Mine To Forget

22. Ask her already

I was leaning on my car and reading my notes for the History test when Stacy decided to sneak up on me and scare me.

"Holy mother of Jesus! Stacy! You scared the shit out of me!!" I yell at her.

She just laughed at my face. "You should have seen your face!" She continued laughing, "It was priceless!"

I just shake my head in disbelief. Alex joined us a few minutes later.

"Okay so before I forget," Stacy began and turned towards me, "With whom are you going to the fundraiser's dance?" 

"The what?" I ask, confused.

"Uhmm The Dance, April? Where in your mind have you been living? I told you about it, remember?" Stacy exclaims.

"Do you know about this?" I look at Alex as we make our way toward our class. 

He nods his head, affirming.

"I don't know and I don't think I would go anyway," I say.

"Bullshit! You are going." Stacy orders me.

"Whom are you planning to go with?" I ask Stacy.

She looks at Alex and then at me, "I don't know yet. The boy I want to go with hasn't asked me yet," she mutters sharply and then gives me a look, nodding subtly towards Alex but he was too busy and clueless.

"Whatever! I am going to my class. Meet you guys later," she says and storms off.

"What was that about?" Alex says looking at Stacy walking away in anger. I flick his forehead.

"Really?" I say looking at him, astounded. This guy is the most clueless person I have ever seen in my life. Does he not see it?

"What?" He looks at me confused.

"Alex! She wants you to ask her to the dance, you dumbass!" I exclaim at him.

"Really?" Alex says looking surprised and also happy.

"Of course! I think you should ask her," I say.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Alex asks me.

"You know you can," I said.

"I wanted to but I was scared that she would say no," Alex says as he leans in towards my ear.

My eyes light up. "Are you crazy? She would die of happiness! She is crazy about you," I said in excitement.

"She is?" Alex asks me.

I realized that I was letting Stacy's secret out but then I thought, it's for the greater good. 

"Yes! So just ask her out and no, I am not telling you anything else," I say.

Alex scoffed at me as I rolled my eyes and we both went into our classes.   

It was dark outside, a new moon night. I never liked the sky without the moon. It just felt weird. I think it's just my weird pet peeve. Walking outside, the air was cool and calm. Going further I notice a sound like someone was dribbling a ball. Who would be playing basketball at night? I go further to see the light was on in the park, on the basketball court and there was a boy playing basketball, shirtless. I look closely to see who it is and my breath got hitched in my throat, it was a shirtless Aiden playing basketball.

Oh holy Mary, Jesus. I take a step forward which alerts Aiden as he suddenly turns towards me. His eyes meet mine and I freeze on my spot. I could see a smirk playing on his lips.
"Stalking much, are we?"

"You wish," I say trying to look elsewhere distracting myself because I did not want him to see me drooling.
'Get a grip lady!'

He then started walking toward me. 
"What are you doing here anyway?" he asks me.

"Couldn't sleep, so just out for a walk, and you?"

"Same."

After a minute of complete silence and of looking around I knew we didn't have anything to say to each other. So I decided to leave. "I better be going then," I say and he nods.

I start walking when I hear Aiden call out my name. 

"April, wait," I turn around to see him running towards me and also trying to wear a t-shirt.
I look at him with raised eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"If you don't mind, can I join you?" he asks me.
I look at him, panicking inside.
What do I say? What's the word? Should I say yes? I mean I can say no but why say it?

"Yeah, sure," comes out of my mouth, more like slips out.

Five minutes into silently walking. He finally looks at me.

"So why can't you sleep?"

I turn to look at him. "I don't know, just had a weird feeling. It's hard to explain. What about you? What's up with your pretty little head?"

Before I could realize it, I see him smirking at me. "So...You think I am pretty," he says, still smirking.

Looking at him and his smirk makes me laugh.
"Get over yourself Aiden. I just said it...just like that." I look away.

I hear him laughing a little. "Yeah-Yeah... I believe ya..." he says in a very sarcastic tone.

"So tell me?" I repeat my question.

"Uhmmm...just like that," he says. I nod.

"April," Aiden turned me towards him as we stop in our path, taking me by a little surprise. He looks at me as his gaze gently lays on my face.

"Uhmm. I just wanna say that, about that night, I am sorry," he says.

"Aiden," I say, putting my hand on his arm. "You already explained it to me and it's okay. It's your past, something you have no control over now. It's all good, I promise," I say.

"And ...... hmm. Whatever happened before that?" he whispers, as he takes half a step towards me.

"I don't know what are you talking about," I mutter as my breath becomes short and the proximity between us decreases.

I know exactly what he was talking about but I was scared he might say something I didn't wanna hear. 

"Really?" he looks me in the eyes and takes another step towards me. This time my gaze doesn't leave his. 

"Are you sure because I can gladly remind you," he whispers as he put his hand on my cheek? His touch spreads like electricity making me close my eyes.

"What about it?" I mumble.

I feel him lean in a little close to my face. "Everything about it," he says.

"I...I " I wanted to say something but nothing comes out. He was too close for my mind to think anything else except the way how his lips are so close to mine. How his breath gently brushes my skin. It was like being drunk and dizzy.

"I hope you don't think it was a mistake, do you?" he asks. I could sense the worry in his voice or was it the confidence in his charm? 

"Why? Do you?" 

He looks at me in surprise a little glow in his eyes. 

He chuckles, "Not even a thought!" 

My heart immediately felt at ease. My stomach dropped and a million butterflies erupted I could feel my heart beating out of my chest.

His eyes are so.........captivating. But something pulled me back. I pulled myself out of his embrace.

"I think we should head home," I say, still feeling my heart thumping.

I think he was a little surprised but he played it cool. "Yeah, sure," he says and we walk back home.

"April?" he calls me again as we stand in front of my house.

"Yes?"

"Maybe if you can't sleep tomorrow either, you know where to find me," he says.  

"Oh, okay," I say. I knew what he meant and it made me smile and then I walked home.