pretty in pink|| l.h.

05.

that was, of course, until they saw duckie sitting at one of the tables with michael. the two were chatting over drinks that only michael was brave enough to buy, and duckie seemed euphoric. he seemed to have forgotten about what had happened earlier in the day, but that was good for aria. she couldn't find it in herself to believe what duckie had said earlier, even if he could have been right. 

she pulled luke into the club by his hand, and he looked around nervously. he didn't like this sort of scene. he was much more comfortable with his high school friends, where he always had the upper hand. michael intimidated him. calum clearly didn't like him. he felt as if aria was taking him here as a test to make sure that he was good enough to go on another date with her. he definitely liked aria, but he wasn't sure how everything would work out between them if her friends kept on trying to keep him away.

duckie finally spotted aria, and he smiled, half-drunk. "well, look who the cat dragged in." aria smiled sourly to her best friend, and luke offered a shy wave to michael. michael ignored it. "fancy seeing pretty boy here, huh? i figured you'd be off with your boy-toy ashton by now, huh?"

"duckie, shut up!" aria hissed, and luke turned red. 

"what? he's obviously got all of his football cronies on leashes. it's why most of them won't admit they're gay."

"calum, stop it." aria hardly ever called duckie calum, only when she was truly mad at him. luke seemed uncomfortable, and aria could tell by the way he was standing. he was almost behind aria. calum reveled in this, and a laugh escaped his lips. michael sat quietly as calum went off the wall, and he looked at aria with wide eyes. neither he nor aria had any clue how to get calum to stop.

"i'm just saying, football players are usually homophobic. it's a cliche, but it's probably true. i can tell with this one." calum jabbed a finger at luke, almost touching his stomach, but luke stepped back. 

"would you like to leave, luke?" aria looked at luke. his eyes looked fearful. 

"very much so, yes." aria nodded, and gave michael an apologetic look before taking luke's hand once more. 

"grow up calum!" she called as the two of them exited the club. calum looked at michael, and at his drink, and back at michael.

"fuck it," he whispered, and when aria looked back at the table, calum was kissing michael. she turned away, and opened the door.

"sorry this date was such a failure." luke stuck his hands in his pockets, and aria turned back to him, tucking a fuchsia lock of hair behind her ear. she shook her head.

"oh, no-- it was totally not your fault. i'm sorry duckie is such a dick. he gets that way, sometimes."

"he must really be in love with you, huh?" luke laughed a little bit, and aria furrowed her eyebrows.

"wait, what?" luke thought she knew about it, and looked at the club, where he was sure calum was crying over his drinks.

"you didn't--? uh, anyway, can i make this date up to you?" he asked, kicking a rock to the side of the sidewalk.

"that depends, what were you thinking?" aria looked at luke. he had a great face, she noticed. of course he did. that was the reason all of the girls at school were basically in love with him. that, and the fact that he was a star athlete. she hated to be so stereotypical, like they were in a john hughes movie, but it was true.

"i don't know, prom?"