All Along

chapter 6

The whole School was busy with the preparations for the ball. We all were busy. I along with Jen and Sam were
assigned food preparations. Aaron, Chaz and Irelene were also busy with decorations. We didn't get much time
to spend with one another. We only met at cafeteria for few minutes and then back to work. Even though I was with Jen and Sam, we didn't get much time among ourselves. I haven't talked to Aaron even at home. He came home at around eight. After preparing for party at school he would go to basketball practice and he usually is tired enough that he goes directly to his room and sleeps. I haven't seen Chaz around much as well as Irelene. Chaz behaves a little differently around me since he asked me to the ball. He pretty much avoids me but Irelene is a different story. She looks at me differently even Sam
noticed that. I was thinking to ask her but didn't get the time.
Two days before the ball Aaron came to my house.
"Hi Aaron."
"Hey Kayla." He said with a smile.
"Seems like I am seeing you after ages."
"I missed you too." He said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. "What? Didn't you miss me?"
"Yes I did. I missed all of us. This week has been hectic."
He agreed.
"Oh I forgot why I came here." He said while rubbing his neck. "Amy left her phone in Kris's room."
I raised my eyebrow questioningly.
"Yeah that was pretty much my reaction too."
"Is something going on?" I asked him while walking to Kris's room. He shrugged.
"They will look good together." He nodded in agreement.
"So you must be excited." He asked raising an eyebrow.
"May be." I said blushing and looked down.
"Someone is blushing." He teased.
"Don't you have to give Amy her phone back?" I asked putting my hands on my hips. He laughed and with that he left.
It was the last day of preparation and school was extra busy. After completing the preparations we all decided to meet at Aaron's home.

Sam, Aaron, me and Jen drove in Sam's car and Chaz and Irelene in Chaz's car. Everyone except for me went into Aaron's house. I quickly went to my own home dropped my bag there and ran out to Aaron's house. Everyone were already seated when I came into the drawing room. Kate was passing them chips when she saw me.
"I was asking them about you." She said with a smile and hugged me. I hugged her back. She and my mom have become very good friends. I like her a lot.
"I dropped my bag back home and came real quick."
"Oh believe me I know. That was super quick." She said with a wink. Even she knows I am a lazy person.
I laughed. "You make yourself at home and tell me what will you like to eat?"
"Chips is good." She nodded and walked towards the kitchen. After a moment she handed me the chips.
"Where are Amy and Suzy?" I asked.
"Suzy went to her friend's home and Amy," she said with a knowing smile, "is with your brother."
"Oh." I said with a knowing smile.
"Now you young people have fun. I am going to meet Kayla's mom. Bye everyone."
"Bye." We all said together.
"So what should we do?" Sam asked.
"Let's watch a movie." Jen suggested.
"Not a bad idea." I said in agreement.
"Umm... there is something you need to know first." Chaz said after clearing his throat. We all looked at him. He then got up and so did Irelene. She smiled and nodded in agreement.
"What is it?" Sam asked looking at the two of them. Jen looked at me and then at them. Deep down I knew what was coming. My heart started beating
faster.
"We are together." Chaz said while putting his left arm around Irelene.
Everyone grew silent. I just stared at them. My heart which was beating so fast stopped all of a sudden. I felt as if someone stabbed me in heart with hot iron rod. I couldn't breathe. My eyes started to sting with tears that were fighting to come out. I tried very hard not to spill them but they came out anyway. I quickly looked down and blinked them away. When I looked up I saw Irelene staring at me. I tried to smile at her but felt as if every muscle in my face was opposing it. It hurt to smile but I did it anyway.
"Congratulations." Everyone looked at me curiously. I ignored them. I stepped forward and hugged them both. Irelene hugged me back awkwardly and so did Chaz.
"Thanks." Irelene said smiling a little. I smiled back.
"Congratulations dude." It was Aaron. He had been looking at me this whole time.
"Thanks man." Chaz answered back. Then he turned to Irelene and gave her a small hug. She smiled in return. Soon Sam and Jen congratulated them.
