7.
"We've got one week until you have to leave for the agonizing, soul-crushing, torturous, harrowing, ordeal that is your freshman year of college!"
"Yay!" he cheers sarcastically. So I shove him off of my bed. Disrespectful barbarians are not allowed. We're hanging out at my house because Mami is out of town so I don't have to worry about Aaron being murdered if she sees him.
He's quick to get up. "We have to plan this out," I continue, dodging his attempts to return the favor. "How much time do you want to spend with your family before you have to go?" I ask, pulling out my notebook. The most fun has to happen this weekend before my mom gets back, then the rest of the week before Aaron's parents get back to drive him to Falcon Claw.
He finally returns to lying on my bed and turns to face me. "None." Well, that's a scary face.
"That means the last of your free time in Phoenix Drop is going to be spent with me," I ignore his gloom, and focus. "So are you ready for the most amazing seven days you'll ever have?" I flop down and turn to face him grinning.
6.
"Don't!" I grab for him, trying to keep myself steady.
"This was your idea," He laughs and finally helps me, pulling me closer so I don't roll away.
"Yeah well-" I start to slip so he puts his hands on my waist. "You told me you've never done this before so I thought that you'd be just as bad as I am," but Aaron is impossibly perfect.
"We've been here a while-"
"Thirty minutes." who learns how to skate backwards in thirty minutes?
"So I picked up some things," he pulls me around the circle. "Plus I think it's kind of impossible to be as bad as you are."
"Well, I think it's kind of impossible to be as dumb as you are," I stick my tongue out.
"Not true," he reaches to grab it so I jerk back almost falling again. "because I'm definitely smarter than you are."
"You know what?" I yank my hand out of his because I really wanted to hit him, but his grip was too tight so he came with it and he finally fell. Since it was on top of me I'm not as happy as I could be.
Because humanity is awful, the other patrons skated around us as we, mostly me, laid in agony. I open my eyes and see his face less than an inch away from mine. Before I can begin to comprehend the position we were in, his face burns redder than a fire hydrant and he reels back putting some distance between us.
5.
"Are you sure your parents are okay with this? I know they're kind of strict," that is such an understatement.
Aaron's entire family is on a business trip that they chose to spare him from so he could finally finish packing. Apparently the only normal teenager trait Aaron has is also the worst one, procrastination. So he invited me over to force him to stay on track, although I might end up doing the exact opposite.
"Probably not, but they're not here so I don't care," as we get closer to his departure date Aaron has been acting a little weird. There's a tension, almost a hostility, that's increased the less time he has left.
"So what should I do?" I glance around his room and it's much plainer than I expected. That could be explained by his packing everything away, I don't think that's it.
The walls are plain, there's no sign of any posters or paintings, knick-knacks that might have been around. There's a bed, a desk, a chair, and a nightstand. Very basic and impersonal. The entire house is actually like that. There are family photos obviously but the rest of the house is picture-perfect, nothing is out of place like this place is barely lived in.
"Can you help me fold and put everything away," he points to a pile of clothes that I didn't notice. "No there's not any underwear," he adds seeing the look on my face.
"That wasn't what I was going to ask," I defend.
"That's such a lie," we sit on his bed and we get to work.
"I was going to ask why all of your clothes are basically the same?" no I wasn't.
"What are you talking about?" he puts the clothes he's finished in another box.
"I've counted like 30 hoodies and 10 of them are exactly the same,"
"They're comfortable!" he can't even deny it.
"Half of them have some form of a hole or mysterious stain," I hold up the hoodie he wore to my mom's dinner party as an example. "And like five of them are too small or something you're definitely never going to wear," this time I'm holding a woolen Christmas sweater that had either shrunk in the wash or hadn't been worn since Aaron was scrawny enough to be my size. It's actually pretty cute. "Can I have this," it even has an 'A' for 'Aphmau!'
"Sure," he's not even looking.
"Aaron~" I poke him, urging him to look at me. "I'm bored~" I whine, rolling over to rest against him. "I finished folding my half and everything." come play with me.
He gives me a brief glance, then looks away with a blush. Well, that won't do.
I prop myself up on my elbows, then get on my knees draping myself over him. He acts unfazed so I turn to drastic measures. I wrap my legs around his waist and dig my fingers into his sides causing him to yelp.
He falls back and twists before I can try again and immediately retaliates.
When we've finally calmed down his smile is back and we're both blatantly disheveled. Our clothes are ruffled and Aaron had to hold my hands down so I didn't accidentally smack him as he got his revenge.
His forehead presses softly against mine and the world kind of drifts away. Even though he's looming over me there's not a hint of fear. I close my eyes and release a breathy giggle, the adrenaline and joy rushing through me giving me a buzz like no other.
But obviously the universe hates me because a box falls startling us out of the mood. Aaron's face burns brighter than I've ever seen it and he reels back so hard he falls out of his bed tipping over even more.
"Let's finish up."
4.
"You're only here because I'm mad at Katelyn and Kawaii~chan right now and I can't do this alone."
"It's just a scary movie," he sighs grabbing the popcorn and forcing the blanket off of me. "And it hasn't even started."
"If you don't want to be here," I say grabbing the bowl so he doesn't vacuum it down like everything else he eats. "You can leave and I'll do this by myself."
"And miss you freaking out over everything?" he grabs a handful and leans back.
We're watching the first Micheal Myers Halloween movie because the girls called me a coward, and I am, but I won't stand for it being said to my face.
