Ardent

Chapter Two

"I know but honestly she's got the biggest heart-" Sebastian interrupts him.

"Whoa, whoa dude. Don't get sensitive on us. Who wants a nice heart when you can have nice tits?" This stumps Isaac. He lies on my floor, stares up at the ceiling, and juts his bottom lip out. He becomes so still that I start to think he's taking Sebastian's fully flawed and flimsy advice into account. I can't help but to disagree with Sebastian like I always seem to do, especially when it involves the way he treats girls. If I ever voiced my opinion, surely something negative would go down.

I glance between the two, carefully strumming my guitar while evaluating the situation. I think over possible replies in order to completely avoid ignorant conflict, and end up choosing the most safest pathway.

"I think..." I strum for effect. "...that we should order pizza." Isaac and Sebastian look over, awestruck.

"Maybe," mutters Isaac.

"Think about it." I set my guitar down on the stand. "The three of us, a large pineapple pizza, and The Goonies." The light that ignites in the eyes of my friends makes me grin.

With that, we head downstairs. I order pizza while Sebastian and Isaac settle on the U-shaped couch.

"What are you guys doing?" Sienna says. I look up to see a scowl on her face. The microwave beeps.

"We're going to watch The Goonies," I say after I realize everyone is looking at me now, expectantly.

"Oh, are you?" The tone of her voice was unpleasant. The doorbell rings. "Nova is spending the night because she wants to watch The Shining." The doorbell rings.

"We're going to watch The Goonies." I repeat. Sienna had a twist in her sweet persona and it's as devilish as anyone could guess. The front door swings open.

"I could literally see each and every one of you right through the window. Just because you stand still doesn't mean I can't see you." It's Nova and her hair is sticking to her face from the cold rain. She's a beaut.

"We're watching The-" Sienna cuts me off with an animalistic growl.

"I'm going to shove your head up Sebastian's ass. And Nova, you were barely out there for a minute." Nova looks at me, offended and pouting.

"Are we going to watch The Shining?"

"No, we're watching The Goonies." Nova considers this.

"Okay." I smile at Nova. The door rings again and she quickly turns to open it.

"Nov, money." I quickly dig inside my pocket for the twenty dollar bill. I hurry over to Nova who is staring at the pizza delivery guy with a small smile on her face, fingernail tapping against the brass doorknob. I hand the driver the money and cover Nova's hand simultaneously.

My hand starts to burn from where I touched Nova. I quickly, gently, give her abdomen a shove backwards in order to grasp onto the pizza box. Nova huffs and I huff back at her.

"Thanks, man. Keep the change." The guy, short and buff, gives a stern nod and turns. Nova uses her foot to shut the door.

"What kind?"

"Pineapple." She begins to whine but I kick the back of her knees and she collapses. "You'll eat whatever I give you, Nova." Isaac, or maybe it was Sebastian, takes the pizza from me.

"Niall," Nova whines. She rubs her knees before standing up. My legs go mushy when she gives me the sad puppy eyes.

"Nov, we have pizza rolls in the freezer," Sienna says. Thank God, I wouldn't have lasted another minute in the ring with Nova. She's my weakness.

###

Sebastian left during the middle of the movie and Sienna fell asleep on Isaac's shoulder. Isaac looks pretty wrecked himself to care that his shoulder is being intruded by someone he thought rules Hell herself.

Nova is next to me. Her feet are several inches away from my thigh but she is next to me.

"Should we call it a night or watch another movie?" I break the silence. Nova looks at me, startled as if she didn't known I was there. I feel my face forming some sort of ghost smile.

"Calling it a night sounds darling." A real smile forms.

"It sounds darling?"

"It sounds darling." She lets out a yawn, blinks, and then lets out another.

"Come here," I say, spreading my arms slightly enough there was barely any movement. Nova looks at me. "C'mere. I have a secret." There is no such thing. Nova, I'm sure, knew this but she crawls over slowly with her eyes getting dewy and pink with fatigue. She stops right next to me and leans her head on my shoulder. "Wanna sleep down here or steal Sienna's bed?" With the mention of her, both of us bring our attention to the sound asleep Sienna and Isaac.

"Here," she says. I pull a blanket off of the floor and throw it over her.

"Are you going to be cold down here?"

"No, you're warm." Silence sweeps over without hesitation. "I want to cuddle up with Sienna and Isaac." She gets on the floor and crawls over the Sienna, then promptly resting her head against Isaac's legs using a pillow. She curls into fetal position. I follow her with the blanket. "Me. Me, me, with me." Instead of rolling my eyes, I slide slightly under her, taking over the pillow. She turns the other way, facing me, and uses the curve of my neck and shoulder as a pillow instead

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh."

"I bet we look weird."

"I bet we look comfy."

would ya take a look at that! call it a miracle. (this is a weird lil book)