0.4 | sweaty drummer

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Aria, somehow, manages to find a parking space in the city on a Friday night, that's conveniently near the bar Ashton's going to be playing at. She and Michael have around an hour and a half to kill until they are expected to go see their friend perform.

The streets are full, an abundance of teenagers, university students, and families. All these people either go out for a big night, or are heading to the movies, or eating out.

Aria is wearing the leather jacket she stole from Luke's locker, why take something if you're not going to use it? She and Michael step out of the car, then head down the street, the girl has planned for them to eat at a diner – the same diner that Ashton brought her to a few years back.

It's an affordable place, considering its location in the city, which is what makes it one of Aria's favorites. That, and both Michael and Aria love the cheese fries along with the milkshakes.

"We eat at the diner, get cheese fries, then we go to Ashton's thing?" Michael says, repeating the plan the girl explained to him in the car. "Did you bring your camera?"

Her tiny, blue children's digital camera she bought online. It has terrible quality, though nothing a quick app can't fix. Aria bought it because she thought it was cute, but her dad found it stupid since she has a camera on her phone.

"No, I left it at home." She replies, "I couldn't find the memory card, which means I can't film shit with it."

The two continue walking down the street until they come across the diner. It's a small place, a neon light hung above the door, windows that look into the colorful room – showing people sitting at the booths.

Aria walks through the open door, running into the woman who she happens to be on a first-name basis with. "Aria!" Marian smiles, "Michael! I haven't seen you guys in a while. Are you guys here to see Ashton's show?"

Marian and Ashton are family friends, she's his mother's childhood friend. When he moved into town, the older women reconnected and Ashton visited the restaurant every other day. Then, when Aria came into the picture, she dropped by with Ashton on his daily visits.

Aria likes to help out sometimes, whenever Marian is understaffed or needs prep work done. Despite not being – legally – allowed to work, due to visa status, Aria does it all for free and out of the kindness of her heart... that and she can eat as much as she wants without charge.

"Yeah, we are." Aria says, following the woman up the stairs to the upper level of the diner. "Are you going to watch him too?"

"I can't," Marian sighs. "I'm too busy running this place, if I leave it'll burn down." She jokes, resting her arm on an empty booth as Michael slides in. "You guys want your usual? Cheese fries and milkshakes."

"You know it!" Michael gleams, happy that someone's – Aria and Ashton's – connections have got him out of the stress and waiting of ordering. He can walk in with the girl and have an order already memorized by Marian or any of the regular staff.

It's the best life.

"I'll get Henry to send it up to you when we're done," the woman says, leaving the two alone in the booth.

The diner is busier than usual, to be fair it's a Friday night, and it's become a hotspot for high schoolers and university students that pass by. It feels like their little space has been invaded, but no one else has the delight of favoritism like Michael and Aria do.

These people have watched Michael and Aria grow up, go through their adolescent years since they were fourteen. Their reactions to when Michael first dyed his hair, and when Aria cut hers off. When Michael got his eyebrow pierced, even when Aria filed down her nails. Marian was there for all of it.

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