Summer Fondness

3 | Movies with Men

•Aria Summers•

•Unedited•

"So I was hoping we could catch a movie later today," Levi said as he drummed his fingers against the countertop.

Aria sighed and she dried some plates. "Sorry, I really wish I could. But Oliver and I are going out tonight."

"Oh, that's okay. I guess I'll just ask Linc."

She nodded and set the clean dishes aside. "We can always have a movie night tomorrow. You can sleep over."

"Okay." Levi flashed her a toothy grin and she couldn't help but smile back.

If there was one thing that cheered Aria up, it was Levi's adorable smile.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and Aria looked quizzically at the door.

"I wonder if I ordered something and forgot about it," she said.

"Hey," Oliver said as she opened the door.

"Ollie! I thought you were going to pick me up later. I'm not ready yet, but come in."

Oliver stepped inside and pulled Aria into his arms.

She beamed as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I was just going to bring you these. Our date is later tonight, I didn't forget," he said as he handed Aria a plate wrapped in aluminum foil.

"Oh my gosh, what is it?" she practically yelled in excitement.

Aria bounced over to the kitchen island where Levi was busy shooting pointed glares at Oliver.

She set the plate down and gingerly took off the wrapping.

"How did you know how much I love lemon bars?" Aria exclaimed.

"Definitely not because my mom told me," Oliver said as he scratched the back of his neck and blushed a deep shade of red.

"Well, tell your mom I said thank you," she said and hugged him, "and thank you, too. You're the sweetest person ever."

Aria felt Levi's gaze burning into the back of her head as she pecked Oliver on the lips.

"I'll pick you up later, Aria."

"See you, Ollie."

As Ollie left and shut the door quietly behind him, Aria spun on her heel.

"What is your problem? I don't understand what you don't like about him. It's already been two weeks since we started dating. You didn't even acknowledge him," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Maybe you need glasses, Miss Perfect Vision. He clearly didn't acknowledge me either. Why don't you go lecture your boyfriend about it instead of me?" Levi spat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You know I hate fighting with you, Levi. But I just want the two boys in my life to get along," Aria sighed as she rubbed her face.

"Men."

"Excuse me?" she asked in confusion.

"We're men, not boys."

"Well, at least one of you is," Aria grumbled under her breath.

"Wow, I didn't expect for you to think I'm more of a man than your boyfriend," Levi said as he puffed out his chest and put his hands on his hips.

"Wow, you got something right for once."

Aria screeched as Levi reached for her and she ran off with her best friend following closely behind.

--

"Don't you dare burn the popcorn," Levi threatened as Aria carefully removed the hot package from the microwave.

"I didn't. Calm down, Popcorn Police," Aria replied as she rolled her eyes. "Speaking of popcorn, can you please explain why there was popcorn thrown at me every time I even tried kissing Oliver last night?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was someone that just hates Oliver's guts. It might take a while to find the culprit since there are so many suspects," Levi answered, feigning innocence.

The night before when Aria and Oliver had gone on their date, Levi and Linc had happened to attend the same movie.

"It's okay, I guess. But I would hate for something to happen to our nice movie night," Aria shrugged. "Maybe I could just invite Oliver over and we could make up for last night."

"Please don't. I'm really sorry, Aria," Levi pleaded and clasped his hands together dramatically. "I promise I won't do it again."

"Fine. You're forgiven," she sighed as she pushed the hair out of her face. "But you should stop making that face if you want people to believe you're a man and not a child."

Levi's face immediately went from ugly pouting to a hideous frown.

"Now I get to choose the movie," he huffed.

Aria crossed her arms in defiance but she did nothing when he took the remote to the television.

It was several hours before the credits to the movie began rolling and by that time, Levi was passed out cold on Aria's shoulder.

She gently took his head off her shoulder and let him spread out on the couch before she grabbed her purse and keys.

"Night, Levi," she whispered and kissed him on the forehead.

Then Aria slipped out of the front door and into her car.

The entire drive was spent with fingers drumming on the steering wheel impatiently.

An hour before the movie had finished she has received a message from Ollie telling her to meet him at the diner that was open twenty-four hours.

There were only a few cars in the parking lot but Aria could see Oliver talking to people through the window.

Their heads all turned to her the moment she walked through the door.

"Hi, you must be Aria. We've heard a lot about you," said the blonde girl that sat across from Oliver.

The raven-haired girl smiled brightly and moved over so Aria could sit down.

"Oh, if it's okay I'd like to sit next to Oliv-"

"I didn't know what to get your girlfriend, Oliver," said the burly boy that rudely pushed past Aria and slid into the booth next to her boyfriend, cutting off her sentence in the process.

The girl with the black hair smiled knowingly and patted the spot next to her.

"Hey, Aria. I thought it was time that you met my friends. This is Marshal, Willow," he said pointing to the boy next to him who gave her a sheepish grin, then the blonde, then finally the dark-haired girl, "and Luna."

Luna, who was sitting next to her, slung her arm around her shoulder.

"We've all been waiting to meet you. Although I am sorry you had to meet Marshal that way," she chuckled.

"I've seen you guys around school. Why didn't you just walk up to me and talk to me?" Aria asked.

"Well, Ollie here said he wanted us to wait and meet you all at once," Willow said, rolling her eyes.

"It really is nice to meet you all, but I really should get going," Aria said regretfully. "My best friend is sleeping over and if he woke up with me gone, he would never forgive me."

"Come on, Aria. Just stay a bit longer," Luna said, pulling on her sleeve when she was about to get up.

"Okay. I suppose it wouldn't hurt too much."