to walk all the way down to Ezra's apartment, which made it ten thousand times harder.
After walking four blocks caring a drunken guy on his back, Ezra was tired; his legs were shaking so he sat down on a bench to rest. Hardy lied on the bench and fell asleep. Fuck. It would be hard to wake him up.
He started looking around. The houses in that neighborhood were truly beautiful. The gardens were full of flowers. There was one house that had the porch's light on. There was someone reading outside. Was it a girl? Yes. It looked like it. She tied her hair the same way Aria did. Cool. Wait! Was it Aria? Ezra got up the bench and walked towards the house. It was definitely Aria Montgomery.
"Aria?"
She took her eyes off her book and stared at him
"What are you doing here?" she seemed surprised
"I need to take a friend home. We were walking by and I saw you." he was nervous.
"Oh. Ok."
"Are you mad?"
"Because you are here?"
"No. Because I told you to watch you language." he looked at the floor
"I was. But then I remembered you are my teacher and you have to do things like that."
"Well, sorry anyways. I just didn't want you to get in trouble."
She nodded
"How are you? We haven't spoken in a while." he went up the stairs and sat next to her
"Things are getting better. My dad moved out, I haven't talked to him for three days now."
"How's your mom?"
"She has a couple of friends staying over for the week to help her get through this."
"Is it helping?"
"Yes. She's actually much better than I expected. But Mike, my brother, isn't handling it so well."
"I didn't know you had a brother."
"Well, I do. He's fifteen and at he's furious. He isn't sleeping at home; he's always at some friend's place. It's worrying me."
Ezra kissed her temple.
"He's just a teenager. He'll get over it. It might take time, but it will be over."
A tear ran down her face
"I just don't want to be sad anymore. I hate crying and it seems like all I have done this week. I must be boring like hell. Why do you still talk to me?" she asked it joking and punched his shoulder playfully.
"I don't think you're boring. Actually you're pretty much the opposite"
"What? Am I super cool?" she giggled
"No, I'm super cool. You're just ok." He joked.
Aria pretended to be hurt and turned around as if she was offended and crossed her arms.
All he wanted to do was turn her around and kiss her. But of course he couldn't.
"Fine, you're not just ok" he said "I admit, you're a little above the average."
She tried not to laugh and didn't move.
"You're beautiful", he confessed, she blushed
"You know you have to stop saying things like this right?" she looked at him over her left shoulder
"Like what?"
"Like calling me beautiful"
"Why if it's true?"
"You're my teacher." she turned to face him
"You're my friend." he said
"Ok. Friend. I like friend."
"So we are friends now?" he asked
"Yes. Friends." they shook hands in agreement
"Friends only tell the truth, right?" he asked
"Right."
"Alright then, you are gorgeous."
"Stop it!" she giggled
"You have beautiful eyes", he continued and she covered her ears pretending not be listening "Your hair is amazing, your eyes shine even when you're sad. You're funny too. You're very funny actually. I've read your text and I can say you're an amazing writer. You're very mature too. And... And all I want right now is to..."
"No!" she cut him off "Don't finish this sentence"
"Why not?"
"Because if you say it, it's gonna happen."
"I see no problem with that" he should be the grown up in this situation but he just couldn't.
"Well, I see. You'll regret it in the morning and it will hurt me."
"I would never regret something as meaningful as this..." he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. It was pure, beautiful and full of feelings. But at the same time it was wrong. He'd just crossed a line and he knew there was no coming back. But did he regret it? Not at all.
He leaned in again and kissed her, this time adding more passion. He put one hand behind her neck and the other one on her waist to pull her closer.
She kissed him back fiercely.
"HEY THERE LOVEBIRDS!" Hardy drunkenly yelled from the street. Aria blushed deeply and hid her face behind Ezra's shoulder.
"Hardy..."
"IS SHE THE GIRL YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT?"
"Not now" He told his friend hoping Aria hadn't listened
"Wait. You told him about me?" She asked giggling
"What? No..."
"HE DID! ISN'T IT GREAT?" Hardy stumbled on his own foot and fell
"Oh God is he Ok?" Aria quickly stood up to help but Hardy was already standing again
"HE IS CRAZY ABOUT YOU! EZRA LIKES YOU!
"Dude, stop!"
"I think it's cute" she said
"Cute? Not creepy?" he faced her surprised
"Of course it's not creepy telling your friend you like someone."
They both smile and kissed again, but were shortly after interrupted by Hardy's cheering.
"I think it's time to take him home." said Ezra sadly
"See you tomorrow?"
"Of course!" he kissed her goodbye and left with his still cheering friend almost falling at every step.
And just like that he got the girl. And just like that he was meaning to keep her.