“You gonna say something, or are you gonna stare at me like a numpty?”
To be fair to Chris, there weren’t many girls he’d ever met that grabbed his attention as Aria Blaze did. Not that he was bad at keeping eye contact. Aria just seemed to have something about her that he couldn't describe, yet worth staring at.
Even though she called him out on it, he kept his gaze squarely on Aria’s fierce purple pupils. In response, she narrowed her eyelids and bared her teeth.
“Ari! Chill out.” Sonata’s voice snapped Chris back to reality. Sonata shuffled between the two, pushing against Aria’s shoulders. Her fiery glare switched from Chris to Sonata. “How do you expect to get stuff from people if you’re so aggressive all the time?”
“Fighting has a pretty decent track record.”
Chris tilted his head to the side. These two had the timing of a comedy duo. One playful and excitable, with the other being painfully straight. He wondered if he even could break these two apart when they got like this.
"You two get along well," he said smirking. Sonata turned back to him and matched his smirk with a smile.
"Super sorry that Aria's like this! She's just hostile to people she's never met before."
"We've met before," said Chris with a nod. "Know what you mean."
"Well, I don't remember you.” She’d calmed down from before, only looking slightly bored when she glanced over to Sonata. “I made sure you didn’t trip and die on your way down the hall, so can I go now?”
“No! It's your project as much as it is mine." Aria rolled her eyes but said nothing. "Chris was nice enough to help, you can't just leave."
"Oh, I can. And wouldn't you know it, I'm doing that right now." She turned around, shoved her hands in her pockets, then walked away. “See ya. Call me when you need to be picked up, or whatever.”
“Aria!” Sonata clenched her fists and pouted with a ferocity Sonata didn’t seem capable of expressing. Even so, Chris watched Aria’s brash and outward persona crumple in on itself, quickly being replaced with an annoyed glare. He could only watch in awe as she made her way back over to the table with a giant sigh.
“I’m staying to make sure you put my name on the damn thing,” she clarified. She shot Chris another frown, then slipped her earbuds out of her pockets. “So don’t bother me with any work. That’s what this egghead is for.” Sonata lit up like the fourth of July, circled the table to the side where Aria sat, and grabbed her in a hug. When Aria responded with a punch, Chris couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“Alright, let’s not keep Aria waiting, then.” Chris dug into his backpack and pulled the copy of Macbeth he’d gotten from his English class out, as well as his notebook. Sonata did the same. “Did you already get started?”
“Nope!” Sonata said it with so much confidence, Chris didn’t have anything to say in response. “Thanks for the help!”
While the start of the project was slow, the two advanced pretty quickly. Modernizing Macbeth wasn’t as difficult as it was tedious. Having already turned it in a few days before, Chris already knew a bunch of the translations by heart, and it was as simple as filling in the blanks.
Aria tapped on the desk gently and stared off into the courtyard beyond the library window. School was already over, so the only sounds they could hear were the cars in traffic and the subtle sound of the sports teams. With that said, Chris could hear the faintest sting of a guitar riff. He kept listening, now hearing drums and lyrics he couldn’t quite understand. Still, he could label them as familiar.
“Hey, Chris?” His eyes whipped from Aria to Sonata, who was resting her chin in the spine of the book. “What’s ‘threescore’ mean?”
“A score is 20 years,” he replied. Sonata raised her eyebrow. “So threescore would be 60 years.”
“I need a 60-year break,” she mumbled into the book. Chris checked his watch and saw that it was nearing 5. Not only would it be dark soon, but all of the school’s faculties closed at 6.
“We can probably get this done before 6. Especially if you get some help at home.” Chris looked over to Aria, who he surprisingly met eyes with. By now, her song had ended. “I guess we can take a 15-minute break to stretch out our legs.” Sonata took to the idea immediately, springing up from her chair and shaking herself out.
“Cool! Be back in a few!” She all but sprinted for the front door of the library, disappearing into the hallway in a matter of moments. Chris did a little stretch of his own, though he stayed seated.
He looked down at his book, focusing more than before. Getting more than half of Macbeth translated in an hour was crazy, but more importantly than that, it was possible. Chris flicked his eyes quickly between an original and his handwritten copy, quickly and neatly scribbling down every translation as it came up.
“Alright, with her gone, this is probably the best time to pop this question.” Aria’s voice shook Chris’ concentration, so he looked up to meet eyes with her. She still had her earbuds in, but he couldn’t hear any sound coming from them now either. “You’ve got a thing for Sonata, don’t you?”
“Erm… no.” Chris’ slow response didn’t seem to convince her all that much, so he continued. “I was kinda under the impression that you two were already dating.”
“Me and Sonata?” she asked. “We’re sisters, dumbass.”
“You’re sisters?”
“I don’t believe that you didn’t know that.” She said, gesturing toward him with an open palm. “Unless we somehow wiped your memory of the past few months, you should remember the Siren Sisters taking over the school thing.” Chris pursed his lips, looking concerned, but said nothing. “Well, I guess if you don’t know that, you’d have no reason to be spiteful to Sonata, so I guess I was just being paranoid.”
“Do you really not remember us meeting?” Aria raised an eyebrow, unsure of why he brought this back up. Still, she decided she might as well give it some real thought. Chris was sure she was trying to glare through him with the stare she gave him. With Chris being so sure of himself, he had to have left some impression.
“Can’t say I do, kid,” she said with a shrug. “Care to enlighten me?” Chris looked out of the window.
“A few months ago, when I first transferred in, I got off the bus and ran into you. It was pitch black out, so there weren’t many other people around.” Chris glanced back at Aria to make sure she was paying attention, then continued. “You were angry, so I asked you what was wrong. In response you… knocked me on my ass. You grabbed me by the shirt and… well, I can’t remember what happened after that.”
After his story, his eyes fell on Aria, who looked like she was seriously thinking about it. She looked at him, then back down at the table, switching every few seconds, until finally, she spoke up.
“Did I take your wallet?”
“Yeah!” said Chris laughing. “I got super worried cause I didn’t know if they’d let me in my cousin’s apartment without ID!” Aria just looked at him as he chuckled.
She could only remember that night because it was right after she'd lost her powers. Telling him that she was trying to suck magic out of him to no avail, only to steal his wallet and buy some dinner wasn't the best idea, so she kept her mouth shut.
