✒ Chapter 6

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." ~Will Rogers\

Rose's picture>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Not edited

Chapter 6

Aria

"Okay, now I'll let you know about the place we're going to and what we're doing there." Alex informs.

The room fills with silence listening to his only-business-no-argument tone. I hold my laugh back and put on a neutral face when I see all of them, including my best friends, quiet. The guys have been with him all this while, haven't they? Then why do they look so scared of him, of course except for Sid, who has a bored look on his face. Sid smiles warmly at me when our gazes meet. I mirror his smile and turn to my annoying brother who's trying to scare people off.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" I ask, oh so innocently smiling.

Alex scowls as he answers, "All except you are planning for the road trip."

I try to muffle my laugh as I look at the others widening their eyes at my frank talk,

"Is it so?"

Alex scowls again. I try to stifle a smile making its way on my face, but I can't. Slowly, I start letting out giggles looking at Alex's face and the others join me, including Alex. Minutes later, we've laughed so hard that tears have been rolling down my cheeks.

"Please Alex, please don't show that face again or we'll not be able to plan our trip and end up laughing like this." I snorted. Alex grunted in response, still smiling widely, not at me, but at January and are looking at each other like long lost lovers. I am really pissed at her, she should be careful now. Stealthy Aria isn't a good sight to see, you know. I better tell Alex after everyone disperses.

"You can have that look while you're fucking each other, not now." Logan clears his throat, causing them to break their reverie. Ry has a blank look on her slightly pink face and Alex is, hmm, blushing while he's trying to scowl at Logan.

We laugh loudly, for Alex has made a fool out of himself, again. I look at my friends; especially Kate, she's smiling now, but she's obviously not happy. Last night drained her.

All this started when Alex forced me to call my friends at nine o'clock in the morning.

Earlier in the morning

Snuggling into my pillow, I pulled my comforter over my head to cover my ears from Alex's loud banter. Someone pulls the comforter off me making me shiver from the cool breeze. I groan loudly, "Allow me to sleep in peace, please."

"I want you to get up NOW and call your friends to come here in an hour." He orders, allowing no room for argument as he stomps out the room, huffing as if he has achieved the unachievable-waking me up.

I groan again and stumble into the shower. After changing into a crop top and waist-high denim shorts, I text Rose and Kate to come within thirty minutes.

I go downstairs and eat my breakfast, trying to pass my time without talking to the guys. Alex stops in his tracks; the plate which he held now shattered on the floor. I look up from my plate to see Kate in her sleepy state-she came here without even changing her pajamas, wow. And Rose is right behind her, "I know she looks very beautiful, but you guys can continue your business. Ari, can we meet in your room?" She pleads and rushes to my room, pulling Kate grunting with her. Yeah, Rose is very sarcastic; so much that everyone gets so confused of what she's trying to say. The guys are taken aback by her sarcasm. Alex gives me a funny look but I wave it off and race upstairs. Kate needs my help more than Alex's plans.

Aria comes to the rescue!

Ha, just kidding.

Concern washes over my face when I see Kate sprawled half on my bed and half on Rose. She's an entire mess, with stains of mascara running down her cheeks and smudged lip gloss of last night.

"Something happened last night; she is not able to get up. Looks like she stayed up the whole night, crying."

"Let her get some rest now. We'll ask about what happened later. Now I'll go to the boys and tell them to put off our plans until later."

"Okay."

I come downstairs and inform the boys about Kate's condition. Their faces are laced with concern, they ask me what happened and I tell them the truth; I don't know.

It's been four hours after Kate passed out. We've been waiting since then, especially Rose and me. Alex and his friends decided to make lunch till she wakes up. Evelyn has given us our space and that's only because the boys 'flatter' her. Ew, gross. She had gone out before I got up in the morning. So, today was devoid of glares and false accusations. Lee had been stealing glances of me. A thud is heard followed by a feminine groan. Both I and Rose asked the boys to stay there until we need any help and rush upstairs.

