August

005. THE HORSE

AARON'S head pounded as he leaned his chin into the palms of his hands, staring at the blonde in front of him with bright and eager eyes. Except, it wasn't the blonde he wanted to be seated in front of. He rolled the paper casing from his straw into a tight tube and placed it into his mouth, lazily spitting it across the table but accidentally letting it hit Eleanor right in between her eyebrows.

She moaned loudly with disgust as she picked it off of her and threw it on the ground, (which later Aaron picked up) and began to lecture Aaron about how things involving spit make her stomach brew this sick kind of feeling.

"You still made out with me, earlier. That involves spit." Aaron joked with a straight face, pushing the fleshy part of her nose inward. She crossed her eyes and smiled, "That is true. I guess not all things with spit gross me out. Just most." She sipped on her lemonade carefully, keeping the straw between her top and bottom teeth with a gentle bite.

Her white teeth flashed a small smile at Aaron who mindlessly stared at the blonde girl. "So how have you been?" She asked after a few moments of staring, bringing Aaron back into the present time. "Alright. You?" He answered back and traced delicate circles in between the space where her index finger and thumb met.

"Okay, I guess. I've been spending a lot of time with Becca recently. I dunno, I just missed her." Eleanor sat upright, getting ready for her daily gossip. Eleanor and Becca Peterson, the one George had made out with at the party, were on and off friends all throughout high school. Supposedly, this week, they were friends. Aaron nodded and parted his lips and before he got the chance to speak, Eleanor continued.

"And God, Aaron. She is so obsessed with George. Isn't that funny?" Eleanor laughed to herself. Aaron felt his face get hot for a moment. "Why is that funny?" Aaron questioned and tried to keep a calm tone of voice. "Because he's George, Aaron. You have to learn how to take a joke sometimes." Eleanor laughed again, placing her head into the palm of her hand. "I can take a joke perfectly fine." Aaron shot back quickly. "Well, clearly you cant if you get offended over me laughing at George. What, are you gay for George or something?"

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Aaron's voice was loud now. He thought back to a few days prior when August had explained all of the bullying and taunting he'd dealt with after coming out, and maybe, Aaron wondered, Eleanor hadn't helped.

"What is your problem, Aaron?! Like seriously, what happened to the Aaron that could take a joke?" She asked again, tilting her head. The right side of her mouth curled up, but this time it wasn't a smile. Her nose curved as well as she stared Aaron directly in the eyes and batted her eyelashes angrily.

"Who even are you anymore?"

"I don't know." Aaron sighed. "You've been spending too much time with the wrong kind of people. I think that's what it is." Eleanor leaned across the table and tried to hold Aaron's hand, but he pulled it away and furrowed his brows. "What the hell do you mean?" He scoffed. Eleanor sighed, "Aaron, you know what I mean. People like George. August. Why don't you ever want to be around me anymore?" Eleanor spoke softly, as if to lure Aaron into a false sense of security. This was Aaron's breaking point. "I don't spend enough time with you?! Who's sitting across from you right now?!" He exclaimed and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. The sushi chef was beginning to stare. Aaron's cheeks burned pink as he held it in his lap.

"Yes, you don't. You don't think I know you've been going to August's house, Aaron?! I have friends that live in his neighborhood. I cant even deal with you, anymore. All I ask is that you stop hanging around f*ggots like George and August and Matt and Jace while we have, like, 4 weeks of school left." Eleanor hissed.