Aria

"Why do you keep smiling like that?" Lyle asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Sorry, Lyle. I'm still getting used to the idea that you're really back." I beamed to him as we drove over to Johnny's house. "I just can't believe it."

"Yeah. I can't believe it either," Lyle said with a nervous chuckle. "Or that we explained the whole debacle with Principal Normack, who was kind enough to offer up all the help in the world."

"I don't blame him. You two were in a terrible situation."

"We sure were and it felt like an eternity."

"Did you miss us at all?"

"Every day." Lyle nodded.

The thoughts of what he had to go through on a regular basis made me cringe. According to what both him and Johnny had shared, it sounded more like Auschwitz than a rehabilitation camp.

We continued driving through the neighborhood where Lyle sighed, resting his head on the window. "I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"Dominic will be so mad at me."

"Dominic's not gonna hate you."

"How do you know? He probably blames himself for what happened which would always lead back to me."

"Not unless you cheated and even if you did, it's not like you two were a thing."

"True." Lyle chuckled. "But now we have to decide where this is going."

"Uh, you just got back."

"I know and if I've learned anything over there, it's that you fight for the people you love. Even if you know it's not right, you still have to find what's best for both you and them."

It was when he said that, my eyes shifted over and I saw what was really hiding beneath the surface. The sad, but beautiful truth. He wasn't all that in love with Dominic, he was in love with Johnny. He wanted Johnny Kane and that was perfectly fine. However, I knew what would happen if he didn't figure this out with Dominic and it wouldn't be pretty. Plus, I've really been enjoying the kinder side to Dominic. Who knew such a beautiful development could be wrecked by the nicest guy in our little group?

As we turned the corner, I cleared my throat and told Lyle. "Maybe you should tell Dominic the truth in private, sooner rather than later."

"That's the plan. I'm just not sure he's ready to hear it."

"Lyle, there's things we're all not ready to hear."

"I know, but I'd hate to think he'd be fine only to be proven wrong. I didn't think I'd still have recurring surreal nightmares let alone survive those five days in an isolated cabin yet somehow–"

"Do you think I'm judgmental?"

"Judgmental?" Lyle exclaimed with confusion.

"Yeah." I nodded. My timing was so damn awkward, yet I didn't care. "Sorry, this has just been bothering me for awhile now."

"I can see that."

"So, would you say I'm judgmental?"

"Well..." Lyle thought aloud for a moment. "You're certainly not one to beat around the bush."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm just saying, you're very honest like the rest of our friends, except they have a limit."

"Seriously?" I scoffed. "That's not true. Johnny, Elise, and Dominic said way worse things than I have. Hell, Johnny rarely ever thinks before he speaks."

"I never said you were more crass or rude however, you do tend to hold yourself higher than them."

"That's so funny." I laughed at the irony of Lyle's words. "Dominic said the same thing."

"And was he right?"

Maybe, I shrugged and contemplated to myself before turning another corner and pulling into the driveway.

Lyle and I got out of my car where he trotted right to the door and opened it up.

"You're home!"

"Ah!" Lyle jumped upon being greeted by Dominic, who hadn't seen him in a month. Three weeks and the flu would do that to you.

"Oh, I was so worried." Dominic sighed, holding Lyle tight. "I swore you was never gonna come home."

"Well I'm here now." Lyle chuckled, hugging him back before reuniting with Elise.

"Holy cats, someone's really come along since I last saw her." Lyle remarked.

Elise looked down at her stomach and smiled. "Yep, my little bean is now at seven weeks? I don't know. Fuck, I swear I keep forgetting the most important shit."

"Nope, you were right the first time." Johnny responded, walking in with a beer in his hand. "You're at week seven."

"Less than thirty more to go."

"Hey, let's not rush this." Dmitri gushed, making his way down the stairs while munching on some licorice. "We really enjoy buying you tuna and chocolate at five in the morning."

"I'm sure you do." Elise snickered.

Lyle laughed and pointed at the banner. "By the way, I love the banner you guys made. Those are my favorite colors too."

You're very welcome, I couldn't help but grin while looking up at the banner only to notice this was not the one I had picked out.

"I see you guys decided on a new banner, is that right?" I asked, staring down the vibrant leaf green banner with white letters compared to mine with the moss green background and gold letters.

Johnny, Elise, and Dominic all exchanged sketchy looks before Johnny spoke up. "Well, we didn't think it really fit that feeling of a homecoming."

Elise shrugged. "Yeah, it was kinda dry and dated."

