My Best Friend's Brother

Kicked Out

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’d totally survive the apocalypse longer than you.” Thomas scoffed.

“Please, you’d lose your mind if you couldn’t watch Star Wars.” laughed Scott.

The phone rang in the kitchen and Aria could hear her dad answer. A few seconds later, her dad called her out to the kitchen. Not thinking much of it she got up from her spot on the living room floor, taking the phone from her dad whose expression showed concern and worry.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Aria. Have you seen Malcolm? We got into a fight last night and he hasn’t been home since.” explained Hal.

Aria frowned, “No, I haven’t. Sorry, but I can keep an eye out for him.” 

“Okay, hun, let me know if you hear anything.” Hal sighed, “Bye.”

“I will. Bye.” Aria stood there for a moment staring down at the phone. 

Ever since Lois had gone to stay at her sister’s, the boys had almost free reign over the house. Aria knew that Malcolm hadn’t stopped seeing Nikki like his parents demanded, that’s probably where he was staying. Almost every one of the Wilkerson boys were kicked out for the night at one point, usually they would just come over to Aria’s house.

Why didn’t Malcolm come over to her place?

She decided she was going to ask him herself and put the phone on the receiver before snatching her jacket from the back of a kitchen chair. She was making her way to the door when her dad called out to her, “Where are you going?”

“I’ve got to check on something but I’ll be back soon. I love you!”

“Okay, I love you too!”

As Aria made her way to Nikki’s house she thought she saw Hal chasing a kid as he ripped down posters from many posts. She shook it off that it was someone that just looked like him, she hoped, and ran her fingers through her hair as she walked across the other girl’s porch.

Knocking on the door she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. Nikki’s dad opened the door and Aria quickly understood why Malcolm was afraid of him. He was tall, muscular, bald and if she remembered correctly, Nikki mentioned once how her dad used to be in the military.

“Can I help you?” He asks.

“Uh, hi, I’m Aria, a friend of Nikki’s,” stammered the young blonde, “she and I were supposed to hangout today.”

“She’s in her room. It's up the stairs and the last door on the right.” The man instructed as he stepped aside and gestured to the stairs.

“Thank you.”

Aria walked up the stairs and gently knocked on Nikki’s door.

“Dad, I told –” Nikki paused when she realized that it was Aria standing at her door, “oh, sorry I thought you were my dad. Come in.”

“Hey, sorry to just show up.”

“Don’t worry about it. What’s up?”

Aria sighed, “I know that Malcolm was kicked out and since he didn’t come to mine, I was wondering if he came here instead.”

Nikki pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded, “Yeah, I was actually just about to bring him some food.”

Nikki climbed onto her bed and pulled down a ladder, she grabbed a sandwich and gestured for Aria to follow her. Climbing up the steps behind Nikki she could faintly hear pacing in the attic.