Asking Aiden – Part III

Note: If you missed Part I, read it here. Read Part II here.

Mom’s cellphone camera flashed. “Why don’t you come inside so we can get a good picture?”

“That’s okay. We don’t want to be late.” Emma snatched her handbag and coat, slipped out the doorway and slammed the front door.

If awkward Aiden Turner followed, her life was ruined. It didn’t even matter how the real, gorgeous Aiden got here. She’d ask questions later. Racing down the porch steps, her foot slipped. She reached to grab anything and caught Aiden Porter’s pant leg.

A rip tore through the night sky. Aiden’s pant pocket flapped open.

Emma sat up feeling a throb all along the back of her body. “I’m so sorry.” Heat crawled up her cheeks.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not that bad.” Aiden Porter quirked a grin looking dashing in a blue sweater over a button up shirt.

It was such a contrast to the awkward Aiden stepping out her house. “Emma? What are you doing down there?”

 “Aiden Turner,” she mumbled under her breath while getting back to her feet. “I forgot you were…visiting tonight.” She clenched her teeth turning up the edges of her mouth. No! Why didn’t he stay inside?

“Gosh, I thought we were going to the Sadie Hawkins dance together. Is one of your friends coming along with him?” He looked around Emma.

Her throat closed up, unsure how to answer. She glanced over at the minivan parked on the side of the road and then at the yellow sports car in her drive way.

A girl popped her head out the window of the sports car. “Oh big brother! We’re going to be late.”

Aiden Porter put his hand on Emma’s shoulder. She smiled feeling sparkles of joy blooming in her chest. He tugged her along toward his sports car and opened the passenger door.  Emma peeked back at the other Aiden who stood in front of her house, mouth hanging.

From this angle she could see a window curtain move; her mom or dad or both of them saw some of what happened. It made her stomach churn with guilt. But what could she do?

Aiden Porter shut the car door and backed out of the driveway. Ariana Grande blasted from the stereo while Aidan’s younger sister and two freshmen friends belted the tunes from the back seat. 

Mom would not understand that she will be a pariah, an outcast, friendless if she dared enter the dance with someone like Aiden Turner.

#

Aiden Porter turned off the ignition in the school parking lot and let the freshmen girls out of the back seat. He came around and opened Emma’s door.

His sister rustled his hair. “Thank you big brother!” She turned toward Emma. “I knew when I heard Grace and Hannah showing off about how they tricked you, I needed to do something.” She turned back to Aiden. “I’m so glad you broke up with Grace. Seriously, why were you still gonna go with your ex tonight?”

Aiden chuckled. His sister linked arms with her friends and ran toward the front doors. Emma didn’t know his sister’s name, but deep appreciation swam in her heart.

“So…” He ran his fingers through his tousled hair.

There was a long silence. Emma didn’t know what to say. Her mouth dried up while she imagined the disappointment smeared across her parents’ faces.

“Maybe we should go inside.”

“Yeah.” Her eyes stung with the frigid air whipping her red dress up.

By the time she crossed the parking lot, entered the front door and checked in her coat, she couldn’t tell if her tears were more from the cold or the throb in her heart.

Aiden Porter held her hand when they walked into the gym. Just for one second, she forgot about the boy she ditched.

Music pulsated through the space. Rows of old style lights hung from the ceiling while colorful rays sprayed from the deejay’s table. Yes, this had been what she imagined. Well, besides Grace, Hannah and their crew glaring at her from the dance floor. And Aiden Turner sulking as he entered behind them.

The deejay announced, “Get your partner, we’re slowing things down.” The music transformed to one of those romantic movie scene type of songs.

“Do you want to dance?” Aiden Porter watched her for a second before she nodded. “Come on.”

Emma followed him and they swayed just like the mass of couples around them. Somehow Grace bumped into them, offering a syrupy apology. Aiden rolled his eyes with a long sigh of annoyance. Emma giggled, half out of delight and the other half out of a sense of wrongness lodged in her throat.

The deejay played her favorite song. This was what she day dreamed about in math class. But even in Aiden’s embrace, she was not happy.  She caught a glimpse of the other Aiden, and his humiliation stabbed deeper into her heart.

Emma tiptoed to Aiden Porter’s ear, indulging in his fresh and musky aroma. “Can we pause for just a minute?”

His brows knit together; but she offered no explanation and walked off the dance floor. Her heartrate kicked up a notch. Weaving through Grace and Hannah’s daggered stares, she considered running back to Aiden Porter.

However, Emma had to make things right. She continued toward the corner of the gym where Aiden Turner chatted with another guy from drama class. She took one long breath and tapped on Aiden Turner’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” Emma watched his eyes widen, narrow and soften before she continued. “Want to dance?”

 “Sure.” He bobbed his head and they plodded to the dance floor.

Emma extended her hands on his shoulders and felt his sweaty palms on her waist. Grace and Hannah laughed and pointed with their huddle of friends. She steeled herself, resolved to never be like those girls. It was the longest three minutes of her life.

The moment the song ended, Aiden pushed his glasses up his pimple-ridden nose. “I’ll see you in math and drama class.”

Emma stepped back from him still unsure if a single dance made up for what she’d done. Rushing to the edge of the dance floor, she pulled out her cell ready to text her mom for a ride home. She thought to herself about how no one would want to be her friend anymore especially after being snubbed by Grace and Hannah’s clique in such a public way.

“Emma?” Aiden Porter approached, ripped pants and all. “Want to get something to eat?”

Emma bit her bottom lip, unsure if this would make Grace and Hannah hate her even more. At this point, did it even matter? She slipped her cell back in her tiny purse. “I’d like that very much.”