“You seem to be taking it pretty well,” said Aria. “What, were you expecting an apology this whole time?”
“No, no, that’s not it.” Chris put his chin in his palm and looked at Aria smiling. “I wanted to meet the girl who could knock people out in one punch. A girl like that would be demon-feared and god-worshipped!” Aria raised her eyebrow and began to smirk.
"Did you just quote the song I was listening to?" She looked at her phone, and Chris kept smiling.
"Yep. Not many people I know are fans of AnMach."
"I wouldn't have expected an egghead like you to be big on them either," she said with a shrug. "Not too edgy for you?"
"Normally, yeah, but I've got a special reason." Chris looked at his phone, then to the door of the library. "Speaking of, it's not normal for Sonata to be gone this long, right?" Aria rolled her eyes.
"You probably thought I wasn't serious when I said I was making sure she didn't trip and die on her way here. I wouldn't even be surprised if…" Aria stopped in the middle of her sentence, her face slowly turning from bored to angry. "Goddamnit, she just texted me from home!"
"She bailed?" Chris frowned, but only for a moment. Aria wasn't as lighthearted. "Well, I guess I should finish up these two parts before 6, then." She paused her anger for confusion, glancing over at Chris.
"You're gonna sit here doing this for another hour?" she asked.
"Well, yeah. I don't want Sonata to fail, even if she deserves to." Chris picked up his pencil and started to concentrate. "Tell her I'll pass her the work before class starts tomorrow, so she should come early." Without another word, he threw himself into his work. Aria watched him for a few seconds before she got out of her chair, shoved her phone in her pocket and turned to the door.
“Thanks, I guess,” she mumbled. “See ya.”
“Good night,” he said with a nod. “Get home safe.”
“You look awful. Guessing you didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
Aria didn’t answer, but the bags around her eyes and her droopy posture told the whole story. She sighed, rested her head against the cold wall tiles and closed her eyes. Chris, on the other hand, sipped his coffee.
“Fuck off,” Aria mumbled. The two were among the only ones loitering about the cafeteria so early in the morning. Although Aria was so hostile to him, Chris didn’t do anything but sip his drink. “Why are you hanging around me, anyway?”
“Dunno. Cause we’re friends?” Aria frowned fiercely, which he met with a smirk. “None of my friends are here yet, and I spotted you from across the room, so I thought I’d drop by and say howdy.”
“Never say howdy to me again,” growled Aria. She sighed again, knowing that she wasn’t going to get much of a wall nap with Chris buzzing around. She opened her eyes and looked at him, sipping away at his styrofoam cup. “You drink that dirt water they call coffee?”
“Well, it’s caffeinated dirt water, so I manage,” he said. “Did you listen to AnMach’s most recent album?”
“Epiphany Fields?” She moved her hair out of the way, and turned her head, showing off her earbud. “I’ve been listening to it since last night. Solid.” Chris laughed then sipped his coffee. Aria could never really get a read on him, which made her feel uneasy. Her attitude didn’t seem to phase him, and he never seemed down. Somehow, that managed to counteract the uneasiness.
“Hm? Something on my face?” He used the napkin around the cup he was holding to wipe his mouth. He looked back down at her frown and smiled. “Guessing that wasn’t it, huh?”
“Oh, Aria. You were over here.” They both turned to the side, where another figure was walking towards them. Chris hadn’t seen much of her, but he could vaguely remember seeing the two around each other. Next to Aria, she was a bit short and chubbier around the edges. Her eyes were cold and smooth. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to butt in if you were talking about something.”
“It’s fine, Dagi,” said Aria, returning to her resting position. “Just passing the time until Sonata gets here.”
“You’ll be waiting long, then” Adagio looked at Chris, then back to Aria. “Sonata told me she wasn’t coming today.” Aria’s eyes flew open, and her signature snarl popped up. “She got sick or something last night, so she’s staying in today.”
“Sick my ass,” she said through her snarl. “She just doesn’t feel like coming to school today.”
“Good thing you’re here, right?” Chris pulled his bag off his back, swinging it to his front so he could rummage through it. “Guess if she’s not gonna be showing, I should hand these to you.” He pulled out a folder and handed it over to Aria. Then, reached back into his bookbag, and pulled out a small, blue purse.
“Sonata’s handbag?” asked Aria. “Did she leave this back at the library?”
“Yup. I didn’t realize it myself until I was about to leave.” He shrugged, then finished off his coffee. “Guess I was still in the mindset that she was gonna come back and didn’t think too hard about it.” Aria took the bag from him, then unzipped it and looked inside. “I didn’t take anything from there and it hurts me that you’d think that.”
“Shut up, doofus.” Aria pulled out a phone that very obviously belonged to Sonata. If the light blue case didn’t give it away, all the cutesy stickers definitely would’ve. She handed the phone over to Adagio. “Since Sonata wants to skip out on class, maybe she can skip out on her phone for a while.”
“That’s an interesting family system you have there,” said Chris, chuckling. He turned to Adagio and extended his free hand. “I’m Chris, by the way. Right now, I’m trying to join Aria’s long list of friends, even though she’s being kinda stubborn.” Adagio shook his hand gently, offering a smile of her own.
“Charmed.” Her eyes certainly said otherwise. “And good luck to you.”
“Saying shit like that is exactly why we’re not friends,” said Aria, still clearly annoyed. “He’s the guy that did Sonata’s project for her.” Adagio glanced at Chris, clearly sizing him up.
“Pretty generous, if I do say so myself,” said Adagio, slipping Sonata’s phone away into her pocket. “And pretty suspicious as well.”
“I’m a good samaritan?” He looked between the two, then smirked. “Okay, fair enough. There was a reason I wanted to go home late last night, so I thought I might as well do some work while I was at it.” He walked a bit forward and threw his cup out. “Which reminds me of something else I wanted to ask you, Aria.”
“Shoot,” she said. Chris swung his bag around, rummaging inside it again. He pulled out a small envelope, pulling the flap back to real a pair of tickets. Despite her clear fatigue, her eyes went wide. “Dude, are those AnMach tickets?”
“Yep,” he said with a wide grin on his face. “After talking about them yesterday, I decided to go get tickets for their show on Saturday.”