"Reminded me of the Green Bay Packers." Dominic chipped in.

"Was just gonna say that." Johnny responded. He then turned to me and said, "I hope you're not mad."

"Of course not." I answered with a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Is that all you changed besides the balloons and the food I suggested?"

My eyes darted to the table where I was led to believe that the vegetarian quesadillas would be located only for that to be misplaced as well. Instead, I saw the snacks one would see at a freaking Super Bowl party and even buffalo chicken wings. Lyle doesn't eat meat for Christ's sake!

"What other food?" Melinda asked with a mouthful of salsa.

"My food." I vehemently answered before folding my arms. "Does anybody know where it ended up?"

"It's in the fridge." Audrey chimed in.

"Good," I said, satisfied with that response. I would've nearly rammed my head into the wall, if they had trashed them. Thank god, they didn't.

Shortly after, everyone gathered around in the living room where they caught Lyle up on what he had missed.

"No, he didn't!" Lyle stood up and beamed. "He really got a facelift?"

"Yep." Elise chuckled. "And it looks so bad. I mean if you thought Sloth from the Goonies was bad, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

She whipped out her phone and showed him a picture. Lyle covered his mouth to muffle his screech.

"Oh dear lord."

"I know right." Elise laughed. "I don't know what Mr. Eldridge was thinking but goddamn is that awful."

As they kept laughing, I turned to Dominic, who was awkwardly leaning on the wall with a beer in his hand. He forced a smile each time Lyle was looking his way, then stopped abruptly. Eventually, his eyes met mine and he frowned.

"What?" He grumbled.

"Nothing." I turned back around. "It just seems like you've missed him."

"The hell I did! I thought he got dismembered or some shit."

"Well he's safe now."

"I know." Dominic replied with a small quiver in his voice. "That's what's really scary."

"How come?"

Dominic sighed and whispered to me. "Look, I don't know what went on over there but something seems different about him."

"Maybe it's the fact that he was held against his will and nearly got raped?"

"Oh." Dominic recoiled and shuddered. "Besides that, I mean something inside him has changed."

"Like in a good way?"

"Sort of." Dominic shrugged. "Look at him now."

I peered over to see him happily enjoying himself with our friends and seeing his face beaming with joy. The vibrant, red, warmth on his cheeks even made me smile. I turned back to Dominic and asked. "So what's the issue here? That he's too happy?"

"If by happy, you mean fulfilled. Then, yeah."

"What, and he wasn't fulfilled before?"

"Well before, he was still questioning himself along with us, but now he doesn't have that look in his eyes. Maybe he realized something over there and just didn't see it before."

You have no idea... I wanted to say though knew it was in my and their best interest not to say a word. Instead, I nodded and told Dominic. "You're probably right."

Just as he was about to respond, the door opened and a familiar, boisterous presence made his way inside.

"What is up, my people? Who's ready to-Audrey?"

"Seth?" Audrey's jaw dropped momentarily, then she recovered with a little scoff as she asked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was invited."

"Really, by who?"

Someone cleared their throat and nervously chuckled as it became revealed before our very eyes.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Johnny apologized. "It's just that, if it wasn't for this guy right here, Lyle wouldn't be home. I hope that's not a problem."

"It's not." Audrey laughed as she circled around to come face-to-face with Seth. "I'm just surprised you didn't bring Griffin this time or is it Elliott? I heard he really digs the gentlemen."

"Audrey, can we please not do this right now?"

"Only if you made all that humiliation worthwhile. I mean, I didn't catch my boyfriend blowing another dude for nothing, am I right?"

"Dear god." Lyle remarked and looked down as everyone began feeling on edge. Meanwhile, I saw Johnny and pulled him aside straight into the kitchen.

"Hey, what's the deal here?" He protested.

"Why the hell would you invite him?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Uh, because he's Audrey's ex? You know, the one that strung her along as his beard?"

"Well, that same guy also got me over to the place where I brought Lyle home. If you wanna keep cussing me out, go right ahead but he got me there and together Lyle and I busted out of that hellhole."

"Maybe you guys can make up in your own time, just not here and not now."

Oh, I was getting so fired up. My hands had clenched into fists and I swore my forehead vein was popping out. Johnny scoffed and shook his head with a sly smirk. "Is something wrong? For real, what is getting you so bent on lashing out at me, huh? Were you scared that Lyle wouldn't come back or I wouldn't come back or–"

"No. Not about you or whether you'd make it, you narcissist. I was worried he'd be really scarred and this whole thing would be too much."

