Upsets and Downfalls (The Ready Set)

Chapter 2 Feelings Undefined

School went by in a blur, i've always hated the first day.  it's so dull, like you're ready for them to start the lesson and get this show on the road, but intead you need to take care of all the dumb little things before you can start.  like, getting books, seat assignments ect ect.

i was just happy to be in my little, wine red ford fusion and on my way out of the parking lot.  i glanced at the clock, it was 2:00.  this was good, this meant i had the rest of the day to do what ever was possible in the small town of scarlett, indiana.  this would probably just end up in me with Charlie and the band.  pulling up to the driveway i noticed one more car had been placed infront of my house, most likely another band memeber ot two.

it was two, two new band memebers had joined Charlie, andy and Jordan in the kitchen.  this time there were no instruments. 

"Arianna, home already?" And said looking up from his iphone. 

"it appears so." i said back to him with a sarcastic smile.

then, out of the blue a large stick like man stands up amungst the men.  "Do you remeber me?!"  he said bubbly and hopeful.

his long honey hair- and when i say long, i mean, if he had boobs, his hair would stop at the bottom of them.  how could i forget this man?  "Hey Travis."  i said ammused by his pleassure and excitment he displayed when i rememberd his name.

"ooo ooo now do me! do me! whats MY name?"  this came from a small build man with dirty blonde hair that was currently a nest to a grey fadora. 

"well, since this in travis, thats andy and jordan's over there," when i said Jordan's name his eyes, that were already on me, lit up even more, "and you're certainly not my brother, who else could you be but deryck?"

"Charlie, your sister is a magic man, or er- lady."  he exclaimed.  i let out a small giggle.

i switched my gaze in Charlie's direction, "Ari, me and the guys were gonna go pet pizza, would you like to join?  or are the pains of senior year just too unbearable?"

"ha, no Charlie, not yet anyways."  the guys laughed this time.

"So Driving arrangements, Charlie, Travis and Deryick in one car and Arianna can come with me?"  Jordan said standing up.

"umm, nice try buddie, but you'll have to spend alone time with her another day.  you're not leaving me here, and im sure as hell ain't walking."  Andy said in a joking voice.

Jordan just shook his head while his face turned pink, "oh yeah, i forgot about you Andy."

we all headed to the car.  i slid in back while Andy called shotgun, and of course, jordan was in the driver's seat.

JORDAN'S POV

The car was silent with the acceptance of andy's mumbled side comments.  i tried to strike up a conversation.  "So, Arianna, you're a senior?  so that makes you how old?"  this question came from somewhere other than my head, her age should'nt matter to me.  so why did i ask?

"18, as of june."  she said never breaking eye contact through the rearveiw mirrior with me.  was it just my imagination or did a slight hopeful look appear on her face when i asked her age?  no, better question, why did her hopeful look me ME get butterflies?  "and since you're not in school, that makes you...?"

"20, 21 in november."  she nodded and went back to watching the road out the side mirrior.

we pulled into the parking lot without any other maeningful conversation.  when we stepped in the resturant, Charlie and the others had already filed into a booth, and ran to them.  i however, slowed my pace to keep up with her's.  we ended up sitting across from eachother on the end oth the table.

the guys murmerd about pointless things and asked Arianna about her grad party and if they could come.  As she spoke i found myself not paying attention to her words, my full concentration was on her face, and how it moved to fit different expressions.  my concentration was disturbed by a soft buzz of my phone in my pocket.  i took it out to look at it.  it was a txt. from deryck.  i glanced up at deryck but he seemed to be too involved in the conversation to notice.  i looked back at my phone.

D- dude, if she has somthing on her face just tell her!

J-What?

D- you've been staring at her intensly, does she have somthing on her face?

J- no, not that i cal see...

D- then what are you doing?

before i could respond, i got another txt, still from deryck.

D-oh i think i see whats happening here, you like her!  Jordan! she's like what, 16?

J- 18!  and i do not like her...

D- sure, whatever you say...

and that was the end of the conversation. 

what deryck said about liking Arianna stuck in my mind.  is that what i could be feeling?  do i like her?  i played around with that thought in my head for a while, but ever senerio i thought up ended with Charlie leaving the band or me hurting Arianna, and then Charlie leaving the band.  but she's 18, she can take care of herself, she's technicaly an adult.  but then, she's still Charlies sister.  and what's that saying?  Bros before hoes?  i shuddered to myself when i refferd to her as a "hoe", she was the exact opposite.

the meal ended and the waitress came back with the bill.  "so if you need anything while you're all in town you can just call me, i put my number on the back."  she handed, more like forced, the bill to me.  "and i do mean anything." she said directly to me with a wink and walked away.  while reaching for my pocket i glanced at Arianna, she was looking away torwards the cars outside.  from what i could gather, she looked a little dissapointed, or embarrased.

"so jordan, you gonna call her?"  Charlie joked.  i shook my head.  "Dude, she probably rehursed that in front of the mirrior for you.  you gotta do it, just to make her day."

i looked her way again, she switched her glance to the table, avoiding eye contact with me.  i had to think of somthing fast.  i slapped 2 twenties on the table  and no one complained or offered to split.  "let's go," i said.  no one moved but me.  i got up and walked to another table where a man about late twenties sat alone.  i could feel them all watching me.  "here, the waitress over there wanted me to give this to you."  i said loud enought for Arianna to hear giving him the recipt.  and with that, i walked away and gestured to the rest to leave.