Chapter 9

"So tell me about yourself," Wyatt says, trying to make small talk to fill the deafening silence.

It's my fault that we're not talking, my shyness has kicked in. Now that I'm over the initial shock of the situation I can't help but hide away. I don't know him and that makes me uncomfortable. I don't know what to say or how to act, god I hate this. Stupid shy me, I'm making things awkward as hell.

I don't reply and Wyatt sighs. "I get it, you're probably not that comfortable around someone you don't know but it's not like I'm interrogating you or anything. It's quite strange actually, when you're drunk you're definitely not shy, in fact, you're the opposite. Now though you're as quiet as a mouse." He laughs a little and I glare at him. It's not like I can help it, shyness doesn't have an on and off switch.

"Whatever," I mumble.

"She speaks!"

I give him a hard look and he smirks. Fucking smirks! The nerve of this guy. "Calm down green eyes, I'm only teasing."

"How about this," Wyatt starts after a few more minutes of silence "let's play twenty questions. I'll get to know you better and vice versa. Maybe you'll be more comfortable around me after."

I deliberate over this for a few moments. Why not? He's right, it might help me be less awkward. "Alright."

"I'll start. What's your name?"

I stare at him incredulously for a moment before I realise that he's never actually called me by my real name; he always calls me green eyes. "It's Aurora but everyone calls me Ari."

"As in the princess?" I nod and he gives me a flat look "You do realise you look nothing like her."

"I know that," I snap. I've had this discussion with people far too many times. "My mum just loves Disney so she named me after one of her favourite characters, blame her not me."

"I never said it was a bad thing, it makes you unique."

I didn't know how to respond to that so, instead, I just asked my question; it has been bugging me actually. "Is Nathan your brother?"

He scoffs but it's not directed at me. "When did you meet that idiot?"

"When I was looking for the kitchen he gave me directions," I answer sheepishly.

Wyatt looks amused by my reply and doesn't even try to hide it, stupid idiot. "Unfortunately he is, he's a real pain I tell you, a right idiot." You can tell that he cares about his brother from his tone, although what he's saying is negative, there's a warmth and humour behind it as if he's recalling some funny memories.

I smile at that. It's great to have strong relationships with your siblings, sure they can be annoying as heck but they can also be great friends.

"What about you any siblings?"

"Yeah, brother and sister, they're twins."

He gives me a look, almost as if saying 'I understand your pain'. "God I know what that's like but worse."

"How so?" I muse. "Do you have a lot of siblings?"

"Yep, my family's massive. There's my mum and dad. Then there's Nathan, he's the oldest, followed by Zack, Harper, me, Hunter and Aria — they're twins — Daniel, and then Noah, Carter and Brooklyn — they're triplets. And that's just my siblings don't even get me started on the rest of them."

My jaw drops slightly; he has one big family. I guess having a gigantic house kind of makes sense now but even if they had a family double that size they wouldn't need a house this big.

"Wow, alright, that's a lot of people. I've kind already forgotten their names," I admit sheepishly.

He chuckles at that and waves his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it. If you ever meet any of them they can introduce themselves then, for now just remember that I've got a big family."

The game continues in this fashion and as time goes on I notice that I'm getting more comfortable around him. There's no longer any awkward pauses or silences, the conversation just seems to flow. It's really nice to be able to talk to someone without it feeling forced, especially after knowing them for such a short amount of time; we just seem to click.

Unfortunately, life never seems to go my way and we've somehow stumbled across my sorest subject, James.

I was asking him about past relationships and I found out that he's not as much of a fuck boy as people say he is. Yes, he's slept with people but no where near as many as I expected. From the rumours, it sounded like he would have sex with anything that breathes but it turns out that's not the case. It goes to show that rumours are not something to believe. They're just lies that people have made up because they've nothing better to do with their lives.

After me finding out about his past relationships, he ended up asking me similar things. I guess I should've seen it coming. I'm not going to blatantly lie because he'll most likely find out as soon as he steps foot into school plus he's been honest with me so I feel like I need to return the favour.

"Uh, well, if we're talking serious relationships I've just had the one. I dated a guy named James for about two years, we just broke up recently actually," the words were almost impossible to utter, just thinking about what I had said has sent my mind into a frenzy about him, about everything that must be wrong with me for him to dump me.

Wyatt takes a few moments to respond and when he does his words come out slowly and carefully. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you break up?"

One word circles in my mind when he asks this, boring. It's because I'm apparently too boring. I haven't told anyone this except for Ava but for some reason, I feel like I can tell him. I feel inclined to. It's almost like I know he won't push too far and won't say a word to anyone on the subject.

"He said I was too boring for him, that he couldn't be with me anymore," I mumble barely above a whisper. I can feel the tears threatening to spill as I do so.

One must've slipped down my cheek because Wyatt lifts his hand to my face and wipes it away. Something about that gesture feels so comforting, so reassuring.

"You really cared about this guy, didn't you?"

I nod my head, unable to speak for fear of it just coming out in a sob. After a few moments, I whisper the words, "I loved him with all my heart."

At my words — if you could call them that — Wyatt's expression visibly hardened.

"Well if it's anything I don't think you're boring, not in the slightest," he says reassuringly, with a warm smile on his face.

It's really sweet that he said that but I don't believe him, not for one second. I mean, James literally said that to my face so it must be true. I'm boring, I'm no fun, I'm not worth it.

"Look, I'm just going to beat around the bush, it's obvious that you're sad and you shouldn't be."

I give him an incredulous look. "Let me finish." I sigh and motion with my hands for him to carry on. "What happened sounds horrible, I'm not going to deny that. It sounds like the love of your life just broke your heart."

"This really isn't help-"

"I'm not done yet," he pauses, making sure that I'm not going to interrupt again. "What I'm saying is you need to do something to help you get over him."

"Such as?"

"I don't know just something to get your mind off of him and help you move on."

Get my mind off of him? Help me move on? That's never going to happen. Although he does have a point, I do need to do something to help occupy my mind from my depressing thoughts.

James said that I'm boring. I have to prove him wrong if it's the last thing I do.

Then it hit me.

"I know. Teach me to be reckless and daring then no one can call me boring again," I say, my eyes bright with excitement.

He pauses, deliberating on that for a moment. "Sorry no can do green eyes, I don't think that's a good idea, it just seems too far out of your comfort zone. It doesn't sound like you. Plus that's going to take up way too much of my time. Although I might want to help you I'm not going to put my life on hold for it."

I let out a huff of frustration. "You know nothing about me," I state. "I want to try things that are out of my comfort zone. I want to be a whole new person, to not be afraid, to be reckless, to just not care anymore" How else could James ever love me again? Maybe if I change he'll want to be with me again.

"What's in it for me?"

Good question. Then it hit me, "Didn't you say you were failing maths?" I ask, recalling our game of twenty questions. He nods. "Then how about this, I'll tutor you in maths if you teach me how to let loose and be reckless."

He thinks it over for a moment, a questioning look on his face. After a few minutes, he nods his head and a smirk is plastered on his features. "You've got yourself a deal, green eyes. You tutor me in maths and I'll teach you how to be reckless, fearless and careless," he says, sticking out his hand for me to shake.

I place my hand in his firm grip and shake it with force.

This is what I want. This is what I need.