I start the movie and almost immediately have to hold his hand. I've never watched this movie but I get the gist. Evil sociopath escapes a mental hospital and terrorizes a town. The movie isn't even very scary, the suspense is just too much for my tiny heart to bare.
Aaron had to force me to watch the last scene, where he chased Laurie upstairs and she had to fight him off until he was shot by the psychiatrist. He was seated behind me, arms wrapped around me so I couldn't run away like I did for the car scene. When the movie ends, after seeing that Micheal had escaped I let out a whimper and Aaron burst into laughter.
"You are such a loser!" he shakes in mirth trying to calm down.
"Ugh," I try to stand up and escape the laughter but he holds me tighter so he can continue to make fun of me.
"Did you even watch the movie?"
"diD yOu EVen WatCh tHe mOVie?" I force myself up and hide in the bathroom.
"Shu!" he doesn't even bother to hide his laughter. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it!"
"Yes, you did!"
"Yeah, I did."
3.
When I met up with Aaron today I decided he needed some air. There was a dark yet vulnerable look on his face that I thought would be helped by some peace and quiet. I set up a blanket and some snacks in my back yard.
The first few minutes were spent in silence as I waited for him to give me a signal of whether I should pretend everything is fine or not. We're laying in opposite directions with our heads by each other. Our shoes are off, mine because I didn't want to dirty the blanket, and his because he likes how the grass feels under his feet. Staring up at the sky I can almost pretend that everything will be like this forever, that Aaron and I will be friends forever and if I ever confess my feelings he won't laugh in my face.
"Do you ever feel like," he starts turning to face me. "Like the world has something personal against you so people find any reason they can to hate you?"
"I don't hate you."
2.
Aaron's parents are home. We couldn't meet today.
1.
I just wasted 10 hours rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
It's 8 pm and I didn't get to see Aaron today. He said he couldn't leave the house to meet up and when I offered to visit he immediately shut me down. I won't be able to see him tomorrow because he's leaving early to drive down to his campus at 4 am. His parents bought him a car to make visiting easier so he's heading down alone and I probably won't see him until winter break or at all until we reconnect via Facebook in 25 years after I've gotten fatter and he's gotten hotter.
Before I can make myself spiral into another depressing thought process I hear a tapping on my window. I know it's not a tree branch because the weather is perfect outside so it's obviously an ax murderer out to get me.
I grab my book and make my way towards the window. "Hello?" If it is a murderer, hopefully, the hardcover will give me a second to escape and call the police.
"Shu?" Aaron?
I get closer and I see that he tossed some pebbles from the sidewalk to get my attention. I open my window. "What are you doing here," I whisper loudly.
"I didn't want to leave without seeing you again." he's wearing his signature red hoodie with the hood up and in the dark, I can't see him very well.
"Hold on," I close my window and head downstairs to let him in. Mami is hanging out with Zianna again so I'm by myself until 10. "Hey," I pull him in and prepare to give him a hug when I notice something. "What happened?" there's a hand-shaped bruise covering half of his face and his hand is cut up really badly.
"It's nothing," he mumbles looking away from me.
I stare at him for a moment really taking him in, shoulders hunched and a harsh expression, I don't think me pushing would help. "Come on," I take him to the second-floor bathroom where the first aid supplies are. I pull out the alcohol and bandages and grab his wrist examining the injury.
"I don't need all of that," he protests, trying to pull his hand away. "It's just a scratch."
"A scratch that could get infected if I don't clean and cover it up," I tighten my grip. I decided to start by holding his hand over the sink and pouring Hydrogen peroxide over it. Then I pour warm water over it. "What did you do that got your hand this messed up?" I'm going to need more bandages.
"Ipunchedamirror."
"You what?" I finish wrapping up his hand with bandages and tying it off with my red bandana because we're out of medical tape. Apparently being Alpha means I need a lot of medical supplies because werewolves won't go to the nurse's office. Supposedly it smells bad.
"I punched a mirror," he examines his hand to avoid looking at me so I smack it away before he can ruin my work.
I work on his face next, applying some bruise cream and giving him an ice pack to help reduce swelling. Once I'm done I clean up then take us to my room.
I lay my head on his shoulder. "Why did you make me Alpha female?" we sit in silence for a few moments.
"...I liked you."
"No you didn't," I immediately deny.
"I really did."
"Then why were you so mean?"
"Because…" he hesitates to put his thoughts into words. "I was also in love with Shu. But I didn't know her and she didn't open up to me. Then I found out that you were her. The girl I was talking to online, the entire time was the dumb girl from my werewolf class."
"Hey," I shove him playfully and finally turn to face him.
"You know," he grabs my hand. "We might not ever see each other again."
"Let's not think about that," I look into his eyes and lean in closer. "I really like you."
His face glows. "I like you too."
"I'm afraid you know," I pull him closer. "That I'll actually never see you again."
"Yeah?"
"And I want to kiss you."
"You want too…?"
"Yes, that's what I'm most afraid of," I admit.
"You should be," he allows himself to wrap his arms around my waist. "I'm probably not a very good kisser."
"None of the people you've kissed have enjoyed?" I doubt it.
"None of the people I've kissed exist." really?
"I'll be your first kiss?" he nods. "Are you sure you want me to be your first kiss? It should be with someone special."
"you're very special to me. You always will be," he leans his head down finally letting his lips meet mine.
Kissing is always described as fireworks or full of love and passion. I've kissed three guys and didn't understand that until right now. We are both very inexperienced, there's a bit of awkward fumbling, but he's warm, and his hands are large, and I wish he could hold me like this forever.