choking on our halos

charles michael regbo//eighteen & aaron francis follows//seventeen

Charlie body shook with a sob as Rose hung up the phone on him. He sat there with the phone still on his ear for a few minutes. Then he heard banging on his door and Aaron calling out to him.

He didn't answer. He just listened to Aaron trying to break down his door and sat on the floor with his knees up to his chest. Charlie whimpered slightly, which was the most amount of emotion he had shown in years. He never, ever cried.

Aaron was tired of this shit, so he walked over to Penny's room and knocked on the door. She answered; still in her PJs. Their parents weren't home, probably at work. She rubbed at her eyes and cocked her head at him.

"Could I possibly borrow a bobby pin?"

Charlie had buried his head into his knees when he heard his door unlock. Glancing up, he saw Aaron standing in his doorway. He hadn't turned the lights on, so Aaron stood in the semi-darkness; tall and lean like a dead tree.

Charlie didn't even flinch as Aaron grabbed him by his arm and yanked him into a standing position. The male then reared his fist back and socked him in the eye.

Charlie fell back onto the bed; holding onto his face. "Fuck."

He knew he deserved it, but he wasn't going to let Aaron get away with punching him. Besides, he needed a good tussle to get his mind off of things.

Standing, Charlie ran at Aaron and threw himself at him; tackling him to the ground. Aaron's head hit the desk hard and a few books fell off. Charlie threw a punch at his nose, knowing full well that he broke it. Blood dripped down to Aaron's lips.

Charlie reared his fist back for another, but Aaron was more powerful. He shoved him off and ended up on top of him instead. He punched him in the jaw, almost hard enough to break it. Charlie squirmed, but Aaron forced him down.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK." Aaron cried out, still immensely pissed.

Charlie wouldn't look him in the eye. "I-I don't know."

"Don't give me that sorry ass answer. No excuses either. I want a real answer." Aaron picked him up and then shoved him back down so that his head hit the floor.

"Why would you sleep with some posh skank when you have Rose? Rose is perfect. She is so breathtakingly beautiful, and talented, and kind-hearted. How could you do that to her?" Aaron shouted; spittle flying fro his mouth.

Charlie finally looked up at him, though with a smirk this time. "You love her, don't you?"

Aaron paused for a moment, only a moment, and it gave Charlie his answer.

"Fuck dude. If you love her so much, then you can have her. She clearly doesn't want me anymore. I'm sure if you go hold her and buy some ice cream, she'll spread her legs for you-"
"SHUT UP!" Aaron glared hard at his best friend. He knew what Charlie was doing. He knew him better than he knew himself. He was trying to get under Aaron's skin, to act like he didn't care about anyone or anything. It was a defense mechanism, one that usually pushed people away. Bu not Aaron. No matter how shitty he was, Charlie was his best friend. He'd always be his best friend.

"You know you want-"

"I SAID SHUT UP." Aaron huffed angrily before moving to get off of him. He then stood and glared down at Charlie. "I still love you, man. I always will. But you need to figure you're shit out. Rose deserves better."

With that, Aaron wiped at the blood on his nose; smearing it to his cheek. He then walked out of the room and back downstairs.

Once he was in his car, Aaron let a few tears fall before starting the engine.

//i'm listening to miss missing you by fall out boy and wowowow//

aaron francis follows//seventeen

While Aaron drove to Rose's house, he listened to the radio on the highest volume; hoping to drown out his thoughts. Natural by Imagine Dragons was playing right now and he was moving his head to the beat. Blood still dripped from his broken, throbbing nose, but he didn't mind. He just kept driving.

Eventually, he made his way to Rose's house. He sat in his car for a moment, not sure how to act. He liked Tabi a lot and cared about. He knew he would fall in love with her one day soon. But he had always loved Rose, since the trio began. He wasn't sure how to feel. But he would never, ever cheat like Charlie did. Or take advantage of his broken-hearted friend.

