When Aiden got home, he actually had something to smile about. He was absolutely giddy with vengeance as he quietly shut the door behind him. The house was quiet, the lights off. He walked to the couch and heard rather than saw Gill sleeping on the couch. Maya was snoozing in his arms, of course. He turned and darted for his bedroom. He shut the door and fell onto his bed, laying face-up and staring at the ceiling. The soft drumming of the rain outside and the cool, dim atmosphere relaxed him too much, making him feel very sleepy. He wasn't getting the sleep he needed, and now his body was trying to make due for those restless nights. He sat up in bed with a determined scowl, deciding that he could make due later.
He drummed a finger on his thigh, trying to concentrate through the anxiety and keep himself awake. Jesse was going to be leaving sometime next Saturday. It was Tuesday, which meant he had more than a week to get prepared. But how would he prepare? What exactly did he need to do? He snatched a notepad and a quill off his nightstand, opening it to a few scribbles of poetry he'd tried writing. He flipped past those to fresh pages and bit the feather's tip in thought. When any idea popped into his head, he made sure to jot it down. Armor, weapons… new sword.
Armor and a new sword sounded expensive. He leaned over and took off both of his shoes where he kept most of his money. What better hiding place for his savings than his shoes he always wore? He shook the shoes and the emeralds, gold nuggets and iron he had fell onto the bed. After a quick count, he realized that he just enough for a very good sword and maybe some armor. In other words, not enough. Maybe he could pull together some more during the week, or Gill and Maya could pay for their own tools? If they wanted to join him, of course. He was sure the promise of jungle treasure would far outweigh the price some armor cost, and they'd be stupid to turn down his offer. Very stupid.
Weapons and armor were only a small part of the plan, though. Now he needed to figure out what to do to get the treasure. Only Jesse seemed to know where the temple was, so Aiden knew he'd have to follow him. In addition to the party, he remembered the girl say that Jesse and his friends would be formally waving goodbye to all their fans. This, Aiden thought, would give them the perfect opportunity to follow them to the jungle. Follow Jesse after party, he scribbled. A low chuckle escaped him as he thought of how sweet it would feel to win Jesse over again, just like the old days. When things were normal. After they followed Jesse into the jungle, they could do two things: They could try to scare Jesse off and find the treasure on their own, or they could let Jesse do all the work and steal it. With a smirk, he jotted the second idea down. It was definitely a keeper.
Within minutes, Aiden had a steady plan that was almost too simple to be true! But it was a plan nonetheless, and one he intended on keeping. He tore out the page he used, folded it, and pushed it into his pockets. Then he scooped his money back into his shoes, arranging it so that it wouldn't hurt his feet, and put them on. He walked out of his room into the living room where Maya and Gill were still sleeping on the couch. His lips pursed with upsetedness. He wanted them to be awake so he could tell them his plan. He knew he had plenty of time for all of them to get ready, but the sooner they knew, the better.
"You look excited. What's up?" Came a voice from the kitchen. Aiden looked across the room and saw Lukas sitting at the table with a book.
"You're back from your little picnic?" He asked, a hint of spite in his voice.
"Yeah, it rained." He answered, ignoring Aiden's tone. "So, what happened with you?" He briefly looked Aiden over, noticing that, in addition to looking damp, he looked like he was holding in some great news.
Aiden glanced at Lukas, wondering whether or not he should tell him about the plan. That was something that friends did, and it didn't feel like they were on very friendly terms. But maybe telling Lukas about the plan would make him want to join him! Besides, Aiden felt like he was going to explode if he didn't get it out. "I have a plan." He said cautiously.
"Plan for what?"
"To get some treasure." He anwered, walking over to sit down. Just talking about the treasure made him feel excited, and suddenly he wanted to tell Lukas everything. "There's this temple, out in the jungle somewhere, and that's where the treasure is. We're going to go get it." He said, noticing the look of surprise on Lukas's face.
"You mean the same treasure Jesse's out to get?"
Now it was Aiden's turn to look surprised. "Yeah. How'd you know?"
"They told me about it while we were picnicking. They seemed pretty pumped," he paused, "and so do you. Um… how'd you figure it out?"
"Got a tip from someone in town. And we're getting that treasure. I'm making sure of that. I've already got a plan set together." He pulled out the folded paper and waved it around Lukas's face before putting it back.
"Why do you want it so badly? Since when were you even into treasure-hunting?"
"That doesn't matter, Lukas. I think this is a great plan."
"I know you do, but it's just—"
"What?" Aiden leaned forward, glaring into Lukas's eyes. The blonde took a moment to measure his words before speaking.
"I really want to know why you're doing this. You don't like hunting treasure, but when you figure out that Jesse's going out to the temple, you want to do the exact same thing. It just seems… off."
"I'm doing this because I want to. What's so wrong about that?" He scowled. "Worried I'll make Jesse mad if I get it first?"
"No. I'm more worried about what it'll do to you if he gets it first." He said gravely. Aiden's eyes popped with his surprising, accurate words. Lukas sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm going to take a nap. Just let me know if you need anything, Aiden." He said, standing up and leaving Aiden alone to his thoughts.
One side of Aiden really did consider what Lukas said about what might happen if Jesse got to the treasure first. But another louder, angrier part only promised that wouldn't happen. Aiden was going to get that treasure and show Jesse up, and nothing was going to stop him. It was more than obvious that Lukas didn't like the idea of his plan and wasn't going to be joining them. That was fine. The less people to share this treasure with, the more it left for him. It made him actually start to hope Maya and Gill felt less inclined to join him, but he knew that he needed extra hands if he wanted to get the job done. Confronting Jesse was easier thought about than done, especially with a certain fierce redhead ever at his side.
He heard shifting noises on the couch and looked to see Gill sitting up with a loud yawn. A smile crossed his lips though he felt nervousness tugging at his stomach. It was time for them to pick sides.