“There’s no way, they’ve been sold out like a month now!” Adagio’s eyes flickered from one to the other, watching their conversation in silence. “You’re giving one to me, right?”
“That’s the plan,” he said, picking one out from the envelope and handing it over. “Feel like heading there together?”
“Fuck yeah,” for the first time since they’d met, Chris saw Aria smile, only making him smile wider. “That just redeemed my day, no joke.”
“Glad to hear—” Chris stumbled forward, catching himself before he fell flat on his face. An arm was draped over his shoulder, weighing him down. “Hello to you too, Jaime.”
“What’s up, dude? I was looking all over for you.” Aria’s smile slowly faded and was replaced with her dull frown from before. “Oh was I interrupting something?”
“Kinda, but I was waiting for you anyway.” Chris shook Jaime’s arm off and stood up straight. “Sorry. I’ll see you around, Aria. Also, it was nice to meet you, Adagio.” He elbowed Jaime in the side, then started walking off. Adagio watched them leave, listening to their conversation blend into the rest of the noise of the rapidly filling cafeteria.
“Alright Aria, what’s the deal?” asked Adagio. Aria only raised an eyebrow in response. “There’s absolutely no way you of all people put up with a guy like that.”
“We have history. Technically,” she explained. “I met him right after the Battle of the Bands. Well, more like he met my fist.” Adagio’s face darkened but said nothing. “He had just transferred in, so he doesn’t know anything about us trying to take over the school. Whether or not that’s true, I don’t know.”
“Well, he’s already made friends, so he’s probably lying to you.” She crossed her arms and glared at him from across the room. He’d surrounded himself with others in the few moments he was gone. Along with them, he seemed to be laughing and enjoying himself. “I’m not entirely sure why he’d do that just yet, but it helps to be cautious.”
“I can handle myself,” she said. “I just… I don’t know. He’s weirdly optimistic about everything. Being surrounded by people who hate you gets tiring. Guess he was just like a breath of fresh air. Doesn’t hurt that he has a pretty good taste in music.”
“Well… I won’t tell you what to do. God knows you don’t listen anyway.” Adagio sighed. “Just watch yourself around him. He’s unpredictable.”
Adagio had a point. Nothing about Chris seemed natural. She clutched the ticket tightly in her pocket. Of course, if he tried anything funny, she could just lay him flat again.
Before she could think of much else, the bell rang out and shattered her concentration. She grumbled, knowing that today was just going to be a long grace period before she got home and beat the shit out of Sonata.
But worse than that, it was the first day of a whole week she’d have to wait before the AnMach concert.
But it’d certainly all be worth it.
“Yo.”
Aria looked up from her phone and at the voice who called out to her. Though she was just feeling relatively normal, seeing that grinning face immediately spoiled her mood. She shoved her phone into her pocket when he got close.
“You’re pretty late,” she said, crossing her arms. “Despite, you know, being the one who invited me out.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I had to make sure I was ready.” He started walking past Aria, who quickly fell in line with him. “Anyway, I’m surprised! You look pretty good!”
“The fuck’s that supposed to mean?” said Aria, frowning. “I always look good.”
“Fair, fair.”
The two continued walking down the sidewalk, slowly watching the sun fade into an amber-pink sky. It would get dark soon, which only served to make Aria more excited. She bubbled over when she spotted the concert hall.
Chris led the two to the front, where a small crowd had gathered. It was only a few more minutes till the hour, so they’d be part of the stragglers coming in at the last minute.
“Shame I couldn’t afford VIP tickets,” mumbled Chris as he slipped onto the back of the line. “Listening to them so close is a crazy experience.” He went to the front and gave the lady behind the glass his ticket, waiting for Aria to do the same. The two went inside where the crowd was already humming with energy.
The concert hall itself was pretty unimpressive by professional standards, but it had a stage and an open space, so it would make do. The ceiling over the crowd was glass, letting what little natural light there was at the time seep in and paint the crowd in color.
The two loitered near the entrance for a moment before Aria pointed out a spot among the crowd that was relatively open and free of people. While they made their way over, the crowd broke into cheers, applauding a rather large man getting behind a drum set.
“Holy shit,” said Aria, somehow speaking clearly over the roar of the crowd. “That’s RobertG. He looks way cooler in person.” She laughed. “If I catch him after the show, I’m grabbing his autograph.” Chris raised an eyebrow.
“Wouldn’t you want the lead singer’s autograph?” he asked. “Since, you know, they’re the face of the band?” Aria shook her head.
“The drummer keeps the whole band in sync. I’ve got mad respect for them,” she said. “That being said, there’s no way in hell I’d ever reject Silver’s autograph.” Chris simply laughed.
“I didn’t take you as a fangirl kind of music fan,” he said. “Kinda cute, honestly.” Aria’s eyes widened a bit before she responded.
“I, uh, have a lot of passion for music,” she said, fluttering for a moment. “If you think that’s fangirling, you haven’t seen Sonata talk about shit she likes.”
“True.” The two continued making their way over to the spot Aria pointed out. She couldn’t help but trail a bit further back, though. She was about to experience one of her favorite bands in person, yet Chris was bigger on her mind.
The spot wasn’t bad. It was up a short flight of stairs, so there was no chance of not being able to see over other people’s heads. They even got the chance to go straight up to the railing. Chris leaned on it and looked down at the crowd.
“I think the show is gonna start any moment now,” he said with a smile. The crowd had calmed down again, so he didn’t have to raise his voice. “Excited?”
“Fuck yeah,” said Aria, physically shaking any unnecessary thoughts away. This was her payoff for the week. Nothing was gonna ruin it.
Only a few seconds passed before the crowd erupted into cheers. The lights lagged behind a bit, but eventually, they flashed onto the stage. Aria couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of them.
All four of the members were on the stage, each with their instruments out, looking into the roaring crowd. RobertG started pressing down on the kick drum, guiding the crowd to clap along. The bassist, Kai Lee, started strumming along with the beat, riling the crowd up even more. Behind her, the last two popped up, causing the already excited crowd to erupt. The sting of Francisco’s guitar meshed well with Silver’s voice. Aria couldn’t help but smirk when the lyrics came in.
