Chapter 03-The Confrontation

Aaron's POV 

9th January, 2021

The Day of the Lawrence Brother's Party

"I need a tie, Aaron! Save me!" Kieran has been screaming from the moment he stepped foot in my house.

"Take anything you want from the closet." I couldn't care less.

"Thanks buddy!"

It's 7 PM and Kieran has been getting ready for the party since 5. He changed his outfit three times, contemplating whether to wear this style or that; he's also put on enough cologne to bombard the entire street with its horrible smell.

He claims all this would get him the girl of his dreams.

And asthma, after inhaling all those chemicals. 

I left a message for Sebastian an hour ago that we were leaving at 7.15 to pick him up. He hasn't replied yet. 

"Have you heard anything from Sebastian? Is he going to bail on us?" I had my suspicions that he might.

Kieran perked up his head from behind the bathroom door, "Heck, no! One of the main attractions is going to be watching that bitch Tanya get dumped by him. He has to be there."

"Sebastian isn't planning to dump her anytime soon, trust me." I was convinced of that after our last conversation.

"And you should believe that he will, tonight." Kieran laughed ominously. 

Unlike me or Sebastian, Kieran was a huge gossip and had information on everyone. He seemed to know everyone who's anyone and probably kept files on people's dating history. All this meant that he not only enjoyed the drama which played out in our high school; but he could also predict some of it flawlessly. 

"And why do you think that?" I try to pry.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough." Kieran just laughed his evil laugh again. "Make sure Sebastian shows up."

Kieran might be a gossip but he sure isn't loose-lipped.

Wait a minute, Kieran knows everything about everyone. He would definitely know about Alex. 

"Kieran?"

"Yeah?"

"What can you tell me about Alex?"

"The nerd one?"

"Yes." As far as I know, there is only one girl named Alex in our school. Who else would I be talking about?

"What about her?" Kieran asked with a hint of annoyance.

I continued cautiously, "Oh, nothing much. She showed up at the café with Tanya that day. Seems like she was trying to defend her." One slip and Kieran would tease me mercilessly for getting crushed on a nerd.

"Well, figures. She's got that girl wrapped around her fingers." Kieran sneered.

"Is that so?" Alex doesn't seem blind to her friend's faults.

"Yeah, I mean I don't know for sure, but Alex is like a homely gal. Rarely comes out of her cave."

That's why I never noticed her before.

"And she only ever hangs out with that one girl, Tanya and sometimes this other girl…what was her name?"

I don't care about that.

"Uh…Maddy, I guess. And she's got the best grades."

I already know that.

"And…"

And?

"And she's a bitch!" Kieran snapped.

What?

"Why?" I try not to show my anger.

"Ugh! That nerd exposed me while I was trying to pass my Calculus. Who cares if I got help from one cheat sheet? I had to go through so much trouble with Callahan after that." Kieran spits out the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Oh, so it was that.

That's not what I wanted to know.

"Anything else?"

"What else?" This time, Kieran was getting suspicious.

"Oh, alright then." I got up and walked away.

I can't ask him if she's single or not. I'd have to find that out by myself. 

"You boys look so handsome!" Aunt Sarah exclaims from the living room.

"Always the best for you Sarah." Kieran winks and strides forward in the direction of the living room. I grab his collar. He has to flirt with everyone; the girls at school, our janitor, the front desk lady and even my aunt.

"Oh, Kieran, that tie looks good on you! I could never get Aaron to wear it." Aunt Sarah observes.

It's a Prussian blue tie with glazed stripes and red hearts scattered. She's right, I wouldn't wear that anywhere. But both Kieran's and Aunt Sarah's tastes are eccentric.

"Let me get a photo of you boys!" Aunt Sarah runs to her room, all excited.

Kieran slides and hands over my shoulder and whispers, "Aaron, don't tell me Sarah thinks we're about to go to prom or something?"

I say nothing; because he's probably right. 

After my parent's useless marriage ended and the alimony was paid, they hanged the matter of custody. Usually, both the parents would fight tooth and nail to get their child to stay with them or get as much visitation rights as possible. But my parents couldn't hide the fact that they didn't want shit to do with their son.

