Chapter 4

The rest of the week went by just as Monday and Tuesday had. I would wake up fairly late, go for a run, and then go to class.

Any homework that I had, I did right after class. It was usually only reading chapters, or running over notes. What gave me more trouble were the Calculus assignments. Whatever Math homework I had though, I made sure not to touch.

I learned that Aaron usually got to the diner at around 9:30 or 10 at night. So, I went around that time as well. I used needing help on my homework as an excuse.

He didn’t seem to mind though. As the days went by, my homework got done quicker. After he finished helping me work out the equations or explaining the lesson- we just did other stuff.

Sometimes we spent the whole night talking. I’d learned so much about him. The more I learned, the more compelled I felt about going the next day.

Other times, he would show me his latest work with programming. I had no idea what was going on in the books or in the laptop, but he seemed really excited about it.

Every time he explained something, he looked so passionate. I found myself smiling like an idiot- even though I was clueless as to what he was talking about.

He also gave me another Art 101 class, but I decided it just wasn’t for me. I settled for watching him draw anything that I pointed out. He was really good at it.

It was Saturday night, and I was sitting on my bed, staring at the digital clock in front of me.

I had just finished talking to my parents. They had news. Unfortunately, it was news that made something tug at my heart.  Silvia and George, Matt’s parents, were moving away.

With Matt gone, there was no reason for them to stay around. I still remembered the day I told Silvia that I was coming here to study, like Matt and I had planned to do.

She didn’t tell me not to come, but she kept finding reasons for me to stay. She was doing it because I reminded her of Matt. If I went away, it was like she was losing a part of Matt. I had felt exactly the same way about her.

So now that I had left, Silvia found no reason to hang around a town that only brought bad memories. My mom said Silvia had practically begged George for them to move.

It wasn’t like I was at home. I had abandoned her in some way too. I just couldn’t let go of what I’d read in Matt’s journal.

My dad said that they were barely making arrangements to sell the house and buy a new one in Florida, which was where most of Silvia’s family lived.

I had been planning to go back home in Spring Break. I was missing my family, but I also wanted to talk to Matt’s parents.

Before coming here, I didn’t have the guts to confront them about Matt’s journal. Now though, I needed to do it. I needed to talk to Silvia and ask her why no one had told me anything.

I couldn’t exactly deny it. A part of me was mad at Silvia for not telling me.

Not right after the accident. Not in the funeral. Not all those days I spent with her, trying to find some sort of comfort.

Worst of all, today was Saturday. I was glad that I didn’t have to go to class, but I wasn’t sure whether I should go to the diner.

I was worrying that Aaron would think I was bothering him, or that there was really no reason for me to go if I didn’t need any help. Heck, I wasn’t even sure if he would be there since it was a weekend.

All I did was watch as the numbers in my digital clock changed.

8:13.

8:33

8:45

9:10

9:38

By the time ten at night came around, my leg was tired from how much I’d been tapping it on the ground. My palms felt sweaty, and I felt anxious.

I wanted to see Aaron. Ever since I’d met him, he was the only person that could drift the thoughts I had about Matt.

I wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t know me, or because he made me feel right.

We had talked about ourselves enough. I knew he had a younger brother who was in a band. I knew he lived not too far from here. I knew he was really smart, and while in high school- he was in loads of clubs. I knew a lot of things that he liked and disliked.

But, I had hardly told him anything about me. I found comfort in that. I was scared that if I told him anything about me, he would be scared. I didn’t want to push him away for being too weird or something.

On the way to the diner, I found myself going back several times. I kept questioning myself. I think what was mainly scaring me was that Aaron might not be there. It wasn’t like we had set to meet every night. I wouldn’t blame him if he had other plans, even if the thought of that disappointed me.

As soon as I entered the diner, the smell of coffee and honey hit me full force. I took a deep breath, loving the scent. I had been here last night, yet after the call with my parents- last night felt like a lifetime ago.

Right after I walked in, I saw Aaron. He was sitting in our usual booth, looking really concentrated with something.

I stayed standing where I was for a moment, just staring at him. His eyes looked hazel today and I knew it was because he was wearing a dark colored shirt. Usually, whatever shirt he wore, made his eyes shift to a different color.

Hazel or green, both colors suited him. His boyish looks easily stood out. Not only was he attractive, but he was really smart.