They were fast and short, intercepted by the screech of guitar and the hum of the bass. As Aria said, the drum beats pulled everything together. The song only lasted a few minutes, but the experience carried throughout the crowd for much longer. During the song, and even after it faded away, Silver’s smirk beamed into the crowd.
Chris spared a rogue glance at Aria. She almost looked like she was completely entranced by the music. Her eyes were firmly glued to the stage and she was gripping the railing pretty tightly. The crowd’s energy seemed to have affected her. Her smile was so wide and strong, Chris couldn’t help but stare while the next song played. He felt a little entranced himself.
The concert wasn’t too terribly long. Even though AnMach had sold out the hall, they didn’t have much in their discography as of yet. Still, at the end of those thirty minutes, there didn’t seem to be a single person who would leave unsatisfied.
As the final song faded out and the crowd quieted down, Silver grabbed the microphone again, pulling everyone’s attention once more.
“Hope you all had a good night!” The crowd roared, responding positively. Silver simply smiled again. “Thanks for coming out to rock with us!”
“We should probably leave now if we want to get out before the flood of people,” said Chris, slightly louder than the crowd around him. Aria pulled back from the railing and put her hands in her pockets.
“Yeah, let’s dip,” she said. The two spared a glance back on stage where the band was packing up, then slipped through the crowd.
“Goodbye and Goodnight! Bang!” Chris turned to the stage once again, and rolled his eyes, before continuing towards the door.
The two made it to the front a little ahead of the pack. The sky had turned a deep shade of blue, and the moon peeked over the skyline. Chris took a deep breath, then looked over at Aria.
“That was fun!” Aria looked up at him. It was hard to tell the look on her face with the darkness, but Chris thought he spotted her rolling her eyes.
“Sure,” she said. The enthusiasm from before had all but leaked out of her by now. She stretched herself out, then put her hands in the pockets of her sweater. “Well, I was gonna wait around to see if I could catch the band leaving, but I’m probably gonna head home soon. Adagio’s a real stickler for time.”
“Makes sense,” said Chris with a yawn. He waved goodbye with a big grin on his face. “I hope you’ll humor me next time.” Aria looked off to the side, paused a moment, then turned around.
“Sure…” She said, returning the wave. “Later.”
She started down the street where the people thinned out. She pulled out her phone, checking the time and then her messages. Nothing new was in her inbox, even though she was sure that she would at least get a call from Adagio or Sonata as a check-up.
“Hey, Aria!?” She turned around and found Chris jogging after her. She raised an eyebrow when he got close. “I forgot something. I wanted to ask for your number.”
“Oh,” she said, looking down at the phone in her hand. “Alright, but I’m not as active on my phone as Sonata, so don’t send me a bunch of shit.” He chuckled but nodded his head.
“I promise I’ll only call when necessary,” he said, vowing with his hand up. “That, or if I want to hear your voice.” Aria flinched for a moment but didn’t look up from her phone.
“My voice, huh?” she mumbled. It didn’t seem like he heard her, so she simply handed him her phone, letting him copy the number.
“Was that weird to say?” Aria rolled her eyes, then smirked.
“Yes, but I’m not knocking it.” He handed her phone back to her, and she shoved it in her pocket. “See ya, kid.”
“Later!” Aria turned around and made her way home. She always expected the concert to be the best, but she went home feeling better than even she expected.
She slipped in her earbuds and walked into the Canterlot night.
Aria was unsure how she could have possibly gotten this hangover headache without drinking anything.
She hadn’t even woken up till Noon, but it was Sunday, so it was acceptable. Adagio hadn’t come to bother her, and Sonata probably wasn’t even home. Aria couldn’t be bothered to do much of anything but flutter between being awake and dozing off, though, after an hour of that, it was getting annoying
She opened her eyes for sure this time, found her phone, and held it over her head. She was sure that staring at a screen so quickly after waking up was gonna exacerbate her problems, so she just stared at the black screen. Of course, if anything came through, it’d light up on its own.
She put her hand back at her side, staring at the ceiling instead. She tried to give that sleep thing one more go, but a loud knock woke her right up again.
“Come in.” Though she mumbled it and was sure she couldn’t hear it, Adagio still pushed the door open and walked in. “Need something?”
“To know why you’re still in bed, for a start.” Adagio crossed her arms over her chest. “More importantly, I wanted to ask how your date was.”
“That wasn’t a date,” said Aria, bluntly.
“Whatever. Did you notice anything weird?” Aria wanted to ask if Chris being excessively smiley and happy-go-lucky was weird, but she guessed that wasn’t what she was looking to hear.
“Nope,” she said. Adagio squinted.
“Nothing? He didn’t say anything that sounded wrong or tipped you off?”
“You’re being…” Aria tapered off, turning her head away from Adagio. “Yeah, you’re being paranoid.” Adagio raised an eyebrow.
“Why the pause?” Aria simmered for a moment, then turned away from Adagio. She couldn’t tell her that she’d been mulling over how Chris wanted to hear her voice all last night, but more importantly, she couldn’t admit that it was affecting her at all. It was a common turn of phrase, but it stung Aria more than usual. “Aria?”
“Nothing, nothing.” She turned over in bed again. “Look, lay off the guy, alright? He’s just a goofball. Anyway, I’m gonna try to get some more sleep.”
“I don’t think more sleep is what you need, Aria.” Despite her words, she simply sighed and turned away. “At least make sure you’re up before dinner.” Aria simply responded with a grunt while Adagio shut the door behind her. She immediately turned on her back again, lifting her phone above her head.
The screen lit up a moment before the buzz from a call made her drop her phone. It landed directly on her nose, sending a shock of pain through her face. It faded in time for her to retrieve her phone. She stared at the caller ID for a moment, then answered the call.
“What?” She heard him chuckle through the phone despite her aggressive tone.
“Did I call at a bad time?” Aria sighed, then sat up.
“No. What’s up?”
“Feel like going to see a movie?”
“Right now?”
“Right now, yeah.” Aria sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. “I was kinda bored after doing my homework, and I’ve been wanting to see The Crimson Night for a while. Thought you’d enjoy it, too.” Aria hopped off her bed, then moved over to her closet. She looked around searching for a new outfit. “Wait, are you bad with horror?”
