CHAPTER SEVEN:
my disastrous valentine's day weekend,
part two: note to self, never listen to nala ever again for as long as i live.

It was the next day that Aster found herself, begging her manager for a shift tonight. "Please Mary-Ann, I'll take anything. I'll even clean the toilets; I just need a distraction."

Mary-Ann's breathy chuckle floats through the speaker. "Aster, you're young and its Valentine's Day go out. Have fun, take this holiday off and enjoy it."

Aster grumbles. "Somebody had to of called out tonight."

"Surprisingly we haven't gotten one call out, romance is dead I suppose."

"Well where there's romance there's heartbreak so there's no wonder why its dead," the girl grumbled miserably.

Mary-Ann laughs once more. "I'll see you soon Aster," she bids adieu before a click sounds through notifying that she hung up. 

Aster throws herself on her bed, huffing as she stares at the ceiling. Carla is with her grandma in the kitchen practicing cooking and Abby had just left for her date not too long ago.

Aster's room door bursts open, her two best friends falling in clumsily. Balloons held in Nala's hand while Emily holds a basket. 

Aster lifts her head from her bed, her eyebrow raised. "Where's the fire?" She sarcastically asks.

Nala walks towards her handing her two balloons which say, 'Sorry ur x is...d8ting ur ant' in bold metallic letters.

Aster snorts. "Ant?" She asks with a smirk. 

"We could only fit 10 letters on each," Emily shrugged before shoving the gift basket into her arms. 

Aster smiles, looking at the contents of the basket. Her eyes land on wine, Kleenex, chocolate, goldfish, lip gloss, and other things all having sticky notes attached to them. "You guys didn't have to do this," she grins.

Nala shrugs. "Well, there's not really a chapter in the best friend handbook on what to do when your best friends aunt starts dating her ex, so we had to improvise."

Aster closes her eyes and takes a deep breath through her nose. "Thank you, guys," she tells them. 

"We also have something else," Nala tells her holding up a Party City bag. 

"What are your plans for tonight?" Emily asks her, her fingers tapping together.

"Uh..."

"That was a courtesy question," Nala interrupts. "We know you have nothing planned."

Aster huffs. "You don't know my life." 

"We have an idea," Nala starts before getting interrupted by her fiancé.

"Nala had an idea, this is all Nala," Emily quickly disclaims.

Nala shoots Emily a glare. "Thanks," she tells them flatly. "We know with the whole... situation, you're in a weird place."

"I'm fine," Aster quickly informs them. 

"No, you're not and that's okay," Emily comforts, putting a hand on the red heads shoulder. 

"Seriously," Aster tries to convince them. "I'm fine, Buck is a great guy, and my aunt deserves that."

Nala rolls her hazel eyes. "Oh, fuck off Aster, you're not fooling us. I bet it's killing you thinking about them being on a date right now."

Aster scoots back in offense. She glares at the couple in front of her, "Speaking of date, shouldn't you guys be celebrating? It's your first V-Day since you got engaged."

"Valentine's Day is a capitalist holiday created to feed corporate greed," Emily informs her.

Nala nods rapidly in agreement. "It's a scam with absolutely no historical significance."

"Wow you two really were made for each other," Aster tells them blankly, her eyes blinking.

"Look, we came here to get you off your ass," Nala huffs.

"Oh, and pray tell," Aster crosses her arms. "What do you suppose I do wise one?"

Nala smirks while Emily shakes her head, hitting her forehead with her hand. The curly hair brunette pulls out a platinum blonde wig from the Party City bag. "When your best friends ex appears as her aunts new boo..." Nala starts. 

Emily quickly interrupting. "And then has to listen to them have phone sex, and then is forced to have interactions with said ex and his coworkers..."

"You're starting to sound like me," Nala smiles proudly.

Aster snorts. "Yeah... tactless," she mocks.

Nala just rolls her eyes. "Whatever... anyways, when all that happens you know what you do?"

"Act like you don't cafe until you believe it?" The red head offers, her arms crossed defensively in front of her. A loud buzzer sound makes her jump back. 

"Wrong answer!" Emily shouts through cupped hands.

Nala smiles as she hands the wig towards her freckled friend. "You dress up in disguises and spy on them." 

Aster snatches the wig from Nala. "Absolutely not! Are you insane? What is this some B-rate Charlie's Angels reboot? Not a chance in hell!"

"But-"

Aster cuts her off with a scoff. "Look, guys, I really appreciate what you're trying to do but I truly do not give a damn and this-" she tells them, holding up the wig. "Is not happening!"

The couple shares a look before the caramel skinned girl takes a step forward, her hazel eyes meeting Aster's sea blue ones. "If you can look me in the eye and honestly tell me that you felt nothing when you saw them together and that it didn't hurt you one bit then we'll take the wigs and walk out right now."

Aster sighs, her dull eyes shifting downwards not being able to make eye contact with anyone in the room. 

Nala nods. "Exactly, so take this wig and get your cute barely there ass into your closet so you can get dressed." 

Aster rolls her eyes but does what her best friend says begrudgingly. 

Emily watches as Aster closes her closet door. "This isn't gonna end well, is it?" She asks, her brown eyes filled with worry. 

