And You Sold Me

Aiden looked at the boy in front of her, his bottom lip pursed out.

“Do I have to?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said shortly, “John really wants to get to know you.”

“I highly doubt that,” she mumbled as she wrapped a piece of her hair around the curling iron in her hand.

“Come on,” he said, “For me?”

She looked at him, rolling her eyes, “Fine.”

“Thank you,” he smiled, “John is picking us up at eight.”

“That’s in ten minutes,” she observed.

“You’ll hear him coming like, ten miles down the road,” Eric said.

“Does he still drive that awful red truck?” she asked.

“How do you know Dwaynie?”

Aiden bit her lip, scrambling for an excuse. “You told me about him once, a long time ago. You told me it broke down on the freeway or something.”

“Oh yeah, that happens all the time. But yes, he is bringing Dwayne. Along with a girl he’s been seeing,” Eric said.

Aiden tried not to scoff. Any girl John dated would probably be some kind of slut. “Fun.”

“Bring your bowling shoes,” Eric winked.

“Oh yeah, they are right next to my Madden pumps in the closet,” she laughed.

Eric smiled before taking her hand and pulling her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. He spoke, “Tell me why I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the whole world?”

“She’s obviously not shallow and only cares about personality.”

He mocked her smile, “You know you just complimented my personality.”

“Yeah, because that’s what matters,” she teased.

Aiden finished getting ready just in time for John to arrive. Eric helped her up into the backseat and the blonde in the front smiled at her.

She seemed to wait for John to introduce her, but proceeded to do it herself, “I’m Chelsea.”

“I’m Aiden,” she smiled.

“I’m Eric, but you can call me The Man. Whichever is fine, really,” he told her.

She laughed nervously and Aiden rolled her eyes, “Don’t let him influence the way you feel about us as a couple.”

“Noted,” the girl laughed. Aiden was sitting diagonal of John, seeing just enough of his face to note that he was stewing as he drove.

His car still smelled the same, like burnt out cigarettes and stale cologne. It was a specific scent she had become accustomed to in high school when he would drive her out to the lake or to the next town over where they would go to eat.

He told her it was because whatever restaurant they were going to had the best food or the coolest set up. She would pretend like she didn’t know that they only traveled so far out of their way because he was ashamed of her.

Eric began looking through a guitar magazine he found in the back of John’s truck and Aiden sat silent, not being able to tear her eyes away from the boy in the driver’s seat.

He seemed to notice her eyes on him and began fiddling with the CD player. Soon a song she had tried to forget came through the speakers. It was their song, the song he had played her on their long drives, begging her to just listen. Of course she would listen to whatever he asked.

John began singing under his breath, “Beautiful, I watch you try to see yourself through other's eyes. But mirrors are a losing game, they only show you backwards anyway.”

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her seat. She pretended not to see his consistent glances in the rear view mirror at her.

“ When the memories are ten feet tall, throwing shadows on your bedroom wall. When you pull the shades and kill the lights, will you hear me singing out tonight?”

She thought back to when they first heard this song.

“Why are you staring at those girls?” John asked.

“Don’t act like you didn’t notice how pretty they were,” she said as she took a French fry and placed it in her mouth.

He shrugged, “You know I’ve only got eyes for you, A.”

She rolled her eyes, “That’s why we had to go to Scottsdale for lunch.”

“I figured you dropping out of school meant you weren’t really into seeing our classmates outside of school,” John said.

“More like they don’t want to see me,” she mumbled.

“Those girls weren’t prettier than you, Aiden,” he told her, placing his hand on hers.

“Please don’t lie,” she laughed nervously to try to keep tears from forming, “I know I’m not as pretty.”

He moved his hand from hers, “You’ll never ever believe me when I tell you that, will you?”

“Not until you admit that I’m your best friend to all those stupid people you hang out with,” she fought back.

“I don’t know who my best friend is, A. Is she this pathetic girl sitting in front of me right now, or is she the one who loves to go bowling, and loves to have sing alongs in my car. Who is she?”

“I want to go home,” she said, standing and walking towards his truck.

He followed her, opening her door before walking to the driver’s side and climbing in. He turned the key in the ignition and the diesel fueled beast came to life. Before he put it in gear he searched the center consul for a CD.

He finally put it in and looked at Aiden as the song began playing.

“I didn’t know you liked John Mayer,” she said as she listened.

“Sometimes he really knows what to say,” John said quietly.

She stepped out of her memory just in time for John to quietly sing the last line, just audible enough for only someone listening to hear.

“ Days are long and words are cruel, but they won't get the best of you. 'Cause everything you'll ever be you have always been to me.”

They arrived at TGI Friday’s, per Eric’s request, and loaded out of the truck. When they got inside the hostess sat them, and Aiden ended up directly across from John.

It was awkward at first, but Aiden knew that Eric would be the first to start up conversation.

Which he did. “So, Chels, can I call you Chels?”

“Yes,” she laughed.

“How long have you lived in Arizona?”