“Nope. Well, decapitations kinda weird me out.” She pulled something off of the rack and pulled it over to her bed, draping it out. “Something about heads coming off so easily is… Anyway, we’re going to the theater on Manticore Lane, right?”
“Yeah. So you’re coming along?”
“Duh,” she said with a small laugh. “See you in a bit.”
“Yeah… see you soon.”
Aria ended the call. Then tossed the phone off to the side. She looked down at the stuff she picked out and started getting ready.
She paused after pulling off her shirt. Just a few minutes ago, she felt completely lifeless. Now, she couldn’t even feel that headache. She looked down at herself, then shook the thoughts free. She wanted to focus on the movie more than on other unnecessary things.
It didn’t take much to pull herself together. She was done within a few minutes and left her room in one. Downstairs was the living room where Adagio sat on the couch with a book in hand. She looked up at Aria with her lips pursed.
“Where are you going?”
“Out to the movies.” She grabbed her keys from the rack near the door.
‘With Chris?”
“Y—Well, not because of Chris,” she said. “I probably would’ve gone to watch the movie regardless, since I was bored out of my mind.” She pushed the door open. “Anyway, I’ll be back before dinner.”
“Have fun.” Adagio heard the door close, then went back to her book humming to herself. She didn’t know how low Aria thought of her, but she had to know she wasn’t dumb. Putting things together was kind of Adagio’s thing. She laughed to herself, then flipped the page. “Chris, huh? Lucky, lucky.”
Chris had taken so many deep breaths he had long since lost count.
Inviting Aria out to see AnMach was so much easier than when he’d asked her to go to the movies with him. She didn’t seem all that enthusiastic, either. He was almost certain that he couldn’t drag Aria out anywhere she didn’t want to go, but the whole thing felt just a bit weird.
“Hey.” Chris looked up and saw Aria approaching. She waved at him, and as he thought, she looked a bit bored. He took his last deep breath, then smiled.
“You look really pretty.” Aria’s eyes went wide for only a moment before she frowned.
“You said that yesterday, dumbass,” she said.
“Cause it was true both days.” Chris chuckled, and turned away, heading towards the theater entrance. “Our time’s coming up in a bit, so we have time to get snacks and stuff.”
“Sure. Lead the way.” Chris led the two into the theater, going past where he bought the tickets and straight to the collector. He passed Aria hers and the two broke into the theater proper. The concession stand was on the left wall, and there was no one standing in line at the moment. The two made their way over.
“How can I help you?”
“I’ll take some Cheetos with nacho cheese on them.” Both the concession worker and Aria looked at him with a confused glance before Aria put in her order.
“I’ll take a medium popcorn,” she said. “Like a normal fucking human being.”
“Of course,” Chris responded with a smirk. “You just can’t handle the food of the gods, mortal.”
“Cheetos with nacho cheese and medium popcorn…” The clerk hummed to himself while putting everything together. He took a nacho tray, dumped a whole bag of Cheetos out and ran some nacho cheese over it for a few moments. All the while, Aria stared at the creation she was watching unfold. Chris smirked and nudged her in the side with his elbow.
“Be amazed, mortal,” he said, motioning towards his snack. “This is what ambrosia wishes it could be.”
“Stop calling me that,” she grumbled. “What could you possibly be doing with so much artificial cheese?” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“It’s great, I promise. I’ll let you try some when we’re in the theater.” Chris paid for both of their snacks, and they made their way to the theater that The Crimson Night was playing in. Chris pointed to a spot a bit further back than the middle. Even though the movie was going to start in a few, there were barely a handful of people in their seats already. “Guess cheesy horror doesn’t sell as well as it used to, huh?”
“It’ll always have its fans,” said Aria with a smirk. “This one is probably just super lame. Perfect for you, I guess”
They reached their seats as the movie trailers quieted down. Chris went in first, leaving Aria at the end of the row. They got comfortable, with Chris starting his snack right away. Aria rolled her eyes and focused on the movie.
The movie had a pretty simplistic plot. Some naive teenagers camping in a forest, add a bit of masked killer, and you have yourself The Crimson Night. Notable, though, was the red tint that covered the screen whenever it was night time. Aria frowned whenever she saw it.
“Now I can tell why nobody came to watch this,” mumbled Aria. She looked over to Chris, who hadn’t turned away from the screen. She looked down at his lap where those Cheetos from before lay. She reached over and picked one off the top, and plopped it in her mouth. Finally, Chris looked over.
“So?”
“Meh. Still too much cheese.” She swallowed, then reached for another one. Chris chuckled, moving the tray onto the armrest between the two. “Who do you think is gonna die first?”
“Sunny, maybe,” he said. “Unless they do the big switcheroo and have the dumb one live till the end.” The character they were talking about was currently on screen, walking through a new part of the woods. She approached a random cabin, pulling the door open and slamming it shut behind her. “10 bucks says it’s right now.”
“Yeah, proba—” Sunny’s blood-curdling scream made both of them jump. A flash of lightning gave the cabin a bit of natural lighting, revealing the killer’s mask for a split second. Sunny made a vain attempt to pry open the door she’d just shut on herself while the killer revealed his weapon: a sickle.
“Huh. Guess I called it.” Sunny’s head was lopped off with ease, the camera showing the poor effects as her head rolled along the floor. The killer picked the head up, showing it off to the camera again while another few flashes of lightning rang out. “So you owe me 10…”
Aria had covered her face with both palms. Even though she didn’t see it happening, the sounds painted a vivid picture in her mind. She bit her lip and tried to think about something else.
“I forgot you were bad with this,” said Chris, looking down at his feet. “Sorry.”
“No, that’s not— I just got something stuck in my eye,” she said, rubbing her eye for effect. She glanced at the screen and saw that the scene had passed, before turning to Chris. “Something persistent.”
“Come here,” he said, motioning with his hand. “My mom taught me a way to get stuff out of your eye if someone’s around.” Aria paused for a moment, wondering if she should drop the act, but Chris already grabbed her face. She slowly moved her hand away, quickly realizing how close the two had gotten. Her eyes flashed from his to his lips and back, quietly staring as he held her in place. “Make sure to keep your eye open.”
He gently blew on her eye, making her blink a few times. Tears rushed forward, and soon they overflowed. She blinked one last time before yanking herself away.