My mother was the first one to bail.

As soon as the financial matters were settled, she bought a flight ticket to France and simply chose to ignore the court's address and notices and decided to enjoy the beach and her new boy-toy.

My father, being a respectful businessman, couldn't help not showing up at court when custody was being discussed. He reluctantly accepted the custody of his son, Aaron Armitage, who was four years old at that time. But the judge took one look at my father and decided to appoint a legal guardian for me, who would've as much power as any of my parents about my life.

Aunt Sarah was the only one who stepped up.

Aunt Sarah was the only innocent soul in my father's family of heathens. She was a scholar student in her high school, had a knack for journalism and pursued higher education in one of the best colleges in the state. She got married to her high school boyfriend who was a lawyer.

Two years later, my aunt found out she was infertile and her husband filed for a divorce.

Two years after that, she adopted me and we moved into the house we currently live in. 

"I found my polaroid camera! This thing was collecting dust behind my dresser for ages." Aunt Sarah entered the room, brimming with excitement.

"Was that yours, Sarah?" Kieran started examining the camera.

"Yes, it was. Now, don't make me sound ancient but polaroid was pretty much what we had if we wanted some decent photos. Full-fledged cameras were just too expensive for my high-school self." She frowned. She comes from one of the richest families in the country but had to work part time during high school, all because her parents were too focused on their useless son.

Boiling anger fills me anytime I try to think about my parents or my extended family. They didn't just outcast me, but they also shut out their own daughter.

"Hmm, you guys should stand in front of that wall, the background will help with the lighting." Aunt Sarah instructs and we follow. Photos are serious business to her, if we flinch, she will reprimand our carelessness.

She clicks the camera and a flash goes out, "All done! Oh, how good it came out!" She exclaims, even though the photo is still materializing.

"I think we should leave, we're already late." I don't care about being late, but if I stay here any longer, my aunt will start smothering me, as she always does.

"Have fun! But not too much fun!" She waves and grins heartily before shutting the door. 

"Man, you're one lucky bastard. I had to sneak out of my bedroom window to come here. My parents think I'm sleeping." Kieran gloats.

I don't reply because Kieran isn't hoping for one. He just needs to moan and complain about trivial things and I'm good at shutting people's voices out of my mind. That's why Kieran claims that I'm a good listener and our friendship works.

I rev the engine and start the car. It takes us five minutes to reach Sebastian's house. Sebastian's standing in his driveway, leaning against his father's car; he's looking at his phone with a troubled expression. It takes Kieran to shout three times before he notices our car and hops in.

"Sorry, sorry," he says as he buckles himself.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I just…"

"Oh, down with that wench, Sebastian! We're going to find you a new girl today." Kieran grabs his phone out of his hands. Then he proceeds to turn it off. "You need to give this girl a taste of her own medicine."

Sebastian just sighs and gives up.

I know for a fact that Kieran won't be able to find himself a girl, let alone find Sebastian one; but it's the thought that counts. Ever since I told them about Tanya's cheating, Kieran has been anti-Tanya all the time and Sebastian has been just depressed and sad. Kieran has been trying his best to cheer Sebastian up, even going to the lengths of suggesting that we go to a strip club to steer Sebastian out of his blues; his suggestion was rejected firmly and immediately by Sebastian.

But nonetheless, Kieran has been persistent.

Part of that persistence is probably today's party. It's Kieran's way of getting Sebastian to come out of his shell.

I feel a bit guilty that Sebastian is the last thing on my mind right now.

Alexandra Russo is going to show up today, and hopefully, she will have some answers for me. 

Alex's POV 

I bought the dress because Tanya told me to. I couldn't refuse because she was going through turmoil herself.

But boy, was this a bad decision. 

I'm standing in front of the mirror in my room. I have to leave in 15 minutes; I'm ready but I'm still debating if I should walk out of the door like this. 