“I just moved from Colorado,” she said, “I met John here at the gym.”

Halvo looked at John, “What were you doing at the gym?”

He shrugged as he played with the sugar packet in his hands, “I work out… sometimes.”

Aiden couldn’t suppress her laugh as she took a sip of her water.

“Why is that funny?” John asked.

“Just, uh… thinking of a tiny guy like you working out is comical,” Aiden said. This was awful. She was a horrible actress. It was so hard not to roll her eyes at everything John said. It was so uncomfortable with him here.

Eric spoke to ease the tension John had caused, “Aiden is pretty into working out too. She tries to get me to run with her but I passed out once and refuse to go again.”

Chelsea laughed, “I love to run. It’s very therapeutic. Do you ever run, John?”

“Nope,” he said shortly.

She looked at him, slightly embarrassed he didn’t say more. Soon they ordered their food and the three made small talk, with the occasional one word input of John. He was making this easy on Aiden; she didn’t even have to make an effort after a while.

Their food came and after the waiter left Chelsea spoke, “Wow, Aiden, I suddenly feel like I should have ordered a lot less looking at your meal.”

Aiden looked down at her bare salad, ranch dressing on the side, before looking at Chelsea’s chicken sandwich, “Don’t even worry girl. I’m just not too hungry.”

“Don’t worry, Chels, she makes me feel fat every day,” Eric said before taking a bite of a chicken finger.

“Making up for lost time, Aiden?” John asked.

She bit her lip from snapping back at him and instead responded calmly, like an acquaintance would do, “What do you mean?”

“Have you eaten small meals like this your whole life, or…?” he asked, begging for her to erupt.

“John,” Eric hushed.

“Nope,” Aiden said, looking right into John’s eyes, “I used to be a real fatty growing up.”

The table fell silent as the two stared into each other’s eyes, so much emotion and tension in the small face between in them.

Eric stood, “I have to use the little boy’s room. John?”

“What?” he asked.

“Join me,” Eric said, using his eyes to not-so-subtly tell him it was important. John rolled his eyes before standing.

Eric kissed Aiden’s cheek, “Be right back.”

The two walked to the bathroom and once the door had shut behind them Eric looked at John.

“What the hell, dude!?” he shouted.

“What?”

“I told you that stuff about Aiden’s past just to let you know about her and for you to specifically not bring it up. Are you an idiot?” Halvo asked, seriously.

John stood with his hands on his hips before his shoulders hunched and he realized what he had to pretend to do, “Crap, dude. I’m sorry, I totally forgot.”

“She’s really sensitive about it and she’s going to give me hell for even telling you. Just play it cool, bro. And stop being such a dick,” Eric said.

“I’m not being a dick,” John said.

“Yes, you are,” he said, “Come on, Chelsea is a cute girl. Much better than those sluts you’ve been having around lately.”

“Fine,” John agreed.

The two rejoined the ladies and soon it was Aiden not participating in the conversation. She was angry at Eric, but she didn’t really understand why. It’s not like he had told John anything he didn’t know. It was just the principle of things.

What else did John know? How good she was in bed? The things she said in her sleep?

After they finished dinner they made their way to the bowling alley. As they all tied up their shoes Eric sat next to Aiden and spoke quietly.

“Talk to me,” he said.

“Why?” she asked, not looking at him, “So you can go tell John?”

“I’m sorry, Aiden. I shouldn’t have told him anything. He’s just… my best friend. He just wanted to know about you. I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry,” he said.

She finally looked at him, “I think there are just some things we need to keep to ourselves.”

He put his forehead against hers and she could feel his eyebrows move up and down, “Like what we do tonight?”

She chuckled, “I’m serious, Eric.”

He put his hand on her cheek, “I know. I love you.”

She kissed him, “You too.”

The couple joined John and Chelsea as they entered everyone’s names.

John looked at the blonde, “Shall we make a little wager, darling?”

“If you would like,” she said.

“If you win, I’ll give you a kiss. If I win, you give me a second date,” John smiled, that flawless smile that made Aiden fall in love with him.

“Deal.”

Aiden went first, getting a strike. She turned around slowly as she looked at Eric, a smile tugging at her lips.

“We should bet,” Aiden said.

“Hell no. You always win!” Halvo said.

“If I win, you owe me five dollars. If you win, I’ll take your car to get the oil changed,” she said.

“Why can’t we still be in the cutesy, honeymoon phase like them?” Eric whined.

“Get over it,” she laughed.

John watched the two interact, how they effortlessly smiled when one another talked, and how they didn’t have to try hard to just show each other how much they were in love. John wondered if he would ever have that with someone, or if he had missed his chance completely.

His heart leaned toward the latter as he watched the girl that he had grown up with give her heart wholly and completely to a man that wasn’t ashamed of her, to his best friend that had it all right.

John had never been a jealous person, but as he watch Aiden seem to forget he was there, for the first time he was jealous of Eric Halvorsen, jealous of the love the two shared, and jealous of every person apart of Aiden’s life while he stood on the outside looking in.