“What happened? It didn’t hurt, did it?” Aria didn’t respond, looking and learning in the opposite direction. Though she was close to the speakers, her heart pounding in her ears drowned the movie out. Surprisingly, Chris’ voice came through clear as day. “Let me see your face.”
“No... Fuck off.”
“Please?”
“Why?”
“It’s important.” Aria was silent for a moment, then calmed herself down. She sat up normally in her chair and turned back to look at Chris.
“What do you—” The kiss came quick, but lingered for a few moments. It didn’t even seem like Chris was ready for it. When he pulled back, Aria had realized that she’d frozen up completely. Her body wouldn’t listen to her. Butterflies ran rampant in her stomach. His lips were shockingly soft. His normally dull brown eyes shined brightly. She felt so hot, she was chilly. Everything was turned upside down.
Fortunately, her body decided to react for her. She clenched her fist tight and sunk it in Chris’ stomach. He curled forward as she shot up to her feet. She slipped into the aisle and made for the exit.
The theater layout was still barren when she pushed into the bathroom. She yanked open the first stall and threw herself onto the toilet. Even as she pinched her eyes closed as tight as she could and covered her face with her hands, she could still feel his lips on hers. She tried to calm herself down, but the feeling was simply overwhelming.
“Goddamnit…” she mumbled to herself. “I shouldn’t have punched him.”
Aria was unsure how long she’d spent in the bathroom, but every time she thought of leaving, Chris’ face would pop into her head. His eyes would burn into hers, and she’d get embarrassed all over again. She’d get angry at him, then herself, finally feeling incredibly stupid about the entire thing. And so she stayed for a while, silently completing the cycle.
She wasn’t sure just how long she was sat there, or what exactly made her finally stand up. The bathroom seemed to be as empty as the hall, so she was safe to walk up to the mirror without being disturbed. She ran the water and splashed her face with it. Even when she felt calm, she could see a faint blush on her face. She took a few deep breaths, dried her hands and face, then headed out.
It didn’t take long at all to find Chris. He had sat down near the ticket collector, on a set of benches surrounding a pillar, looking down at the ground. Aria took another deep breath and made her way over. She’d gotten pretty close before he decided to look up.
“Oh! A-Aria,” he stood up quickly, averting his eyes when he did. Even now, he was smiling.
“Hey,” she said bluntly. She tried to look at him, but her eyes just wandered to his lips, so she gave up quickly. “Sorry for punching you and dashing like that.”
“No, no, that wasn’t your fault, that was all me,” he said, waving his hands dismissively. “I should’ve told you before I… Well, you know. Sorry.” Aria looked toward the door leading to the theaters.
“Did you finish watching the movie?”
“Nah. I couldn’t focus,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I wondered if you were okay, so I came out a little after you to apologize.” Aria clenched her fists, then folded her arms over her chest.
“We should go.”
“Oh, y-yeah,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll take you home if you want.”
“No,” said Aria glaring at him. “Take me to your place.”
“My house?” he repeated. “Um… sure?”
They left the theater without even a peep between the two of them. The sun was still in the sky, but it was going to get darker soon. Aria kept her eyes squarely on Chris, almost like she expected him to disappear. She kept her eyes on him until they boarded the bus. Chris paid for the two of them to ride, then led Aria to a pair of seats near the window. Chris let Aria sit near the window while he took the aisle seat.
“My house isn’t that far a ride from here,” he said, looking down at his fingers. Aria nodded, looking out of the window.
The silence that followed was a special type of awkward. Aria could still feel her heartbeat in her ears but decided to ignore it, focusing on the passing scenery instead. Now and then, she glanced over at Chris. He looked extremely fidgety, unable to keep himself still. He turned to meet her eyes for a moment, only to look away.
“Question,” he said, under his breath. “A question I probably should’ve asked a while ago, but here we are. Why do you want to come to my house?”
“‘Cause I want to see your house,” she answered still looking out of the window. “Why did you kiss me?”
“Oh, well,” he was silent for a moment before answering. “Because I like you. A lot.”
“Why?”
“Why…?”
“Why do you like me so much, idiot?” Chris looked down at her, and she looked up at him.
“Cause you make me smile,” he said. Aria couldn’t describe how refreshing it was to see him smile at her again. She sighed, then turned back to the window. “Well, there are other reasons too. I think you’re pretty hot in general.” He paused for a moment to chuckle awkwardly, then looked over to Aria. “Wait, are you smiling?”
“No. Shut up.” She said, immediately frowning to throw him off.
“You super were!” He chuckled and poked at Aria’s shoulder. “Did my compliment make you feel hot and bothered?”
“I swear, you must want to get punched again, huh?” Aria turned to him with a snarl, which only made Chris chuckle. She rolled her eyes. “But… that wasn’t too bad. Good job, Casanova.”
“I try,”
Standing in front of a huge apartment complex was a shock to Aria. After stepping off the bus, she didn’t expect to find herself entering what looked like a high class hotel. Chris hummed while he walked up to the door, flashing a card in front of a reader to get the large glass doors to open. He pulled the door open and beckoned Aria to follow.
“So, is this the part where you tell me you’re some sort of crime boss?” Chris chuckled as he walked into the lobby. He waved to the guy behind the counter before making his way to the elevators to the left of the entrance. Once again, he flashed his card and called the elevator down.
“This is my cousin’s apartment,” he said. “She’s… well, she’s pretty well off.” The elevator doors opened, and Chris led the two in. He pressed the button for the seventh floor, and the elevator took off.
“Think your cousin will be cool with the company?” asked Aria.
“She probably won’t mind,” he said, with a smirk. The elevator dinged, and the door opened to a hallway. “Don’t think she’ll be home right now, though.” He stepped out, leading them to a door down the hallway. For this door, he used a key. He pushed it open, cool air coming from behind the door. Aria peeked around Chris to see what kind of lavish lifestyle he led.
He flicked the light on, revealing a small living room to the right, and a kitchen straight ahead. He pulled his shoes off, setting them off to the side while Aria looked at everything.
“It’s… shockingly normal?” She pulled off her sneakers and left them at the door. They stepped into the living room, and Aria’s eyes immediately went wide. “Is that Aurora!? Holy shit... Silver’s guitar.” She all but sprinted over to the wall where the guitar was hanging. “How in the hell could you get your hands on something this valuable?”
