𝐴𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑦𝑎𝑟𝑑

Trying to “be friends”

Aaron didn’t understand what exactly about you attracted him. Most of the time, you irritated him. The very fact of your existence caused a strange, uncomfortable mess of emotions in the heart of a medical student. Neil’s arrival and his joining the Monsters didn’t change much — except that Andrew suddenly took an interest in him. Aaron himself didn’t like Neil either. That red-haired bastard got on his nerves. What did Andrew even see in him?

When Aaron and Neil switched dorm rooms, Matt flinched at first every time he saw a copy of Andrew in the bedroom. You, however, reacted calmly. Even… cheerfully. Maybe because you wanted to befriend Aaron. Yes. Exactly that. Trying to “be friends,” you had no idea you were making the blond’s heart stop. Aaron didn’t understand what was happening to him. He blamed it on some kind of illness. Or an allergy. To you. It annoyed him how you smiled when you said “good morning” — too bright, too noticeable, like a spotlight shining straight into his thoughts. During the first days after the room exchange, he pretended you didn’t exist. His sarcasm was supposed to push you away. But you were stubborn.

Soon, he started noticing things. How his eyes searched for your bed when he entered the room. How he looked for you first in the locker room. How he scanned the Foxes during practice, looking for your hair among them. Kevin Day noticed.

— “What the hell is wrong with you, Aaron? You forgot how to play? Why do you keep turning around?”— he snapped whenever Aaron heard your laughter, looked back, and missed the ball.

—“Go to hell,”— Aaron replied shortly. Then the glances stopped being secret. They lingered when Nicky annoyed you with flirting. When everyone boarded the bus, Aaron always looked for where you sat. With whom. Usually alone. Or with Renee. He wasn’t jealous. Of course not. He even memorized your habits. Like how you set five to seven alarms one minute apart. Now he woke you himself — kicking you hard enough to make you fall off the bed. Were you angry? No.. And for some reason, that annoyed him and felt cute. He began listening to your endless talking, even though his expression always told you he was ignoring you. Outside, he stayed cold.

Andrew noticed the change. He knew his brother too well. Aaron had stopped being truly cruel to you. Stopped deliberately pushing you away. Even though he still rolled his eyes, he still called you an idiot. Andrew didn’t understand what was so special about you. The last straw was Aaron agreeing to tutor you in chemistry.

You were sitting in the dorm’s common room. Aaron was explaining isomerism, convinced you understood at least something. You just smiled nicely and nodded. He realized the truth too late.

— “Are you even listening?!”— he hissed and hit you on the head with his notebook. Nicky walked by, quietly snickering.

—“Don’t be stupid, piece of shit. Use your brain.”— he dropped the notebook onto the table and adjusted his glasses, —“Though it doesn’t matter. It’s empty anyway,”— your cheeks puffed up in anger. And that was damn cute. Aaron clicked his tongue, irritated at the thought. Andrew entered the room. His calm, sharp gaze swept over both of you. He didn’t like how close you and Aaron had become. He said nothing. Just left, slamming the door behind him. Leaving the two of you alone.