Gay Guitarist

THEO'S P.O.V

Aiden walked back into the basement, where we were practicing. Well, not practicing anymore. We were all waiting for Aiden to come back. Even if it wasn't Parker on the phone, we wouldn't go any farther without Aiden. He was the leader of us, and the band was obviously his. Sure, we were IN it, but it was his at heart.

He handed the phone to me, and said, "Who wants some dinner?"

We all looked at him, blankly. He had just gotten off the phone with PARKER, and he was offering us dinner?

"C'mon. Charlie Brown's. I'll buy." He tilted his head, and gave us a winning smile.

I rolled my eyes. "As long as you pay, I'm in."

Aiden gave me a quick high five, then turned to Abigail and Oliver. "How about you two?"

Abigail looked confused. "What did Parker say---"

"Parker can be talked about over supper." Aiden said quickly, interrupting her. "How 'bout it, Abs!" He nudged her. I was impressed. Aiden could've gotten Abigail to do anything if he just flirted. His lack of whore-ness made me proud.

"Fine. I'll go."

"Great!" Aiden said, and looked to Oliver. "Wanna go? I'll buy you the nicest steak you've ever eaten!"

Oliver looked at Aiden for a moment. I followed my brother's gaze at Aiden's face. It was too... controlled. It was a perfect mask, so perfect you hardly noticed its existence. But it was there.

Apparently, Oliver couldn't read it any better then I could, because he reluctantly nodded.

"Excellent." Aiden grinned, and wiped his guitar with his towel. I think it was a Sham Wow. Which was awesome. I shrugged, and went to put my drumsticks onto the top of the kit.

"Maybe I should invite Cali." I said, considering it.

"Uhh, would she bring Melie?" Aiden froze, looking awkward.

"Probably." I said. Did he dump her already?

"Uh, not a good idea." He said. "Melie might be.. upset with me."

"Jeez Art, dump her already?" Oliver laughed, as he placed the microphone in the closet we kept it in.

Aiden shrugged. "Maybe. I wouldn't invite her. As much as I can throw money out the window at lovely steak dinners, I don't want to for girls I've known for 3 days."

"They can bring their own money!" I protested.

"I'd feel like a dickhead paying for everyone but them."

"You wouldn't be!"

"They're not coming. It's a band thing."

I huffed and I walked up the stairs to the main floor. Mom was sitting in her chair, still in her Walmart uniform with a cigarette in hand.

I coughed in exaggeration. "I told you not to smoke in the house."

"And it's my house, Thee-bear. My rules."

My face burned a little as I heard Aiden and Abigail laugh a little at the Thee-bear. "And it's my lungs. And Oliver's, too."

Mom considered that for a minute, before taking a deliberate drag on her cigarette. "You can take your lungs somewhere else, which is what I'm guessing you're doing right now?"

"Yes, we're just going to the park." Aiden said smoothly from behind me. He walked to stand beside my mom. "Ya know, fresh air."

Mom laughed. "I suppose you should." Mom stuck her cigarette in the ash tray. Stupid Aiden, and the things he did to women.

"But you should really quit." Aiden said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Smoking's bad for your health, and we don't want a beautiful women like you gone, do we?"

Mom's face flushed, and Oliver cleared his throat. Aiden smiled, then turned and left the room, heading to the front door. Abigail followed after calling goodbye to my mom, and I waved and left. Oliver always talked to mom before he went anywhere.

"Dude," I said to Aiden once we were outside. "Stop flirting with my mom. It's weird. And why are we going to the park?"

Aiden laughed, then feigned an innocent face. "Me? Flirt with someone? I'd never! And we're not going to the park. I'm not paying for your mom's damn food, too. Which I would have to do if she knew where we're going."

Abigail giggled. "You really do flirt with anything, don't you?"

Just then, Oliver left the house. "Anything with a vagina, anyway. Let's go."

We all piled into our little car, and Oliver started the ignition. I don't know why he always gets to drive. Probably because I'm not the greatest driver.

"Seriously, though, don't flirt with my mom. It's really gross." I shook my head.

Aiden thought about what he was going to say. "I, uh. I had to-- I had-- It's just I had to make sure I still could." He finished the sentence looking at his feet.

"Make sure you could flirt with my mother?" Oliver said, tone oozing sarcasm.

"No. It's just, when Rachel dumped me, I lost a lot of ego."

I laughed. Oliver shook his head. Abigail, who was sitting in the backseat with Aiden, patted his arm and said, "welcome to real life. Where girls and boys get screwed."

"Ew, Abigail you nasty pervert." I said, turning to grin back at them.

"Shut up Thee-bear." Abigail said, and squeezed my cheek.

"Euck. Cooties!" I said, rubbing my cheek.

Aiden pretend sighed. "When will you two learn that you're destined for each other?"

"When you realize that you and Abi are getting married." I said, sticking my tongue out at Aiden.

"Hmm." Aiden looked at Abigail, winking exaggeratedly. "Can't wait for the honeymoon."

"Euck, cooties." I repeated, and Abigail and Aiden both grinned at me.

"Can't you see it now? Me, carrying you across the thresh hold..." Aiden said, raising his eyebrows at Abigail.

"Pfft. You can't carry me, you're too weak." I admired how she didn't blush here.

"You're right. You'll have to carry ME!" Aiden cackled.

"I can't carry you! You're too fat!"

"Oh, thanks! Now Theo has to carry us both?!"

"I can't carry you both! Aiden's too fat!"

"And Theo's too weak." Oliver laughed from the drivers seat.

"How about we just walk across the threshold?" Abigail suggested.

"Since when are we having a foursome?" Aiden asked.

Oliver and I looked at each other for a split second.

"No. Fucking. Way." We both said at the same time.

"Well, fine. Theo can sit out. Oliver's gayer." Aiden winked at the back of Oliver's seat, and I gagged.

"Well, the only problem is there's only one girl." Abigail said, putting a confused look on her face.

"Oh, I'm sure Aiden knows plenty who'll be up for anything he wants to do." Oliver said, and we all laughed.

"Anything." Aiden assured us, and I looked out the window and started singing an All Time Low song loudly. When I looked out the window, I saw that we were pulling into the parking lot at the steakhouse. I saw someone familiar standing at the doorway.

"Oh." I said, and looked at Aiden.

"What?" He said, eyebrows creasing.

"I see why Cali couldn't come."

Aiden's face darkened, and he understood. Abigail however, didn't.

"Why?" she asked, confused.

"Because Oliver's going to freak out when he sees Parker here."