We all sat down again. Irelene was sitting with Chaz. He had wrapped his arm around her shoulders. I looked
away. Sam was sitting with Aaron. Me and Jen were sitting in chairs.
"You okay?" Jen whispered in my ear. I nodded and smiled reassuringly. Sam was looking at me with worried eyes. Sam is a quiet person. He is not good at expressing his feelings or comforting others but he has his own way of showing that he cares. I gave him reassuring smile and he nodded but I know he will be watching me like a protective brother. I saw Aaron looking at me from the corner of my
eye. When I looked at him he quickly looked away.
"So how long have you two been dating?" I asked with a smile. I was surprised with myself for asking this question and so were others. I think they had expected me to cry or do something stupid. Everyone including me hadn't expected that of all people I will be the one to ask this question.
"Five days." Chaz said looking at me with those piercing blue eyes that used to make my heart flutter with joy and now they seem to slice my heart. He smiled at me apologetically. I didn't like that. I don't want to be pitied and don't want anyone to feel sorry for me especially him. I don't want him to see me as weak person. As much as I wanted to cry at the moment I reminded myself that I am
strong. It was hard for me to see the one person I liked all my life with somebody else even if she is my friend. It hurts so damn much but I have to be strong I have to PRETEND to be strong. I can be weak when I will be back in my room alone but not here.
I smiled back at Chaz. He looked at me and was about to say something when Aaron spoke.
"Five days dude? Five days? And now you are telling us. I agree we were busy and they were not with us but I was there with you guys all the time. You didn't even bother telling me." He said looking very serious. Chaz was looking at him with dumbfounded expression. Sam, Jaz , Irelene and me looked from one to another.
"I am so good at acting," Aaron said to himself and Chaz jumped at him. We all laughed. I was glad Aaron did this.
It lightened the tension that was in the room.
"No seriously why didn't you tell me? And how stupid of me to not notice." Aaron said the last part to himself.
"We wanted to tell you guys but first, like Aaron said we all were busy. We could have told Aaron but we wanted to share it with everyone when we ALL were together and second," He looked at me. "I didn't know how to tell this to you." I looked down. The second part was meant for me. The tears that I had managed to hold back all this time were threatening to spill my heart out, ready to betray my heart.
"About the ball," The ball. I had forgotten about the ball. I was suppose to go with him. I know I was about to be rejected. "That day when I said I was taking you to the ball... I wasn't serious. It was a slip of tongue. I hadn't realised what I had done until Irelene told me." Chaz continued to say. Even though they were my friends but on hearing this I felt humiliated. What was I thinking? Why would he ask me to the ball. All this happiness was for nothing. I felt as if I couldn't breathe.
"Kayla I..." Chaz was interrupted by Aaron. I looked up and saw Aaron standing beside me. I looked at him. He looked at me and smiled. I was confused.
"Chaz there is something we forgot to tell you too." He said wrapping his left arm around my waist and pulled me
towards him. Chaz looked at me and then at Aaron and then at his arm that was around my waist. He looked confused so were others and so was I.
What was going on in Aaron's mind?
"What?" Chaz asked curiously.
"We forgot to tell you that I was taking her to the ball with me." My jaw dropped open. I was surprised and so were everyone else. Aaron looked at me and smiled and I gave him a questioning look. He just winked.
"We knew you were just joking when you said you were taking her to the ball. She didn't take it seriously. But we still wanted to inform you just in case you WERE serious. But I guess we were right." He said pulling me even closer. I was so close that I could hear his heartbeat. Then it dawned on me what he had just done. He had saved me from humiliation. He was being my knight in shining armor. I smiled to myself. At that very moment my heart was filled with respect and gratitude for this guy. I could never thank him enough. I was grateful to him. I decided to play along.
"Yeah he is right. I am going with him. Sorry we forgot to tell you." I said looking Chaz in the eye and smiled.
He nodded.
"When did he ask you?" Irelene asked me.
"The day after Chaz's little joke." Jen answered before I could say anything.
"Yeah and you won't believe how he asked her." Sam said smiling at me.
"How?" Irelene was curios now.
"He came to her home knocked on her bedroom door and asked her 'Will you do me the honour of going to the ball with me?' And when she said yes he went to ask her mom to get her consent." He said and winked at Aaron.
