"There you are!" I exclaimed
"Finished making out with my brother?"
"What? You saw that?"
"How could I not?"
"Aaron, listen. First of all I had no clue that was going to happen and second of all, I didn't kiss him, he kissed me."
"Didn't seem like you minded one way or the other."
"I pulled away! Or did you not see that?"
"I saw enough."
I screamed in fury and aggrivation. "You are so fucking pig headed!"
"What do you want me to say?" he yelled back
"How about 'I'm not mad at you'? That's a good one!"
"I can't say that if I'm mad at you!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"You kissed my brother! You're supposed to be my best friend!"
"I am your best friend! He kissed me!"
"I don't believe you!"
"Fine, don't fucking believe me! I'm leaving!" I screamed and stormed away.
"Fine!" he yelled at my back.
I was so mad that I was seeing red. I just wanted to be alone. As I was walking past him, Nick grabbed my arm.
"Sai, I'm so sorry..."
I pulled my arm back.
"Nick, if you know what's good for you, you'll get the fuck away from me." I snarled
I didn' stop walking until I got outside in the backyard. I started running toward the water, wanting to drown myself. Before I got there, I tripped over a rock. I fell to my knees sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't believe how quickly my life could fall apart. Aaron and i had finally gotten back to being super close and then Nick had to come in and ruin it by kissing me. I didn't think Aaron would talk to me ever again. I cried even harder at the thought of him hating me forever.
I felt someone sit and wrap me up in a hug. I looked up to see Aaron next to me. I suddenly got mad. I hated him for making me cry. I tried to fight him with all my might but he was too strong. The sobs were now wracking my body and I was growing so weak that I fell into him.
He rubbed my back and whispered in my ear soothingly. I looked up at him, my tears fogging my glasses and blurring my vision. I tried to speak, but I could barely breathe. I took a few deep breaths, feeling better equipped to talk.
"Aaron, please don't hate me."
"I don't."
"I can't deal with losing you. I'd rather die than have you mad at me. So if you are, just let go of me and let me go drown myself in the ocean. Drowing to death feels like a better alternative to having you hate me."
"But Sa'iyda, I don't hate you. I'm not even mad at you."
"You're not mad?"
"Nope." he smiled
I smiled back. "Really?"
"Yes. When I realized how upset you were I felt horrible. I'd rather die than lose you."
"Aaron, I'm so sorry."
"You have no reason to be. I'm so sorry."
I hugged him. "I hate when we fight."
"Me too. I'm sorry I act like such a jerk."
"It's okay."
"I don't know if I told you earlier, but you look very pretty tonight." he whispered
"You did, thank you. But I'm sure I look all gross and splotchy now." I sniffled
"Nope, still beautiful. I'm sure you're tired and we have a long day tomorrow. Let's get some sleep."
I nodded and let him help me up. I still felt a little weak. But he was there as usual to make me feel better. I honetly didn't know what I would do without him. We both got changed into pjs and went to sleep. That night he held me extra tight.
When we left the next day, I was glad to go home. That vacation was too drama filled. I didn't think anyone believed me when I told them. For some reason thought, I cried when I told my mom, Rach, and Sandy what happened. I didn't tell Tia because I knew that she would try to kill Aaron even if we made up right after we fought. She just wouldn't get it.
So many things happened at school in the next few months. I passed my chemistry final thanks to Aaron and Leslie passed her English final thanks to me.
Senior trip also happened and it was so much fun! Me, Tia and Leslie roomed together and we had everyone come to our room to play games like Twister, Truth or Dare and Spin the Bottle. Childish I know, but very fun. It beat what we had there to do. Except karaoke, that was fun. Leslie and I sang 'You Shook Me All Night Long' by AC/DC which had everyone laughing. But nothing beat Aaron singing 'I Want It That Way'. I video taped it just so I could show Nick later. While we were playing Truth or Dare, one of my friends dared me to kiss Aaron. It was the most awkward thing ever. I didn't even let him put his tongue in my mouth, though he tried. That would have been too extreme.
The next thing I knew, it was spring break. My eighteenth birthday fell during that week so I decided that I wanted all of my friends to go clubbing. My brother was the bouncer at Suede, one of the hottest clubs in New York so we'd have no trouble with my friends who weren't eighteen. So I invited Tia, Aaron, Leslie, Katie, Angel, Sandy and a few other friends. I invitied Brad but of course he couldn't come. What else was new?
That night was so cool. My parents had gotten us a limo to take us to and from Planet Hollywood and then to and from the club. We were going in style. All the guys had told me I looked hot. I had on an outfit similar to the one I wore on New Year's Eve. I had on a tank top and my denim platforms. I did look cute. We danced for awhile then sat down at a table. My bro had gotten us into V.I.P.. He rocked. From where we were sitting, you could see tthe whole club. I was sitting and talking to Sandy when Leslie tapped me.
