The sun was out. The skies were clear. The air felt cool. It was a great day to be alive
"Hey" someone clicks their fingers in front of my eyes "thinking about Fitzy again?" Hanna snickered
"Excuse me, I was just here thinking about how it's been a lovely day to be with you guys again" Lie. But they couldn't know that Hanna was right and I spent the last half hour zoning out and thinking about my boyfriend
"Aria we literally saw you all yesterday… as a group" Emily questioned with confusion laced in her tone
"Yeah she's right" Spencer decides to pipe up. Holy shit. Is she mad at me? What the hell did I do?
"Yeah. She is right, isn't she?" Oh dear Lord. I am so sure without even looking at her that Hanna has this same knowing yet annoying smirk permanently planted on her face
"Doesn't mean it isn't good to be with you all"
"Ok enough with the mumbo jumbo. Let's get to the juicy parts" Hanna said as she leant forward in her place on the couch with her hands entwined in each other
"I have no clue what you're talking about" I mutter in confidence as I pop a berry in my mouth
After the girls picked me up from that ridiculously embarrassing run-in with Ezra in my room, we drove til we ended up at a new restaurant just out of town to celebrate Em's birthday. But so far it's been anything but.
Hanna's been pestering me for information which I've been reluctant to share, Spencer's been a bit edgy with me, I don't think she's happy with me right now and Emily's been the best one out of them all and avoided any topics involving Ezra and I'm not sure if that's a good thing right now, I want my friends to be comfortable around and about Ezra but right now I'm thankful that the encounter at my house hasn't been mentioned
"Was he good? Is that why you aren't saying anything. Wow Aria, didn't know you could be so selfish" Stay calm Aria, Hanna just wants a rise out of you so you can spill some details, don't give in
"Are you feeling okay Han? I have no clue what you're talking about"
"So we didn't just walk into your room and barely see you because our teacher Mr Fitz was lying on top of you doing un-admirable things? You know what Jesus thinks about people who aren't abstinent."
Saying this, she caught the attention of some of the people surrounding us
"Former teacher" why did I need to defend this from everyone
"So you're not denying this anymore? Wow that was easier than I thought"
She got me, I walked right into that one
"What do you want to know?" I give in, it's now or never
"Okay" she claps her hands whilst Spencer and Emily sit back amused with their coffees in their hands, getting ready for this
"Where did you kids meet?"
"Really Han, that's the best you've got? High school. He was our teacher as you so sweetly pointed out, remember?"
"I meant like reconnect"
"He's a regular customer at the brew and then there was the anniversary and the PT interviews and we just got closer but then he took me to this golf court and I swear he acted like a child. I don't know how it changed but it did, he went from being Mr Fitz; Mike's current teacher, our former teacher to becoming Ezra"
"Boyfriend?" Emily asked
"Boyfriend"
"Have you said you loved each other yet?"
"No, Spence it hasn't been that long"
"Long enough for you two to sleep together" she retorted, wow she was fast
"Do you at least feel something stronger than a benefits relationship?" Emily piped up
"Yeah of course, it's just not there yet. I think. I'm on the fence about it and it scares me because I never even felt like this with Noel"
"Does hearing his name make your heart flutter?"
"Yes"
"Whenever you hear his voice, how do you feel?"
"Giddy"
"How do you feel when you're not with him?" wow what's up with the third degree?
"I don't know, lonely I guess"
"You love him. It's going to take some getting used to for me because I still see him like every day around school when there's training on but just from seeing him in your lounge room it was easy to tell he feels the same about you"
Aw I have the greatest friends
"You're so sweet, Em. Come here" embracing her in my arms, I realised I haven't been with my friends as much as I used to and I was determined to fix that
"Spence?"
She let out a deep sigh. Uh oh.
"I don't know Aria, I mean he's still our FORMER teacher but I'm not really annoyed at you for being with him as much as I am annoyed at you for not telling us any time earlier and –"
In that moment a familiar ringtone that I assigned to Ezra filtered through the restaurant. Feeling around my pockets, I couldn't find my phone – that was weird. As I continued to listen in hopes of finding it, the tone was cut off as soon as my eyes landed on Hanna who'd been quiet for so long and with a sheepish look on her face, my phone peeking out from the corner of under her thighs
"Han? What did you just do?" I questioned as I took the phone from her
"Nothing? Depends how you think about it"
"What exactly does that mean?"
But before she could reply, a follow up text chimed through the already thick air
"Look at it?" Hanna suggested. That little -
Aria: I can't stop thinking about you
Ezra: Me neither
Ezra: I can't stop thinking about that thing you do with your hips
"HANNA!"