"Really?" Irelene was really surprised. "I didn't know he was such a gentleman."
"Well you know now." I said with a smile. "But scratch the last part about my mom. Sam loves to exaggerate things". Sam laughed.
I looked at Aaron and mouthed thank-you at him. He nodded with a smile.
"Now what about that movie we were going to watch?" Sam said.
"Lets watch it then."
Aaron got up and played Insurgent. I had watched it once but I wouldn't mind watching it again and again. I love Theo James and not to mention Miles Teller and Ansel Elgot. It was a complete package. I will go and make us all a popcorn. They all nodded in
agreement.
"Aaron can you show me where the popcorn is?" I knew where it was. It was in the almirah besides fridge. He knew it too but he understood that I wanted to talk to him alone.
"Yeah let me show you." He got up and walked with me to the kitchen.
I poured the Act II popcorn in cooker and put it on the gas to cook. Then I turned to Aaron. He was standing besides the counter waiting for me to say something.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. We are friends and I couldn't see you like that."
"I... I really don't know how to thank you. I can't thank you enough. What you did for me there... It... It was just great. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me." My voice was breaking at this point. He came towards me and hugged me. I hugged him back and at that point I couldn't hold the tears back any longer. They flowed like a river.
"Shhh... don't cry Kayla. " He stroked my hair and hugged me tighter. I grabbed the back of his collar and cried.
"It... h.. hurts." I said sobbing into his chest. He remained there stroking my hair and letting me cry in his chest till I was feeling better.
"What happened to the popcorn?" Sam shouted from the room.
I let him go and we moved apart. I was a mess. His shirt was stained with my tears.
"I am so sorry. I just ..." My voice was hoarse with the crying.
"It's okay. You don't have to be sorry. We are friends and my shoulder is always available for you."
"I prefer your chest." He chuckled.
"That is like my girl." I smiled at that. "Stay here I will be back." I nodded.
He took the popcorn bowl and gave it to others.
"I will be back shortly." I heard him say to the others.
"What happened to your shirt?" Chaz asked him.
"Uh that? I spilled some water on it."
Within a minute he was back. He sat on a counter and motioned me to do the same. I hopped besides him. He
held my hand and smiled. I smiled back.
"I am sorry about your shirt. It is a mess because of me."
"It's no big deal."
"I'm sorry that you had to see me crying like that. I am a mess. I don't know what got into me."
"Will you stop apologizing. You don't have to be sorry. It is natural that you cried. You were hurt and it is normal to react that way. Honestly I was worried when you were pretending to be okay back there."
"You knew I was pretending?" I asked him and he looked at me.
He looked me in the eyes and said. "Of course I knew. I know how you feel when you love someone for a long long time and he tells you that he likes
someone else. It hurts like a bitch."
I could see pain in his eyes, the same pain which I am sure was in mine. Then I remembered may be he still had feelings for Irelene.
"You must be hurt too."
"What do you mean?" He asked looking down.
"Irelene?"
He didn't respond.
"Thanks by the way. You saved me back there. I felt humiliated but you saved me from the humiliation. I don't know how to thank you."
"You shouldn't feel humiliated. What Chaz did was wrong. I mean giving you false hope for the ball. And about the second part, you can thank me." He smirked.
"How?"
He got down from the counter and looked me straight in the eyes, took his hand out and said. "Kayla Jemma
Matthews, will you do me the honour by accepting me as your date to the ball?"
I smiled and said, "Mr. Aaron Fitz Black, I accept you as my date to the ball," and with that I placed my hand in his and hugged him again.
"Wait." I moved back and he looked at me with concern.
"What happened?"
"Who were you going with before you asked me?"
"That is a mystery." He said with a wink.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Okay okay. I didn't ask anyone."
"Why? Girls would have literally died of joy if you had asked them."
"You didn't." He said with a tone that was both serious and teasing at the same time.
I rolled my eyes.
"We should go and join others now."
He held my hand and we walked into the room. Everyone looked at us when we entered. Sam and Jen were sitting
together so we sat on chairs and watched the movie.