When he ran a hand through his hair, he seemed to notice someone staring. He looked around the diner, and sure enough, he met my stare.

I smiled, putting my hand up to wave at him.

Aaron offered me his teasing grin that I’d learned to love in just the few days that I’d known him. He didn’t drop his gaze from me as I walked toward the booth.

“Hey,” he said, giving me a small wave.

I’d just sat down opposite of him, moving some plates around that were occupying the entire table. He hadn’t eaten much, and there wasn’t a bowl with ice cream.

“Eating light?” I asked, nodding toward the plates.

“Not a chance,” he replied, chuckling.

“I was waiting for you to get here,” he said. I felt my heart skip a beat, and no doubt a blush was covering my face.

If Aaron noticed, he didn’t point it out. Even if he had, I wasn’t sure he would know why I was blushing.

He sounded so casual saying that, yet it meant a lot to me. He’d been waiting for me, which meant he did want me to come.

Now that I had him in front of me, looking like an excited little kid, I was wondering why I even questioned coming here in the first place.

“Good, because I’m here,” I told him.

Rose came over right then, to take my order.

“I think I’m missing my ice cream,” Aaron said, just as Rose was about to leave.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his words.

“Where is it going to be?” I asked Aaron.

We’d been talking about random things since I’d got to the diner. I had, however, found out why he was so deep in thought when I first arrived.

His younger brother was having a show three weeks from now. They were opening for a rock band called Armored, which apparently, was a big deal.

Aaron was looking over the lyrics the band had written. His brother wanted him to check out the lyrics and tell him if they were any good. Aaron was so excited- it almost looked like he was the one opening for the band.

“Have you been around the city? Down town on the weekends can get pretty crazy,” he told me, as he took a drink from his coke.

“Not really. I don’t know the city too much, other than the usual. You know, the grocery store, movies, stuff like that,” I told him.

‘Was it normal to say something like that?’ I kept asking myself.

I was feeling pretty embarrassed that this was my freshman year in college, yet, I’d basically become a drone. If it wasn’t for going to class, or my meetings with Aaron at the diner, I would hardly be leaving my apartment at all.

“Really?” Aaron asked, but he didn’t look too surprised.

I simply nodded, and decided it was best not to push too much my being a complete bore.

“Well, it’s not that great. I guess, it just depends on who you’re with and what you do,” he replied.

“Oh,” I lamely said.

“Well, the gig’s going to be at this placed called Laney’s. We should go, you know, so you can check them out.”

The moment Aaron said that, my eyes widened in surprise.

Was he asking me on a date? Just as that thought came to my mind I realized I really needed to stop talking to myself.

“Yeah?”

“I think so. I’ve seen my brother’s band play. They’re pretty good. And then there’s also the fact that Armored is gonna be the main show,” he continued. He had a smile on his face, looking like he was already thinking of the show.

That sentence confirmed that no, it wasn’t a date. Aaron was mainly inviting me because he wanted someone to go with him to the concert.

It was a good thing, or well, it should have been. The thought of Aaron and me going on a date made me nervous, in a good way.

I knew that it wasn’t right though. I had Matt. Even if he was gone and he’d kept things from me, he was still there in some way. I couldn’t do that to him.

“So, do you want to go?”

“Huh?” I asked- confused as to what he meant. I had been spacing out, and ignoring whatever it was that he was talking about.

“Do you want to go to the show? I think it’ll be fun,” he said, shrugging.

He was giving me this look, where his eyes looked so innocent, and I could almost see them sparkle. His lips formed a soft grin, and I felt a pull towards it.

I snapped out of the trance he had me in, before crazy thoughts made me do something I would definitely regret.

“Yes, I’ll go,” I told him, smiling nervously.

He full on grinned after I gave him my answer.

“Good. If you had said no, I would’ve been forced to persuade you.”

Right after saying that, he reached over the table and pressed his lips on my cheek, kissing me.

“I’m going to get another cup of coffee. I think Rose is trying to keep it from me,” he said playfully, getting up and heading to the front counter.

My heart was beating erratically, as my hand lightly touched where Aaron had kissed.

He’d probably meant for it to be a friendly kiss, since I’d accepted to go with him to the concert.

But to me, the kiss meant a lot more.

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