For some reason all throughout the last class my stomach would not leave me alone. That annoying fluttering just wouldn't stop.

And now, as I'm standing at the school yard, waiting for Aron to show up, my heart is beating out of my chest. And I'm terrified that he might not show up. How pathetic is that?

I stare out at the parking lot. I specifically watch Aron's red car. It's still here so he hasn't bailed on me yet..

"Yo." Aron's voice comes from behind me.

I turn around and there he is. Looking dashing as ever.

"Come on, we'll take my car." Aron grabs my hand and pulls me with him.

"And what about my car? I'm supposed to just leave it here?"

"I'll take you back here later." He opens the passenger door of his car for me.

Why does this feel so degrading? Like I'm really his princess and he's my prince or whatever.. now he wants me to step inside his carriage or some shit.

"I'll take my own car." I turn around.

"You're just trying to be annoying aren't you?" Aron grabs my arm.

"Get inside, please?"

"Why do you always want to be in control?" I turn around and look into his dazzling eyes. My breath gets caught in my throat for a moment.

"I don't." He says calmly.

"You do! You always want to drive me around, cook for me. I'm sure there's a disorder for that." I tease.

"Please, if I had to get into the list of disorders you have lined up, we would run out of time." He jokes.

I look down at the ground.

He's right, there. I'm the definition of broken.

"Just get inside, please?"

***

It's been quiet for the entire car ride now. We're almost at his house.

"I was just kidding, you know?" Aron says.

"I know." I fiddle with my fingers.

I wish I could stop being so fucking overly sensitive. At this point it's getting embarrassing. I usually know how to cover it up.. like with anger or something but I just can't pretend around him.

Aron stops the car when we've reached his bougie apartment building.

I get out and I instantly feel dizzy. I steady myself at his car for a moment.

"You okay?" Aron asks.

"Yeah, fine." I say even though my head's still spinning.

As we cross the big parking lot to the front door I feel myself get more and more light headed. I don't let it show, though. I'm so tired of Aron worrying about me.

He unlocks the door and we make our way into the hallway.

I look up at the endless staircase.

With the way that I'm feeling right now, I really don't think it's a good idea for me to take the stairs.

"Let's take the elevator." I say.

"Why? Can't handle minimal physical activity?" Aron teases.

This guy..!

"Please," I brush past him and put one foot on the stairs. I stand there for a moment, trying to steady myself while my head spins.

Suddenly everything goes black.

The next thing I know Aron's arms are around me.

"Sky?!"

There's that concerned look again.

"What?" I mumble. My head is still spinning.

"You just fainted. Have you eaten at all today?" Aron carries me in his arms and starts walking the stairs.

I search my memory.

"I forgot." I say honestly.

I forget to eat all the time. It's never made me faint before.

"You forgot to eat? What kind of idiot are you?" Aron mutters angrily. "You could have hurt yourself, stupid."

"Alright, I get it!" I snap.

"You don't get to be angry right now." Aron says as he unlocks the door to his apartment.

He lays me down on his large white sofa. I stare up at the light ceiling.

After a while he hands me a pack of juice.

"Drink this while I make some food."

I sigh and take the juice from him.

I start drinking and it's so tasty.

When Aron is done filling a pan with water and putting it on the stove, he joins me on the couch.

"I'm going to ask you something and I need you to answer me honestly." He looks so serious.

I frown.

"Are you anorexic?" He asks dead serious.

"What?! No! Of course not!" Is he stupid?

"Are you sure? You 'forget' to eat and when you do eat, it's one meal a day. Sounds like an eating disorder to me."

"Everybody forgets to eat sometimes! That doesn't mean I'm anorexic. Jesus!" I cross my arms.

"And what does it matter to you anyways? You're not my dad!"

"I care for you." Is all he says.

My cheeks heat up and I know they're bright red by now.

How does he just say stuff like that? We've known each other for what? A few days?

"I just want you to be healthy." Aron says while lighting a cigarette.

"Says the guy with the cancer-stick."

"We're talking about you now." He dodges.

"You're such a hypocrite!"

"Or maybe, I just care more for your health than I do mine." His eyes go dark for a moment. "It's too late for me anyway." He gets up and walks back to the stove.

What does that even mean?

"What happened to you? You keep saying cryptic stuff like that. Tell me what it means." I walk over to the kitchen and sit on the counter.

"It's just me being a.. an edgelord." He smirks as he continues to stir a pot of delicious smelling sauce.

"I don't believe you."

"That's too bad." Aron dips some bread in the sauce and shoves it in my mouth.

"Good?" He asks.

"Mmm!" I moan out loud, unable to hide my pleasure this time.

He chuckles.

Then his phone buzzes in his pants. He gets his phone out and his forehead wrinkles with concern. He types fast. Something seems to be urgent.

"What's going on?" I ask.

He looks up from his phone and puts it away.

"Nothing." He says casually.

He then stares at my face for a while before beginning to laugh.

"What?!" Is he laughing cause I sounded like an insecure girlfriend just now?

Aron comes to stand close in front of me. A big smile carved into his perfect face.

I try to remember to breathe so I don't faint again.

Aron's leans in and suddenly he's licking the corner of my mouth. My heart beats intensely at that.

"You had sauce on your mouth."

I want to kiss him so bad! But what if I get those flashbacks again?

My thoughts get interrupted as the front door opens.

A tall man comes in. He's wearing an expensive looking suit and holding a business suitcase. His skin is a warm brown, a bit darker than Aron's and his hair is curly and black.

"Am I interrupting something?" He says, sounding annoyed.

Oh my God! He totally thinks we were making out!

Aron sighs and moves away.

"No. Of course not." He answers, sounding just as irritated as his father.

I quickly get off the counter.

"This is my friend, Sky. Sky, my dad." Aron introduces us casually as he lights another cigarette.

"Nice to meet you." I say politely.

Aron's father comes closer to give me a hand.

I shake his hand and try not to scream at how hard he's squeezing.

"Nice to meet you too." He has a heavier accent than Aron. His eyes scan my face in a very peculiar way. Something about the way he's looking at me makes me feel weird.

"My name is Xavier Santiago. You can call me Xavier. Just don't call me mister or sir. Makes me feel so old." He smiles faintly, his smile doesn't touch his eyes at all. The way he talks and looks.. it's so cold and distant.

"You two met at school?" Aron's dad asks, looking slightly suspicious.

"Yeah. We share a few classes." I answer.

The dad nods. Still looking at me curiously.

Aron is on his phone again, looking super stressed.

"Well, I should leave you two alone. I'll be in my study." With that he leaves the room.

"Your dad's—"

"An asshole, I know." Aron says without looking up from his phone.

"Not what I was gonna say but okay."

Aron doesn't respond. He's busy typing away.

Who the hell is he texting?

It could be a girl. Maybe he's into someone else. Not that I care. We're not dating or anything so.. Why should I care?

I try to ignore the sadness I feel so clearly.

"I gotta go." Aron says, putting his phone in his pocket again.

I swear my heart just broke.

"What?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back. I just have to take care of something." He looks so stressed and worried.

"What's going on?" I ask concerned.

"Nothing." Aron pours the water out of the pot of spaghetti.

"Just eat something while I'm gone. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Aron comes over to me and gives me a quick kiss on the forehead.

My heart skips a beat.

Then he rushes out the door.

Why did that feel like a goodbye?