15.

                                    

                                          
As we clean up the mess Lindsay had left us after her little tantrum, we were silent. I honestly didn't have much to say, but I could tell Aether did by the way he shot me suspicious glances as I started closing up. 
Together, we managed to get the place back to it normal state quicker then if I was alone. I finished up by turning everything I need to off and shutting and locking up the door tight. I fiddled with the lock and made some second-checks and turned towards Aether. 
He relaxed and leaned on the locked door. It was night fall now, so I could barely make out his face, only his glimmering coffee eyes. He reached out and pushed back my hair, tucking it behind my ears. I shivered as is finger grazed over my ear, very embarrassed about how sensitive my ears were. I gave myself a mental smack on the cheek as my fave shone crimson, peeking at Aether. His eyebrows were arched high, a cunning smile crawling up his face, which he tried to cover with his hands, but I could see this eyes squint into a genuine smile, with that diamond shine in my orbs. 
He moved his hand lower to my neck, tugging me closer into a chaste kiss. Pulling away, he tilted up to rest his chin on the top of my head. He didn't even need to go on his toes, he was just that tall. His strong arms wrap themselves around me tight, like he was trying to find the perfect posture to hold me in. After shifting around for a minute, he finally stilled, with his hands linked on my lower back and face swallowed in my hair. 
"Who was that before?" He started, mumbling into my hair and tickling my scalp.
"Just someone I knew back at my old school." I put in effort to make it seem like we were just classmates or strangers, but it was all to waste, since he heard the whole thing.
"Sure, whatever you say." He replied, sarcasm leaking from every word. 
"What's her problem anyways? She's the one with the fucked up dad, she's projecting her hate for him onto you, and I for one, think that's stupid as shit." He huffed, now pulling back and looking at me.
I was horrified by what he had said, but he was 100% correct, so much, that I couldn't keep it in me to not laugh. I exploded into a fit of laughter, Aether standing there having a proud moment. Through giggles I asked,
"You managed to absorb that much of what she was saying? Shit, she was talking so fast I had to rake my brain to even comprehend what was even going on." This made it Aether's turn to laugh, as he did he pulled me in by the shoulder and chuckled his way to the car. 
"I hope we never have to deal with that... thing ever again." I concluded, turning to Aether before walking to the passenger door. 
"You're not alone on that one." He smiled at me, wide and free, more sincere then any smile he would flash at the swarms of people. My legs and arms reacted faster then my brain, jolting and walking me to Aether, pulling him down slightly so I could kiss him on those pillow soft lips. Not even a second after the kiss he relaxed and pulled me closer, rubbing circles into my back, making me flatline. We got situated in the car soon after and drove off. Nothing could have given me energy at this point, only some well deserved sleep for at lease 12 hours could last me half a day. I lean back and close my eyes, holding onto Aether's hand as he drove me home. After that fuck up, i'm sure things will look up cor us, I thought was I watched a shooting star flight across the midnight sky. But, of course, this was just the beginning.
All the way back at the café, stood a run down, shady petrol station. Nobody really went there unless they wanted the 3 months expired nachos or very shitty petrol, but under the flickering, barely functioning lights, She stood. Mouth wide open, eyes gapping as big as he mouth, as a pool of red and blue slushie spreads around her pearly white converses. Nothing could have prepared her to see the hottest, most loved and cherished guy at her school, kissing the smart guy with attitude problems right on the mouth. When she recovered, all she could do was stand in shock. How was she going to approach them about this? Did she even need to? He pulled out her phone from her thrifted mom jeans back pocket, and hovered it over her girlfriend's contact. 
Hey, sooo I may have seen something I shouldn't have...
Gwen... what did you see?
Oh you know, just Aether and your ex- best friend kissing. The usual stuff. 
Alex?