"Wait a minute! I thought you guys were friends again. Because he helped you find me"
"It was all an act Trina! He was just doing it for a reason I do not know! He hates me so much!"
Trina gasps.
"I'm still surprised. You know? I can't think of Jake being callous and wicked" she spits
"Well you better believe it hun cause everyone would testify to you"
Trina's eyebrows knit together.
"Maybe you are not really looking into the issue. You should just apologise to him and everything will be back to normal" she suggests
"I already did Trina and things went back to normal but then he lied to me again and we are back to square one of hating each other"
"What did he lie to you about?"
"He told me he loves me and wants to be with me! But its not true! He loves Helen and only her. I don't know why he lied to me but he admitted that he still loved that girl"
"Who is Helen?" Trina asks scrunching her eyebrows in confusion.
I narrate everything Jake told me about her and Trina gets it.
"What if he was just saying that because he was angry. Maybe he didn't mean it"
"He meant it because you should have seen how he defended her and how he became so gentle when we talked about her"
"That's because she was his childhood friend and maybe they shared a lot of memories together like you and Aaron"
"I know but he likes her okay? He cannot forget her!"
"Come on hun! If Jake really told you he loves you, I think he was being sincere. He was angry probably because you doubted his feelings for you. But you also like him"
"That's too bad cause I'm with Aaron now! And Aaron is better than him! Aaron would never hurt me"
"That scrawny kid?" Trina says mimicking dad's tone and I laugh.
"He. Is. Not. Scrawny" I enunciated the words disgusted at how they belittle Aaron.
"Yeah right! He is now okay. But you will hurt him" Trina reminds as I enter our house.
"I won't!" I state firmly glaring at her.
"You will! I see it coming!"
"Trina Stop okay? Jake and I are done for. We aren't friends again and we will never be" I state and barge into the house clearly annoyed at Trina who was defending that .....Aargh!
I sit on my desk in my room solving some Chemistry equations in my notebook. I began to have a a slight headache from thinking so much. I went straight to my drawer and opened it to get some painkillers.
I take them and shove them into my mouth. Then I gulp them down with my water.
I was about to close the drawer when something like a small paper caught my eyes. I took them and looked at it. It was the pictures me and Jake took at the amusement park together. I frowned whiles looking at it. Maybe I should just burn it? Or flush it down the toilet? Or dump it in the trashcan?
I decide to just leave it in the drawer. I close it sighing. I thought you were a good person Jake! But I was wrong! Aaron's golden bracelet glimmers in the dim light. I take it and smile. Maybe I should call him and go somewhere this evening.
I snatch my phone from my desk and ring Aaron
"Nikki! What's up?"
"Can you come over? Or you are busy?"
"I can come over! I'm now driving home! Just closed from soccer practice"
"Oh" I say feeling guilty. I should have been around to cheer him up whiles he trained.
"I'll just pass by your house"
"Okay! I'll be waiting"
I hang up and sit on my bed. This Saturday's Halloween and I haven't decided what to dress like. Maybe I can get some ideas over the internet! Besides, what are Aaron and I doing this Halloween? I think about various things we could do. Maybe carve pumpkins, scare each other, share the night together in our costumes....and ding dong! The bell goes.
I quickly head to the door but my dad was already there.
"Excuse me but who are you?" My dad asks obviously not recognizing him. How would he if he thinks Aaron is lean and bony?
"You don't recognize me Mr Anderson?" Aaron asks appalled. My dad scans him up and down for like ten minutes.
"You look like someone I know! Those green eyes of yours" my dad finally spits and Aaron chuckles.
"I've been your daughter's best friend for years now" Aaron says trying to give him a clue but he doesn't get it making me chuckle and I walk towards them.
Aaron still looks appalled. He doesn't get the reason why my dad cannot make him out.
"Dad! This is Aaron" I tell him and he looks wide eyed as if he is about to pass out making me giggle.
"Oh my gosh! The bony kid?" He blurts and I see Aaron blush.
"He wasn't bony" I scold dad but he looks fascinated, appalled and impressed at the same time
"Lorraine! Lorraine!" Dad begins to yell mom's name.
