And You Sold Me

“Eric, would you like a drink?”

Aiden started laughing before slapping her mom’s shoulder lightly, “Mom! He has to drive us home tonight!”

“Pssh, Aiden. How have you not taught this boy how to drink and drive yet? I’m almost disappointed in you,” her mother replied, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder.

Aiden chuckled before pulling down on her white vest a bit. Eric smiled at her mother, “No thank you, Ms. Rutherford.”

“Oh please dear, call me Carol.”

The couple smiled at one another pleased that the meet and greet had gone surprisingly well. This was everything that Aiden had been hoping for three years now—and it was everything she figured it would be. She had never met anyone who didn’t love Eric within moments, but her mom always seemed to throw her for a loop.

“Well, mother,” Aiden began, checking her clutch to make sure she had the essentials—eyeliner, lip gloss, money, and a condom. “We are going to head out okay? We’ll come by later this week for dinner or something?”

Carol grinned and hugged her daughter tightly who towered over her in her ivory and pink heels. “Eric, it was so nice meeting you,” her mother said warmly. “Take care of my baby girl tonight.”

“I will,” Eric said simply, kissing her mother’s hand.

Aiden rolled her eyes before putting her hand on his chest and shoving him out the door. He laced his fingers through hers complacently and slowly walked down the pathway to his pickup truck. Aiden smiled at the boy as she looked at his skinny tie and blazer with tight jeans and black vans. “I see you dressed up to meet my mom, huh?”

Eric bit his lip and laughed, leaning back against his car, taking both of her hands in his. “Not exactly,” he laughed. He looked at her nervously, “Don’t be mad?”

“Uhm—okay, what’s up?” Aiden asked, feeling her stomach tighten. She could hear the chestnut tree behind her blowing in the breeze and it did nothing to calm her.

“Well, Arizona parties are different than L.A, parties, honey. And, I just—you’re going to be that girl that is completely overdressed and so I dressed up nice too so that we could tell people that we were at dinner with my parents or something,” he laughed anxiously.

Aiden looked down at her sequined tank that was tucked into her black skirt, a white and gold vest overlying them. “Are you embarrassed to be with me or something? Because this is who I am, Eric.”

Eric grinned and kissed her lips softly, “If I was embarrassed I would have asked you to change and you would have told me to go suck a dick and we wouldn’t even be going,” he laughed. “I love you just the way you are. I just wanted to warn you, you know? Next time, just be a little more casual.”

Aiden blushed softly before nodding her head, “I can do that.”

Halvo grinned at her and kissed her forehead, “Let’s get to this party, my little fashionista.”

*

Eric was right; she was completely overdressed. As the couple walked into the party the smell of smoke instantly hit Aiden’s nostrils. Cigarettes and alcohol were in everyone’s hands and Aiden instantly felt at home. This was how all of her parties in L.A. were but normally they were in clubs, and she was generally surrounded by her model friends, not a bunch of hipsters in ripped sneakers.

She could feel people’s eyes on her and her heels clicked against the tile of the house and she put a confident smirk on her lips so that people couldn’t see her breaking with each step. As she saw familiar faces she remembered one thought; she hated Arizona.

Normally, Aiden would have loved everyone’s eyes on her. She would love the fact that girl’s stared at her one hundred dollar heels—and what she loved even more was that one hundred dollar heels were cheap for her.

But these eyes—these eyes all just made her uncomfortable. Did they remember her?—she doubted it. She was hardly recognizable. Her waist had shrunken. Her legs were thinner, and her chin—well now she only had one.

Eric had led her to the kitchen where she saw a counter full of every bottle imaginable—she smiled approvingly. Maybe this party wouldn’t be as bad as she thought. He looked at her with mischief in his eyes, “What do you want to drink, Aiden?”

Aiden bit her pink stained lip and surveyed the alcohol counter, “Screwdriver, please.”

Eric grinned and grabbed a bottle of orange juice before mixing it with vodka. He handed it to her with a smirk on his lips knowing exactly how much alcohol his girlfriend consumed at parties. Aiden wasn’t exactly classy—but at least she knew it.

Eric grabbed a Corona from a cooler and popped it open, pressing the amber liquid to his lips. He surveyed the room and she followed his eyes. Aiden smiled, “Is Justin here?”

Eric placed his hand on his hip playfully, “Okay, Aiden, you can’t just hang out with Justin the whole time we’re in Arizona.”

She pouted, brushing a piece of blonde hair behind her ear, “But he’s my favorite.”

Halvo rolled his eyes, “Don’t worry I don’t like you either.”

Aiden giggled before pressing her drink to her lips, enjoying the burning feeling that rolled down her throat. She was a lightweight but that didn’t stop her from drinking. In fact, she drank so much she hardly ever got hung-over anymore—she looked at it as a gift.

“Halvo!”

Aiden followed her boyfriend’s eyes to a boy bounding across the room at them. She instantly recognized him; from his copper hair, to his bright blue eyes—and that stupid Star Wars t shirt. Garrett Nickelsen hadn’t changed at all. She knew he wouldn’t recognize her—why would he? They had never talked and he was a year younger than her.

“Hey dude,” Eric grinned grabbing his friend’s hand and pulling in for the ‘universal guy handshake’. “How was tour?”

Garrett grinned at his friend, “It was tour. Amazing.”

“I feel ya dog,” Halvo laughed. He looked at Aiden from the corner of his eye with a small smile on his lips. “Garrett, this is Aiden.”

Garrett grinned and she took notice of his flawlessly white teeth, “I have heard so much about you,” he laughed, shaking her hand. “All bad though, of course.”

“And all true,” She giggled shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you, Garrett.”

