The Art of Stealing Hearts (On Hold)

9. The one with splattering milk

~|Chapter 9|~
•The one with splattering milk•

"You look like hell."

Personally I felt like hell, sleep deprived hell, that is. I had thought that the party would take my mind off things. And it did. But it also managed to irritate the shit out of me. All because of one person. I did not go there just so I could be offered to become someone's girlfriend and be kissed for some stupid plan to make somebody else jealous.

Last night, after Tyler made a fool of himself, I dragged Aaron back home. He didn't say anything much, and I was glad. All I wanted was to be left alone to my thoughts.

So when I walked into the kitchen this morning, I found Aaron and Jake there. Aaron was the one who made the observation about my crappy appearance and I didn't mind, because I knew what he was saying was true.

"What are you guys doing up so early?" I asked sitting down on one of the three chairs around the small table stuffed into the kitchen.

"Looking for something to eat," Jake replied. "By the way, how was the party? Was it everything I dreamed of?"

I shared an amused glance with Aaron. "How did you dream it was going to be?"

Before Jake could reply, Chase walked in, humming to himself. He looked surprised to see the three of us gathered in the kitchen. "Hey guys," he muttered and went back to whistling, pulling open the refrigerator in search of something.

"You look happy," Aaron commented. "What happened?"

"I got engaged yesterday," Chase said.

Jake, who had been drinking milk directly from the carton, choked, sending milk splattering down his mouth and chest. "Fuck it," he cursed. "I'll have to take a bath now."

"You mean the one you weren't going to take before?" Aaron teased. "But, seriously Chase, does mom know? Wait, who did you propose to? You didn't even have a girlfriend."

"And now I have a fiancé," Chase said happily.

"You what?" Tyler's voice snapped and he came into view, wearing boxers and a wife beater.

I didn't know Chase that well, but the looks his brothers were giving him told me that Chase wasn't the brother who had had many girlfriends in the past.

"When do we get to meet the unlucky girl?" Aaron asked.

"I don't know. Maybe after I tell mom, maybe not even then. It all depends on how you are behaving," Chase tried to ruffle Aaron's hair, who moved away hastily.

"At least tell us her name," Jake said, wiping his shirt.

"Did you puke on yourself?" Tyler enquired, staring at the milk stain on Jake's shirt. "It's not a very healthy habit, Jake. I thought you had gotten rid of it."

Jake turned crimson. "I did not puke! I was drinking my milk when Chase told me about getting engaged and I choked."

"Well, I hate to break this early morning gathering, but I have to go and meet Mar-my fiancé." He waltzed out of the kitchen, whistling again.