Texting Tabi, he waited for her response and listen to the radio some more. Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers was playing. He hummed along, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

He kept thinking about Charlie. He thought he knew his friend, but now... Now he wasn't so sure.

Everything seemed to be falling to shit. Charlie, Rose, his parents... Tabi was the only pure thing in his life right now. The only thing not tainted.

His parents were still split. His mom was staying with Frank, her coworker. His dad was drinking himself to death and sleeping on the couch.

God, his life was shit. But he needed to keep it together. He was alive and relatively healthy. That's all he could ask for.

aaron francis follows//seventeen

Aaron snickered when Tabi commented on his nose. "You should see the other guy."

Speaking of his injury, it hurt like a bitch. Especially when she touched it.

"Shit." He growled when she poked at it. He then began a stream of curses, swearing like a sailor. He couldn't help it, he got it from his dad. There was actual footage of him taking his first steps and his dad saying "Look at him fucking go!". His mom had always been against such language, but she didn't get the right to judge anyone now that she was gone.

Aaron swatted her away and wiped at the blood still dripping. "I'm fine, kitten. Don't worry about me."

The male bit his bottom lip and glanced at his girlfriend with a perked eyebrow. "How's Rose?"

He figured she'd be an absolute fucking mess. He knew Charlie was, so Rose must have been taking it ten times worse than that. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. He hoped he wouldn't have to.

Turning off the engine, Aaron stepped out of the car and wrapped his arms around Tabi. He kissed the top of her head, trying not to get blood in her hair. It was Sunday and he should probably be at home, working on homework or watching TV with his dad. But sometimes there were more important things in life, like your friends. Or your girlfriend, in this instance.

Stepping back, Aaron glanced his girlfriend over. Lady Gaga and Britney Spears looked like hags next to her and those were his celebrity crushes. No one knew that except for Charlie, of course.

aaron francis follows//seventeen

Aaron's gaze was cool and hard like stone. It was as if this fight with Charlie had given him a new perspective. He would no longer be in Charlie's shadow, but instead be his own man.

As he held Tabi in his arms, he ran his deft fingers through her hair. His nose had stopped bleeding and the blood was still a little wet, but mostly just crusted.

"I know. I know." Aaron mumbled back, continuing to pet her hair. He didn't dare pull away. He needed to hold her for as long as possible. Their whole group had been tested in the last twenty four hours and some bonds were broken while others were made stronger.

What these kids didn't know was that this was just the beginning.

//sorry its short, my posts will get longer. i just have to build my muse back up.//

charles michael regbo//eighteen

Charlie woke with a grin on his face. It had been about two months since the breakup and a month since he'd started dating Gabriela. Well, he wouldn't call it dating. Maybe she would, but he saw it as more of a friends with benefits situation. She was smoking hot and ridiculously wealthy. Every guy, posh or otherwise, wanted her. And Charlie had her.

It was summer and he had a full ride to Julliard and so did Gabriela, which was just perfect. He'd be far, far away from drama with Rose and whoever else. But there was more to summer than just thinking about college. Summer was meant for sex, drugs, alcohol, and overall partying to your heart's content... And then some.

Sitting up, Charlie ran his fingers through his dull black hair. It had grown out quite a bit since the last time he saw Rose.

Wait, no. Don't think about Rose. Dammit.

With a large yawn, Charlie slid out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. On his way there, he saw Penny leaving it. She saw him and her blue eyes narrowed into a hard stare. She hadn't spoken to him whatsoever since she found out what happened. He was pretty sure she missed Rose. Maybe as much as he did.

After taking a quick, warm show, Charlie wrapped a towel around his waist and brushed his teeth. While he did so, he heard his mom calling to him.

"Yeah?" He called back before spitting out his toothpaste.

"Today is Aaron's birthday. Don't forget to stop by and give him a gift. I left the food downstairs. I'm heading out for lunch with the girls. Your dad left for a meeting already. I'll be back later. Don't wait up."