"Wow okay I was so not expecting that response but that is way better" she said as she stood behind me reading the texts
"What does it say? Spencer quizzed
"Nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"No" Hanna laughed
"Yes" I hissed at her
"What would you guys think about a quadruple date?" Spencer propositioned later that night while we were all seated on her couch
"Like all four of us and our dates?"
"No, all four of us and our pets. Of course silly"
"Where abouts would we go? I don't know if I'm ready to go out in public with Ezra"
"Not sure yet but if you guys are okay with it, okay it with your boyfriends-girlfriends and we can make some solid plans"
"Aria I think I'm sick. I can't go, sorry" Liar.
"Ezra you were the one who suggested that we should go to Philly"
"Yes. 'We' as in you and me, just you and me, not all of your friends" he muttered like a little boy
"Well it can be you and me tonight if you know what I mean. For the mean time it's going to be the eight of us"
"I'm sick *fake coughs*"
"Did you just quote Mean Girls?"
"No I did not. You misinterpreted the situation"
Really. He is a little boy.
"ARIA WE'RE HERE. YOU BETTER BE UP AND READY OR ELSE WE'RE GOING TO BARGE IN LIKE LAST TIME!" Hanna yelled up the stairs
"Come on" I laughed "I promise I'll make it up to you tonight" I leaned up and whispered in his ear before moving to face him and planting my lips on his
"Uh huh" he whispered astonished
"Let's go"
Ezra shifted in his seat nervously as he said in the back seat of Toby's black jeep with Aria beside him, Spencer occupying the passenger seat beside Toby. Ezra sat quietly hoping the rest of the drive to Philadelphia would be calm like it had been for the past ten minutes
Upon leaving Aria's house, it was agreed that Ezra and Aria would ride in Toby's new car with Spencer and Toby while Emily, Paige and Hanna rode with Caleb in his new car that he bought at the same time as Toby, an ongoing bet to see whom could arrive to certain places first, it was a tie so far and Toby was hoping he'd win this one
"Ezra? Babe are you okay?" Aria whispered to her boyfriend as she realised he hadn't made conversation with anyone in the car so far, yet sat stilled with a pale complexion on his face
"Yeah i'm fine" he replied with a fake smile planted on his gorgeous face. She leaned into his chest and he wrapped his arm around her petite frame and smiled down at the girl he was quickly falling for, they both missed a look from the girl seated in the passenger's seat. It's not that Spencer wasn't happy for Aria, it was weird seeing her best friend being all lovey dovey with their teacher. Former teacher. It saddened Spencer that she didn't trust her enough to tell her, she wouldn't tell anybody ever, but it was hard to stay mad at her other half in team Sparia
Quickly making conversation to try and smoothe the waters and cut the tension she tried "So Ezra" his head shot up at the familiar voice, surprised she was even talking to him "how do you know about this place?"
"Oh umm my friend from college just opened this new place"
She was so tempted to make a comment asking if he remembered that they were all underage so it better not be a club but bit at the inside of her cheeks to resist. She was trying really hard to be good for the sake of her relationship with Aria and she wasn't going to ruin it with something she could control
"What sort of place is it?" She finally settled for
"It's a bit of everything. It's a pretty big piece of land so my friend decided he wanted to fit it for all ages, he has one whole level reserved for an all ages club where he gets artists and bands to come through and perform and the other level is a modern restaurant fit for vegans and normal people" the last part earned him a jab in the ribs from Aria
"Ezra where am i going? I have no clue where i am" Toby asked
"Make a left on the top of this road and just keep going straight"
They were silent for the next few minutes until a ringtone filtered through the car, Toby's phone was connected and soon Hanna's chirpy voice filled the car
"FITZY WHERE ARE WE GOING?
"Hanna you know you don't need to scream, we can hear you just fine" Spencer sighed
"I know but it was needed, these 3 are boring" and a collective "HEY" was heard causing the rest to chuckle
"We're almost there Hanna" Ezra laughed
"If we aren't there in 15 minutes i will harm you" she sternly said before abruptly hanging up, leaving Ezra scared and the rest laughing at his expression
By the time they arrived in Philadelphia, the sun began to set leaving the lands illuminated in cool pink and orange colours
"Ezra, i gotta tell you man, this area looks pretty sketchy" Toby observed
"I'm taking you guys the back way to this place, it would have been so much traffic had we gone the normal way. Just turn at the end of this road and we'll be there, trust me"
Surely enough when they turned right onto the road, competition to get there first long forgotten, soft gasps escaped Spencer, Toby and Aria and they stared in awe at the busy street lit up.
