New Years Day

Chapter Seven: Why can't swedish fish fix my father's delulu?(Aru's pov)

Her father woke up the next day, tired and a little sane. But not drunk.

"Shit. Aru??" he called to her.

She came down. "Yeah?"

"We needed the place cleaned but I think the cleaning crew left yesterday. Could you call the place?"

"Got it covered. The photographer and I stayed back and cleaned it."

"Oh right, that kid Aiden."

She nodded, confused. That kid? What, he have a criminal record? As if on cue, a call from Brynne came in. "Gotta go!" She ran upstairs and accepted the call. "It's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me." Aru sang offkey. "Your obsession with Antihero has gotta stop." Brynne said, rolling her eyes.

"Does it though?"

"Anyways, can you come for froyo at like 1:15?"

"Yeah sure. I've got nothing else to do."

"K. It's okay if I bring a friend, right?" Brynne asked.

"Idrc. As long as it isn't a weirdo you're gonna try and set me up with."

She thought she heard Brynne mutter under her breath, "That's exactly what it is but you don't need to know that." but Aru must have been hallucinating after running on zero sleep.

"Anywayssss" Brynne said, drawing out the s, "how was your dad's shitty New Years party? Saw the photos, you looked like a literal angel or smth."

"It was okay. Boring speeches were made." Aru blushed. "I met a guy though." Brynne's eyebrows shot up, but her eyes said she already knew. Did Aru notice this while thinking about this guy though, fellow readers? Absolutely not.

"Tell me everything."

Aru told her everything that happened on New Years, grinning like a madman the whole way through.

"So, you're in love with him and you're gonna have his children."

"Maybe?"

An evil smirk grew on Brynne's face. "You shall see him again. I shall make sure of it."

"There's no way."

"Oh, but I already have."

The shock Aru felt and the realization of Brynne's diabolical plan that set in when she walked in and saw Aiden was, looking back, priceless. He clearly felt the same way, but at least she got cake batter froyo and Swedish Fish with it. She had texted Mini in a panic, so she wasn't alone.

"Castaway is a classic, you uncultured heathens." Aru said, pouting and flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Aiden shrugged. "Idk, I've just never watched it."

Aru put her hands in the air, disappointed in these fools. "What the hell Aiden? That's even worse!"

"Language Aru!" Mini had whispered loudly.

The rest of their time at the froyo shop was pretty much under the same theme of conversation, with the occasional click! of Shadowfax.

That night, Aru packed her suitcase and shoved it in with her backpack. "Come on Aru! We need to go in the next five minutes, I have office work to do for the firm."

"Then don't drop me off!" Aru retorted.

The next six to seven hours were filled with bickering and the sounds of forceful Taylor Swift in the car, the occasional Bollywood song in the mix, courtesy of her father.