"Why would it be too much?"

"Well if you were paying attention to your boyfriend over there, you'd know that he is still struggling. He's strong, but he's not himself yet."

"He looks pretty good to me." Johnny looked over and smiled at Lyle before facing me again and shaking his head in disbelief. "And what do you mean by boyfriend?"

"God, you're dumber than you look. You check in once a day, then suck face with the redhead over there. No wonder he's so confused."

"What, you think I love him or something?" Johnny chuckled.

"I'd say you'd be lying if you didn't."

Johnny looked around abruptly and realigned his backwards baseball cap before telling me. "Okay look, it's uh... It's complicated right now and I'd really appreciate it if you'd just get out of my business and off my dick."

"Fine by me. Just don't be surprised when he comes to you for an answer and gets his heart broken because you're too proud to acknowledge what's really going on."

With that said, I walked away and locked myself in the bathroom to cool down. I couldn't believe I just did that. It was haunting, yet exhilarating at the same time!

I took a moment to scroll through my phone where I found an email from Principal Normack addressing the group and how eerily close the deadline was looming by.

"Shit." I cursed through my teeth and put my phone back in my pocket before rejoining the group. The new problem sat right on the surface of my mind and no matter how hard I tried focusing on the reality around me, I couldn't exactly escape this nagging feeling eating away at my mind.

"Oh, you shouldn't have." Lyle gushed as he opened an envelope from Seth. "I don't know if I can accept this."

"Well I heard you were having some troubles and figured what better way to relax is to enjoy a nice baseball game with a buddy of yours."

Lyle's eyes shifted to the left as he smiled. "I already have an idea of who I'd want."

Johnny's eyes locked with his and he laughed before nervously chugging some of his beer. Meanwhile, Melinda handed Lyle her gift to which he opened up and his eyes widened. "Whoa."

"I know, my band's finally kicking off and we really have a way of getting our feelings out instead of bottling them inside. I bet you'd love it."

"You know I love nothing more than a bunch of badass chicks rocking it out like there's no tomorrow." Lyle laughed before awkwardly sighing.

I didn't know what came over at that point, but my impulses gave way and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Hey, speaking of tomorrow... how would you like to decide what to do for the festive holiday themed event?"

"What event?"

"You know, the one we were supposed to plan like days ago and somehow nobody has even started. I get that people are busy but–"

"I'd love to." Lyle answered.

"Perfect, I was so worried because I had all these ideas and–"

"Aria, can you please shut up?"

Excuse me? My jaw had dropped as I saw who had said that. Then again, I wasn't all that surprised either.

"No offense, but this is Lyle's time now." Johnny shrugged.

"Yeah," Elise agreed. "Do you think it can wait until after?"

"Wow." I shook my head and laughed. "Aren't you the beacons of cheerful procrastination? Ooh, let's watch this football game, no let's plan this baby shower, it's not like we aren't gonna get our asses handed to us by the principal himself, right?"

"Aria, that's enough."

"No!" I shouted, standing tall and letting him know how done I was with today. "Listen, this is the last fucking event we have to do, okay? One last event. That's it. After this is over, we can all go our separate ways."

"Is that what you want?"

"Honestly..." I chuckled. "I don't even care. I'm just the girl trying to make things decent and organized, not to mention, the one that makes us look the least bit responsible for this dysfunctional committee."

"Well it wasn't like any of us wanted to be on it." Johnny scoffed.

"I second that." Dominic chimed in. "And I'm still surprised he put me on considering what I did at my last school."

"Nobody cares what you did at your last school." I grumbled.

"Aria, stop being rude." Elise sounded off as if she's never crossed any lines before.

"Yeah, I'm the rude one. Who keeps telling someone that is supposedly their best friend how special they are to you, then tell them the important things last?"

"Was." Elise corrected me.

I stepped closer and squinted. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I told you that when you and I were best friends. Obviously, things have changed since then and I–"

"Oh, whatever." I scoffed and then turned to Lyle, who had closed his eyes in embarrassment for all of us. "Listen, I do apologize. I'm so sorry about all of this and hope to see you tomorrow, Lyle."

"Wait, you aren't really leaving, are you?" Dmitri asked.

"So what if I am? It's not gonna hurt you or anything."

"Fair enough." Dmitri shrugged only to get swatted by Elise.

With that said, I took my leave and slammed the door on my way out. While I knew rage wasn't a good color on me, I figured it was about time I really got serious. The truth was, I didn't need them to be successful. I just needed to stay true to myself whether I was truly in the right or not.