Luna Aria

II. Joe's Love Life

Aria's POV:

After school, I ended up on the cold bench, waving the blue flag with our school logo back and forth. “Go, Joe and Jo-”

Massive shrieks overpowered my low unenthusiastic half-ass cheer. “Go, Joe and John! We believe in you!”

I peek over to see the group of girls cheering on our school soccer team, or more specifically, a pair of handsome twins.

John jogged backward and winked. Joe blew them an air kiss causing their ear-pitching shouts to increase in volume. I covered my ears and gagged. How disgusting.

My eyes slowly shut as I watch them kick the ball back and forth. When a buzzard rings, I jolt up and wipe the drool from the side of my lips.

Pretend you were awake the whole time.

I can hear a low, scoffing sound inside my head.

The crowd rushes towards John and Joe, yelling words of congrats for another victory. They wave towards me, and I return their acknowledgment with a two-finger salute.

John pushes his way out of the crowd while Joe, hopelessly, gets trampled by everyone.

John takes off his cap and wipes the sweats off his forehead. He hopped the rail and jogged towards me. Throwing a sweaty arm over my shoulder, he pulls me in. “You fell asleep, didn’t you?”

I grab the empty cup of soda only to hear the ice clanking. I put the straw in my mouth and sucked up the water mixed with air. “Yeah.”

John rolled his eyes, “Thanks for coming anyway, even if you never watch us in action. We appreciate it.”

I pat his thigh and hand him the empty cup. “Anytime, big brother.” We both know I’m only here because they are my ride home.

He releases a short chuckle, “We’re going to a party later. Want to come with us? Of course, no alcohol for you since you are underage,” he said in a stern voice.

My shoulders lifted into a lazy shrug. “Sure, why not.”

He pinches my cheek, “I’ll call mom and ask, but remember, no boys.”

“Yes. I know. I’ll stay alone forever.”

“Your words, not mine.” John walks toward a less crowded area. He places his phone between his ear and shoulder while people surround him once again. John tugged his way towards the trash can and threw away the empty cup. He waves at them and mouths: ”Busy,” while pointing at the phone.

The sun gradually set while we made our way towards the party. I lay in the backseat of the car to take a nap. I love how understanding my older brothers can be, rejecting others, knowing I like the whole backseat to myself.

My eyes open when I hear a burst of music and strident screams.

John looks at me, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

Someone taps the glass, and Joe rolls his window down, forcing a cheery smile on his face. “We were waiting for the both of you!” a guy shouts, and the rest hollers along. The heavy scent of alcohol slid into the car.

Exhaling a massive yawn, I sat up and rubbed my tired eyes. Joe releases a short breath, and his eyes quickly glance at the rearview mirror. I smile, a wide lazy like one, and he cringes. He tucks his lips over his teeth. “Maybe next time, we are getting a little tired.”

“Yeah, you know, the game was intense today,” John adds.

“Come on! The party is for the two of you!” the guy whines, pouring out his lips while the rest booed in disagreement.

“Sorry, dude. Next time?” Joe responds. Joe turns on the engine, and everyone booed while he drives us away.

“Suck it!” John shouts, flipping them a bird while Joe cracks a short laugh.

They return his vulgar sign of brohood. “Better not ditch us next time!” another guy yells.

The pounding music faded as we drove farther and farther away. “You guys could’ve dropped me off at home and went to the party,” I said, causing them to exchange silent glances.

"Nah, we are sick of parties anyways,” John replies with a dismissive wave.

John and Joe are famous at school where everyone wants to be their friend or lover.

John has a girlfriend named Chelsea, who is a hunter. They had been together since, forever. She goes to a specialized hunting school not too far away from ours. He is off the market, but I would still see girls shamelessly throwing themselves at him.

On the other hand, Joe is a free fish. Now, that’s where the problem lies. Usually, his relationship ends in a breakup because the girls claim he doesn’t love them. I don’t think they are wrong; he doesn’t look like he has any unforgettable emotions for them since he treats them the same as his friends.

Every single one of us witnessed at least one of his breakups before.

It all started with: “Why won’t you sleep with me?”

Joe would respond with: “I think it’s better to wait till marriage.”

In the end, the girl will ask him if he loves her. Joe is not a liar, so he responds: “I like you more than a friend. Maybe, with some additional time, it can turn into something more?”

Then, she threw out an ugly cry threatening to break up with him if he didn’t love her. Since Joe is a nice guy, he would tell her: “I don’t want to waste both our time. You should go find another guy who can dedicate his whole heart to you.”

Then, she would beg him not to break up with her even though she was the one who brought it up. Joe would pat her shoulder, ending the whole ordeal with: “Please, find someone who can make you happy,” and left.

The girl would turn into a stalker, and we had to get another restraining order. That sums up Joe’s love life.

There are girls and some guys at school who are hunting him down for his virginity.

Once, our parents asked him if he plays for the other team, but he says he is waiting for the right girl.

I don’t know about that.

For them, the family is always the priority. They know I don’t like to stay home alone, that’s why they took me to a party. Even if we did attend the party, they would stand in front of me and glared at all the males.

I briefly remember going through a party phase during one of my lives to block out emotions. It’s not my proudest moment.

My eyes open, feeling like I’m floating on air. Glancing upward, I saw a fantastic pair of brown. “Want some triple meaty pizza tonight with extra meat?” John asks while carrying me back to the house. I must have fallen asleep on the ride back home.

I can hear keys rattling and the door creak open. “Yes, please.”

He carried me to the couch and threw me down. “Ow! My face hurts,” I muffled into the couch pillow. Laying there, I can hear noisy footsteps up the stairs.

Joe smacked my head and tilted his head, signaling me to move over. “Move over chicken legs.”

“Shut up, pig face,” I continued muffling into the pillow. Joe grabbed my leg and threw it on the floor, taking a comfortable seat on the couch.

He grasps the remote and turns on the tv. “What do you want to watch?”

"Scarlet."