Managing Boys

Managing Boys (17)

The boys invited themselves over to my house after school that day, so I invited Parker over as well. As much as I wanted to be left alone to sleep, it didn't bother me very much because I hadn't been able to sleep at all since I'd gotten home. I might as well have some company since my mother had gone back to work.

"We should watch a movie," Ben suggested, flopping himself down onto my couch.

"Good idea," I agreed before anyone else could disagree. "I'll go pop some popcorn. Come with me, Parker."

My best friend did as he was told. We started toward the kitchen, and I looked back to see Grim staring at me. The look I gave back to him told him not to move from this spot. He did as he was told.

"What are we going to do?" Parker asked me when we got into the safety of my kitchen. "We have to do something."

"I know," I sighed. "I know we have to do something. But I don't know what that's supposed to be."

I placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave and set it to two minutes. I figured we had a good ten minutes in here, considering we were going to have to make more than one bag of popcorn. That would give us some time to talk.

But I didn't know if I really trusted the boys in my living room by themselves for too long. They always made messes and they couldn't keep quiet. It was just a matter of time before one of them started trouble.

"Really, Aria. We seriously have to do something," Parker informed me now. "If we don't do something, it'll just get even worse and you know it."

I didn't want to think about this anymore. I just wanted to forget it. Couldn't he see that? Couldn't he see that I was just done with this whole situation? Couldn't I just go watch a movie with my friends in peace? I didn't think so.

Just then, the back door to the kitchen burst open, revealing my other best friend. 

"Aria!" Zoey cried out, surprising me greatly. "I have to talk to you about something!" 

I didn't want to talk right then. I didn't know when I was going to be able to talk again without wanting to cry. "Not now, Zoey," I denied.

"But it's important!"

I knew what she wanted to talk about, but I was done talking about it. "Aria," she nearly begged now. "Please!"

"Zoey," Parker spoke for me. "We already know."

Zoey's eyes went wide. "Really?"

I still felt sick to my stomach. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Was I supposed to ignore him? Or was I supposed to act like nothing had ever happened? I was so confused and I hated feeling this way.

Just then, the kitchen door opened. I jumped, not expecting this sudden noise. The three of us turned to see that it was only Grim, and it made me feel a lot better.

"Oh, hi," Zoey greeted, as if nothing was wrong at all. "I didn't know you were here!"

Grim just stared at us, as if knowing what we were talking about. "Um, yeah," he nodded.

"So, um..." she awkwardly commented now. "How's the weather?"

"Zoey, it's alright." I had to tell her before she said something stupid. "He knows."

"He knows?" Zoey nearly screeched, but then slapped her hands over her mouth because she knew the other three boys were out in my living room. She then smiled at Grim fawningly. "Not that I didn't think you couldn't know, but I just..."

"Zoey," I sighed. "Now's not the time for that."

She nodded apologetically. "Right, right. Sorry."