The Choices We Make

Chpt. 15: A Trip Down Memory Lane

The air around us was thick and muggy, making my scarce makeup feel like atleast a hundred extra pounds layered on my face. How girls where this stuff daily I'll never know.

Grace smiles down knowingly at my bouncing knee. It was a nervous habit I'd developed a while back that I couldn't seem to shake.

"There's no need to be nervous, Alex. It's just Aaron." Grace assures me. She's right. It was just the Aaron I'd known for most of my life; so why couldn't I shake the nerves?? Alex. Get a grip. Right.

"Right." I announce out loud, talking more to myself than Grace. I stand up from the steps Grace and I were seated upon and begin to pace on the cement driveway and across the yard, trying to get my wits about myself and look atleast somewhat sane in the process.

I had somewhat dressed up today, or atleast my version of it with my decorative tank and high waisted shorts.

Jordan yawns and stretches against the pristine, mahogany summer home before rubbing her eyes gently. "Aaron has to be the only possible thing worth getting up this freaking early. Anyone else and I'd still be in bed."

Just as my jealous girlfriend senses are about to kick in at the sound of how much Jordan cares for Aaron, it cliques in my brain. Of course Aaron meant that much to Jordan. Aaron meant that much to all of us. I'd forgotten in this time of angst that before Aaron and I were an item, we were all just a group of really close friends.

"Hey. Chill." Jordan states, gripping my shoulder and stopping me mid pace.

"Right." I repeat, once again more to myself than to her. Before we were an item, we were all just a group of really close friends. I could feel my nerves slowly begin to evaporate inside me as that fact finally starts to sink in. This was Aaron! Why the heck was I even slightly nervous? "Right." I state a third time cheerily, finally believing my words. Jordan and Grave both give me the same odd smile.

"What turned your mood around so quickly?" Jordan questions as a slow smile spreads across my lips. Here I was, out front of Aaron's cabin at Home Away From Home and all I could focus on was nerves. Something was obviously wrong with this situation and I needed to turn that around fast. The excited feeling I should've been experiencing all along finally begins to replace the hoard of butterflies making a home in my stomach.

"We're about to see Aaron. For the first time in a month we're about to see that little heffer!" I say enthusiastically, not being able to help the easy grin spreading across my cheeks. Grace grins too, catching a drift of my excitement.

"Yeah. And we get to see Simone and Bridget, too." Grace adds. Jordan and my smile both falter slightly, but for two different reasons. Graces comment took away from the excitement instead of adding to it. My new feeling of dread was for obvious reasons. Sure, I was excited for Simone and Aaron, but in no way was I excited for Bridget or her goonies. The only thing that would make this better is finding out that Bridget and her Band of Bitches had decided to stay home.

Jordan's however, change in mood was at the sound of Simone. Jordan was never all that fond of Simone's personality flaws, although they were still good friends. I wasn't either, but I'd learned eventually to look past all of those things. Although Simone had her selfish moments and rude comments, underneath all of that was a great friend.

Although I'd managed to calm my jumpy nerves, my heart still sinks as the bright, shiny red convertible that I knew belonged to Bridget turns the corner and parks at the edge of the drive.

The first figure to emerge out of the sleek convertible is Maurissa Blakely, one of Bridget's loyal subjects. Maurissa is then quickly followed by Kaili Torte, Bridget's other subject. They were apparently her "Best Friends", but were treated like garbage and did all Bridget's bidding for her. If you ask me they were more like her best servants. Still, they chose to stay glued to her hip and function without a brain of their own. Or atleast if they had one, they never chose to use it. They all relied on Bridget's.