The Perfect Harmony

♡ Chapter 23 ♡

♡ CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE ♡

The three teens accompanied Keera to the airport on Saturday. Keera drove the car as Brandon rode shot-gun and Ariana and Damian were left sitting awkwardly together at the back. Ariana shuffled as far away from Damian as possible and never gave him a second glance whereas Damian kept on giving her worried looks.

Brandon and Keera spent the time talking about their past memories and how they had to Skype every other night and stuff like that. Ariana just focused on the palm trees rolling by outside.

After a while, Keera told everyone that she was going to visit every few months and how they shouldn't worry. Just when Keera finished saying that, they arrived at the airport. They all went out of the car and Brandon and Damian helped Keera with her luggage.

"Okay, I better go, guys. I'll be late." Brandon and Damian hugged her individually, and then all four of them did a group hug.

"We'll miss you so much," the boys said.

"I'll miss you guys too," Keera replied. "Oh, and Ariana?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of my boys for me, 'kay?"

Ariana smiled and nodded. They all pulled away and waved goodbye to Keera. When she was out of sight, Brandon turned to them with a bittersweet expression on his face. "At least she allowed me to drive her car on the way back," he smiled, jiggling a set of keys.

Chuckling, they all decided to get a bite at the airport before heading back home. While Brandon went and ordered the food, Damian and Ariana were left alone, sitting at a bench.

"You were c-crying?" Damian asked her. Ariana looked away.

"Well I wasn't crying because of you, if that's what you're thinking."

Silence followed, then Damian spoke up again. "I'm s-sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Ariana asked. "Why the heck are you apologizing, Damian? You didn't do anything wrong. I just... I get it. I get what you said now. So why don't we just... forget about the whole thing, okay?"

Damian looked at her with a frown but nodded. "Are you s-sure, though?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am."

Brandon came to them with the food and as the boys wolfed it down, Ariana just took small nibbles of her sandwich.

When the three were done, they got in the car with Ariana riding shot-gun and Brandon in front of the wheel.

Damian pulled on his headphones and blasted on his music that even Ariana could hear from one seat in front. "So what are you planning to do about the A.M.O thing, again?" Brandon spoke quietly, turning down the volume to the radio.

"I convinced your da--er, Mr. blue to hold an A.M.O meeting this Saturday at the woods. I'm planning on setting a stage and a mic there and do this big speech thing and stuff," Ariana explained.

Brandon checked to see if Damian was listening, but he wasn't. He then turned to Ariana and frowned. "That's not going to work, seashell. You won't even get through half of your speech before they throw you out or something."

Ariana bit her lip, seeing his point. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll find a way. We always do."

Brandon gave her an unsure look, then trained his eyes back on the road. "Whatever you say."

After a while, Damian pulled his headphones off and yawned. "C-can someone turn up the r-radio?" he asked.

Ariana reached over and turned up the volume. The song playing was Frozen's "let it go."