CHAPTER 14: EDITED VERSION

Aaron walked into his apartment with a scowl on his face.

' I knew I should have walked away!'

He thought angrily as he recalled his little tiff with Deloise.

" What's got you looking so disgruntled?" The voice of Tony made him aware he wasn't alone.

" Nothing. What are you doing here?" Aaron collapsed on his couch.

" What do you think? Playing hide and seek?" Tony replied with a mouthful. There was always something to eat at Aaron's.

Upon hearing him, Aaron turned around and noticed the opened dominos on the table. His countenance grew poor. " Don't tell me you ate all the pizza bro."

Tony picked a slice of pizza, took his time eating it, then finally spoke.

" I won't."

He drank some water under the wrathful gaze of his friend and plopped down the opposite couch. " What's got your panties in a twist?" He inquired again with a straight face. Like he didn't just add to the reason for his friend's poor countenance.

Aaron sighed, " I don't know who's more annoying at this point. You or her."

" Her? A girl's behind this? Okay, don't tell me. Stella?" Tony asked, interested to hear just what lady had such an influence on his friend. He couldn't remember the last time he looked so disgruntled, and over a girl?

" Stella couldn't do this even if she tried. I don't even know why I'm telling you shit."

" Because I'm your therapist. You know? Helping you figure you out. " Tony spoke like it was a known fact, increasing the crease on Aaron's forehead.

" Shut up."

Aaron couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe he'd gone a little bit far. As much as he actually informed her about the meeting, he didn't expressly state what it was as he'd been in a hurry to get into the meeting.

He didn't know it would result in her tears after a little scolding from Mr Austin. As much as he was reasonable enough to see how it could have seemed like it was his fault, he stood on his belief that he wasn't.

She was the architect of her problems. If she had at the very least tried to find out just what the call meant, then maybe she wouldn't have been late in the first place. Then all the events following would be avoided.

It started with her.

Aaron's eulogy was destroyed the moment he picked up his phone. He saw some missed calls from hours ago, specified to the time he called her. He'd been so caught up in his business that he didn't even realize when the calls came in.

' oh shit… '

A very unfamiliar emotion immediately engulfed him. One that made him rethink every single word that was said to him in a new light. She wasn't so wrong after all.

Two emotions were prominent in his countenance. Guilt and regret. Guilt to have unintentionally caused her predicament and regret for every word he said to her in ignorance. He didn't even know how to redeem himself.

" Are you ready to talk or are we going to mope for another fifteen minutes?" The voice of Tony snapped him out of his reverie.

" I messed up." Aaron said with a wince, unable to shake off the look on her face when he'd told her the many cruel things he couldn't remember. " I think I may have placed someone in a difficult situation and rubbed it in while she cried about it. But only because at the time, I felt she wasn't actually responsible?"

" Okay. What?! How do you even… oh goodness, who is she? " Tony dropped his phone at his friend's confession." And don't tell me you can't remember because that's even worse." He warned icily.

" Firecracker. " He mumbled, which was more than enough to get to Tony's ears.

" Beautiful?! You made her cry? I'm not getting it. I need the full story because there's got to be a mix up somewhere."

Aaron proceeded to narrate the day's events to Tony, not missing a beat while Tony's countenance grew poorer at every new information.

" Okay. You pretty much fucked up. You said that? To a crying beautiful girl? You need to apologize."

Aaron froze.

" No. Now that's pushing it. I know I had some slip ups but she was also rude. She's been very rude and after the last time, this might have made us even." He said it as though it wasn't a big deal.

" Why did it have to be you? Mr Austin had the whole crew and decided you were the best person to actually pass information? He basically set her up for failure." He said angrily.

" Okay, that's enough. You're beginning to push it. While you were moaning about how terrible of a person I was, I figured a way to actually get this done and over with." Aaron spoke with his face on his phone. " …And done! "

" What did you do, stupid? '' Tony deadpanned, hoping he didn't actually just make things worse.

" I just sent her the filming schedule. Top tier information from Mr Austin. At least now she can't be late unless she chooses to." He said with an almost proud glint and dropped his phone.

" Easy there tiger. One might think you are actually holding a torch for her. " Tony projected with a smile. Ever since her arrival into campus, there was a lot more coming from Aaron and he was all for it.

" I can't with you, how on–"

Ring! Ring!

A call from Aaron's phone interrupted his little speech. He picked up his phone and upon seeing it was Stella, he answered without a moment's thought.