Aria pulled Ezra back as they exit the car parked in reserved spaces Ezra had set up for both cars "Hey… Thank you for this" she said so only he could hear her
He simply nodded with a smile and walked ahead of the group of people lined up in front of the up and coming store Ezra had led the eight of them to. Hanna walking ahead with Caleb on her arm in front of Spencer and Toby, Emily and Paige but behind Aria and Ezra, this was the first time she'd ever been able to cut a line and she wasn't about to let it go easily
"Back of the line" the security guard said
"And i'll do that… After you" Ezra smugly said
'Oh My God' thought the rest of the group. They're going to be banned from this place forever and it seemed really cool.
Why the hell was Ezra acting out of character was the only thing running through Aria's mind
As the rest of the group prepared to be tossed out when the guard raised his head, they were surprised when the hunky man let out a smile and pulled Ezra into a one-arm manly hug, his other hand still entwined with Aria's.
"Ezra what are you doing here man?" the man said after pulling out of the hug
"I just came here with my girlfriend" he smiled, happy he's able to openly admit it
"Who are the others behind you?"
"I have no clue"
"Alright guys back of the line"
"HEY" "EZRA" "WHAT" they all said simultaneously but Ezra just laughed and told the unknown man he was a joking and they're with him
"It's getting cold, why don't you go inside and i'll come find you once my shift ends. Hardy's inside, probably in the arcade like always"
"Thanks N, drinks on me okay" he winked as if it was an inside joke between them that no one understood
"What was that?" Aria asked when they made their way through the passageway
"That was Nathan, he always wanted to be a security guard, Hardy always wanted to own a place like this so they figured they might as well co-own this establishment" he said before coming to a stop and turning to the rest of the group. "Okay, this level's the club, the restaurant is downstairs and so is the arcade, dinner first and then come up here sounds good?"
"Yeah" they all said at once like a choir and followed Ezra downstairs
"Reservation for eight under Zee" he whispered the last part to the waiter hoping no one else heard but they did so when they were being ushered to their table everyone including the usual shy Emily and Paige made fun of him
"Order anything you want, like literally anything"
"Why?" Caleb questioned curiously
"I kinda own part of this place with Hardy and Nathan?" he said more like a question that a statement
"WHAT" now this time instead of saying it as a collective, Aria shouted gaining some stares, one in particular
After ordering and making small talk waiting for their food, as Hanna was about to ask Ezra about he and Aria being bed buddies, a man walked up behind Ezra and placed a plate of avocado in front of Ezra, instead of being confused he once again smiled and turned around, standing in the process
"Hardy"
"Ezra" they said before like Nathan, pulling each other into a hug
"Guys, this is one of my best friends, Hardwell. Hardwell, this is Caleb, Hanna, Emily, Paige, Spencer and Toby and this here is my girlfriend, Aria"
"Girlfriend eh? This the same Aria you've been speaking about?" he not so lowly said causing Aria to blush. "Hardy. Not Hardwell. Hasn't been Hardwell since i became legal and was able to change that unfortunate name" he said as he offered a small wave at everyone, eyes lingering on Aria
"How'd you know we were coming?"
"Well there's only one person i know who has the nickname Zee and then of course i heard your girl screaming from the activity room"
"Arcade"
"Activity room" he said decisively "Okay well i gotta get back to work unlike our other owner, but i'm going to leave you with Jenny here who's going to be your waitress for tonight, let me know if you need anything and i'll come find ya'll later"
"Okay one, why's there avocado on your plate and two, why don't you work here?" Spencer quizzed
"I can't stand avocado and Hardy knows that. I come up here from time to time and work but i like teaching more than this buzz"
"Dork" Hanna scoffed earning her a glare from Aria but a laugh from Ezra
"Zee" Caleb stressed with a laugh "I gotta ask you. One time in high school i had detention but you let me off, why? It's been burning in my mind since and i can't figure it out"
"Do you really think i wanted to supervise a bunch of seniors when i could have been at this place? How old do you think i am?"
"30?" "At least 35" "I don't care but damn"
"Wow okay i was being sarcastic but thanks guys. How rude, ill have you know i'm only 25 thank you very much" he scoffed pulling Aria closer to his side
"Meet here back at 11?" Aria asked the group gathered
They all nodded and were about to part when Ezra called them back
"This VIP section is reserved for us tonight so whatever, if you guys want to sit that's cool" he said to everyone then tugged Aria behind him and whispered "Come with me" leading her to an even more secluded zone of the VIP area
"Oh Mr Fitz, Aria like" she said childishly earning her a laugh
He pulled her into his lap and smashed his lips against hers, savouring the feel of their mouths mashing into one
"Later" she promised, pulling back to whisper but just as quickly pulled him back to her and eventually straddled his lap, his hands resting softly against her hips, a groan escaping both their lips as they continued their make out session
"Ezra?" a voice called causing them to break apart rapidly and stare at the person in front of them
"Oh my God" the both whispered, both for different reasons