“You too,” he smiled, his blue eyes searching the room. “You should meet my girl, Laney. She’d probably fall in love with your vest.”

“God, find her now,” Aiden mumbled. “If I get one more dirty look about how sexy my outfit is I’m gonna have to slap a ho.”

Garrett started laughing before looking over to Eric, “I like her. She’s a keeper. And, hun, don’t worry about the girls here. None of them are worth it.”

The blue eyed boy gave her one last comforting smile before walking over to where a red headed boy was yelling his name. Aiden smiled at her boyfriend as he pulled her close and hugged her. He pulled away and grabbed her hand tightly in his leading her across the room, where she was introduced to another boy she had seen before who would have no recollection (she hoped). They conversed with Kennedy Brock for a few moments, laughing, and pausing occasionally when a slutty brunette would come whining asking for him to dance with her.

Aiden watched as Eric and Kennedy’s eyes both looked behind her with smirks on their lips. Soon, she felt arms wrap around her waist and she was being thrown over a shoulder. She could hear the boys laughing and girls were making rude comments, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was figuring out who was running with her through the house. He was wearing dark black jeans and oxfords for shoes. She watched as the tile turned into grass and soon her heels were seeping into the grass below her feet.

Aiden looked up at the tall boy who had stolen her and squealed as she was met with blue eyes and red hair. “Nick Santino!” She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and jumping into his arms.

“Baby girl, how are you?” He grinned, fixing his button down jacket around his thin body.

“I’m doing very well,” she smiled honestly, enjoying the feeling of the Arizona air in the fall night. “I’m staying with you and Eric for a while.”

“Well, I may have to head back home soon then, because I really don’t feel like listening to you and Eric do the nasty every single night,” Nick laughed.

Aiden blushed and hid behind her blonde locks, “We don’t do it every night.”

“Hey, hey, I’m not blaming you—you two never really get to see each other! I understand, you have needs dear,” the red head continued to laugh as she turned a crimson red.

Aiden shook her head and pushed him away, smiling, “I’m going to get another drink. I’ll see you later and if not I’ll see you at home Nicholas.”

Nick smiled before eyeing a girl across the yard, “See you later, baby girl.”

Aiden rolled her eyes at the nick name he had given her years ago when Eric had first introduced them. He did it at first to make Halvo jealous—and well, it just kind of stuck.

Aiden walked back into the house that had gotten much busier it seemed in the past half hour or so. Bodies crowded the kitchen where the alcohol was and she weaved her way through, ignoring the glares from people she bumped into on the way. She grabbed a Mike’s Hard Lemonade from an ice chest and opened it, pressing the cool liquid to her lips.

She pushed on the tips of her toes, craning her neck trying to find her boyfriend but he was nowhere to be seen. She figured he would be in the living room so she began to walk there. She was walking through the busy hallway when she was pushed against a wall, a body pressing against hers.

All she could see was brown hair, because his lips were at her ear, “You know, at first I didn’t want to believe it—but it’s true; Aiden Rutherford is back, and she’s looking hella sexy,” he slurred.

As soon as she heard his voice she felt anger rise in her stomach. She began to push against him, but he was too strong. “Get the hell away from me, Billy,” Aiden seethed, her voice dripping with fury.

Billy laughed, his venomous laugh. He still had the same dark brown eyes and short chopped hair. Four years had done nothing for him. “Oh come on, Aiden. I figured you’d be happy that for once, someone was paying attention to you,” he stated, smirking.

Aiden’s lips pulled into a straight line as she tried to choke back tears, “I said go away.”

“Ah, did I hit a nerve? I’m sorry, I really just wanted to come over here and tell you that anytime you want to have sex I’m down. I like the new Aiden, she’s actually worth my time,” Billy said simply.

Aiden whimpered as he squeezed her hip bone in his hand and she was sure it would bruise. Billy’s hand loosened at the sound of a voice, “Really, Billy? Still playing this game?”

Billy groaned and pulled away from Aiden, his eyes traveling to the figure she had already found. He scoffed, “Go away, O’Callaghan.”

Aiden stared at the boy with her mouth agape. He was so different. His hair was the same shade of brown but instead of hanging into his eyes and down to his chin it was cut short and made a mess around his head. He was dressed in tight blue jeans a leather jacket. His jeans were cuffed above his black combat boots and his shirt had a distressed picture of Tom Petty.

His green eyes looked at Aiden curiously and he used his finger to point at her complacently, gesturing between her and Billy, but directing his question to her, “Do you want me to leave? Or—?”

She looked between the two boys, honestly trying to decide who was the lesser of two evils in this situation. She finally looked back to the boy before giving Billy a disgusted look. John chuckled softly, before pushing on Billy’s shoulder, “Get out of here.”

Billy grunted and mumbled a few obscenities before walking away with clenched hands. The people in the hallway turned into their own conversations once again, dismissing the situation.

Aiden looked up at John who was pressing a beer bottle to his lips, looking at her with no expression on his face. His eyes traveled over her body and she could only wonder what was going on in his mind. She mumbled a quick ‘thank you’ and he silently nodded his head, still looking at her.

She knew he knew who she was—he had too. There was no way in hell that he could not. But his next words confused her.

“I’m John,” he said simply, holding out his hand.

She was confused as she took it, but when she saw Eric approaching she realized what he was doing; he was helping her hide her past.

She plastered a fake smile on her lips and placed her hand in his larger one, “I’m Aiden.”

Halvo walked up to the two with a smile on his lips. He wrapped his arm around her waist, “I see you met my best friend JohnO.”

Aiden nodded her head, eyeing John carefully out of the corner of her eye, “I did.”