Two Of A Kind

4.Univited Pt.2

Aiden's pov~

"So Aiden, what are your plans after graduation?" Ms. Epperson asked, eyes filled with anticipation.
"I haven't real-" My sentence came to a complete stop. My mother was giving me a look that said 'you better not embarrass me'. My parents were really big on education, my mom especially. If I would have told Ms. Epperson that I didn't have any plans after high school, my mother would have choked on a fork full of Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

"Oh I have thought about it, quite a bit actually," I over exaggerated. "After my senior year, I'm suppose to start my internship at World Corps for marketing and operations." That was something my dad wanted me to do, I didn't object to the ideas though because I didn't have anything else planned. My motto was to just go with the flow.
"That's wonderful Aiden, truly, your parents must be so proud." Ms. Epperson praised.

I glanced over at Rider, she had her head down, concentrating on the fork that she twirled around in circles on her plate. Dinner was going pretty smooth, aside from the many times I had to express my parents dreams instead of my own, and Rider avoiding eye contact with me the whole time.

"Honey are you alright? You've barely said anything." Ms. Epperson questioned, staring at Rider apprehensively.
"Yea mom I'm fine, just a little migraine," she rose from her seat. "May I be excused." Before she could receive an answer, she was already headed for the stairs.
"Well since everyone's being excused, would it be impolite to ask if I can use your bathroom?"
"Not at all dear, go right ahead, upstairs, second door on the right." Rider's mom pronounced benevolently. I followed Rider's trail up the stairs, but when I reached the second door on the right, I made a beeline for the first door on the left. Rider's room. I knocked twice.

"Come in!" She called from the other side of the entrance. I trudged inside. The expression on her face was a dead giveaway that she didn't expect it to be me at the door.
"What the hell do you want?" She queried, attitude present in her voice.
"Are you really okay, like really really okay?" I wondered. We haven't spoken to each other in what felt like ages and it was starting to tear me apart all over again.
"What's it to you Aiden, you didn't seem to care about my wellbeing five months ago." Her back was turned against me, but she was really angry, I could tell, her demeanor said it all. Anger was a good sign though, it meant that she still cared.

"See that's where you're wrong. I did it because I cared a lot, and I didn't wanna see that dick break your heart." Every word that came out of my mouth was the truth, I didn't want anyone else to break her heart before I got the chance to prove myself. Before I got the chance to show her that good guys did, that they do, exist.
"Then why did you do it Aiden, why?" Turning to face me, she looked into my eyes for the first time in a long time.
"Out of all the possible ways to hurt me, you chose the worst." I felt a sting in my chest, seeing her hurt made me feel worse than I already did.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry Rider, I never meant for it to happen the way it did," she waited for me to continue, so I did. "I was an idiot for getting Jason to show the picture."
"Yea you were." She muttered under her breath. Yup, I deserved that.

"I wanted you to know what he did behind your back, but I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news," I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She was finally letting me explain.
"When I asked Jason to show you the picture, I didn't know that he would do it publicly. I thought that he'd have common sense enough to tell you alone on his own time." I loved Jason, but he really could be a moron sometimes.
"Exactly, you should have asked one of your smarter friends like Dylan." She was calm now, the fire blazing in her eyes cooling down, and slowly transforming back into their natural honey brown state.
"Sooo, does that mean I'm forgiven?" I pushed my luck, but I couldn't help myself, I needed to know how she felt, the suspense was killing me.

   "I don't know. Should you be forgiven?" There was a vexatious spark in her eyes. Alrighty then, two could play this game.
"I'd like to think so, but you should think about it first okay?" Hopefully, this would give her the impression that I was willing to wait for her forgiveness for as long as it took.
"I should head back down, I told them I had to use the bathroom. Another second up here, and they'll think I had to take a number three." She giggled.
"What's a number three?"
"Uh I'm not sure, and I don't wanna find out." I smiled at her and turned towards the door.
"Aiden?" She whispered my name, but I heard it. I turned back around waiting for her to say what was on her mind.
"I forgive you." I couldn't hide the smirk that crept onto my face, I walked out of her room, smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
•••
"It was nice to meet you Ms. Epperson, dinner was great." I gave her a hug after she escorted my mother and I to the door.
"Angela don't forget to call me, we should plan a girls night out."
"Most definitely, I already have the perfect place in mind." My mother responded.
The car ride back to the house was silent, I had nothing to say to mother and she was well aware of that. But what if she wasn't aware and I was just giving myself away by acting like I knew something was up. After coming to that realization, I quickly started a conversation.

  "So how did you and Regina meet." I asked curiously.
"She was at a convention your father and I went to, for a friend of ours. We just so happened to know her husband." Something was off, my mother never went to conventions with my dad, she was always complaining about how long and irrelevant they were.
"But you never go to conventions with dad." I made my suspicions known.
"I had nothing better to do so I thought hey, why not," she said with a shrug.
"Why are you so concerned anyway, it's a good thing that I did or we wouldn't have met Regina and her daughter, what's her name again Riley, was it?" My mother was a master at changing the subject, especially when she was hiding something.
"It's Rider, yea she's nice." I replied nonchalantly.
"Cut the crap Aiden, even a blind person can see that you guys new each other way before tonight." Was it really that obvious, I mean I didn't care if it was obvious, but with the type of father Rider had, it was best if we kept our friendship private.

"Yea. So?" I admitted, there was no point in lying to my mother when she already knew the truth.
"So, why did you two act like you never talked outside of school before in front of Regina." That was a good question actually, her dad wasn't around at the time and I was a hundred percent sure that if we had told her about us, she would have happily kept the secret from Mr. Epperson.
"I don't know honestly, it's just a lot going on between us right now."
"I'd like for you not to mention it until I say otherwise, please." My mother stared at me for a long time, she stared at me until I uncomfortably shifted in my seat.
"Alright, if that's what'll make you happy." We pulled up at our house shortly after our awkward conversation ended. I didn't waste any time escaping the car.

After pealing off the clothes I wore to dinner, I hopped in the shower. The steaming water hitting my bare skin felt like paradise. My mind wondered until it landed on one particular person. Her brown skin, her big brown eyes, her full lips. She was so alluring, so captivating, I wanted to be able to stare into her eyes everyday for the rest of my life. What addled me the most was the thought of her not sharing the same feelings. What if I finally build up the courage to tell her how I felt and she didn't feel the same? Our friendship would definitely be ruined . It was a hard decision to make because Rider was not easy to interpret, one minute she was a hot fluid in a container, and the next she radiated joy.

Her saying the words I so desperately needed to hear, made me have hope. Hope for us and our future. 'I forgive you.'
I had only heard it a short while ago, but the words kept replaying on my subconscious. This time around I would make sure that I didn't do anything to jeopardize our friendship, even if that meant telling her something that she wouldn't take well.
After my long shower I was finally ready for bed. I couldn't wait to see what tomorrow had to offer.