"Don't look to your left."
"Why not?"
"Just don't. You're not gonna like what you see."
"What is it? Two guys making out?"
"Eww, no."
"Two girls?"
She laughed. "No."
"I know! Justin Timberlake is here and he's making out with Cameron Diaz."
"No, you'd probably react better to that."
"For crying out loud Les, what is it?" I turned around
"Oh crap."
"See, I told you not to look."
I just shook my head. There was Brad, my boyfriend, making out with some girl. I wasn't mad surprisingly. I was pretty relieved actually. Now I had a reason to break up wit him. I was free! I just had to do it. I politely excused myself from the table and made my way through the crowd toward Brad.
"Hello Bradley."
"Babe! What are you doing here?"
"Today's my birthday Brad. I told you we were coming here."
"That's right! Happy birthday. I was gonna call you later."
"Save it Brad. Is she the reason you've been so busy lately?"
"I can explain..."
"No need to exaplin Brad. I'm not upset, really."
I turned to the girl. "I want to thank you."
Brad looked shocked. "Why?"
"Because silly. She gives me a reason to break up with you."
"What are you saying?"
"We're over Brad."
"What? Why?"
"We're obviously better as friends. Haven't these past seven months showed you that?"
"We could make it work."
"But I don't want to."
"It's because of Aaron isn't it?"
"No. Aaron has nothing to do with this decision."
"I don't believe you."
"And that's fine. Now, I'm going back to my birthday party. Goodbye Brad."
And I walked away. When I got back to the table, everyone looked concerned. I guess Leslie told them what happened.
"Who died?" I asked
"Are you okay?" Angel asked
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"You just found out that your boyfriend is cheating on you." Sandy reminded
"Ex-boyfriend. And I've been looking for a reason to dump him for like five months."
"Yeah true. But still, him cheating was not the way to get out of the relationship." Aaron pointed out
"You know, for once the little shit is right." Tia agreed.
I was in shock. "Is the world coming to an end?"
Everyone laughed. I was feeling frisky so I suggested we all go dance. My bro told the DJ that it was my birthday so I got to make a special request. I knew exactly what I wanted to hear.
"Okay, this is for the birthday girl Sa'iyda. Let's get 'Dirrty'."
It was the perfect song. I started dancing with my friend Alex. He lived on my block. We were grinding and he was kind of feeling me up a little. I didn't mind because I thought he was hot and I kinda liked him like that. I felt someone come up and start grinding with me from behind. I turned around and it was Aaron. I laughed.
"Hi."
"Hey."
"I thought you were dancing with Sandy."
"I was, but I couldn't resist your sexy ass shaking my my face."
"I see. So, you love my sexy ass? Good to know."
"Yup. But I'm gonna go finish dancing with Sandy."
"Okay. See you soon."
I turned back to Alex. We continued to dance, our bodies pressed tightly to each other. We are about the same height if I had shoes on so we were pretty much staring at each other. His eyes were deep green and very intense. The next thing I knew, we were kissing. Our lips were pressed together as tightly as our bodies were. He parted my lips with his tongue and our tongues began this wild dance. All I could feel was heat. The heat of our bodies rubbing against each other, the warmth of Alex's hands as they roamed my body and of course the heat and passion of our kiss. No guy had ever kissed me like that before. When we finally pulled apart, I was weak.
"That was...wow."
"Yeah. I'm sorry if I caught you off guard. You just looked so beautiful and you were dancing so close and..."
I stuck my hand over his mouth.
"Don't apologize. I liked it. I mean, I did kiss you back right?"
He smiled. "Right. But I'm not looking for another girlfriend."
"Yeah. I'm not looking for a new boyfriend either."
He smiled. Alex was such a great guy. Too bad I didn't go out with him instead of Brad. We weren't going to date, but I knew that we'd definitely mess around. He was an awesome kisser. I looked around at all of my friends. Everyone looked happy. Angel and her boyfriend Mike were dancing together, Leslie was chatting and dancing with my friend Erik and Aaron and Sandy were looking awfully chummy. I was happy that everyone else was happy. It really was (well for the most part) a happy birthday.
After the club, the limo dropped everyone off at their house. Then it took me and Aaron back to my house. We hadn't had a just us sleepover in a while. After getting ready for bed, we layed together in the dark with the radio on, just talking. We were facing each other but it was so dark that I really couldn't see him. Somehow, we managed to find each other's hands. So he was rubbing small circles in my hand. His skin was so soft.
"So, did you have a good birthday?"
