Castle in the City

8

"You're so stupid," I chuckled at the joke Aria made while we were on FaceTime. "Can you believe those two dickheads actually left me home alone though?"

Damien and Nico had left about two hours to attend a friend's birthday party and didn't even think to invite me. I was home all alone and bored out of my mind, so I decided to call Aria, who was entertaining me for the last thirty minutes.

Aria chuckled, "Yeah, I can because you're home...alone."

I laughed, "Shut up, asshole."

Aria smiled, "Now, if you had a boyfriend, you wouldn't have to be home alone. You could've been on a nice date right now."

I teased, "Like you are with your pillows?"

"Oh my gosh, shut up," she laughed, throwing her head back along the way.

"You have a whole boyfriend, yet look at you...bored and talking to me," I laughed, showing her that my relationship status had nothing to do with my boredom.

Aria chuckled, "This doesn't count. Zach and I are arguing right now, so of course we're not gonna be talking to each other for a while. Plus, I refuse to text him first because he was the one in the wrong."

Zach had forgotten his second year anniversary with Aria, and she got upset with him because she said that she felt that he had been drifting away from her for a while now, and that forgetting the anniversary was the final straw before she started arguing with him.

"You, on the other hand, only had one boyfriend ever and that was two years ago," Aria chuckled. "What's up with that?"

I shrugged, "I just haven't found anyone I like, except for-" I stopped myself mid sentence and blushed because I never told anyone about the crush I had on Damien and was about to now.

"Oh my gosh! You have a crush! Tell meeeee!" Aria smiled widely, causing me to chuckle at her enthusiasm.

I giggled, "Fine, but you can't tell anyone about it, not even Justin and Natalie, and definitely not my brother."

"I won't, I swear," Aria smiled eagerly while bouncing a bit.

I let out a low breath before clearing my throat. "Okay," I nodded. "I have a crush on-" Timely, I heard the house door open, and Nico's and Damien's voices downstairs. "Shit, Nico and Damien are home."

"Just say it quickly," she urged, anticipation clear in her eyes and voice, making me laugh.

"Fucking feen," I burst into laughter, and she burst into laughter as well. Within a matter of seconds, our laughs had escalated to the point where we were hollering and cackling at the same time.

My door swung open, and Nico walked in mocking, "You should burn that laughter." Damien came in after him but was walking in a slouchy way.

"Yo, I'm out of it," Damien said while plopping down on my bed. He then flung his head backwards so that he was laying down and stared at the ceiling.

I frowned, causing Nico to chuckle, "He had a weed brownie and a few shots."

"That brownie was nasty as fuck, but that shit was laced laced," Damien chuckled. "Nico was gonna take one too but we needed somebody to drive back to the house."

"Well, maybe if I weren't left behind..." I replied with a petty voice.

"You sound salty as fuck, ma," Damien chuckled, and Nico chuckled as well.

Nico teased, "It was an adult party."

"I'm 18, dip-shit," I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah but drinking age is 21, shit-dip," Nico fired back, causing Damien to snicker.

"Sure, forget that I'm on the phone," Aria chuckled, causing me to chuckle as well.

Nico snatched my phone out my hand and waved, "Hey, lil cuz. What's up?"

"Nothing, just bored, honestly," Aria answered.

"What happened to Zach? He's been posting some shady stuff on the Gram," Nico brought up.

With displeasure clear in her voice, Aria sighed, "Were on bad terms right now, and he's being an ass instead of talking to me about it."

"Oh, that sucks. I hope y'all work it out though," Nico sincerely replied.

"Thanks, but in the meantime, we should find Sa a boy-" Aria got out before Nico cut her off.

With a frown on his face, Nico shook his head, "She's fine single."

I frowned, "How you support Aria dating but not me?"

Nico answered, "You have bad tastes in guys. Don't even know why you dated that stupid ass nigga."

"I've literally only dated one guy," I pointed out.

Nico nodded, "And he was a bad choice."

"Word," Damien chimed in. "I could've told you from the jump what he was about and what he wanted from you."

"Well, he didn't get anything except my time, which he wasted. Next topic," I sighed, not wanting to talk about my failed relationship.

With a suspicious eye, Nico asked, "You sure that was all he got from you?" I knew he was implying sex, but I felt that he shouldn't have brought up the question in front of Damien. Damien already probably saw me as a little kid, I didn't need to give him another reason.

"Yes," I shyly answered, "even though that's none of your business. You don't hear me asking if you're a virgin."

"He's not," Damien confirmed. "The amount of times I had to leave the dorm when he and Nat wanted to go at it..."

Nico chuckled, "What happens on campus stays on campus, bro. They don't need to know all of that."

Damien chuckled while shrugging in response.

"Damien, what happened with you and that Sarah chick?" Aria asked, and at that point, I was anticipating his response.

Damien sighed, "Waste of time. We're in two different spaces that are so far from each other that there's basically no borderline...no common base. I broke it off a month before graduation."

"Aw, poor thing," Aria replied. "On the bright side, you can finally shoot your shot at you know who."

"Who?" Nico frowned. "You didn't tell me you liked someone. You're more of a bro to Aria now?"

We all chuckled, and then Damien shrugged, "I don't know what Aria's talking about."

Aria then explained, "It was an old crush that he never pursued. I thought he still had a thing for her, but I guess not."

So there's hope for me after all.

"Let's not even go there. Right now, I just wanna enjoy being single," he shrugged.

Well, there goes my luck!