The Opposite Of You

Chapter 18

It was thanksgiving day and my aunt and I were in the process of getting everything ready. I set the plates and cleaned as she cooked.

'Ding dong.'

"Aria would you get that?"

"Yeah!" I make my way towards the door. Quickly I brush myself off and check myself in the mirror before opening the door. "Welcome." I move out of the way to let them enter.
"Nice house."

I nod, "thanks." Nick still stands at the door. "A ...Aria can I talk to you?"

I nod and step outside, closing the door behind me.
"What's up?" I ask crossing my arms.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" I ask.

"Tell me that he hurt you."
I sigh, "it wasn't that serious...and it's over now."-

"But you still could've told me." He says, "he's your friend and I'm."-

"My friend too." He says as he gets closer. "Best friend." He smiles, "that to...so don't be afraid to tell me things." I nod, "the same goes for you."

The door swings open breaking our moment into pieces. "Did you guys kiss?" Mrs. Lockwood asked curiously being nosy.

"No mom we didn't."

"Dammit...I mean okay. Cool well, we're gonna start getting ready...Aria, come on."
I turn to Nick.
"Aria?"
I follow in right behind her.
"We don't need any help I just wanted to ask...if your feelings were real...for Nick."

I smile, "of course...They are...I don't know why."-

"I think you know you just don't want to admit it."
Ivy interrupts our conversation. "Mom, Ester says she needs you."
I shake my head but Mrs. Lockwood leaves. "So I see my push helped you guys." She says with a huge smile plastered across her face.

"Excuse me what?"

"oh, our families decided that since you two weren't gonna get back to talking unless I made you upset."
I nod, "no hard feelings right?"
I shrug, "I deserved that...so what were you two talking about?"

I shake my head, "nothing important."
She sighs, "I see shortly. Nicaria."

I roll my eyes. "I find it very unusual that this family is shipping us and has a name for us. I thought that was only for the fans."

She shrugs, "well you can't blame us."

I roll my eyes, "no I can't."

Ester soon called for dinner and I sat next to her and across from Nick. It felt awkward since our relationship is kind of rocky now. Every time we made eye contact we would laugh. Ester nudges my arm eagerly.
"I see you're cool now?"
I nod as I fig into my meal, "for now but he's still secretly an ass." I laughed.
"Aria language." Ester mumbles.
"was she talking stuff over there?" Nick asks.

"No."-
He crosses his arms, "you're lying." He kicks me.
"Guys!" Ester scolds us just by saying that one word but we ignored her and began to play a game of footsie.

After dinner, I made my way to my room to finish up some work.
"I still can't believe your room is this big," Nick says looking around in my room before inviting himself in.

"Who told you, could come in?"

He shrugs and leans onto my desktop.
"Okay make yourself right at home."
He gasps, "oh why thank you, my buttercup."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever."

"Whatcha doin?" He asks scooting the chair up to my bed.
"Homework."
He frowns, "boring! You have a whole week off. Do it on Sunday or Saturday whatever...I'm here and I wanna hang out."

I raise an eyebrow, "you know to make up for the lost time." I roll my eyes.

"Okay, fine.... let's go outside and play catch."

"No not here, we don't even have a ball to toss that and we have cameras watching us like we're some love reality TV show."
I laugh, "that's true...we can sneak out into the back." I suggest.
"Good idea." He follows my lead. I take my aunt's keys and toss them to him and he catches them.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"it's a surprise."
Suddenly I stop in mid-walk. "I hate surprises."
He shrugs, "you're gonna love this one."
He whispers into my ears.

"Hey! Where do you two think you're going?" Ivy asks standing in our way, cigarette perched in between her two fingers.

"Out, cover for us."

She smirks, "take her to the."-

"I got this one." He takes my hand surprisingly and takes me away.

We soon arrive at the All-Star bowling alley. "We're going bowling?" He nods, "yea... You and."-

"Who?" I ask before entering the building.
"Jake and Vanessa." He pushes me towards them.
"Hi," Vanessa says and I look away.
Nick nudges me.
"What?"
He leans down to whisper in my ear, "be nice."

"Hey, guys." I fight to blurt the words. I hate being the bigger person sometimes.
"So who's ready...Aria what size are you?" He asks.

"wait what?"-

"Shoe?"

"I know but."-
His eyebrow raises. "An eight in a half."
He nods before walking away.

"I see you two are back talking?" Vanessa points out.
I nod, "our parents forced us."
She crosses her arms Raising an eyebrow as she catches my bluff.

"That and I wanted to... Look I'm sorry I got upset at you...you didn't deserve that. That and I do miss talking to you.".
She smiles, "same."

I nod, "oh, and try not to always talk about us Jake hates that. He wants quality time between you two so do that."

She tilts her head. "He does?"
I nod.

"Okay here." We walk over to our section and put on our shoes.

Nick tries his shoes while looking up at me as I stand, "what?"
He grins at me suspiciously.
"what?"
He shakes his head. "Nothing... let's go find a ball."
I laugh as he guides me to the bowling ball rack.

"Ooh red, and blue." I grab the ball but soon find out it was heavy as hell.
"Never mind." I put it back.
"How about this one it's light." He says handing me a purple ball.
"Thanks."

He nods, "yeah of course." We walk back to them and begin to play.

Midway into the game, it was my turn. "You need some help?" Nick asks.
"Yes." He gets up quickly and wraps one hand around my waist.

"I see what you're doing." I giggle as I begin to feel butterflies. He takes the other hand with the one I'm holding the bowling ball with. He guides the ball and I release. He pecks my cheek as I gain a strike and then he pats my ass.
"Nick." Laughing he puts his hands up and walks back to his seat.