Chapter Fourteen - That's Fine With Me

Noel picked Aria up for school Friday morning, today he was coming over to meet her parents. It was bad enough he knew her brother, and they were friends! Maybe he would like her parents, I mean if he could get along with her inappropriate immature brother then maybe. No, Aria thought Noel and Mike are both boys, that's why they get along because all boys pretty much get along. It's not like in the petty girl world where everything is about hair, clothes and how much money you have. Aria had never been part of that group, until Allison came and brought them all together Aria never really had friends. Now Aria had three best friends and an amazing boyfriend that she had been crushing on for years. I can't believe I let him go last year Aria thought as she and Noel walked to his car. I had good times with Ezra she thought but with all the stress and problems that occurred in the relationship I would've much more loved to have spent a year with Noel she thought. Thinking about Ezra only brought her thoughts back to his text messages from the other night, should she tell Noel about them? Yes, she decided.

"Ezra text me the other night" she stated blankly.

"Oh" was all he said.

"Apparently you don't deserve me"

"Why is that?" he asked, Aria could hear anger in his voice.

"I guess you'll never love me like he will" she laughed "Ezra may have loved me but he didn't show it well"

"I think he's going to cause more trouble than he's worth" Noel told her.

"I told him to stop texting me or I was calling the police for harassment and tell them about how he stole from you" Aria said starring at Noel's blank face "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Noel said starring straight ahead at the road.

"Please tell me?"

"I feel like eventually your gonna go back to him Aria" he confessed.

"Noel... I'll be honest. I really like you and I love how you make me feel, it's kinda like how Ezra made me feel but it's like ten times better and maybe if I would've realized that when I first came back from Iceland last year I would've never fallen for my English teacher and gotten him fired, had to hide my relationship from everyone and have my heart broken over secrets and lies. I'm not going back to him Noel because today I realized that if I could go back I would've kept you last year, your nothing like I thought you were" Aria felt like crying. Did I really just say all that she thought. Now he's probably going to think I'm crazy.

"Everyday for the past year I have wished I would've done more to keep you" Noel finally said when they got to her house. Then he leaned over and gave her a kiss and then smiled at her. "Now that I have you, your never going anywhere"

"That's fine with me" she smiled back. Then her smile dropped when she realized they were at her house where her parents were waiting to meet him and most likely embarrassed her.

Noel noticed her frown as she looked at her house and he got out and went around to her door where she stood motionless. Noel grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the house, he smiled and he had tug on her to get her to move.

"It's gonna be fine" he laughed as he opened the house door for her.

"Hey Noel!" Mike yelled from the living room.

"Hey!" Noel replied walking over to join him.

Aria just walked into the kitchen to see her mom peeking into the living room.

"What are you doing?" Aria asked her mother.

"I'm just looking" Ella smiled.

"What?" Aria asked her mom wondering why she was looking at her like that.

"Aria he's really cute!" she said and turned and looked again.

"Stop that!" Aria said pulling her mother away from the living room "You may be dating again but he is not for you"

"Honey, he's much too young" Ella laughed. Can this get any worse Aria thought, my mother is checking out my boyfriend. It can get worse she thought as she saw her dad walk into the room.

"Is Noel here?" he asked Aria.

"Yes, he's talking to Mike" Aria sighed.

"Dinner is done" her mom said setting everything on the table "so go get the boys Aria, we wanna meet him"

Aria just sighed again and walked into the living room, Mike and Noel looked like zombies starring at the TV. It took a few minutes to get them away from the TV but finally they were all in the kitchen sitting down to eat. Everything went good for a while, Noel and Mike talked to her parents about lacrosse, all the teams they beat together and what teams they had left to play. Ella asked Noel about his parents and he told her everything she wanted to know, but then her dad started talking and Aria wanted to die.

"Aria is the only daughter I have" her dad said picking at his plate.

"I understand sir" Noel said taking a drink.

"You better treat her very well" her dad said "Aria hasn't had a good head when it comes to boys"

Aria knew that he was talking about Ezra, what he didn't know was that they had broken up a week ago and not months ago like thought. Aria had been lying and keeping Ezra a secret after she was banned from seeing him and that was another stress that was put on their relationship that Aria did not miss and it made her even more glad she now had Noel. A boy who was only a year older than her and still in high school just like her.

"Everyone makes mistakes" Noel stated.

"That is very true" Ella said glancing over at Byron. Are they really gonna do this here Aria thought to herself. Aria's dad just ignored the comment made by his previous wife and kept talking.

"If you two are going to get serious then always remember to use protection" her dad said "Just remember abstinence is the best contraception"

"Dad!" Aria yelled, she wanted to sink in her chair and die, and of coarse Mike thought it was hilarious. I bet he put dad up to it she thought to herself as Mike hit Noel on the back. Noel just sat there for a minute.

"You don't have anything to worry about Mr. Montgomery" Noel smiled. Wow, Aria thought, he was good. How can he just sit there after that? Aria face was probably as red as the ketchup on her plate and Noel was completely composed.

After dinner Mike walked upstairs and Aria followed him and slapped him on the neck.

"What was that for?" He yelled.

"I know you told dad to say that!" she yelled back.

"I would never" he smirked at her and ran into the bathroom. Ugh, she thought to herself as she went back down the stairs to tell her parents her and Noel would be going out tonight. When she got back Noel was helping put the dishes up and she smiled. How sweet she thought.

"Mom is it okay if Noel and I go out to see a movie or something?"

"Yeah sure honey, just be back before 12"

"Okay I will" she told her mom and gave her a hug bye. Aria grabbed Noel's hand and pulled him towards the door, he yelled bye and thanks to her parents as Aria pulled him out the door and her dad waved back.

"That was horrible" Aria said walking to the car.

"I thought it was fun" Noel smiled at her when he sat down in the drivers seat.

"Were we just at the same dinner table?" she asked him.

"I think so" he smirked at her.

"I can't believe my dad" Aria said crossing her arms over her chest.

"I thought he was funny"

"Your crazy" she said to him.

"Am I?" he laughed.

"Where are we going anyway" Aria asked. Earlier Noel had told her they were going somewhere together but he wouldn't say where.

"You'll see" was all he said.

About a half an hour of Aria begging Noel to tell her where they were going he stopped the car and said here. Well here turned out to be his family lake house, Noel popped the trunk and pulled out a blanket and then took Aria's hand and guided her to a spot by the lake. The rest of the night was spent laying on a blanket starring up at the stars. Aria and Noel laughed and talked for hours about school, friends, their family and just about everything else. It took Aria forever to go to sleep that night all she could think about was all the stuff Noel had told her, she had learned so much about him tonight and it made her like him even more.