" Where are you? Let's eat lunch together, I'm hungry." Stella whined from her end. Using a faux baby tone as an attempt to sweeten her way into getting him to do her bidding.

" I'm tired and in need of some sleep. I can't cook now so order something and I'll see you some other time." He said, praying she didn't show up just yet. He needed some time to himself.

" You don't need to cook. Just come out with me please. I'd feel so terrible eating alone. There's a lot of rumors about me, Ron." Stella pleaded, expertly adding that little detail to persuade him.

" Ok. I'll be out in a few. See you soon." Aaron dropped the call with a sigh. He didn't feel like heading out after the day he's had but with Stella's request, he couldn't deny her.

He felt a tad bit guilty for not telling her that she didn't get the role she'd pinned after for the longest time. It wasn't news that there were a lot of whispers about her losing the role.

Although he knew she was a strong woman and seldom cared about people's opinions, he couldn't turn down her request for him to be there for her. They were best friends after all.

" Since you've obviously had enough food for lunch, it's no use inviting you to eat. So you'll come with me and help keep Stella busy while we eat. Yeah?"

Aaron stood up, picked up his coat and when he noticed his friend wasn't moving an inch, he gave him the look and in seconds, Tony was up on his feet and grumbling.

In a matter of minutes, the duo was seated inside a restaurant, waiting for the arrival of Stella who showed up after five minutes of waiting in the restaurant; sporting a beige casual short dress which showed off her long, slender and fair legs paired up with some flats and jewelry.

She was a fashion statement without even trying. At her entry into the restaurant, every eye pair naturally gravitated towards her, admiring her hungrily with the very expression she'd hoped to elicit from Aaron.

On sighting Aaron with Tony, her countenance dropped. She didn't expect he was going to be brought along. She suddenly felt stupid to have thought they were going to be alone. Having gone through the length to ask him out for the first time.

Stella didn't realize that her steps had slowed to a stop and she was a shadow of the girl who walked in. As though feeling her gaze on him, Aaron looked up and she smoothly regained her earlier countenance and walked forward holding his gaze.

" Took you long enough." Tony said with a sing-song voice, having seen her oh-so- majestic strut to their table.

Stella ignored Tony and Instead, focused her attention on Aaron. " I'm sorry for coming late. Have you ordered?"

" Not yet, we were waiting for your arrival."

" Yes! You invited us out. It's only fitting that you pay for the food." Tony said, earning himself a set of eyerolls and a smack in the head.

" Ignore him." Aaron said. Soon the waiter came and took their orders. " So tell me, how are you?" He said, facing Stella. " Don't be discouraged by whatever the people are saying. I believe you would kill the second female lead role but if you don't feel like it, you are at liberty to drop the role entirely, no questions asked. "

Stella was on cloud nine. The fact that he'd been worried about her made her feel a certain type of way. Truly, she had contemplated rejecting the role altogether but she knew that it wasn't going to do much. She also wanted to be on this particular set because it was a career defining opportunity.

She felt confident that with the current female leads persona, it was only a matter of time before she removed herself from the production. Deloise just had to sabotage herself and she'd be on her merry way out.

" I just feel a little down because I prepared for that role and it was handed over to some unknown nobody. We don't even know how she got appointed, especially for such an important role. " She said with a disgruntled face, " I just hope she is at least an actor."

" She's been awarded a scholarship in Royal Arts and now, given the role of the female lead over you. Come-on, she's got to be an actress. A talented one at that. She's definitely clear." Tony said, staring directly at Stella.

" I have to admit she's got to be good. She couldn't survive you if she wasn't. She may be a late coming crybaby, but she's got to be a talented one. " Aaron added with a smile.

Stella wasn't having it. " I just feel like I deserved that role. I worked hard for it only for it to be snatched from me by underhanded means. Now I'm the joke. " She said with disdain.

" Don't think about it anymore, okay? You'll be fine." Aaron said half mindedly, he already moved on from the topic on hand which only added to Stella's anger at Deloise.

Not only did she steal her role, now she was making her seem like a crazy woman. Stella watched in silence as the men spoke while eating, not bothering to engage her in whatever they were on about.

She suddenly felt like leaving. Things had gone south and it was all the little wench's fault! The more they chatted, Stella pondered on just how to take Deloise out of her way and regain her rightful position bedside Aaro

n.

Just one slip up and she felt like Aaron had drifted farther away from her. She was even more determined to get rid of Deloise.