Charlie heard the front door close and lock. With a grin, Charlie strolled back into his room and changed into an outfit that was his new favorite. A black t-shirt, a leather jacket, and black jeans matched with black boots. He unusually wore all black because it was Gabriela's favorite color. Most of his wardrobe, which she had bought him, was now mostly leather and ripped skinny jeans. He also no longer wore his lucky beanie on account of his new girl.

He wanted to look nice. For Gabriela, of course. It had nothing to do with the fact that he'd see Rose in a couple of hours. No, not at all.

Once he was ready to go, he stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sitting on the kitchen counter were two containers. One had overcooked penne pasta and the other had overly sweet chocolate pudding. His mom made it for Aaron every year.

Just then, he heard the doorbell. Opening the door, he was greeted with the sight of Gabriela herself. Her bright red hair was pulled back into a loose knot and her lips were her signature red. Her outfit was simple, but showed her curves just right. When she walked through the door without a greeting, he reached over and smacked her ass. She squealed before following it up with a giggle.

"Hey baby." Charlie finally said before grabbing the bowl with pudding and his car keys.

Gabriela grabbed the pasta and told him, "I'm, like, so glad that I'm getting to meet your friends and all. But, like, I'm so not looking forward to seeing that blonde bitch."

Charlie chuckled and told her, "You gotta play nice, okay? Otherwise we get kicked out."

Gabriela huffed and stuck her nose up in the air. She then told him, "Just so you know, I don't care about your ex. She can fuck off and die for all I care."

"There's my sweet girl." Charlie hummed before heading for the door.

He drove with the windows rolled down. Gabriela danced her fingers in the wind and hummed to the song. She always picked the music. It was Stay by Zedd and Alessia Cara. He had heard this song so many times because apparently it was a favorite of hers. It wasn't exactly rap or heavy metal, but it would do.

When they arrived at Aaron's house, Charlie helped Gabriela out of the car. They then rang the doorbell and waited patiently.

aaron francis follows//eighteen

Aaron woke with a frown on his face. Sure, today was his birthday, but that always meant trouble. Drama always happened on his birthday, so he never looked forward to it. And inviting Charlie and Rose, and their significant others, to his house? That was just asking for it.

Hopping out of bed, Aaron stretched his arms behind his back and exhaled loudly.

School ended a couple of weeks ago and boy had it been a nightmare. The whole school found out about Charlie and Rose the moment they walked through the front doors. After that, Charlie and Aaron, in turn, were treated like lepers. Of course, there was still a fan club for Charlie. But Aaron? Not so much. And he was guilty by association. Though Tabi did help him get through it. Because of her, he learned that when someone openly gawked at him, he just had to stare hard at them, dead-eyes, until they got unnerved and looked away.

Walking into the bathroom, Aaron took a long, scalding hot shower. When he got out, he shaved his stubble so that he was clean-shaven for when his friends came over. While he looked at himself in the mirror, he met his pale blue eyes. They were child-like and innocent, which made him look younger than he actually was. Even though he acted like he was five years older than his actual age.

Staring at his wide, worried eyes, he began to panic. Taking deep, even breaths to calm himself, Aaron looked at himself in the mirror and said, "Today will go perfectly fine."

That was a lie.

"Today will be a lot of fun."

Another lie.

Sighing, Aaron headed out of the bathroom and to his own bedroom. He went to his closet and searched through his clothes. He wasn't sure what to wear. He decided on something nice. He wanted to look well for his birthday.

After getting ready, Aaron headed downstairs. His dad had crawled into his room to pass out and be hungover, so the living room was empty. Besides the empty beer bottles and cans.

After cleaning those up, Aaron went into the kitchen. He considered making himself some eggs since he was starving, but he knew that his friends were bringing him food. And one of them, probably Rose, was bringing him lemon pie. He preferred that over a birthday cake any day.

