Keeping Us Apart

The Weigh Down (15)

The rest of the week soars by, and before any of us know it, we are set to be leaving tomorrow. I'd spent the last few days mostly getting stoned with Ahren and Joel, packing, and texting my best friend Ari. Joel's spent his time packing, panicking, then smoking. And repeat. So far he's bringing even more stuff than me. Ahren has been the most relaxed out of us all so far. I don't think he's even packed yet. He's such a procrastinator, I swear.

My phone buzzes just  as I'm in the middle of sprinkling seasoning over the chicken in the pan, and I read the text with one hand while the other finishes with dinner.

Ari: Bad news! :(

Me: What's up?

Ari: I just went to buy two tickets for Amity and they're all sold out! D:

Me: You waited until two days before the concert to get the tickets?

Ari: I had to, I didn't get paid until today. I'm bummed. I miss you :(

Me: Me too. Let me see if I can figure something out

Ari: You're the best.

Me: I know :P

Once I hit send I slip my phone back into my pocket and focus on flipping the chicken. Just as I've gotten it safely over, the front door swings open and my brother steps through.

"Hey Joel," I call out to him. I walk over, letting the food cook, and greet him with a smile.

"What's up, sis?" Joel hangs his bag on a hook and returns my smile. "Something smells good."

"Thanks, I'm just making chicken for dinner. It's the last meal we'll have at home for a while so I figured why not? I'm also roasting potatoes and there will be a fresh salad too."

"You spoil me," Joel grins, kicking his shoes off so that they can join the pile near the door. "Need any help?"

I shake my head and open the oven door to peek at the potatoes. "No, I'm good. It's almost done. Thank you though." As I speak, I shut the oven and open the fridge, pulling out fresh greens and mixed veggies. "Do you want bell pepper or broccoli?" I ask.

"Both," Ahren says as he bursts suddenly through the door, his hair ruffled and a wild look about him.

"What happened to you, mate?" Joel asks, his eyes a bit wide.

"I just got chased down the street by some fans, they were demanding to know who I'm dating. I kept saying nobody, but they wouldn't listen," Ahren says, breathless. "Apparently there's some rumor going around, but I haven't seen anything online yet."

"Good lord." Joel just shakes his head.

"Even worse than the time they nearly cornered us in the parking lot of the mall?" I chime in, looking at Ahren curiously. That time had been pretty bad, and I remember Ahren being pretty flustered.

Ahren shakes his head. "Not like that, but close. I had to loop around the block and duck over a fence just so that I could sneak into the apartment building. I don't want them knowing where we live."

"Next time, just put a bag over your head," Joel says with a grin.

"What, and cover this adorable face?" Ahren says cheekily. Joel just rolls his eyes.

While they're bickering, I chop up the veggies and put together the salad. The oven's timer goes off and I slip on a pair of oven mitts before pulling the potatoes out of the oven.

"Need any help?" Ahren grins at me and before I can answer, opens the cupboards and begins to set the table. Joel joins in and begins placing the dishes of food down, adding serving utensils to them.