11. M E E T A A R O N


At exactly 3 pm, Mario, our house guard beeped through the telecom.
“Mr. Riley?” Mario asked. He used his British accent. I shifted my weight near the front door which the telecom was hung beside it. I pressed the button. “Yes, Mario?” “There’s someone at the gate, looking for Ms. Marhion.” I wonder who it is. I looked out the window. A silver BMW was parked in front of the gate. Weird.
He might not be a bad guy. “Send him in,” I told Mario then I saw the gate opened.
I approached the guy looking for Mariah. “Hi, Riley Cruz,” we shook hands. “Aaron Yang, please to meet you.” He was wearing a leather jacket, tight jeans, ray ban shades, and I think has Chinese decent in his blood. “Same,” I mumbled. “May I ask if Mariah’s home?” He smiled politely. “Yes, yes she is.” I alisema the words slowly. “Good. Please tell her that I’m dying to see her,” He chuckled. What the hell? I think this guy’s drunk. I forced a laughed. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, didn’t I mention that we’re childhood best friends, me and Mariah?” he placed his cell phone inside his back pocket. I gulped.
“Okay, sure, I’ll get her,” I said, as if I’m not sure of my words.
Upstairs, Mariah was listening to Paramore’s: Only Exception. I poked my head at the door. She was half imba but turns out she preferred mouthing the lyrics. “Hey,” she took off her headphones then sat on the bed. “Someone’s looking for you,” I informed her. “Really, who is it?” she got out of the bed. “I don’t know, he alisema he was your childhood best friend?” I grinned at the word ‘best.’
“Oh, okay,” she walked passed me, she was wearing feet. “I’m not sure of this guy but I think he’s—.” I alisema then she cut me off with a shout. I was supposed to say nuts to end my sentence. “Oh my God, Aaron,” I saw that Aaron guy wrapped his arms around Mariah. I went to the right corner of the room, I don’t like this scene. “Hey, ‘riah,” the guy twirled her then released. They both laugh. “What are wewe doing here?” She asked Aaron. I’m 100% sure she sounded excited as if she hadn’t seen him in decades. “I just wanted to see you. wewe know, it’s been years. And I kind of miss you,” he smiled. Pause. Delete. Reduce. Stop. Extinct. Whatever. Mariah looked around the room for a moment, she saw me standing on the right corner. I was pretty sure she was kusoma my expression. “Oh, that’s great.” She faced back to Aaron. My body went sore so I managed to sit in the staircase, pretending I’m busy with my phone. On the corner of my eye, I saw Aaron glanced at me. “Hey,” he smiled.
I looked at his direction. I waved at him. “I see you’ve met Riley,” Mariah observed. “Yeah, he’s a good guy. So I was thinking, let’s hang out tonight. I mean, if wewe want to.” I saw Aaron turned his back on Mariah. He was mumbling something like “please, please, please” like a little boy asking his dad to buy an expensive robot for him. I scoffed. What a loser
“That’s a great idea.” Mariah said. “Great, I’ll pick wewe up later then.” Aaron went out of the door. I already hate him.
I heard Mariah sigh. I was staring at her. I cannot describe the look on my face. But I’m so sure that the look on my face was not bliss. Mariah sat on the floor facing me. I just went on with the staring thing. “What’s wrong?” she asked. The room was silent. She was studying me. “Oh, I get it. You’re jealous,” Mariah teased. But I thought she was serious. “No, I’m not.” I responded quickly. “And why should I be jealous, the guy’s looked gay in his tight jeans.” I added with disgust. Mariah laughed hard. She was rocking back and forth.
“Okay, now wewe think it’s funny?” I began to laugh. “Yeah it is!” She laughed even harder. Note: that laugh should be always be remembered and that crazy smile.
The front door opened. I thought it was Aaron again, irritated of hearing that we made fun of his tight jeans. But he wasn’t the one who came in. “Good afternoon, I was hearing all of the laughing from the outside.” Mom came in, holding some groceries. I stared at Mariah, she did the same. “Nothing, we were just talking about tight jeans.” She giggled at the word. “Oh,” Mom seems to get it. She nodded then headed in the kitchen. The room was silent. Mariah sighed. She stared at her watch. “I better find something to wear,” she went on upstairs.


After a few hours, Aaron’s BMW honked. I looked through the curtains and I saw Mariah came out of the front porch wearing shati and jeans. I closed the curtains.


*** *** *** ***

I climbed up the diving board and let myself jump without care. I swam here, swam there. Let’s get this straight, Aaron is rich, his height is about 6’1, he looked gay for me in his tight jeans and he’s a--. I don’t want to say the word.
I was worried about Mariah. Maybe she already told him in the words of ‘I never met a guy that’s so kind and generous.’ Maybe she preferred him than me. I don’t think Mariah will do that, will she?
I let myself dive underwater, touching my body to the pool floor, then rose to the surface. I startled seeing Mariah standing up, staring at me. I folded my arms on the side of the pool. “What are wewe doing here; I thought wewe were still out.”
“We came back early ‘cause I told him too,” Mariah pointed out. Too make her self zaidi comfortable she laid in the pool side, her legs spread out; facing me. “And I’m not comfortable around him that much,” she smiled, her arms folded as mine. I sighed. I’m glad she came back early. “Plus, I missed our moments together as we hang out, so.” Mariah and I leaned our foreheads together, my lips met hers. It felt like everything wrong got marked right. I definitely felt that my problems are solved and never to bother anymore. But that won’t happen in reality, I think.

Mariah leaned back. She let herself catch her breath. “Wow,” she mouthed. I let myself catch my breath. Mariah got up; she went inside the house as if embarrassed. I guess she’s mad au something. Diving underwater, I smiled remembering the kiss.