Just then, the doorbell rang. He knew it was Charlie before he opened the door.

"Howdy." Aaron said in that cute, awkward way that he did. Gabriela scowled, as if annoyed. Her lip stayed curled for the rest of the day.

Charlie waved and went to the kitchen to set the food down. They wouldn't start eating until everyone arrived. He also had a rule about no drugs or alcohol. They didn't need that stuff to have a good time.

"The others should be showing up soon." Aaron told them; checking the time on the phone. It was almost eleven AM.

charles michael regbo//eighteen

Charlie wrapped an arm around Gabriela's waist and kissed her on the cheek. She was too busy texting on her phone to even pay attention to him. He was used to it though.

Aaron was setting up the dining table. He always did this. He set up the food all big and fancy with nice plates and silverware. Even though it was always just the three of them. This time was different because his girlfriend would be joining us. Though it wouldn't be the first time. Tabi was his second girlfriend, his previous had joined them for his 16th birthday. Charlie had seen her as a little sister since she was a year younger than them. Even Rose loved her. The two of them were very serious, planning a wedding and everything, until her parents moved to California and she was never to be seen again. They followed each other on social media, but they never spoke. Charlie figured it hurt too much.

Suddenly, Gabriela stood up straight and said, "I need to use the ladies room."

She then turned and hugged Charlie really tight before walking down the hallway and toward the bathroom. Under any other circumstances, he'd follow her. But Rose could show up at any minutes. And Gabriela's older brother.

Charlie then grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket and handed Aaron ten bucks. "This should be able to tide you over until your present comes in."

Aaron raised an eyebrow at him, obviously curious. So Charlie told him, "I ordered you Red Dead Redemption 2."

Aaron's face lit up and he looked almost happy enough to hug him. He probably would have had someone not knocked on the door.

When Aaron opened the door, Charlie stood alone in the kitchen. He couldn't handle being alone, left with just his thoughts. He hated to admit it, but his depression had been getting worse.

Aaron eventually led Rose and Zayn into the kitchen. Aaron took the pie and went to set it on the table. He side-hugged Rose afterwards and place a chaste kiss on the side of her head. He loved her homemade pie more than anything.

Aaron then introduced himself to Zayn; shaking his hand with a fake smile. Neither of them seemed to be a fan.

When Zayn looked at Charlie, he had the urge to run. He wanted nothing more than to leave and go to a bar or some party. To get a few drinks n him and dance all of his worries away. But, sadly, he was stuck here with his ex, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend's younger sister who just happened to be his fuck buddy. Also, his best friend, who had a girlfriend, was n love with his ex. This whole situation was a big fucking mess.

Charlie looked Zayn over. He was tall, with nicely trimmed hair and a stupid look on his face. He looked to be about twenty, maybe a year younger. He was overly confident, almost cocky.

All he could picture was Zayn on top of Rose, Rose on top of him, Zayn feeling her up and throwing her dress across the room...

Closing his eyes, Charlie tried his best to picture himself dancing to some popular rap song at a club or a frat party. That was his happy place. Dancing and music, that's what made him happy.

Opening his eyes again, Charlie nodded toward Zayn and said, "I'm Charlie."

aaron francis follows//eighteen

Aaron could feel the tension in the air. In fact, he could cut it with a knife.

Great. Wonderful. Fanfuckingtastic.

Inhaling deeply, Aaron walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of gingerale. "Anyone thirsty?"

Just then, there was another knock on the door. Aaron sighed in relief and quickly exited the kitchen. Which probably wasn't smart, leaving them all alone in there.

When he opened the door to find Tabi, he offered a mischievous grin. Closing the door behind him, Aaron met her outside and grabbed her hips. He then picked her up and spun her around. When he set her back down, he pressed his lips to hers. He then pushed her up against the door. She was much shorter than he was. Practically tiny in comparison. So he had to bend down to kiss her.