"What is it Harold?" She asks as soon as she gets to us dripping in sweat with flour stained cheeks and oily hands.
"This is Aaron! Can you believe it? Look at him! Totally different" Dad blurts.
Mom is now wide eyed gaping at Aaron like a fish who has just seen its predator. I feel embarrassed for Aaron and myself.
"Mom! Dad!(Lorraine and Harold actually) would you cut the crap please? You are making my boyfriend feel bad"
"I'm sorry hun but we never imagined 'he' could become like this! So tall and built" mom blurts and Aaron chuckles whiles I roll my eyes at them.
"Anyways, we are sorry for making such a spectacle" dad apologises.
"Its alright Mr Anderson. I understand" Aaron says.
"Just call me Harold" Dad says with a cheesy smile. Aaron returns it.
"And me, Lorraine" my mom adds up batting her lashes. Ew! Was she flirting with Aaron?
Aaron nods in approval giving her a smile he has never given me before.
"You can stay for dinner if you want? Its almost ready" Mom suggests.
"Okay...Mrs... I mean Lorraine" Aaron stutters out.
Mom smiles gratefully and dashes back into the kitchen where she spends 60%of her life in. Dad also opens the door wider and Aaron enters giving me a peck on my forehead
"How was practice?" I ask looking at how he was dripping with sweat and his hair messy.
"It was fine as usual even though I fell" he says showing me a wound on his leg which was bandaged.
"Sorry" I drawl
"No! Don't sweat over it! It is normal with soccer" he says with a chuckle.
He smells like sweat and earth in a way. It wasn't that bad but he needed to take a shower.
"I should have been there to cheer you up you know? I'm a bad girlfriend"
"Oh no! Its alright! Besides, you always cheer me up"
"Okay" I say with a smile.
"Let's go to my room" I add and he follows me upstairs to my medium sized room. He has been here many times so there is no need to keep him out of this place.
"Your room is still the same" he compliments when he enters.
"Yeah" I say sitting on my bed and facing him.
"Still black and navy. What inspires you to like these colours cause I know girls love pink and those kinds of bright colours"
"I don't know! I just like them" I say with a shrug.
"Its a long time I came here though. Where is Boomer?" Aaron asks and I laugh. He actually remembered my teddy bear. So cute.
"Lying in the dust somewhere" I say with a chuckle. After the day I used him to deceive my parents and went for the party, I don't know where I placed him again.
"God! Nicole! You are so cruel" he jokes and I cackle wickedly.
"Well I don't need him anymore since I have a sweet boyfriend who is actually alive and not some toy"
Aaron laughs.
"Or do you want me to go back to him? So that we can end this?" I taunt.
"No! Let him lie in the dust" Aaron says and I chuckle.
"But you need to look for him though!" Aaron adds
"Sure! I would!" I reply
"What about your spiderman toy?is it still there?" I ask him
"Yes it is!" He says with a chuckle. I remember how he was so obsessed with spiderman and he literally watched all the episodes of spiderman. He even had the game!
"Wow! You still have it?" I ask him
"Yes I do! Its on my bedside table right now"
"I can see you still adore the toy" I reply with a grin and he smirks
"Hey! I'm sorry about my parents and their whole 'come and look at the bony kid show' they put up down there! I know you felt embarrassed"
Aaron laughs at what I just said holding his tummy.
"Oh sweet mother of god!" Aaron manages to say and laughs again.
"Yeah I know but I'm okay" he replies with a smug look.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes" he replies and sits down on my bed closer to me.
"But I want to ask you something and I need you to reply honestly" he adds looking at me.
"Okay shoot" I spit.
"Was I that bony?" He asks chuckling at his own statement and I bite my lip to prevent me from laughing in his face.
"Well yeah! A little bit! My parents are just exaggerating about the whole thing! See? I knew you were bothered!"
"I'm not seriously! Its just that, I didn't really like food back then" Aaron admits frowning slightly.
"But you surprised them today! Didn't you?" I ask him with a proud smile on my face.
