Georgina was a strange person, all right. She was unlike any other person he's met before. Aaron had mostly associated her with fire because she was volatile, all over the place, and uncontrollable. But sometimes she could also be ice: cold, unmovable, and stubborn. She was a fighter both in words and action and she wasn't afraid to throw the first punch (literally).
Even now in almost a year of friendship, Georgina was an enigma. Aaron knew most of the time how she'd react to certain things or her thoughts on a particular subject or what she was thinking of. He'd like to think he knew her well enough but sometimes she was unpredictable and threw him off-guard.
Like how currently after lunch they were walking towards the nearest bus stop on the way to meet Veronica and Connor (the newly married couple) in a roller skating rink.
"So tell me again," Aaron said as they walked along the sidewalk. "You proposed to go roller skating even though you have no knowledge of the activity?"
Georgina threw him a sharp look but by now he had grown desensitized to it. Initially, he would always flinch but now he could look her in the eye and patiently wait for her response. He knew now whenever she glared, it was a defensive move to protect herself.
She scratched the side of her neck then and chuckled. "It was a spur-of-the-moment sorta thing and Nica was hella excited, already planning with my idiot cousin beside her. Hell, he was equally pumped to plan a date, place, and time. Then I realized I couldn't back out so I watched a few videos."
He chuckled as he pushed his hands inside his coat pockets.
"Seeing is different from trying the act yourself," he said.
"Yeah I know."
"I wouldn't be surprised if you keep falling in the rink, to be honest."
Georgina scowled at him and in childish anger, rammed her side against his to knock him off-balance. He did stumble but didn't fall, gloating on his small victory and sticking his tongue out at her playfully. She pinched his ear in retaliation.
A rich-looking young man passed by, Georgina's hand acting on reflex and making a grab for his backpack. Aaron swiftly caught her hand and pushed it inside his coat pocket, holding her smaller hand firmly.
She sighed dejectedly. To try and comfort her he rubbed his thumb along the expanse of skin he could reach, murmuring to her, "You'll be able to control it one day. I believe in you."
Her head lifted, their eyes meeting. The corner of her lips quirked upward. "Thanks."
Around thirty minutes after taking a bus, they arrived at the designated place. Georgina sent a text message to Veronica. Aaron eyed the stolen phone and debated on whether to ask about the phone issue. It might jeopardize her good mood though and he didn't want to ruin that.
It seemed he didn't have to bring it up since Georgina frowned and batted at the phone with an open palm.
"Ugh I swipe this from a random stranger and find this broken phone." She sighed and kept the phone in her pocket. She looked to Aaron. "Guess I should've just returned it, huh?"
"Well why didn't you?" he inquired curiously.
"Ahh well… I didn't think to check the phone before sprinting home." She shrugged. "Eh but it's fine. Oh, I see 'em. Over here, Nica!"
The newly married couple found them and waved, going over to meet Georgina and Aaron.
Aaron had the honor of being Connor's best man the day of the wedding, Georgina in turn being Veronica's maid of honor. When Veronica threw her bouquet of flowers as the custom was, it fell into Georgina's unsuspecting arms since she was busy eating by the buffet. She had turned scarlet then and Aaron remembered thinking the color looked good on her, even if she was blushing.
"Glad to see you guys could make it!" Connor slung an arm around his wife. They were both positively beaming and Aaron could feel the palpable romance between them. "Hey cousin, great idea of yours to go roller skating."
Georgina smiled unnaturally wide. "Oh yeah yeah. Amazing, huh?"
Veronica took one look at her and frowned. "Why do you look so nervous like that though? Do you feel sick or anything?"
She shook her head violently. "No no I'm good thanks. It's just—" she bit her tongue and stopped talking then, looking at the couple with an expression resembling fear.
Connor looked at him then. Aaron gave Georgina one glance and spoke on her behalf after she gave a tiny nod.
"She doesn't know how to skate."
"Ah yeah we know," Connor swiftly answered, shocking both Aaron and Georgina.
He laughed at their responses.
"It was obvious duh. What do you take us for, idiots?" He sniggered and avoided the oncoming punch to his bicep. "Hey quit it! I said I wasn't a punching bag, shorty!"