“Well, if you own the guitar, you can put it up wherever you want…” It took Aria all of a few seconds to connect the dots in her head. “Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“You’re related to the main singer of AnMach?” Chris nodded.
“Silver, or Isabelle, as I know her, is off practicing with the rest of the band today,” he explained. “Shouldn’t be home till tomorrow morning or something.”
“Nice,” she said. “I might get that autograph sooner than I thought.” Chris laughed, then pointed to a hallway leading out of the living room.
“There’s a bit more to the house if you’re interested.” Aria joined Chris as he led them to the back. He came to a door and turned the doorknob, sticking his head in for a second before pulling it closed. “This is Isabelle’s room. She doesn’t like people being in there without her knowing, so steer clear.”
“Alright,” she said, looking at the next door down. “I guess that one is your room, then?” Chris nodded, turning the doorknob and pushing the door in.
It was pretty standard as far as rooms go. The bed was on the far wall, in the left corner, along with a pretty large window. A desk sat bedside, with a mirror fashioned to it. Aria walked to the middle of the room where there was a small circular rug.
“Nice room,” she said. He walked a bit past her to his closet, then popped it open. He beckoned for her to follow, which she did with an eyebrow raised. The closet was a walk-in, and Chris was already halfway through before she even got to the door. “Huh. You’ve got a lot of clothes.”
“This is the only part of the place that shows off that it’s expensive,” he said with a chuckle. He bent down to check near his feet, pushing a few things aside. “Isabelle bought me most of this stuff, and I don’t ever really get a chance to flaunt it.”
“Hey, what’s that all about?” Chris raised an eyebrow, then turned back to Aria. She smirked before pushing herself onto his chest and bringing her lips to his. The kiss didn’t last as long as the one in the theater, but it felt just as thrilling. Aria backed off, then smirked. “Payback.”
“Y-Yeah, I can see how that could make you a bit embarrassed, huh…” Aria couldn’t help but laugh at how red Chris was turning. “From now on I won’t surprise you when I kiss you.”
He closed the distance between them in a step, gently wrapping his arms around Aria’s body before kissing her once again. The feeling of fire spiked all around her when his tongue pressed against hers, slowly dancing around her mouth. When he tried to pull away, Aria would push against him, calling for even a second more. It took all he had for Chris to get some breaths in.
“We should probably take this out of the closet,” he said, looking over Aria’s head. Aria pulled away from him and turned around quickly. She unzipped her jacket, tossing it on a shelf. She didn’t have much of anything underneath, but she peeled her shirt off as well. “Woah. You’re way more toned than I thought.” Aria gave herself a once over, then looked up confused.
“What? Is that a turn-off?”
“Opposite,” said Chris, pulling his shirt off. Aria though calling him wimpy looking was a bit mean, so she resorted to staring with a smirk. “I can hear you about to snicker, so you can go ahead and get it out of the way.”
“A boy I can beat up has its charm,” she said, snaking her arm over his shoulder. She pulled him into another kiss, this time pressing his back against the sheets of his bed. Being over him let her get a bit hungrier with her kisses, each one with more passion than the last. Chris’ hand snaked up her stomach and under her bra. Once his finger pressed against her nipple, she drew a sharp breath against his lips. It wasn’t too long until her breast fit snugly in his palm.
He pushed her bra up and away, fondling her breast gently in one hand. She grasped at the bed every time he pinched her nipple. Her kisses gave way to gentle moans as he played with both. He sat up, pulling Aria closer, then pecked her neck and shoulder with warm kisses, each sending a unique shiver down her spine. While he continued tweaking with her breast, one hand slid down her slender midriff and below her pant line. Even though it was over her panties, his fingers brushing against her clit sent a spark straight through her and pulled a loud moan out.
“You’re really sensitive,” he said, nuzzling against her.
“Fuck off,” she said, playfully laughing. “Wait ‘till I get my hands on— mmph.” She gripped her arms tighter around his back as his fingers slipped past her panties. She was already a bit moist, but she was rapidly approaching wet when he slipped two fingers past her pussy lips. He moved them up and down, flicking his fingers all the while. He pulled them out, licking her juices off before chuckling.
“Sweet.” Aria grumbled in his ear, unlatching from him and pushing him down again. She got to her feet, quickly slipping out of her bottoms, leaving herself nearly completely bare. She worked on Chris’ pants, just as quickly laying him bare as well. When his cock popped out, she simply licked her lips and smiled. She immediately climbed on top of him and lowered herself onto him. His cock had no trouble slipping past her pussy lips. “Holy shit. Goddamn, you’re so soft…”
“How’s that feel?” she asked with a devious grin. She moved up and down slightly, each time making Chris groan. “Who’s sensitive now?” She pressed her hands against his chest for support, then continued wiggling her hips. Chris started breathing heavier, then grasped at the bedsheets for support of his own. Seeing him freak out like this brought an even bigger smile to her face.
Surprisingly, he reached for Aria, grasping her butt to keep her in place. She inhaled sharply as he pushed himself as deep as he could go inside of her. She buckled for a moment, leaning close enough for her breasts to press against Chris’ chest. He pulled out just a bit before pumping in again. Aria kept her cool before, but now, she couldn’t help but moan. Her voice shook, and her arms gave out fully. She moaned directly into Chris’ ear as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge.
“H-Hold up a minute,” she said, breathlessly. “Hold on! I’m gonna cum soon.”
“I know,” he replied, just as breathless. He pulled her closer with his off-hand and gave her an electrifying kiss to seal the deal. When she came, her body shuddered slightly, and she couldn’t help but clutch onto Chris as tightly as she could. He paused him thrusts for a moment, giving Aria a breather to pull herself away from him. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. When she sat back down, she could feel how much of a mess she’d made. Even more so, Chris was still completely at the ready. “Sorry. I said I wouldn’t surprise you again, but I couldn’t help it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, pushing away from Chris and rolling over on the bed. On her hands and knees, she wiggled her butt a bit and smiled. “The quicker you get back to fucking me, the quicker I’ll forgive you.” Chris’ eyes went wide before he hopped up to his feet. Aria felt a little bit of a shock when he pressed his tip against her cunt, but the feeling smoothed out when he pressed his entire cock inside of her. Even more than before, she could feel him rub right against her g-spot.
