All Along

chapter 13

I got up from the table and walked towards the corridor.
"Umm hi." Aiden sounded nervous.
"Hi."
"Jennifer gave me your number."
"Yeah she told me."
"We have met before."
"Yes when you pretended to be a waiter."
He chuckled.
"You were so beautiful, I had to talk to you."
"So you use these tricks to talk to girls?"
"Not all girls, only beautiful ones. Well to be honest I used this trick just once."
"Oh."
"Will you.. Umm.. will you like to go out with me?"
"Umm.. You can hang out with us."
"Oh. I thought may be we two could hang out."
"Can I call you later? My class is starting in five minutes." I didn't know what else to say.
"Yeah sure. No problem. I will be waiting."
"Okay then. Take care."
"You too. Bye."
"Bye."
I walked towards the class. I didn't know what to do. Should I go out with him or not? I was confused.
"So what did he say?" Jen was waiting outside with Sam and others.
"He asked me to go out with him." Aaron looked at me.
"What did you say?" Aaron asked before Jen could ask me.
"I didn't know what to say." Then I told them the whole conversation.
"What do you want to do?" Jen asked. "You should say yes. He is so hot."
"Your boyfriend is standing right here." Sam said pointing to himself.
"I think you should meet him. He is extremely good looking." Irelene said with a smile. Chaz cleared his throat.
"No you should not." Aaron said looking me straight in the eye. My heart started skipped a beat when I looked in his brown eyes. His eyes were filled with concern and warmth
and something else that I couldn't make out.
"What? Why?" Irelene asked. Irelene and Aaron don't talk much to each other. They talk only when there is some need to talk.
"We should first know him. We should first know what kind of person he is."
"What are you talking about Aaron?" It was Jen who talked this time.
"What ? Am I wrong?" He said arrogantly.
"No need to be arrogant Aaron. Why are you behaving like this?" Jen said with annoyance.
"Relax you two. No need to fight over him. I have decided what I am going to do."
They all looked at me.
"I want to get a tatoo."
"What?" They said in unison.
"Since when have you decided to do this?" Jen asked.
"Since yesterday. So as I was saying, I will go to the tattoo parlor today. You guys will come with me if you want to
and then I will call Aiden there and you guys could meet him and then I will go out with him. It will be a friendly outing, nothing romantic. What do you say?"
"Good idea." Jen said and everyone except Aaron agreed with her. Aaron was silent.
"Aaron? What do you think?" I asked him.
"Fine."
I was relieved on hearing that. I had grown very attached to him and I don't want to fight with him on any matter. It hurts me.
I texted Aiden the address of the tattoo parlor and the time. He agreed to meet there.
Aaron and I was walking back home when he looked at me and said, "I am sorry."
"For what?"
"I was a jerk earlier today. I am sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry. I know you were just concerned about me."
"Yeah I was."
We dropped the subject and walked in silence.
I wore sleeveless brown top with light blue jeans and tied my hair in mermaid braid. I put on the brown boots and went to Aaron's house.
"Hi Kate."
"Hey honey. How are you?"
"Good. How are you."
"Good as always. You look beautiful."
"Thanks. Where is Aaron?"
"In his room."
"Okay." I went upstairs. I could hear the music coming from Aaron's room. I opened the door and saw Aaron coming out from the bath, wearing only his jeans and he was drying his hair with his towel. He hadn't  any shirt on him. There were few water droplets on his chest and stomach. His hair was dripping with water and he was looking sexy. My jaw dropped and I quickly looked away and blushed.
"Sorry I should have knocked." He chuckled.
"You can look now. I am wearing a shirt."
I looked at him and he was wearing fawn colored shirt. He was so good looking. My heart again skipped a beat. Something was really wrong with me.
"We should go."
"OOO... Someone is very impatient to go."
"Yes I want to get a tattoo."
"Is it just the tattoo or something or rather SOMEONE else?" He said while raising his eyebrow in a teasing manner.
"Let's just go."
We were at the door when we saw Suzy. She was coming towards the house.
"Hey Kayla." We hugged each other.
"Long time no see."
"You have gone MIA Suz."
"Sorry darling I was busy with the exams. By the way you look hot. Where are you going?"
"Thanks. I am going to get the tattoo."
"And also to meet a guy." Aaron said giving me a wink. I narrowed my eyes.
"OOO... Who is the lucky guy?"
"Aiden. I will tell you the rest later. Bye."
"Bye."
I grabbed Aaron's arm and dragged him towards the car.
"Not the car."
"Then?"
"We are taking my motorcycle."
"Cool."
We hopped on his Royal En field and rode away.
Sam and the other three were already inside the parlor when I entered with Aaron. Chaz was sitting on a chair
getting a tattoo.
"Chaz is getting a tattoo?" Aaron said in a surprising tone.  "He is afraid of the needle."
We all laughed. That is the thing about being childhood best friends, you know everything, every embarrassing and good thing, about one another.
"Shut up." Chaz said through gritted teeth. He was holding Irelene's hand. He had made a skull on his shoulder.
I was talking with Sam when the door opened and in walked Aiden. He was everything what Jen and Irelene
described. Though I had thought him hot the day I first saw him but today he was looking extremely hot.
He smiled when he saw me.
"Hi."
"Hey."
We stood there silent for a second and then Sam walked towards us.
"Hey man. Nice to meet you."
"Same here."
He greeted Jen and Irelene and then looked at Aaron.
"Hi. I think I saw you early in the morning. Aaron looked at me and then at Sam who smirked.
"Umm.. Could be. By the way I am Aaron." He shook hands with Aiden.
I introduced him to everyone.
"Have a seat." I said to Aiden. He sat besides me. Aaron was sitting opposite us. He picked up the magazine and started reading it.
"You look more beautiful today."
I blushed.
"You are blushing." I blushed even more on that.
"Yes she blushes when someone compliments her." Aaron said from behind his book. I gave him the what-are-you-doing look.
"Sorry." He said quickly and resumed reading the book.
"Do you have  any other tattoos?"
"No this is my first one."
"I have one."
"Really? What is it?"
"Here..." He lifted his sleeve and on his wrist was a goblet full of fire. "I had it made two years ago."
"It is beautiful."
"Thanks. What are you getting?"
"A bird. Actually a flying eagle."
"Cool. Where?"
"On my collarbone."
"Classic."
"Kayla?" The receptionist called me.
"Here." I answered.
"Your turn."
I walked towards the chair which was first occupied by Chaz.
"Good luck Kayla but it hurts."
"Don't make me nervous." Aaron and Aiden both came with me.
"I want a flying eagle on my collarbone."
"Okay." The tattoo artist said with a nod.
"Don't hurt her." Aaron said to him.
"I will try."
It hurt when he pierced my skin. I held Aaron's hand. The whole time Aaron held my right hand and Aiden held my left hand. At one moment I dropped Aiden's hand and held Aaron's hand with both hands. He smiled at me.
After I got the tattoo, we all moved out.
"So?"
"So."
"Are you coming with me?" Aiden asked hopefully. I looked at Aaron. He gave me a slight smile and went towards his bike.
"Yeah let's got."
I bade goodbye to my friends and went to Aiden's black Sedan. I looked back at Aaron but he had already left. My heart sank a little. I got inside the car and we left.