"You look great, Lexi! Let's go." Tanya assured me. She has been unusually cheerful this evening, despite all the troubles with Sebastian. I was just hoping that the worst was behind us. 

I turn my focus back to my reflection.

Jesus, help me.

I had never been one of the pretty girls with cute button noses and rosy cheeks. I'm not pocket sized and I haven't got a smile that would stop people in their tracks. Even my hair and eyes are basic and boring; black and brown. 

The girl I see in the mirror is at least 5 foot 5; she has a round face with deep dimples which look like they were sewn in the middle of her cheeks. She has long wavy hair down to her elbows. She's wearing a black lacy dress which is mildly revealing but acceptable enough for a party full of teenagers. And she's got ample breasts and wide hips; no wonder she's two sizes larger than the average girl.

It's easier to come to terms with my face when I dissociate with myself. I look in the mirror and imagine that I'm seeing someone else, not myself. 

Tonight, I'm going as this confident girl who wants to go to this party and enjoy it.

I am not going as the girl who wishes to escape her horrible family.

I'm the most confident when I can think of myself as someone else; someone with a different past and a different perspective on life. 

"Lexi! Maddy's here!" Tanya pulls me out of my monologue.

I hurry down the stairs, lock my door and get into the backseat of Maddy's SUV.

"Girl, you look gorgeous!" Maddy exclaims.

I blush heavily and try not to tear up. I'm wearing contacts and my eyes are already itchy enough. 

For as long as I can remember, Tanya and Madeline have been with me. We live near each other in the same neighborhood and we started by playing tea-time together. Then when my parents fought too much and bruises started appearing on my arms and legs, Maddy's parents invited me to study in their house along with Tanya in fourth grade. I didn't understand it then, but it was their own way of saving me from harm. 

My father is the secretary to the Governor of our town and my mother works for the real estate department in the city center. They met at work and then dated for six months. When my mother got pregnant with me, my father decided it was the honorable thing to marry my mother and take responsibility.

Honor.

What a joke. 

They were a lovely couple in the beginning. It was all sunshine and rainbows when I was a baby. But the fact that both of them had horrible personalities didn't stay hidden for too long. 

One day, when I came home from preschool, I found my mother laying by the foyer, panting. She had blood on her arms from a huge gash of wounds. I ran to my father to get help, only to find that he was also bleeding from his forehead. It was a chaotic situation; they had both raised their fists and gotten hurt. If I didn't run out of the house, scared out of my wits, I would've gotten hurt too. 

This continued for quite some time.

But no one was brave enough to raise any objection against my father or mother because of their prestigious designations at the workplace.

Prestigious careers, huh? It's all bullshit. They can't even spare a moment of peace without clawing at each other like animals. I don't give a damn about how much they make; they are the worst of scums.

That's how I ended up spending most of my time with Madeline and Tanya. I still do. 

"You feel nervous, Lexi?" Maddy inquires.

I looked up at her, she looked flawless wearing a sequin dress. I always thought Maddy was the most beautiful of us three; but Tanya would never agree.

I give her a nervous laugh, "I'm just a bit jumpy, I guess. I'll be fine." I assure her. 

I look out the window and see the lights on the houses. Despite my horrible home-life, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the neighborhood where I lived. The street is so peaceful, with beautiful duplex homes and front yards; often decorated with flower gardens, no doubt, courtesy of the woman of the house.

I don't think my mother has ever touched grass in her life. 

Afternoons were and still are my favorite; something about the sky just hits different around afternoons. I know that people prefer sunsets and the drastic change of colors in the sky; but I love that I can't tell when one shade of blue ends and the other begins in the bright lit afternoon sky. I'm so obsessed with this view that even my favorite color is a shade I see every single day in this sky.

Aquamarine.

Oh, and my new favorite color, grey.

Goodness, jerks like these don't deserve those absolutely hypnotic eyes.

I'm doing this again.

Ever since I had that electrifying encounter with Aaron in the café two weeks ago, I refused to think about the incident or him at all. But all my brain cells decided otherwise.

I tried to avoid looking at anything grey or black to help myself not get lost in the thoughts of him; but I've come to the realization that pretty much everything around me has that color.