He pulled back and forth just as quickly as before, but now with extra force. It wasn’t long before Aria could feel herself shaking under the pleasure. She let her arms fall and pressed her face into a pillow that was nearby. It helped muffle the moans as he continually pressed against her. No matter how much she clenched herself, he’d push through and send shivers through her all over again. On one thrust, he left himself inside for a few seconds, leaning forward to indulge himself in another handful of Aria’s breasts.
“R-Really?” asked Aria. He chuckled, then lifted her right leg, letting it rest on his left shoulder. On her side, he continued pumping with a better angle. Like this, she couldn’t quite get to her pillow, so her moans were more pronounced than before. Her breaths were shallow, and her body was sending her flashes of heat.
Chris quickly flipped her over on her back, surprising her once again by pressing himself onto her. Now in missionary, he had full control over her body. He kissed her, pinched at her nipples and thrust even faster than before. Aria’s mind was quickly succumbing to the pleasure, with her body only worrying about when Chris’ cock was going to press into it next. She wrapped her arms around him, along with her feet, clinching him in. Even when he didn’t have much space to move in, his thrusts were powerful. His cock twitched violently inside of her, and with one more push, cum shot from it, slamming into her like a car in an accident.
More than anything, it was incredibly hot. It felt as if she’d been completely cold before, and now, she was rapidly catching fire. She clenched everything as hard as she could. Even her toes pressed harshly against her soles. He kept cumming inside of her for what felt like forever, but could only be moments. He pulled back from Aria’s kiss, a strand of saliva lingering for a second before breaking.
Aria let go of Chris, and he pulled back. She put a hand on her stomach, feeling the hot cum slowly flowing out of her. She pulled her head back, taking breaths deep enough to be her last. Her eyes shut tight, and her face was flushed with heat.
“Oh fuck,” said Chris with a gasp. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cum inside you, I just—”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, breathing hard. “That was so, so worth it.”
“But what if you’re saying that now, but regret it later?” He put his hand on his forehead. “Oh, this was bad. I should’ve just pulled out.” Aria opened her eyes, frowned, and sat up.
“Look, you can either sit and worry your fucking brains out,” she extended her arms out towards him and beckoned to him. “Or… you can just chill with me. I already told you that it’s alright.” Chris paused for a moment, then climbed into his bed with Aria with a sigh.
“Wait, were you on birth control or something?” Pressed together, Aria could feel the subtle body heat Chris was giving off. She pressed her face up against his chest, then sighed.
“Nah,” she replied. “I just don’t mind if you cum in me.”
“Oh.” He paused for a moment, then wrapped his hand around her. With the two of them so close together, tension melted away. “Uh, well… your hair smells really good.” Aria chuckled.
“You suck at this.” Chris chuckled.
“Then how about an ‘I love you’?” Aria rolled her eyes, grateful that her face was covered.
“That’s better.”
“So I was wondering. Can I call you Ari now?”
“Hell no.”
“But I don’t have any other cute pet name to call you by.”
Aria shook her head while walking down the mostly barren hallway to Canterlot High’s cafeteria. Like every other day, there weren’t many people that were gonna be here too early in the morning. Once they broke into the cafeteria, Chris quickly made his way over to the small coffee station the school had. Aria reluctantly followed, a frown clear as day on her face.
“Just call me Aria,” she said. “I only let Sonata call me that ‘cause she’s family.”
“So if I’m family, I can call you Ari?” Aria’s scowl was fierce but fizzled out in the face of Chris’ smile. She opened her mouth to say something, but a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her body, making her stumble slightly. Now, she directed her annoyed glare at Sonata.
“Morning, Ari!” she said, hugging Aria tightly. She pulled back and waved at Chris, who returned it with a smile. “I see you two lovebirds are together this morning.” Aria looked like she’d been shot, then her face lit up bright red.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” she growled, teeth bared at Sonata. “We just so happened to meet each other on the way.”
“Weeell,” said Sonata, crossing her arms over her chest. “I saw you two come out of the same place while I was making my way here. And Dagi even told me that you never came home last night.” Sonata smiled devilishly, pointing at her sister’s chest. “Your face isn’t doing you too many favors, either.”
“Looks like she got us,” said Chris with a snicker. He looked at Aria and smiled. “Hey, Sonata, do I have your permission as a family member to call her Ari?”
“She doesn’t have the authority to—”
“Granted!” Sonata put up her hand and Chris high fived her, much to Aria’s annoyance. “Still, it’s frustrating that Aria got a bf before me. I’m supposed to be the cute one!”
“Ari’s plenty cute,” said Chris. “It’s one kiss away.”
“I’ll kill you,” she said, clenching her fists. “Both of you.”
“Quite the lively party we have going on over here, I see.” Adagio’s voice crept into the conversation as she walked past them and to the coffee station to make herself a cup. “Considering Chris isn’t dead or injured, I’ll assume the night you two spent together went well?”
“Yup,” said Chris, sipping his coffee. Adagio narrowed her eyes.
“And I also assume that Aria told you that we aren’t human at all,” she said, peering at him. The other two flashed her a look, while Chris raised an eyebrow.
“Dagi, this probably isn’t…” Sonata was silenced by Adagio’s hand.
“I didn’t tell him that,” said Aria, frowning. “I didn’t think it was important.”
“Is this about you three being Sirens?” Chris pulled all eyes to him with that statement. He sipped his coffee, then shrugged. “I’ve known about that for a while now. Jaime told me.” The three looked between each other quickly, making Chris chuckle.
“Told ya,” said Aria, smiling. “That’s just the guy he is.”
“It makes me super curious,” said Chris, grabbing his chin. “Emotion changing music sounds hella metal.” Adagio chuckled, then took a sip of her coffee.
“It’s relieving to see that Aria was right about you,” said Adagio. Aria met Chris gaze and smirked. Chris certainly was a special one. But now, he was someone precious to her. As unlikely as that seemed just a week ago.
“Oh, oh, now that you’re here, I need an opinion,” he looked to Aria quickly before continuing. “Do I have your permission to call Aria Ari?” More than anything, though, right now, he was the worst annoyance.
“Whatever,” said Aria, rolling her eyes. “You can call me Ari.”
Author's Note
After-Sex Smoke
