Thoughts That Count

Episode 5 Part 3

Ezra

We'd settled into a little area near a dart bard in the back of the bar, and everything was going much smoother than I'd expected. Hardy and Aria got along great and so far there had been no awkward dodging of relationship questions. Or questions of why Aria was here.

"So I hook up with her in the library, but, uh-you can't get serious in the sociology stacks, right? So I take her back to my dorm room," Hardy continued telling a story and it suddenly hit me which one it was.

I laughed, throwing my dart, "I can't believe you're telling this story."

"Eh- Let him finish! I wanna hear," Aria protested. I couldn't believe she was hearing this story. If I thought my reading was going to be embarrassing…

"She wants to hear! So, I get her back, you know, he's sound asleep of course. I get her shirt off you know, things are happening, life is good," I shook my head, turning to hear Hardy finish out the story. This is where it got bad, "Then this geek right here, starts laughing! In his sleep! Now, he-e-he's done this before, but this chick, she does not believe that he's asleep-"

"Which I was," I defended.

"You laugh in your sleep?" Aria asked in surprise.

"Mmhmm," I admitted.

"That's cute," I smiled at her. One of my deepest darkest secrets, there hidden away in her eyes, along with our own. Hardy cleared his throat behind me and I turned away. Maybe his reasons for asking no questions weren't what I'd thought, "Its… better than snoring," Aria continued and I nodded.

"Right, Uh… you're up," I said to Hardy as he returned with the darts

"Ahh, nope. Its her turn."

"Take it for me. I'm gonna grab some… water," Aria said, slipping away into the crowd.

I slouched against the stair railing, waiting to see what Hardy would say.

"Dude, you are so screwed," He said flatly.

"It-its not what you think it is," I told him. Its not like I was just hooking up with a student. He shot me a 'give me a break' look. "Don't give me that look! I didn't pursue this. It just happened," I defended. Its not like I purposely went into a bar on a Sunday afternoon looking to hook up with a girl who would turn out to be my high school English student. Nor was I the one who pursued its continuation. It all just fell into place.

"And that makes it okay?" Hardy questioned.

"Hardy," I stepped up, attempting to make a 'its no big deal' gesture, but he cut me off.

"Ezra, She's cute. She's smart. I get it. There's no argument, but she's your student man."

"Ah-That's not how it happened."

"It doesn't matter. When this is all over, she's gonna get a diploma, you're gonna get a pink slip. And an orange jump suit."

I opened my mouth to make another reply but I heard Aria come up, and sat down as if nothing had happened in her absence.

"So how about this. Looser of the next game buys fries?" She wagered.

"Sweet. Give it up," Hardy agreed, fist bumping her, and going to get the darts.

Aria rubbed my shoulder and I tensed up. I couldn't avoid the turth in Hardy's words.

"Hey, thank for this. I'm having fun," Aria whispered to me softly.

"Yeah, me too,"I I said. I got up and took the darts from Hardy, "Here, I'll go."

Suddenly I was wondering what I was doing here.