Their lips smacked as they pulled apart and then met again. His tongue traced over her teeth, rough against her lips. His teeth then caught her bottom lip while his hand gripped her ass. His hands then reached up behind her head to pull her deeper into the kiss. His head tilted to make the kiss even deeper, kissing her with a hunger that needed to be satisfied. His body was far away, but he was moving closer; leaning in. His heart was beating faster and faster. He could feel her warm breath on his lips, practically taste it. Aaron groaned as he pulled away, not wanting to end the kiss. But he knew that they needed to get back inside.

"They are all waiting inside. We can't leave those guys alone for too long." Aaron smirked, caressing her jawline with his fingertips.

His birthday, so far, was pretty good. Especially now that his girl was here. His precious kitten, his Tabby Cat. God, he loved her.

He hadn't told her that yet. He hoped to tell her soon, when the time was right.

"C'mon." He said with a large smile, opening the door and leading her inside.

charles michael regbo//eighteen

Charlie was about to respond hen Gabriela waltzed back into the kitchen. Her makeup had been touched up and her hair was back down into loose curls. As she approached, she offered a peck on Charlie's lips. She then glanced over at her older brother, offering a tight smile. One that faltered as soon as she saw Rose.

"You must be Rose. So nice to meet you." Anyone who wasn't an idiot could tell how fake she was acting. It almost made Charlie snicker.

Charlie wrapped his arm around Gabriela's shoulders, but he was looking at Rose. Her hair had grown out and that outfit really suited her. Zayn must have bought it for her, there's no way she could afford it herself. Maybe Zayn was better for her after all. He wanted to let her go, let her be with a guy that deserves her, but he couldn't. Maybe he was just too selfish, or maybe he was a plan ol' fool, but he just couldn't.

While they waited for Aaron, Charlie thought about how his best friend's birthday usually went. They all sat down and ate dinner, commenting on how shitty their lives were and how sick the last party had been. Then they'd go sit on the couch and watch tv. Rose would sit on Charlie's lap and Aaron would sit on the farthest side; flipping through the channels. He always landed on some sort of documentary like the dork he was. Then Rose and Charlie would leave and go fuck somewhere; leaving Aaron to finish off his pie and his documentary.

Now that he thought about it, it was probably pretty shitty of them. All they ever thought about were themselves. Maybe it was better that they were broken up. So why didn't it feel that way?

At least this year, Aaron had someone to stay behind and finish the pie off with.

Then his mind wandered to Gabriela. All they did was chat sometimes and screw the rest of the time. He was growing bored with it. She didn't fuck like Rose did. It didn't feel the same. Maybe because he didn't love her.

Just then, Aaron walked into the kitchen with Tabi right next to him. They were holding hands and smiling. Charlie was envious.

aaron francis follows//eighteen

Aaron paused in the hall that led to the kitchen to listen to Tabi. He didn't respond to her. He knew she wasn't lying, and he wouldn't blame her if she beat Gabriela's ass, but that didn't mean he'd like it. He just wanted a normal birthday for once.

Once inside of the kitchen, Aaron noticed how tense the room was. He offered a sharp look at Charlie who nodded. Charlie then took his phone out and hooked it up to the speakers. He started playing Let's Kill Tonight by Panic At The Disco. It blared throughout the house, but Aaron knew it wouldn't wake his dad. He was a very heavy sleeper.

Clutching Tabi's hand, he led her to the dining room and motioned for everyone to follow. In the center of the table was the pasta, the pudding, and the pie. Just like they had every year for the past four years now.

Aaron sat at the head of the table with Tabi by his side. Only one other person had sat beside him during this before, but they never spoke about her.

Rose and Zayn sat on the left side, Charlie and Gabriela sat on the right side.

Charlie had his hand on Gabriela's thigh and she was trying to hide her giggles behind her hand. Aaron tried his hardest not to roll his eyes. Same Charlie, different girl.