"Yeah, it rocked. I'm glad all my close friends were there to share it with me. Did you have fun tonight?"
"Yeah. Sandy's really cool."
"Uh huh. I noticed you two spent a lot of time together."
"Yeah, we did. Sorry about that."
"It's okay. I was just thinking though..."
"Uh oh. What is it?"
"Cute. Now that I broke up with Brad, I don't have a date for prom."
"Why don't you ask Alex?"
"Too much like a date."
"Who else is there?"
"I could call my friend Kevin...no. Then there's always AJ...uh no. Unless...well there's Nick...ugh no way. I'm screwed."
"I'll take you."
"I thought you were gonna ask Sandy."
"I was, but you need me and I'd have more fun with you."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to do this because you feel sorry for me."
"I don't feel sorry for you. I wanted to go with you to prom from the beginning but you were going with the bastard."
"Really? Why didn't you tell me that? I would have ditched Brad for you in a second."
"Why?"
"Brad's a preppy white boy who doesn't damce. He's not much fun at parties."
"He seemed okay at my birthday party."
"He was with a bunch of guys from Prep. None of them can dance. They make each other look good. Well, except for Milo."
"That's the one you were dancing with most of the time right?"
"Yeah. Now you know why."
"That is true. Are you glad that you and Brad broke up?"
"I am. It was a lot of work when it didn't have to be."
"Yeah. So, what are you doing tomorrow?"
"Angel and I are going shopping. It's a well deserved treat."
"That's what you always say."
"So? I don't go shopping that often."
"Yeah, that's true. Whatever."
I yawned and scooted closer.
"Sleepy?"
I nodded and rolled over.
"Hold me?"
"Of course I will."
I felt his arms wrap around me. He kissed my shoulder and I moved closer. He was so warm and his touch so tender that I fell asleep in minutes.
The next day, I dropped Aaron off and picked Angel up. My parents had gotten me a car for my birthday since I had passed my driving test on the first try. We were going to the Staten Island Mall for a shopping spree. Its my favorite place to shop because all of my favorite stores are in one place. While I was driving, Angel was playingwith the radio.
"You are so picky."
"You have boring stations set."
"They're the same stations you have set at home Ang."
"I know, that's the sad part."
I laughed and turned on Radio Disney.
"Radio Disney?"
"You didn't find anything. And besides, I like Lindsay Lohan."
"This is the first song she had out. Wow, that's from the summer."
"Yeah. Its in Freaky Friday."
"That is a good movie."
I nodded and began to sing along.
"You're it, you're the ultimate. Its automatic I'm sure of it. No lie, so don't even try to tell me that you're not the guy. Cause I've been waiting all my life, for someone just like you. You're it, you're the ultimate you."
"So, what's up with you and my brother?"
"Which one?" She laughed.
"Aaron."
"What brought this about?"
"I don't know, I'm just curious."
"Well, nothing's changed since you last asked.
"Okay..."
"Why don't you believe me?"
"I do."
"No you don't you liar."
"Yes, I do. But there's just something..."
"Like what?"
"Like the way he looks at you or the way you smile and laugh when he does something stupid."
"I think you're overanalyzing things."
"I can't help it."
"Well then. He's taking me to prom."
"Really? That makes sense. He told me that he wanted to go with you but you were going with Brad."
"He told you that?"
"Yeah. He seemed pretty upset about it. But then he decided to take Sandy and he cheered right up."
"Cool...Do you think he likes her?"
"He told me he did. But not as much as he likes you."
I looked at her.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he finally told me that he likes you."
"Really? What else did he say?"
"Well, that he realized he liked you when you guys got into that big fight and he was going to tell you New Year's Eve but then Nick kissed you and he lost his courage. Now he said he may never tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because he's finally realized that its better for you two to just be frieds. You don't feel the same way so he doesn't feel the need to be rejected."
"Oh, okay. Makes sense."
"Yup. Because you don't like him right?"
"Nope. He's just my best friend."
"That's what I thought."
"It's pretty predictable at this point. So many people ask me daily that its gotten old."
"I bet."
We finally got to the mall and went straight to Mandee. That just happened to be our favorite store. I got a new pair of sweatpants, a few pairs of jeans, a new denim miniskirt and a few shirts. After we finished in Mandee, we went to Rave and then Sephora to get some new makeup. All that shopping made us hungry so we went for an early dinner at Applebee's. After we finished eating, we decided to go look at prom dresses. I only had like two months left. Actually, less than two months. The only thing I knew at that point was that I wanted a blue dress. We went to New York, New York which was an awesome dress store in the mall. I saw a few different dresses that I liked and figured I'd have to come back with my mom and friends. Both dresses I finally picked had what I was looking for, they were blue. Decisions, decisions. It was an exciting thought.