"Yes I did" he replies
"Can I use your bathroom? I know I stink most of the time after soccer practice and I don't want you to have an attack because of me"
"Yes you can! But on the contrary, you don't stink! You smell normal. Besides, do you have to ask before using my bathroom? You have been there so many times"
He chuckles in response and peels off his jersey from his body revealing his chest. It wasn't tanned but it was okay. This is the second time I'm seeing a boy's chest. First it was Alec's own at the forest and now Aaron's.
"I'll be back soon" Aaron says and disappears into my bathroom
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"So Aaron! How did you become so big all of a sudden?" My dad spits and I send him a death glare. Trina giggles and I'm afraid she will choke on her noodles.
"Harold!" Mom scolds him.
"Sorry honey but I'm still in shock" dad apologises and I roll my eyes.
"Let's just say he ate a whole whale and turned into this" I spit exasperatedly making everyone laugh.
"Such a temper daughter!" Dad says in between laughs.
"Well I didn't eat a whale! I just started to eat a lot in my early teens and I became like this" Aaron replies
"Oh! That should be the reason! But I'm glad you have some flesh now cause you looked more like a skeleton to me" Dad compliments and Aaron feels bad whiles mom and Trina laugh it off.
"Harold!" I scold dad calling his name this time around.
"Its okay Nikki! I don't mind" Aaron assures but I'm sure he felt like he is being teased and laughed at right now.
"Enough with the bony kid show okay?" I yell and they are all silent. Trina coughs into her napkin.
"I'm sorry Aaron! We didn't mean to laugh at you or tease you! Its just that Harold is such a joker" my mom says sweetly giving dad a glare.
"Its alright Lorraine." Aaron replies.
"Aaron, don't mind me! I just love to joke around! Its my nature so don't take it as an offence" my dad apologises
"No I won't Harold! On the contrary, I really loved your joke" Aaron spits and I cannot believe what he just said. I eat my noodles violently.
"Trina was also skinny and we used to laugh at her in this house but now she is much better than before even though she is still a bit thin" Mom says disapprovingly at the end.
"Mom!" Trina scolds.
"Its the truth! You need to put on weight or else you would be carried by the breeze to another state one day" mom replies making me giggle. Dad and Aaron laugh making Trina pout.
"As for Nicole, she has always been a glutton since birth!" Dad begins and I gape at him. Trina chuckles.
"She eats a lot but never grows fat" Mom adds up giving me a smile.
"I would admit she has put on weight these days and not even a tornado can move her to another state" Dad spits and everyone laughs at me.
"Dad! Are you trying to say I'm obese?" I ask a bit scared. I don't want to be that fat!
"No sweetheart! You aren't obese! You are normal and okay. But you aren't thin" mom convinces.
"Maybe I'll start going to the gym more frequently" I scoff filling my mouth with noodles.
"Or why don't you join the girl's basketball team?" Dad suggests.
"What?" I blurt.
"Yes Harold! That's a great idea! It will help you loosen up a bit Nicole" Mom convinces.
"Yes Nikki! You can join! You will be a great player" Aaron adds up.
"But I can't go for practice cause I need to pick up Trina" I tell them
"Its alright! I'll pick her up" mom suggests.
"Or more like I get my own car mom and dad!" Trina tells them.
"No! You cannot have a car now" dad states firmly and Trina growls.
"So will you join?" Aaron asks me
"I don't know! I'm not a sporty person!" I reply dryly
"Think about it cause Kimberly said she wants to join, Melissa too is thinking about it and so as Jenna" Aaron says
"What about Claire?" I ask him
"She doesn't know what to do but I'm sure she will consider joining soon"
"Okay. Just give me some time to think about it honey" I tell Aaron.
"Okay sweetheart"
"Mmm! You already call yourselves those names?" Mom gushes
Aaron and I chuckle.
"Tell me! Do you have a ship name yet?" Mom asks curiously.
"No. But we are trying to make one" I lie
Mom nods in approval.
What ship name would fit us?
Nicole and Aaron
Nicron? No! Too simple maybe.
Arnic? No! Not smooth.
I take a wild guess.
Coleron? Maybe. Sounds nice a bit.
After dinner, I told Aaron the first three ship names I formed in my head and he said he liked all of them but he had to choose one.
"Okay! I'll go with Coleron" he told me and I was pleased cause I liked it. So that became our ship name.
Coleron