Close Behind || Aaron Minyard

30

In Naomi's binder she held the contacts to everyone who could make them a fake anything, a few hundred thousand dollars and half the ciphers to get to about 25 million dollars where they were scattered around the country. It was the majority of their money left but it wasn't enough if you asked the Jostens twins.

For their entire lives it had been enough to dye their hair and change their accents. It worked because only a few people were actually in the know of who they were looking for.

The problem was. Riko Moriyama knew who he was looking for and with his connections that number would probably increases each day if he decided he wanted Neil dead. Naomi couldn't, wouldn't, let that sort of thing happen. She was desperate enough to contemplate the validity of burning the pads of their fingers to remove fingerprints.

She and Neil had been making sure to not use more than the allotted spending money they had put aside before the semester started, they had conversations all the time to slowly plan their escape.

Then a problem arose.

The fall banquet was coming up and while Naomi had been told by Allison that she wouldn't even be looking at her dress until the night of, Neil needed clothes. He needed clothes and those would be expensive. He didn't have an heiress sugar mommy to buy him fancy outfits.

Well.

She was riding back with the cousins and Kevin after practice, the four of them shoved in the back seat like usual with Naomi balancing between Neil and Aaron's laps. They didn't head to the Tower.

It was news to her when they pulled into what looked like a mall but wasn't that big. She ignored the boys as they walked in because they were being loud and annoying and Naomi had been sitting in a constant state of panic for too long.

"You have to try something on," Nicky tells Neil.

"I didn't try my dress," Naomi shrugs.

"I could just not go," Neil tells them easily. Trying to dig his way out. If Naomi was going, Neil was going.

"Shut up, you're both going," Kevin glares at them. Like the hypocrite he is, he'll have to face the Ravens after all. "The other teams want a look at you."

"I don't care," Neil tells him. "The only place they matter is on the court."

"Loser," Naomi mutters before wandering away.

She entertained herself by walking over to a circle display of dress shirts that were all a hideous plum color. Maybe she should suggest one to Kevin.

It was honestly more entertaining to look through clothes than listen to them trying to set Neil up with a date. They had Aaron and his lists of Vixens because Dan told him to.

None of them asked Naomi but she already had a date for her brother in the form of Katelyn. If he brought Aaron's girlfriend and she went with Aaron then there was a reason for them to be around each other all night.

It was genius, really, but everyone usually ignored her behind the scenes master of manipulation things. Naomi worked best without people interrupting her ministrations.

She grabs a navy blue shirt off a rack that looks about Neils size and wanders on her way back over, but her eyes catch on the boys talking so she makes her way back quicker than before.

"I'm not taking anyone," Neil snaps. "I don't even want to go to this."

"Do you have idea how pathetic it is to show up to this thing stag?" Nicky asks with a laugh.

"Good thing he won't be," Naomi says easily.

The boys all stop to look at her but she just goes over to Andrew and shoves the shirt she found into his hands for his assessment. Naomi knows better than to not ask him.