Until you were gone

4. The man

Hey guys just wanted to quickly say:
The man by Aloe Blacc up top
Introducing Jason "The Man"(born I'm 1998) in this chapter and he's played by Austin Butler with long hair(up top)

~
January 2016
Texts between Nikki and Aaron Parish:

Aaron: oi oi meet me at Vida?
Aaron: 2pm.
Nikki: you're paying.

...

I walked into Vida and looked around. Not able to spot a place to seat myself or an Aaron I instead chose to walk up to the counter and decide on my order *hmmm iced coffee, definitely iced coffee, but what muffi-

My thoughts were cut off when suddenly two strong arms wrapped around my thighs and lifted me up, spinning me around easily. Aaron.
"For a skinny prick you sure are strong. Oh and I missed you too, idiot," I laughed as he put me down again.

" Kid, if anyone's skinny here, it's you, " he replied grumpily all the while knowing I was just joking. He proceeded to order a chocolate frio and an iced coffee for me without even having to ask my order and lead us over to a table.

"Sooo what grade are you in now, 7, 8, ?" He mocked casually. You see this pompous noon was about to start his first year at college after having matriculated the year before. I had known him for over  year now and he was practically a brother to me/ wing man, as he liked to say. 

"We get it you're an old man now," I said as I smirked at him and rolled my eyes, "and I'm in grade 11 this year, don't mock me."

"Don't be a prawn." Ahh the famous line that Aaron spit out at every chance he got
"Anyway, I dragged you out here on this fine Saturday afternoon to let you know that since I'll be off to another city in less than a month, don't cry, I'm having a farewell lunch with the fam and you're family too so you're coming," he rattled out

"A...I love you y'know and I'm gonna cry either way so just accept it. I'll be there." I said with finality

"Good, good, love you too kid. So next weekend, same time , at my house of course and I don't even have to send you the address so I'll see you there yeah?"

"Of course," I replied.
....
Fast forward to the next weekend

"I'm picking you up at around 7pm okay baby?" My mum informed me as she idled the car in front of Aaron's house which was an appropriate 5 minutes away from Vida and that explained his uncanny addiction to their frios.

"Will do Ma," I responded while stepping down onto the pavement.

Myra is the reason I became friends with Aaron since they both played in the provincial orchestra for the youth and when they played at the school Myra and I went to we'd always see each other and be forced to interact. That coupled with the fact that he went to our brother school and he and I were both in the choir which meant seeing him when the two schools had choir evenings basically made it inevitable for us to become friends. Ironically enough it took a conference call between the three of us for him and I to actually have a proper conversation seeing as he thought I hated him and vice versa, so we just avoided each other which was pretty stupid in hindsight. Myra was invited to the farewell lunch too.

I walked through the open gate and onto the driveway to find her there with her sisters and her mum along with Aaron and his mum.
"Hey prawn," Aaron greeted me affectionately
To which I replied with an eye roll and returned his hug before I proceeded to hug his mum, Myra and her mum.