Daniel POV:

I picked out a scary movie on purpose. I know she’ll be in my arms by the end of the movie.

I sip my soda and watch Aria’s eyes bug out from the movie. I laugh.

“Yah, what’s so funny?” she says, turning to look at me. 

“You being so scared. It’s just a movie Aria.” 

“I don’t care.”

We watch more of the movie.

A scary scene comes up and she jumps into my arms, burying her face into my chest, whining.

The scene goes off.

“Aria, you can look now.” I say. 

“I hate you.” she says, pouting and folding her arms. 

“Why?” 

“For putting on a scary movie.”

I notice she’s still on me.

Another scary scene comes up.

“That’s it!” she yells, standing up and walking over to the tv.

She turns off the tv and then turns to face me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask. 

“You, Mr. Daniel, are in BIG trouble!” she points at me. 

“What did I do?” I ask innocently. 

“That movie!” 

“What about it?” 

“URGHHHH.”

She comes running over to me and puts me in a headlock. For a small girl, she sure is strong.

“Yah! Aria get off!” I yell. 

“Nope!” she yells back.

I attempt to stand up, only to be pushed back down on the floor.

“Why would you put that movie on?!” she yells at me.

“What’s that big deal? It’s just a movie, seriously Aria.” I say calmly.

She walks over to her dresser.

“You know I hate those types of movies Daniel.”

I walk over and wrap my arms around her from behind.

“I’m sorry Aria, I won’t let it happen again.” I say.

She turns around and smiles at me, then gives me a hug.

“You better not let it happen again.” she jokes, punching my arm lightly when we pull away from the hug.

“I won’t, I won’t. I promise!” I say. 

“Good.” she goes and sits on her bed. “What time is it?”

I look down and check my watch. “Almost 5.”

“Wanna go to your house now?” she asks. 

“Yeah sure, if you want to.” 

“Yeah it’s fine.”

I grab my school stuff and we go outside.

Aria stops in her foot steps. I follow her gaze and see why.

Aria POV:

When me and Daniel walked outside, I couldn’t help but stop at the sight I saw.

“MOM?!” I yell.

She jumps up, accidentally hitting the person in the car with her.

I feel Daniel pull on my arm, but I shrug him off and walk toward my mom’s car.

“What the hell mom! Who is that?!” I yell. 

“Aria Lee! Do not get that tone with me!” 

“WHO IS HE?!” I yell even louder. 

“Aria, lower your tone and I will tell you.” 

“Who.is.he?” I say in a more calm tone. 

“He’s my boyfriend.” 

“Bo-boyfriend?” I stutter, which is rare because I never stutter. 

“Yes, boyfriend.”

I scoff and run back over to Daniel’s car and join him inside.

“What happened?” he asks me as I put on my seat belt. 

“Can we just go?” I whisper.

He nods and pulls out of my driveway, going to his house.

He parks the car, but doesn’t get out right away.

“Aria, what happened? You look like you’re about to cry.” 

“I know you saw what I saw.” 

“Yeah, I did, but what happened when you went over there?” 

“That guy back there was her boyfriend.” 

“Why does that make you so upset?” 

“Because she lied to me!” I yell, a tear coming out of my eye. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“She lied to me! We were supposed to have sinner together tonight and she cancelled, saying that she had to work late, but I see her kissing some man in her car?! She’s never lied to me like this before.”

My tears are starting to pour out now.

“I can’t face her right now, can you ask if I can spend the night tonight?”

Daniel reaches over and wipes my tears away.

“Of course Aria, you stay here, I’ll go ask.”

I nod my head and watch him go into his house.

I rest my head against the window, feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket. I look and see it’s a text message from Kikwang.

‘Yah Aria what happened? Mom told me you yelled at her.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Did she tell you why I yelled at her?’
‘No?’
‘Well maybe you should go ask her.’

Daniel comes back into the car. “My mom said yes. We can go to your house to get your stuff.” 

“Can you get my stuff? I don’t wanna go inside.” 

“Of course.”

I pull out my phone to text Kikwang again. ‘I’m staying over at Daniel’s for the night.’

‘Dang, you’re really upset aren’t you?’
‘Yes I am, I don’t understand why you aren’t either.’
‘It’s just a guy, what’s your deal?’
‘Nevermind Kikwang. Daniel is coming in to get my stuff, I’ll talk to you later.’

Daniel goes inside my house and comes out with my school and overnight bags 10 minutes later.

He puts the bags in the back seat of the car, then gets in the driver seat.

I lean over and kiss his cheek. “Thank you so much Daniel. You’re the best guy friend a girl could ever have.”

“I’m glad.” he smiles, driving back to his house.

Daniel POV:

Friend. Friend. Friend.

That stupid word was repeated in my head until I got inside my house.

Friend.

I can’t get over that. I want to be more than that, I really do. But I guess I have to face the facts and know that it will never happen.

Oh well.

We go up to my room to put her things down, then we go back downstairs to the dining table to eat dinner.

“Aria, what made you want to spend the night tonight?” my mom asks her. 

“Fight with my mon, that’s all.” she simply replies. 

“Oh, well you know if you want to talk about things, I’m here.” my mom smiles at her. 

“I know, thanks Mrs. Chae.”

We finish up dinner, then go up to my room to attempt to do our biology homework again.

We end up understand more or less of it and finish what we can. When we finally finish, it’s kinda late, so we get ready for bed.

Aria uses the bathroom to change and I just change while she’s in the bathroom.

My mom already knows we sleep in the same bed whenever she spends the night, and she doesn’t really care cause she knows we’re just friends. She just doesn’t know that I want to be more than that.

I sit in my bed and turn on the tv while waiting for Aria to finish changing.

Aria comes out and joins me in the bed. She snuggled close to me as we watch tv together.

“Thanks again, for everything Daniel.” she says. 

“You know I’d do it anytime.” I kiss the side of her head and we drift off to sleep.