Nala shrugs. "When do my plans ever?" She retorts, her button nose scrunched in thought. 

Emily sighs and shakes her head "Remind me, why am I marrying you again?"

"Because I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you and I make your light brighter?" She offers. 

"No, that's not it," the short hair brunette jokes 

"Hmm, the great sex?"

"There we go!"

Classical music surrounded the three girls in wigs. While their outfits fit the formal dress code of the restaurant their tacky cheap wigs definitely made them stand out.

"I think the wigs were a bad idea," Emily whispers next to Nala, her eyes meeting the odd looks of restaurant goers.

"Mhm," Aster agrees, her lips pursed and her hands shaking with nerves.

Nala shrugs flippantly. "We're fine," she tells them strutting towards the host. "We're here for a dinner reservation, it should be under the name Lana.

Aster's light eyebrows furrow. "Who the hell is Lana?" She whispers. 

"Me," Nala shoots back, a smile on her face. " And you are Stera and Em is Miley."

"Stera?" Aster mouths to Emily, as they make eye contact. Emily only replying with the shake of her head. 

Nala, noticing the exchange speaks up. "It was either that or Tresa." 

"Right this way, ma'am," the host interrupts the trios whispered conversation. 

The three girls follow closely behind. Aster's eyes widen as she makes eye contact with her aunt. She quickly squeezes her eyes closed and whispers a prayer to whatever god that would listen. 

"Thank you so much!" Nala says brightly as they stand in front of their table. The trio immediately taking their seats and shoving their menus into their face. 

Emily's brown eyes peek over the menu, looking at Abby and Buck. "Hmm," she hums, catching the attention of the two other girls. 

"What?" Aster asks in panic thinking their cover has been made. 

"They're...kinda cute together," she answers honestly, watching as the two stares at each other with big bright heart eyes. 

Nala nudges her fiancé giving her a look of disapproval. 

Aster's stomach drops as she watches Buck butters his bread, his blue eyes shining as he looks up at her aunt. Her small pink slips turn downwards. "He used to look at me like that," she mumbles under her breath her tone dripping with sadness.

Emily shares a look with Nala. "Uh, maybe we should just ditch this and go get a Mcdonalds or something. This... this is boring."

Nala quickly nods, standing up from her seat. Aster takes no note of what the two ramblers as her eyes squint. She watches as Buck's shoulders hunch up, his body moving to the side, and his hands raising to cover his mouth. Her eyes widen as she realizes he's choking. "Don't drink, Buck," she whispers, watching as he chokes up the water.

Emily and Nala, realizing that she's not paying attention to either of them, follow her line of sight. Their mouths dropping simultaneously as their eyes widen. 

Aster rapidly stands up as she watches the waiter attempt do compressions on a lifeless Buck. "Oh my God," she cries as she runs over to him, she pulls her wig off. 

"Aster?" Her aunt gasps in disbelief. "Yes, I'm still here, sorry," Abby continues. " I need paramedic dispatched, adult male 26. Fully blocked airway, he stopped breathing about 30 seconds ago and compressions have been started." 

"How long until they're here?" Aster questions, her eyes buried in worry. 

"Seven minutes."

Aster takes in a couple of deep breaths; she wraps her shaky hands together. "Okay, okay... um... we're gonna have to do an emergency tracheotomy."

"Have you lost your mind?" Abby whispers back. "What are you even doing here?"

"Three more minutes and he's brain dead," Aster snaps back. "I need a knife and a straw, please," she begs. "Trust me, this is what I've been going to school for."

Abby nods, turning towards the table and picking up an unused straw and knife. 

Aster takes them from her, kneeling next to Buck. She watches with sad eyes as he lays unresponsive. "Okay, you can do this Aster," she whispers a pep talk to herself. 

Aster feels around his neck finding the place to make an incision, once it was found she slice into his neck making a horizontal cut. She gently shoves her finger in making room for her to place the straw. Once the straw was securely in, she blows two breaths into it, counting five seconds before repeating the process once more. Tears fall down Aster's face as the blonde's eyes open. Her body sags in relief, although her hands don't let go of the straw in his neck.

"Oh, thank God!" Abby cries, kneeling next to Buck and gripping his hand. 

"Excuse me, gurney, coming through," the paramedics call out as they make their way through the crowd.

Aster stand leaving Buck into the safe hands of the paramedics. She runs to her friends who gather her into a bear hug, her blue eyes never moving from her aunt as she tightly grips Buck's hand and follow shim into the ambulance. 

"He's gonna be okay," Emily whispers. 

"Because of you," Nala adds on, wiping the tears that soaked the red heads freckled cheeks. 

Aster nods. "Yeah," her voice cracks. "Can you take me home?" 

The couple nods, tightly holding each of the girl's arms as they walk back to the car.

NOTES.
zoo wee mama this chapter was so fun to write. i always enjoy writing nala/aster/emily's dynamic. probably my favorite friendship's right next to my beatrix/mal/riven from my winx boon and heather/gwen from my teen wolf book.
little self promo there lmfao
can't wait for the next chapter where aster and buck get to have a one-on-one!! been waiting for that soooo much y'all have no idea.
but anyways let me know what you guys think pretty please with a cherry on top!! it helps motivate me so much :) love y'all <3