Chapter Eight

Aria's POV

"That was freshman year."

"Still counts." She jabs a finger at me. "And don't forget the sleepover incident. One of those moments of you begging me to stay and watch that horror movie with you, even though I told you I'd pee myself. And guess who screamed so loud your brother came to check? Me. Again."

I stare at Lily, fighting the urge to laugh. "You didn't pee yourself."

"Not the point. The point is... I do all these best friend things for you, and now it's your turn. So you're coming to the diner."

"Lily, you always do this. You wear me down until I say yes. But will saying yes shut you up?"

She grins. "Yes."

I cover my face with my hands. "Fine."

"Atta girl." She's already halfway to the door when she adds casually. "Oh, by the way, there's this guy you should meet."

I frown, wondering when I began meeting guys. But since it's my best friend talking, I say... "Uhm... Okay."

Maybe this is what I even need. Food. To forget everything about today. The car ride to the diner starts with Lily blasting the radio so loud my ears buzz. She's belting out some old pop song off-key, while smacking the steering wheel, forgetting it's not a drum.

Despite myself, I give in halfway and join her. Our voices together would make a sane, human deaf. They overlap, it's like we are squeaking and it's totally off the rhythm. But who cares?

"THIS! IS! MY! JAM!" Lily screams, dragging out the note.

I stop singing, clutching my stomach and laughing. Lily keeps tossing her hair and singing until I get distracted by the buzzing in my lap. I glance down.

Mom Monroe.

Dad Monroe.

Two missed calls. Three unread texts.

I turn the screen face down.

"Who's blowing you up?" Lily asks.

"Nobody," I say too quickly.

She looks at me. "That wasn't a nobody. That was a somebody."

I sigh. "It's his parents."

Jason's parents.

"What do they want from you?"

"Nobody cares. I can't with them right now." I shove the phone deeper into my pocket.

Lily studies me for a second, then nods. "Okay. No questions asked. You don't want to deal, we don't deal. Period."

I send her a grateful look. "Thanks, Lily."

"Anytime." She flicks her blinker and pulls into the parking lot. "Anyway, enough about them. We're here."

I look up at the neon lights of the diner that glows against the snow. It's a pretty sight. It's been a while since I came here, though.

I arch a brow. "Who's the guy?" I'm tempted to ask. Don't blame me for being extra inquisitive. I mean, I once dressed up to go on an actual date with a gay guy. What if this one was worse?

"Trust me, Aria. You'll like the guy."

"How do you even know him?"

"Hey," she points at me as she kills the engine.

"Have a little faith in me, Ria. When have I ever set you up with someone terrible?"

"Do you want me to list the names or alphabetise them?" I stare at her.

"Rude." She leans into the mirror, fluffing her very pink hair. "Okay, check yourself. Do I have lipstick on my teeth? I think I can feel..."

"Nope. All good."

I follow her out and she loops her arm through mine and tugs me toward the glowing diner doors. "Smile," she whispers as she pushes the door open.

The little bell above the door jingles as we enter. The place smells like fried foods and coffee... the exact kind of comfort place Lily would drag me to when I was in a mood.

Lily scans the room, her eyes landing on someone at a booth near the window. Her grin widens, and she grabs my hand. "There. That's him."

I squint, trying to keep up, and then all I do is stare when I see him. He looks about our age, maybe a little older, with messy brown hair and a goofy smile.

I think this is the time when girls my age tell their type in guys and try to see if the guy they have just met fits in. But me... I do not have a type. Since I've never dated anyone, I don't know what to look for.

But this guy... he looks nice. And I'm going for nice. Before I can object, Lily is tugging me forward. The guy stands up when we reach the booth, and the smile is still plastered on his face.

"Hey," Lily says, sliding into the booth. "This is my best friend, Aria. Aria, this is Matt. Matt, this is the genius I've been telling you about."

I blink, heat rising in my cheeks. "Genius?" I give her a look.

"Yes, genius. Don't argue.". Lily waves me off and turns back to Matt. "She tutors literally everyone and still manages to be cute while doing it. She's the principal's daughter, and she..."

"Lily, stop." I pinch her. "Forget about the last part."

Matt laughs. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Aria." He extends his hand.

I shake it quickly, wishing I could melt into the diner floor. "Nice to meet you too."

"Okay, okay, small talk's cute and all," Lily interrupts as she grabs a menu. "But I already know what I'm getting, so Aria..." She leans in to whisper. "Why don't you, like, actually talk to him while I go grab some ketchup or something?"

My eyes widen. I am not ready for this. "Lily..."

But she's already sliding out of the booth. "Be nice," she winks. "I'll be right back." And just like that, I'm alone with Matt.

He gives me a small, amused smile. "Does she always do this?"

"All the time," I mutter, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. What now? "Uhm... how do you know Lily?" I ask.

"Next door neighbours." He says simply.

Right. He doesn't elaborate or anything. I get the memo dude. You're not up for more discussion. Well, this is some awkward shit. Where the hell is Lily? Does it usually take this long to get ketchup?

"Looking for Lily?" Matt asks me.

"Huh? Yes." I admit. She's kind of... relentless."

"I can tell," he chuckles. "But hey, I don't mind. Means I get to meet you."

Is that a pickup line? Because it's damn cheesy as hell. But it doesn't stop the blush that comes to my cheeks.