When I got home, I told my mom about the dresses. She was glad I had found something, but reminded me that she was pretty booked until the beginning of May. She was redecorating Sarah Jessica Parker's apartment. The she had two weeks off at the beginning of May to get my stuff for prom all together then she was off to California intil Memorial Day to work on some top secret project. Then prom was the following weel. So much to do, so little time.
Finally my mom finished Sarah Jessica's. It came out great of course. My mom is majorly gifted with that stuff. It was nice too because Sarah invited us over for dinner one night so I got to meet Matthew Brodrick and little James too. I had a great time. My friends were jealous because we were all big 'Sex and the City' fans and I had met all of the actresses on the show. My mom had decorated homes for all of them. So, the weekend after our dinner with Sarah Jessica and her family, my mom took me, Leslie, Angel, Sandy and Aaron to go get my dress. I drove to the mall and we went to the store first. To my sheer delight, they still had both dresses in my size. I grabbed the first one and went into the changing room. I dressed and came out. The dress was beautiful. It was strapless and made of satin. The color was like a sky blue with a dark blue bow in the middle at the top. I twirled around.
"So? What do you think?"
"I think it looks better the second time around." Angel said smiling.
"It's cute sweetie. I love it." my mom agreed.
Leslie and Sandy agreed with my mom and Angel and Aaron just stared at me.
"Aaron? What's your opinion?"
"You look great." he smiled
"Thank you." I beamed
I still wanted to try on the other dress so I went to put it on. It was two pieces. The top tied in the middle of my back and the skirt was long and fitting with a slit more than halfway up my right leg. I liked it, but I liked the other one a bit more. I went out and twilred around again.
"The verdict is?"
"It's nice but I'm not sure." my mom replied
"I don't like it." Sandy said
"Aaron?"
"You look hot but it's not really you."
"So, the other one then?"
Everyone agreed. So my mom bough it and we set out on a quest to find shoes. It was definitely a quest. We went to like three stores before I found the shoes I liked. They were white and strappy with a low heel. My mom felt that white shoes didn't really go with the dress so they would have to be dyed the exact shade of blue. I love that woman. I didn't need to worry too much about accesories. I had a white purse that could be dyed to match my dress and shoes, and the perfect jewelry. I had the matching necklace and earrings that Aaron had given me for my birthday and the bracelet my parents gave me for Christmas. This was going to be perfect. I couldn't wait. I was so excited.
After we dropped everyone off and ran to the store for ice cream, my mom and I arrived home. After putting everything away, I went to check the answering machine. No one had called me but I noticed my mom's box blinking so I checked it for her. I was shocked by who called. When my mom came out of the bathroom, I gave her the message.
�Mom, you got a message.�
�Who was it?�
�Jane Carter.� I scowled.
�What does she want?� My mom groaned.
�I don�t know. She just said to call her.� I said laughing.
My mom called her and I took my dress and shoes upstairs to my apartment. I took out all of my accessories and laid them out. I wanted to see how they all looked together. The necklace and earrings Aaron gave me were silver. The necklace was a dangle with a heart on the end and the earrings were dangly also. I was going to wear my small diamond studs in my second hole and the Tiffany�s bracelet from my parents. It looked perfect. After that, I decided to go downstairs and check on my mom. She was off the phone, which I took to be a good sign.
�So? What did she want?�
�Well, she�s having a graduation party for Aaron and Leslie.�
�Yeah, okay. What does that have to do with you?�
�She wanted to know if we wanted to join in and have the party for the three of you.�
�But I told you that I don�t want a party.�
�I know. Think about it for a second though. You don�t want like to be the center of attention. If you have two other people there, that�ll take some of the attention off of you.�
�You have a good point.�
�And besides, they�re two of your best friends; it could be fun.�
�Yeah, okay. I�ll do it. How many people do I have to invite?�
�Fifty. That should be easy between your friends and family.�
�Yeah, it will. When are the invitations going out?�
�As soon as possible. But Jane still has to have someone to make them.�
�I can do it if she gives me the info. I just installed a new card maker on my computer.�
�Okay, I�ll tell Jane. Do you have enough supplies?�
�Yeah, I always have them in stock.�
�Okay. Go start your list and I�ll call Jane back and tell her everything.�
So I went upstairs and made out my list. My mom was right. It was easy. When she got off the phone with Jane, she came up with all the information for the invitations. The party colors were going to be blue, black and silver so those were the colors I used for the invitations. I used black paper, and did the words in blue and silver. I printed one out to show my mom and Jane before I made them all. They both loved them so I made all the rest. Everything was coming up pretty quickly. The party was the weekend after graduation and the last day of school, which was only about a month after we sent them out.