Olive and an Arrow

My phone danced on the coffee table waking me up from my light sleep. I blindly reached for the device and flipped it open to reveal one text message.

Wow, going from one band member to the next. Very classy Aria. - Jack

Anger build up inside of me and I threw the phone at the nearby love seat. I heard it drop to the floor and John shot up from his place on the couch.

“What was that?” He was still half asleep as I stood up from the couch. I took a hold of his hands and pulled him up so he was standing at his full height overlooking the top of my head.

“You need to go home.” My words came out mechanically as I led him to the front door.

“Wha-?” He grabbed his shoes and held them securely in his hands. His eyes were drooping from exhaustion as he stared at me in confusion. “What’s goin’on?”

His words slurred together tiredly and I opened the front door wide so he could leave. “Nothing, you just need to go, now.”

As he slowly made his way out my door I couldn’t help but notice two emotions playing on his gorgeous features. One being total confusion and the other, hurt.

I couldn’t help but wonder why I let Jack get to me like he does. We weren’t even together anymore and I still felt like apart of me still needed to prove something to him. Prove to him that I am good enough.

I watched as Jack pushed open the door to Starbucks with his hands intertwined behind his narrow back. He studied the long line of customers waiting to order drinks and made his way around the back to the employee area.
I took the woman’s order and began to make her Pumpkin Spice Late.
I felt two strong hands grasp my waist and I yelped with surprise. The pair of hands twirled me around so I was face to face with their owner, Jack Barakat.

“What are you doing here?” I glanced around at my co-workers who were going about with their jobs like this wasn’t even happening.

“I was just in the neighborhood and decided I’d stop by and say ‘hello’,” he paused and then smiled slyly. “And get a free drink.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Well your just going to have to wait in line like everyone else.” I handed the woman her drink in exchange for her money. I smiled politely at her and mumbled a ‘have a good day’.

“Well I’m not like everybody else in that line.” Jack said from behind me.

“And why is that, Jack?” I asked annoyed at his game. I took the next order and told my co-worker, Emily to make it.

“Because I am madly in love with a girl that works here and hopefully she wouldn’t mind being my wife.”

I turned to face Jack who was on one knee with a little velvet box in his palm. Tears welt up in my eyes and I placed a hand over my mouth gently. Everyone stopped what they were doing and were watching to see what I was going to say.

“So, will you Aria Chambers be my wife?” The smile on his face grew with each breath I seemed to take.

“Um,” I glanced around at all of the people waiting for my answer and I smiled down at Jack. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

I watched as John pulled out of my driveway and disappeared down the street. The sky was just beginning to turn blue as morning approached rapidly. I closed the door and made my way upstairs.

My brothers door was ajar and sunlight poured through his bare window. I pushed open his door and it creaked as it swung back to let me through the doorway. A pile of clothes lying in the middle of the floor caught my eye with their familiarity. I reached over and picked up the plaid shirt and sighed once the realization hit me.

It was John’s shirt. I gathered up all the rest of his clothes and took one last look around my brothers room before shutting his door and heading into my room.

“Brandon, stop!” I shrieked as he hoisted me up onto his shoulder. His shoulder was crushing my stomach and I yelped in pain when he began running down the staircase. With each step he took a shark pain shot through my stomach and made me scream in agony. He ran to the livingroom and tossed me over the back of the couch and I landed safely on the cushions.

He jumped on top of me and began tickling me fiercely. Tears formed in my eyes as my laughter filled the noisy house. I finally pushed him off of me and took a long well deserved breath.

Brandon smiled down at me and I returned the gesture. “When you leave who will I fight with?”

He pretended to ponder over that question for a moment before shrugging and saying, “Jack will always be an idiot im sure you can find something to fight about with him.”

I punched him in the arm and he fell over onto the couch in “pain”. I laughed and pushed him off the side of the sofa. He hit the floor with a thump and I burst into a fit of laughter.

“Nice, very mature Ar.” He stood up and pulled me up with him.

“I’m going to miss you, Bran.”

He enveloped me into a tight hug and I breathed in his scent. “I’m going to miss you too, Red.”

I slipped off my clothes and glanced over at the pile of Johns clothes on my bed. I picked up his shirt and slipped it over my head. The end of his shirt reached mid-thigh and I smiled to myself as the smell of his cologne reached my nose.

I brushed his pants off of my bed and onto the hardware floor. I pushed back the covers and crawled into bed with a sigh. Once my head hit the pillow I was sound asleep.

The last thought I remember entering my mind was John’s smile.