The next morning, I woke up sprawled out on my bed. Thankfully, Chloe's house was a two-story, three bedroom house. It was nice to have my own room and to not share a room with my cousin. Sweet home Alabama, much? Chloe would kill me if she heard me make that joke.
My head was aching from all the rage Firewalk was last night. I still couldn't wrap my head around about the one and only Rachel Amber being at a concert like that. I was surprised that she'd want to hang out with Chloe and me.
"Ow… shit…" I groaned, feeling the need of having a weed to get myself going. Even the light coming in from my window was giving me a migraine. All I wanted to do was stay in bed and not do anything all day.
"Chloe! Aiden! Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!" Aunt Joyce called from downstairs. Ugh, guess me staying in bed isn't happening. I force myself to get out of bed and stretch my body. Of course, I had to take a shower before going downstairs.
After I did, I got dressed in my new Firewalk shirt and put my denim jacket over it. I put my worn out jeans on and slipped on my converse shoes and put my beanie on. I knew Chloe wouldn't be up yet. Well, maybe not after Aunt Joyce called us down for breakfast.
After I get dressed, I make my way downstairs and smell eggs and bacon cooking. I always loved that smell. I walked into the kitchen and lean against the doorway. "Morning, Aunt Joyce," I said, giving a wave. She turned to look at me and she gave me a warm smile.
"Morning, Aiden. It's nice to see that I don't have to call you more than one time to come down," Aunt Joyce said. I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well, I am the first one up in the morning. Unlike Chloe," I tell her, walking into the kitchen.
"Speaking of which, can you make sure that she's up for me?" she asked me. "Yeah, sure. I'll get her ass up," I replied, going back up the stairs to wake Chloe up. However, just as I get upstairs, Chloe comes out of her room wearing a punk doe shirt.
"Good morning, sleepyhead. I was just about to wake you up," I told her. "I don't need you to be my fucking alarm, alright? Mom definitely asked you to come get me," Chloe replied, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, she did, but I would have done it anyway," I shot back with a cheeky tone. She playfully punched my arm and said, "Right, smartass," before heading downstairs to see Aunt Joyce again.
Joyce asked us as we came down, "Do you kids need a lift to school? David can take you." There was no way we could say no. "Sure, I can drive us," I replied, snatching my car keys off the table. My ride was a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, a real classic and super badass.
After I got into my car, I drove Chloe and myself to school. Chloe was really careful to steer clear of David because he acts like such a asshole. I totally understand why; he always puts us down and treats us like we're troublemakers. We really don't get what Aunt Joyce sees in him.
Chloe fell asleep during the drive, but it didn't look like she was resting well. Since Uncle William passed away, she's been having nightmares about the accident. I could see her moving and heard her shout, "Dad!" in her sleep.
When we arrived at school, I had to wake her up. "Chloe? Chloe, wake up!" I said, shaking her shoulder, which made her jump a little. "Take it easy, Chlo. You were just having a bad dream. Was it about…?" I asked, feeling worried.
"Um, yeah, it was," she said while rubbing her face. I knew Uncle William's death hit her hard, so I was nervous about bringing it up. "I'm sorry that I—" I began. "Don't say it, Aiden. I know you were just trying to help," Chloe replied, leaning her head back. I would do anything to support my cousin through her struggles.
I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Aren't you glad I drove us today? David would have definitely lectured us," I asked. "For sure! The last thing I want is to hear that troll's opinion," Chloe said, agreeing with me. "Same here," I replied.
We both stepped out of the car, and I locked it behind us. We were heading to Blackwell Academy, a place we both hated. It had a fancy reputation, but most of the people there were pretty awful, even if not everyone was like that.
Chloe had mentioned earlier that Stephanie Gingrich texted her about a DVD she had for us. She was hanging out with Mikey North, who was really into Dungeons and Dragons but was actually pretty cool, unlike his older brother Drew, who I thought was a jerk.
When we spotted Mikey and Steph playing Dungeons and Dragons, we walked over. "Mikey! Steph!" I shouted as we approached. I leaned on the table with Chloe, and Steph said, "Hey, I brought the movie you wanted."
I guessed, "Is it Maze Runner? The director's cut?" and she confirmed, handing the DVD to Chloe. "Awesome, how much do we owe you?" Chloe asked. "Nothing! I'm just happy someone appreciates the director's cut," Steph replied.
We ended up playing some Dungeons and Dragons with them, which was a blast, but we had to leave soon for class. Just as I was about to open the door, it swung open and almost knocked us over. It was Rachel Amber.
Rachel beamed when she spotted us. "Oh, Chloe and Aiden Price, just the people I needed! Let's go," she exclaimed, taking our hands and leading us into the school. She hurried us to the drama room, where everyone was busy rehearsing for the new play.
When Chloe and I entered the drama room, we noticed that everyone was practicing for The Tempest. It turns out Rachel landed the main role in the play.
Hayden exclaimed to Dana Ward, "I do beseech you! Chiefly that I might set my prayers: What is your name?" Dana replied, "Miranda… Oh, my father! I've broke your hest to say so!" She sounded a bit over the top, but Dana was actually really nice and not bitchy at all.
Rachel smiled at Chloe and me, and I could tell I was just as confused as Chloe, who didn't seem too pleased. "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Keaton, but do you think this looks better?" Rachel asked the theater teacher, twirling to show off her costume for the play.
Everyone started praising her, and I understood why; she was Rachel fucking Amber, after all. Chloe and I hung back while she practiced her lines. I was starting to drift off when Rachel grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the other actors.
"The real question is: Are Miranda's strong feelings for Ferdinand just a result of being inexperienced and the drama around her, or has she finally found true love?" she said, wrapping her arms around me, which made me blush a deep red. It was hard to hide my embarrassment, especially with Chloe standing next to me.
"Sometimes when you meet someone, you just know they will change your life, and you don't want to let them go," I explained. "Wow, that's really sweet! That actually helps me a lot. Thanks, Rachel," Dana replied with a smile.
Just then, the bell rang, and everyone started to leave, leaving just Rachel, Chloe, and me. "I'll be there in a minute," Rachel told us before heading to the changing room. I noticed the annoyed expression on Chloe's face.
"Are you okay, Chlo?" I asked. "Of course, I'm just fucking fantastic," Chloe replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "What's up with you? You aren't jealous, are you?" I joked, but I was also curious.
She said, "I didn't think you knew Rachel Amber." I replied, "Not really. I ran into her at the Firewalk concert last night. Is that what's bothering you?" I really disliked when she got upset over things like this; it just didn't make sense to me.
Before Chloe could respond, Rachel appeared in her usual outfit. "So, what do you think? Want to go on a little adventure?" she asked. Chloe just said, "No thanks, I'll pass," and walked away from us.
Rachel turned to me and asked, "What about you, Aiden?" I couldn't help but grin and replied, "Why me?" After that, we left the school and headed toward the train tracks. I figured I could talk things over with Chloe later.