Unintentionally Falling

chapter thirteen

Aaron

Somehow right now, I'm currently sitting in front of Iris with a diner menu in my hand.

She's roped me into eating after we went to the bookstore. Saying how she might faint and die if she didn't get some calories in the next hour or so. And who am I to judge right? I mean I could go for something to eat as well.

"What are you going to get?" Iris peers up from the menu.

"Um..." I unconsciously murmur, re-checking the menu, knowing full well I already know what I'm going to get. "Probably the cheeseburger sliders."

Her nose scrunches up, her eyes glistening with amusement, "Really? I kind of took you for a ribs kind of guy."

"Oh... actually I do like ribs." I explain, "But they're pretty messy, and I don't want to get rib sauce on my rings." I hold up my hands showcasing the multiple silver rings placed on my fingers. I like to keep them clean, they're worth a pretty penny, and I don't want to look like a spoiled brat wrecking them or losing them.

She hums in response. She starts talking, "I know you, but at the same time I don't know enough?" She lightly taps her fingers on the table, discarding the diner's menu to the side. "Like I know you, but not the little things."

"Ask me anything then." I hear myself replying to her.

"Well okay." She marvels, "What's the best thing you've ever bought on Amazon?"

"What? The best thing I've ever bought on Amazon?" I snort at the question she chose, it was so random. I mean, I guess it's better than asking me my favourite colour or something along those lines.

I almost let a laugh escape recalling my memory, yes, sometimes I unironically laugh at my own memories when I recall them.

"Umm..." I start, rubbing my hand on the nape of my neck, "Once I bought dehydrated marshmallows off the grocery section on Amazon."

She gasps, her head tilting to the side pumping one of her eyebrows. "Aaron Hendrix. What the actual fuck? Are you fucking okay?"

The laughter that I was holding seeps out, in between huffs of laughter I managed to get some a few words in, "They--" gasp of air, "were--" gasp of air, "so good too--" gasp of air.

Iris mashes her trembling lips together, she's holding it together but the corners of her lips turning up gives it away completely. Her light brown eyes filled to the brim with tears. A muffled noise escapes and she starts to laugh hysterically, kneeling over hiding her face in her hands while she laughed.

"That actually sounds nasty." She jokes with a grin, her olive cheeks flushed red.

A little part of me is kind of proud that I'm the one that made her laugh, even if it wasn't really a joke. It was sort of a ridiculous thing, but still, I made her laugh-- a laugh is still a laugh.

It's the kind of laugh that you wish you could take a picture of, but just like the moon, the picture will never ever perfectly capture what a beautiful thing it is.

Maybe that's a little cheesy, but cheesy can be kind of good sometimes.

Iris

"You need to ask one question about me right now," I tell Aaron. 

I never really thought I'd enjoy being friends with someone as much as I do right now.

Man, I'm so glad I used my natural god-given charm to sway him into devouring greasy diner food with me. Truly one of my greatest accomplishments in life. I know, I know hand me the fucking award right now.