Kitchen countertop marbles are tinted grey, my father's car has black tires- every car in the neighborhood has black tires; even the damn pavements are grey.

I think I've chosen an unavoidable enemy. 

As per Tanya's bone-chilling warning, I decided to apologize to Aaron. I even prepared a note and was ready to fetch his laundry and clean his boots for him if he was not budging.

The problem was, I couldn't get a hold of him anywhere at school.

I knew it would be tough to meet him, considering he moves in another dimension of population; but for the past two weeks, I couldn't see him anywhere.

Almost as if he were deliberately hiding from me.

I dismissed this thought and turned the whole school upside down, searching for him.

Football field, gym room, the auditorium, lecture halls- heck, I even peeked inside the boys' shower room, looking for him. But there were literally no traces of him anywhere.

It was like he vanished in thin air.

As Tanya kept pestering me, I lied to her. Tanya now knows that Aaron took the apology like a gentleman and swore never to comment on her and Sebastian's relationship ever again. 

But the reality was far from it.

Yesterday, after the bell rang and I was packing my bag to go home, I gave up on the idea of apologizing to him; the party was tomorrow and I had no access to him outside of school. Unless I stalked him and found his address- which I had no intention of doing- I was out of time. 

If he gets cocky with me and demands an explanation- or worse, causes a scene at the party, I would calmly explain that his stupid ass couldn't be found anywhere; hence, I failed to apologize earlier.

Then, if he demanded a public apology, I wouldn't waste a second spewing out the memorized speech I had readied for him. Perks of being a bookworm.

Can't lose self-respect if you don't have any. And it was better to be humiliated than to be annihilated. 

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice the bulk of a human standing in front of my desk. He tapped three times to get my attention.

It was none other than Aaron.

He had a shit-eating grin on his face, making him even more handsome.

"I enjoyed the cat and mouse chase." He spoke nonchalantly.

Chase?

He grabbed a chair from the desk beside me and spun it around. He sat down in front of me and our eyes met.

"I couldn't possibly give up the chance to see you follow me around everywhere. It was downright adorable." He cups his face and looks at me expectantly.

Your face right now is the definition of adorable. If your personality didn't suck this much, we'd be kissing right now.

Damn your hormones, Alex. This man is trying to humiliate you.

"I was trying to say sorry for acting out." I try to bring out a formal tone in this conversation.

"I know."

You knew?

"But you didn't let me?" My heart leaped. Maybe he doesn't hold a grudge and I don't need to apologize. Maybe he's nicer than he seems.

"I'm not letting you apologize that easily." He smirks.

Scratch the good impressions.

"Why are you being this sadistic?"

His eyes shot up and he looked at me like I was the most hilarious thing he ever saw, "Sadistic? You know that word?"

Oh, nice, he's nerd-shaming me.

I changed my tone, "I literally memorize dictionaries; it wouldn't be a surprise if my vocabulary was substantially richer than yours." I had to put a stop on the ridiculousness of this conversation.

He thought about it for a minute, before saying, "I guess you're right. Knowing about something by reading it off the page of a book allows you to access more words than me. If you had to know about them while experiencing them, you'd be very much behind."

Experience.

It takes all my self-control not to blush; I can't show any signs of discomfort or uneasiness; not when he's sitting there like he eats sadistic thoughts for breakfast.

"I don't care about that," I refuse to go in-depth with that discussion; I won't be able to handle it. "Do you want me to apologize or not?"

"I want you to come up with the reason."

"What reason?"

"The reason why you lashed out at me." His gaze softens, almost as if he was pitying me.

Did he know about Tanya's fickle habits?

"I know why I did… I was…." I will try to end this.

"No, not that," he pulls his chair closer and leans in.

I can smell him; wood and leather, with undertones of car oils. Interesting combo, but not bad.

"I want you to think about your outrage and dissect why you did what you did. I need you to explain that to me thoroughly, next time we meet." He stands up and leaves.

I have never been left more confused after a conversation in my life.