Close Behind || Aaron Minyard

12

The rest of the boys find Naomi sitting outside the Tower. She's in the grass right in front of Andrew's car just glaring at his license plate. No one asks her where she's been, or why she's there.

She gets up and follows Aaron to sit in the back seat, he takes one window and she slides in beside him, as close as she can be to make room for Neil and Nicky when they show the fuck up. Kevin gets into the front seat, the day Naomi sees that seat is when hell freezes over. She scoffs at the thought.

Aaron looks over at her from where he'd been brooding and looking out the window like a sullen boy. His eyes drag over her face. "You guys speaks French and sign language."

"Yes," Naomi answers. It's not a question, he doesn't seem to ask her questions. "Neil isn't that good at either of them."

From the front seat, Kevin snickers a little. Aaron just squints at her and nods a little. His eyes go over her face again, gagging something. "Are you cleared?"

"Don't lie about your injury," Kevin says suddenly, he turns from the front seat to look at her deadly serious. "I'll send you to Abby."

Naomi groans and shoves his face away, Kevin goes without much help and flops back into his seat. She looks at Aaron again and nods a little. "Abby says I'm only allowed to do morning practice for the first week, though."

"After what you did to your hand?" Aaron says with a laugh. "That's lucky."

"Stop going all med student on me," Naomi snaps miserably.

Why she associated herself with an Exy obsessed giant and a tiny med student is beyond her. And, Kevin's fucking irish. Her mother would be so disappointed.

The thought makes her stiffen a little and she turns away from Aaron to look out the front window stiffly. Her mother would be disappointed about more than just who her friends are. She'd be disappointed that she has friends, or people who might be someday, because those aren't allowed. Neil is her friend. That's the friend she's allowed, her brother. She doesn't need anything else. Family above all.

She zones out thinking of it all until the car door opens, she hadn't even noticed Nicky and Neil walk to the car. Neil gets in beside her and pushes himself in far enough that it looks like he's trying to run away from Andrew.

As soon as the door shuts, Nicky pulls out of the parking spot like a mad man. Naomi takes the drive, in theory, to decide who is the worse driver between Nicky and Andrew.

"After everything we've done for you, you start a fight with us. For shame, Neil," Andrew muses like he's truly upset. "Naomi didn't start one. Follow her lead."

"The fight started months ago," Neil says, instead. "If you want it to stop, leave me alone."

"Neil," Naomi mutters darkly to him.

"I like fighting," Andrew says happily. "It's just a bother when Wymack and Abby and the other busybodies start getting involved."

"Stay out of my things."

"How do you know it was us, anyway? Maybe it was Matt. Innocent until proven guilty fails on the Exy court."

"You're literally a criminal justice major," Naomi mutters.

"You haven't denied it yet," Neil points out.

"You wouldn't believe me if I did," Andrew quips back.

"I don't believe anything you say," Neil says sharply. Naomi elbows him as subtly as she can, he needs to shut the hell up sometimes.

"Believe this, Neil; you can't put a leash on me, don't think you can, okay? And don't be stupid enough to tell other people you will. It's not safe. You'll make me want to break you."