"Alright everyone. I'm gonna start off. My wish for myself is that-" He paused and glanced at Tabi. He figured she had no idea what was going on.

Every year, they sat around the table and all made a wish for Aaron. And he usually went first with something silly like he wished that aliens would invade the planet or he'd turn into a monkey. Everyone else's wishes were more heartfelt.

This year, Aaron wished his parents would get back together.

Though he had an even better one than that.

"That you stay my kitten furrever." Yep, a cheesy pun. Oh, how he loved puns.

Charlie laughed at that one, actually pretty hard. He always did appreciate Aaron's puns.

Aaron looked to Rose, waiting for her to take her turn. Then it'd be Zayn, Gabriela, Charlie and, finally, Tabby Cat herself.

charles michael regbo//eighteen

When it was Charlie's turn for a birthday wish, he told him, "I wish that you would get fucked up with me, at least once."

Aaron chuckled at that, probably because it was a stupid wish. But after so many years, you run out of corny wishes for the birthday guy. Besides, he really did wish he'd at least drink with him. Though he understood why he refused to. He didn't want to end up like his dad.

Speaking of his dad, he seemed to appear out of nowhere. No one noticed him until he said, "Will you guys join me outside?"

He wasn't drunk, for once. But he wasn't sober either.

Aaron seemed confused, probably as to why he was awake and not in his room. Though he had on a pair of clean clothes and he smelled like cigarette smoke. Which meant he had been outside at some point.

Aaron stood and so did everyone else.

They all followed his father outside. While they were walking, Charlie pulled Gabriela aside and whispered into her ear, "Wanna go back to my place after?"

Gabriela smiled brightly and whispered back, "Actually, my parents are out of town this weekend. We can go back to my place."

The two of them stood close together for a moment; smiling and feeling each other's warm breath on their faces.

Then they followed the rest of them outside. Aaron was flipping his shit because there was a red beat up truck in the driveway. It was rusted, had chipped paint, and multiple dents. Still, Aaron seemed to love it.

Aaron and his dad patted each other's shoulders, embarrassed, before standing back. His dad then lit a cigarette while Aaron looked the truck over.

"Now you don't have to drive my car around." His dad said, his words slightly slurred.

Charlie had his hand on Gabriela's ass, but he was paying attention to his best friend. He was happy for him, he really was. He was an adult now, a man. He had lost his virginity to a hot babe, had a truck, and now all he needed to do was something bad. Like drugs.

"That's wicked, dude." Charlie said, using one of his many synonyms for cool. He often said, ill, whack, rad, dope, and sick.

aaron francis follows//eighteen

Aaron was freaking out about the truck. He couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. With his friends and his girlfriend here, and a new truck in the driveway, it honestly couldn't get any better.

His dad finished his cigarette and then told him, "I'm going to take a nap. The keys to the truck are inside, in the drawer next to the sink."

With that, his dad headed inside; stomping on his cigarette on his way in.

Aaron turned to Tabi and smiled that goofy smile of his. He then half-shrugged, as if the truck was no big deal. Though, in reality, he was ecstatic.

Afterwards, they all headed back inside. Aaron sat back in his seat with a lopsided grin. So far, his birthday was pretty okay.

He opened up the containers of food and began piling food onto his plate. Others did the same, but none came close to Aaron's plate. He always did love Charlie's mother's cooking.

While everyone ate, Aaron told the story of how him and Tabi met. He figured Zayn and Gabriela would like to hear it. He always took an opportunity to show off his girl.

Gabriela was picking at her food while Charlie was stuffing his face. Every once in a while, he noticed Gabriela giving Rose dirty looks. Which he didn't appreciate.

Everyone talked and ate before finally going over to the couch. Aaron sat on the left with Tabi next to him. Charlie sat on the right side with Gabriela on his lap. He figured Rose and Zayn would take the recliner.