Kate is lying on the floor clutching her head, "Oh my god, I feel like I'm being hit by a fifty ton hammer on my head."

"Did you drink last night?" Rose screeches, nostrils flaring. She rarely gets angry, if she wasn't mad then, she is definitely mad now. She gets her answer when Kate gives her a sheepish look. Before Rose does something to her, I ask softly, "What happened last night?"

Kate lowers her head and sniffles. Both of us rush towards her.

Something wrong happened.

"It's James. I caught him cheating on me with her. He's so disgusting." Kate shuddered.

"What?" Both of us exclaimed with fury.

"January's her name, I guess. I couldn't see her face properly because I was busy fuming at him."

Maybe it isn't her. There are many Januarys, right?

"That guy had the guts to do that. I'm ready to kill him, but who's January?"

"January is the girl I was talking about-the one who came from Los Angeles to supervise on our café's blooming business."

Please let it not be who I think it is. Shit, she's Alex's girlfriend for heaven's sake. Alex had a hard time moving on from Olivia. Oh God, please let it not be her.

Shouldn't you let Alex know?

Nope, not yet. Besides, I don't think it's her. Alex has a good taste in girls, right?

Still, shouldn't you keep an eye on her? She could be her.

"What are you thinking?"

"I think I know January, she's Alex girlfriend, she's from LA and she owns a lot of hotels so she could be the one who is supervising your café. What if she's cheating on him?"

"What?"

"Yeah, what exactly is her problem? Is she with Alex for money?"

"We should keep an eye on her, okay?" Once again, sensible Rose speaks. "Yeah." We look at Kate expectantly, who nods hesitantly, "Shouldn't you let your brother know?"

"Not yet. I don't think he's going to believe me unless we have proof." I reply.

"We better go now and prepare for it."

"Yeah, but first let Kate change. Let me get some clothes."

I run to my closet for some clothes that could fit Kate. I pull out a 'Don't mess with me' top and a dark-washed jeans which I sometimes wear during the first day of my period to avoid people messing with me that day, which they usually do. Kate grins when I give her the clothes and rushes into the bathroom for a shower.

"Okay then, let's go." Kate comes out of the closet and all three of us go downstairs. Alex stops us before we go to the front door.

"Where are you guys off to?"

"Hanging out?" We look at each other. I don't think Alex would buy that bull shit. "I don't believe your bull crap Aria. Tell me where you're going."

"Alex, why do you have to know where I'm going to? It's annoying me. We will be safe, I promise."

"Nope. Remember why your friends were called here the first place? To discuss about the trip."

Oh yeah. What to do now? Alex will definitely not allow us to go out right now. I look at Rose who's looking blankly at me. Kate's outright ogling at my brother. I sigh in defeat, "Okay, fine. We're not going anywhere."

We'll go later.

That's what brought us here now. "Okay, we're going to Las Vegas which is around a thousand five hundred miles from here. We'll go on Friday. So, get prepared by then." Alex finishes.

What, that's it?

"That's it?" Lee voiced out my thoughts. I notice that bitch January slipping out through the front door. "Yeah," Alex replies. Lee is interrupted by Ethan, "You wanted to disturb all of our sleep only to tell this? We are going to kill you." Alex looks at me for help for which I shrug, "Well, you disturbed my sleep too and you did not allow us to do our work." All the guys lunge at Alex who is busy glaring at me.

Thinking of this as our time to escape, I gesture at Kate and Rose to go out. Kate sits shotgun and Rose sits behind. I follow January's white Audi from afar so that she does not grow suspicious. She stops in front of.... the café which Kate works in? We pull up in front of the cute salon which is next to the café. I tell Rose to take care of Kate in the car and follow January who enters the café. From outside, I see the person I expected to see sitting at one of the booths of the café.

No author's note! ;)

[Teaser: "This is a prank, right?"]

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top