SPILL THE TEA

The two girls let out a piercing squeal as they saw each other for the first time in over a year.

"Ari, you look so good!" Isolde shrieked as she wrapped her arms around Aria.

"Speak for yourself, girl," Aria replied, lightly pecking Isolde's cheek.

"Where's Adrian?" Isolde asked, second thoughts, glancing behind Aria's shoulder and not seeing him anywhere.

"Oh, he's just getting my suitcases from the car." She waved her hand absentmindedly behind her, only carrying her fake Gucci clutch bag in her hand. After all, it was the only thing that complemented her outfit, and she refused to pick up her suitcases, which were clashing with her outfit, if she had someone else to do so for her.

"We have so much catching up to do, but first, Isolde, are you really sure about all this?" Aria bit her lip lightly and briefly peeked behind her to ensure Adrian couldn't hear. She knew Isolde and Adrian had always been good together, always being the power couple of high school, second only to Aria and whoever she happened to be dating at that moment in time. But, despite that, Aria had always struggled with the concept of marriage, so getting married at twenty-two was probably the most absurd thing anyone could choose to do.

"Sure about what?" Isolde's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"You know, you and Adrian? Getting married...you're both so young, and commitment is so...two thousand and ten, you know?" Aria responded a little bit too seriously.

Isolde burst into laughter. Maybe Adrian was right. This girl would never change.

"Ari, I know you don't understand yet, but I love Adrian. I'm crazy about him. I can't imagine not being with him." Isolde exclaimed in return. Every word was accurate, except her feelings for Adrian had always been too great to put into words. He drove her crazy, but only in the good sense. Isolde could barely remember life before she'd met Adrian, which scared Isolde more than anything else.

"You'll know how that feels someday." Isolde beamed at Aria, knowing she'd find a man who could make her feel even a fraction of what Adrian made Isolde feel.

"God, I certainly hope not. Love is just a trap." She responded, removing her sunglasses and tilting her face upwards to take in the view of the mansion of a house that Isolde and Adrian currently resided in.

In front of Aria was a spiral staircase leading up to the house's front door. The house was more like an  Elizabethan theme but with a modern twist. The kind of place that Aria had only dreamed of living in. It was way too big for only two people to inhabit.

"This house looks like it could hold a ton of secrets." Aria laughed, with a twinkle forming in her eye.

"It was an engagement gift from my parents for Adrian and me," Isolde responded proudly, gazing up at it.

"Typical life of the rich kids," Aria laughed as Isolde jokingly nudged her.

For the many, many years Aria had known Isolde, she had had everything handed to her on a plate by her wealthy parents. Her whole life was a working-class kids' dream, aka Aria's dream. Aria could barely hide her jealousy in high school, and she still couldn't help feeling pangs of jealousy now.

"Babe?" Adrian called out, somehow tugging along four heavily packed suitcases. Several beads of sweat had formed on his brow.

Aria and Isolde spun around in response to his voice, finally remembering Adrian.

"Can I get a little help down here? Aria, these bags are yours, you know?" He yelled over to the two as they began making their way up the stairs.

"I'm well aware, darling," Aria answered, but instead of making her way down to help Adrian, she continued climbing the stairs up to the building.

                           * *  * * *

"So, this is the largest guest room and will be your bedroom for the next six months." Isolde  finally removed her hands from Aria's eyes before showing her to her new room.

"Oh, Isolde, this is amazing!" The room looked little less than a fancy honeymoon suite. It appeared to be a typical suburban hotel room with a king-sized bed in the middle, clearly intended for two or more people. The curtains were elegantly draped closed, which made the room which was burgundy in colour, seem ever darker, mimicking the colour of sin, giving the room a darker aura.

Aria's eyes were immediately drawn to the bedside table, which had a fancy framed picture of the two best friends with their Prom dates.

Isolde with Adrian and Aria with Matteo.

Isolde had always been a more natural beauty than Aria's more striking appearance. Isolde had ashen skin, perhaps very close to the colour of stale milk, whilst Aria, with her half Latina origin, was much more tanned in comparison. They were opposites in much more than just personalities. It was a friendship that shouldn't have worked but did, proving that opposites truly did attract.

Adrian had had flocks of girls after him that prom night, as Aria could recall, but no matter what, he had remained faithful to Isolde, never giving her a single reason to be insecure.

His short ashy brown curls always seemed to have an uncontrollable mind of their own. His light olive-toned skin gleamed under the chandeliers in the hall, a jaw that appeared to be finely chiselled by the Gods themselves and accompanied by a lightly stubble chin.

Gorgeous in Isolde's eyes, but certainly not in Aria's. Aria would never go further than to call Adrian cute, which pissed Adrian off in all the best ways.

Matteo though. I hope I get to see him soon.

Aria  was attracted to danger, always had been, always would be. Matteo was absolutely stunning; his shiny, ebony skin always had Aria ready to swoon. She bit her lip lightly at the memory of the mind-blowing sex.

"So, how's Matteo?" Aria  twisted on her heel to face her best friend, who was currently busy looking in the mirror, fixing her scruffy ginger hair. Or, as Isolde  preferred, strawberry blonde.

"Interesting that you ask. Matteo was asking about you only yesterday."

"Really? Could we maybe, invite him over for dinner tonight or something?" Aria inquired excitedly. Too excitedly.

"You really wanna get back together with him after everything between you two?" Isolde sighed, remembering.

They'd had a terrible break-up, the kind that makes you shudder at the thought. Matteo  had full-on attacked a guy who had touched Aria's thigh, not realizing she was taken. Of course, Aria had no problem with it, but Matteo certainly did.

The guy had been in the hospital for two weeks with broken ribs, a fractured leg, and a broken nose, which, even six years later, just had not healed quite right.

Aria's mother had done everything she could to prevent Aria from seeing Matteo again. But of course, Aria, the rebellious younger child, had managed to convince her brother to distract their parents as she snuck out of the house to see him, where he'd shown his true colors. He'd called a whore, a skank and little more than a street hooker. She quickly ended it between the two, and Isolde remembered how she'd hysterically cried into her arms that same night.

"I never said anything about dating him. I just want him back in my bed, to be honest." She said, picking at her well-manicured hands.

"Typical." Isolde burst into fits of laughter, which was often the case when Aria was around.

Isolde  had never quite understood Aria 's extreme horniness. Sex was good with Adrian, but it wasn't everything for her. The emotional connection was so much more for her.

"What? I can't have sex for four-six months! I'll go crazy!" She exclaimed, laughing along whilst throwing her hands up.

"Anyway, talking about sex. How is Adrian? Do spill the tea." She winked sideways at Isolde knowingly.

"I do not kiss and tell," Isolde replied smugly, crossing her hands in protest across her chest.

"You know, people only say that when the sex is lame ." She shook her hand from side to side, indicating mediocrity.

"He's good." A pink flush developed on her cheeks. The freckles on her nose had always been accentuated greatly every time she blushed.

"But not great, right? I always had that image of Adrian. Has a tiny dick and doesn't really know how to use it." Aria joked, wrapping her arms around Isolde's shoulders.

"That's my fiancé you're talking about!" She laughed at the joke as she moved to allow Aria to wrap her arms fully around her neck.

"I've missed you so much, Isolde," Aria said, resting her head against Isolde's. Her tone changed to a more serious one.

"I've missed you too, Ari," Isolde replied, glad to have the two people she loved the most with her again.

Isolde just knew these would be the most eventful six months of her life.