Aaron flipped through the channels until he finally decided on National Geographic. It was a documentary on elephants which just so happened to be Aaron's favorite animal.

They sat for a while, watching the tv. Aaron had his hand on Tabi's thigh and he kept thinking about how amazing birthday sex was going to be when suddenly the doorbell rang.

Aaron shot up, though he had no idea who it could be.

"I'll get it." He said, heading for the door.

aaron francis follows//eighteen

When Aaron opened the door, his mouth fell open. "A-Anna?"

This was the last person he expected to see. What was she doing here? God, she looked completely different too.

The girl, Anna Martin, offered a shy smile in return to his confusion. Her hair used to be dyed black and in a bob, but now it was bleached blonde and past her shoulders. Her face used to be covered in acne, but now it was crystal clear. She was still small and petite, like he remembered, but now she had curves. Her dark blue eyes were smeared with dark eyeliner and eyeshadow. Her lips were painted with sticky black lipstick. She had a few scary looking tattoos here and there as well. Her outfit was a simple, tight black dress and a dark jean jacket. And she was holding tupperware in her hands.

"Happy birthday, lovebug." Anna smiled widely as she used his old pet name. Some things about her didn't change. Like the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled or the way some of her teeth were crooked, albeit in a cute way.

"Thanks." Aaron said, still clearly in shock.

The two of them stood there in awkward silence for a moment before Anna said, "Can I come in?"

"O-Oh yeah, for sure. Come on in." Aaron moved aside to let her through; his face sickly pale. He was staring at her like he had just seen a ghost.

Anna tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and blushed. She then looked over at Aaron and said, "I brought casserole. I thought, you know, I should contribute."

Aaron gulped and nodded silently. He then led her to the kitchen, even though she already knew where it was. Once she had set down the food, he looked her over and said, "What are you doing here?"

Anna laughed under her breath and leaned against the kitchen counter. She was tapping her hell against the tile floor. "I graduated early, so I'm going to college here in the fall. Since I'm in town, I thought I'd stop by. Is that okay?"

Aaron had to think about that for a moment. Was it okay? His current girlfriend was in the living room, but so was his best friend and his ex. Who both happened to be good friends with Anna. He didn't see why she couldn't stay. The more the merrier, right?

"Yeah, no. Its okay." Aaron shrugged again, like nothing mattered to him.

For a few minutes, the two of them just bopped their heads to the music. It was Fuck It I Don't Wanna Be Friends by BoTalks.

"Is that your truck outside?" Anna asked when the song was over, not looking him in the eye.

"Yeah, it is. Birthday present from my dad."

"Nice bro. Now you don't have to ride your board everywhere." Anna giggled and ran her hand through her soft looking hair.

"Yeah. Did you want something to eat?" Aaron offered, wanting to be polite.

"Yeah. Do you have-"

"Cinnamon Toast Crunch?"

Anna began to laugh really hard and said, "You remember!"

"Of course I do." Aaron smiled and went to his pantry to grab the cereal for her.

As he poured her a bowl, she told him, "I smoked a bowl before I came here, so I'm starving."

Aaron almost spilled the milk; missing the bowl completely. She did drugs now? She didn't used to. Yeah, she skipped class and smoked cigarettes and rode around on her skateboard with him after school. Back then, she had been a mostly innocent freshman and sophomore in high school. But now? Now she really was a bad kid. He wasn't sure why he minded so much.

Tabi hadn't been doing drugs, not that he knew of. Which he liked it better that way anyway.

Passing her the bowl of cereal, he watched her munch down on it; staring hard at her. Who was she now?

"Are Charlie and Rose here?" Anna wondered, glancing toward the direction the living room was in.

//two things. 1) i didn't have anything to write for charlie, sorry 2) PLOT TWIST HAHAHA//

aaron francis follows//eighteen

When Tabi entered the kitchen, Aaron's breath hitched. He knew they'd meet eventually, but he was still frightened by the idea. He had no idea what Tabi's reaction was going to be.

Anna looked confused to see Tabi standing there, but then she heard her call him baby and she seemed to get it. Her lips were pursed into a pout as Tabi sat down next to Aaron.

"No, we haven't. I'm Anna. Pleasure to meet you." Anna sounded like a dog guarding its bone while she spoke. She even leaned slightly more toward Aaron. Though she backed up a bit when she saw the look on Tabi's face.

Anna looked up at Aaron and for a moment she looked a lot younger. She looked like the girl he had fallen for almost three years ago.

Aaron broke their gaze and instead looked to Tabi. He opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn't sure how to explain the situation to her. Then again, she had no reason to be upset with him. Its not like he invited her. He had no idea she even came back to New York.

"I was just passing through and thought I'd stop by." Anna said, somehow being able to sound offensive and apologetic at the same time.

She still had a lot of the same mannerisms that he remembered. Like the way she was squinting at Tabi, as if she couldn't quite get a good look at her. She did that whenever she was jealous.

Aaron glanced sideways at Anna before looking back at Tabi. "She's an old friend."

Anna then piped up with, "Funny that he didn't mention me. Did you forget about me, lovebug?" She ended with shrill laughter and stuck her tongue out in a teasing way.

This caused Aaron to practically stop breathing. Did he really have two girls fighting over him right now? And on his birthday, of all days? He didn't ask for this.

Anna looked at him expectantly, so he sighed and said, "No, I didn't... Anna Banana."

He then looked back at Tabi with pleading eyes, hoping she'd understand he didn't love his ex. He had just invited her in to be nice. Yeah, he still cared about her. He was sure Rose and Charlie were going to be excited when they saw her. She had been a fundamental part of the group and they hadn't left on a bad note. But his heart belonged to his girlfriend, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Just then, rain started pelting down in sheets; slamming against the window. Of course it would start raining. Of fucking course.

Anna whimpered slightly and brought her tear brimmed eyes up to Aaron. She had really bad anxiety when it came to thunderstorms, so there was no way she was driving home in this weather. Looks like she was staying until it passed.

charles michael regbo//eighteen

The documentary on elephants had long since ended by the time Charlie stood from the couch. He glanced down at Gabriela and told her, "I'll be right back." He even added a flirtatious wink.

Charlie then left in search of Aaron, Tabi, and whoever was at the door. Everyone was wondering what was taking so long. It was about time to sing happy birthday and eat Rose's pie.

Wandering into the kitchen, he turned the corner and there she was. Anna Martin in all her glory. She had gone from the skater chic to flat out beautiful goddess. Damn, if she hadn't have moved then he'd be giving Aaron props for such a catch.

He heard them sitting there, talking about the weather, which was wet, and staring at anything but each other. So Charlie figured it was time for him to interrupt.

He took his hands and began a drum roll on the table beside him. Anna perked up like a dog being called and her smile grew. She then hopped up from her seat and ran toward Charlie. She ran straight into his arms, so he picked her up and spun her around. When he set her bck down, he rubbed his fist on her head. She was always like a second little sister to him.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in California." Charlie looked her over. Wow, did she raid a goth's closet or what? Also, she smelled like pot. Oh, so she smoked now? He wondered if she brought any.

"Yeah, well, I'm back." Anna shrugged happily and she seemed to have a really chill vibe. He always liked that about her. She seemed to fit in anywhere.

"Where's Rosie?" She wondered, looking over Charlie's shoulder.

He understood why. Rose and Anna had been best friends before Tabi ever came along. They still texted and called every once in a while. Did Rose tell her about the breakup? She probably did.

"In the living room." Charlie explained, moving out of the way so that Anna could go announce her presence.

When she had walked off in search of Rose, Charlie looked at Aaron and frowned. He looked like he was panicking.

"Hey, dude. Chill out." He warned him, trying to calm him down. He didn't want his best friend having a panic attack on his own birthday.