Georgina huffed and raised her nose high in the air in indignance.
"You don't have to look like a punching bag to be one, sucker."
Veronica broke up the fight before it could get nasty and said, "Here: Connor, go on and teach Gina to stand on her feet. Aaron, you'll be hanging out with me, is that okay?"
"Fine with me."
Georgina nodded and shrugged. "Sounds good to me."
Only Connor reacted in negation and whined to Veronica, "Aw V why don't you take her? I don't wanna keep on picking her dead weight off the rink."
With a snort, Georgina shot back, "As if I wanna get lessons from a pretty boy like you!"
"At least I'm pretty. What about you?"
Georgina snarled and Aaron held her back with a hand to her shoulder. Veronica only rolled her eyes in annoyance and offered a hand to Aaron.
"Come on let's go and leave those two to fend for themselves."
Aaron gladly obliged and followed after Veronica, renting their roller skates and gliding along the wood easily.
He smiled, reminiscing his childhood where he used to spend weekends with his family in fun places like this.
"As much as I feel sorry Georgina doesn't know how to skate, I'm kind of glad she chose to be here for an outing."
Veronica hummed in question, skating faster to be by his side.
"Why's that?"
"Well… I can't explain it myself," he said, unsure. "But being here brings back memories of my childhood when life was simpler and the only worries I had was to be allowed to go outside after I finish homework and collecting the latest trends during the time."
She giggled, Aaron smiling at how she looked at peace. Though, he had an inkling Connor might murder him if he said she was stunning. Veronica really was beautiful, with hair obviously well taken care of and skin that didn't betray her age. Her eyes always sparkled and it didn't take a genius to know any man would fall for her. She was so different to Georgina though so Aaron often wondered what made them click. But it wasn't his business so he won't pry.
"Yeah I get what you mean," Veronica said, gliding effortlessly on the rink while still keeping up his pace. "Back when I was younger all I wanted was to watch my favorite TV shows and gush about my celebrity crushes to my friends." She laughed. "Don't tell Connor but sometimes I watch my childhood shows at the dead of night."
Aaron grinned, surprised she had a secret like that. Still, he will keep her secret and said so.
Then they heard a short scream and both turned to the source, seeing Georgina with a deathly grip around Connor's neck. She had absolute fear on her face, unaware she was choking her cousin, his glasses askew as he tried to support both their weights.
Aaron and Veronica laughed at the spectacle they were being, standing in place and watching them with the other people whose attention was grabbed.
"Don't let go of me, you little—"
"Stop choking me and maybe I might consider," Connor said in annoyance, trying to loosen Georgina's grip on his neck. He managed to do so and tightly held her hands. "Hey. Hey look at me, woman and don't focus on the ground."
Georgina didn't seem to hear him, eyes still trained on her skates with her hands in Connor's larger ones. Her legs were struggling to keep her upright and Aaron had half the mind to go over there and teach Georgina himself.
Connor appeared to become impatient as he hooked a finger underneath Georgina's chin and forced her to look at his face. His eyes had a serious calm which made Georgina lock her gaze on his.
"I said look at me, cousin. Don't think."
Aaron watched more as Georgina gradually calmed down. There was a light touch on his arm and he turned to see Veronica smiling at him gently.
"I'm sure Connor's got it handled. Let's go?"
He blinked and regained his bearings. He smiled and nodded once, both of them taking off to go skating across the floor.
By this time the other people also went back to skating, talking amongst themselves.
"You worry too much about her," Veronica said.
Aaron smiled sheepishly at her, knowing her statement held some truth to it.
"It seems I do."
Veronica smiled softly and said, "I'm sure you know as well as I do she's strong and independent. I actually admire Gina for her unwavering strength."
"Yes I know she's strong."
Veronica stared at him with an unreadable gaze. Aaron wanted to look away but found he couldn't.
"So why fret?" she asked gently.
"Excuse me?"
"Why fret when we both know the obvious?"
Aaron swallowed, trying to come up with an answer. He knew she was strong. She took on anything with a smile speaking volumes of her accepting the challenge. She always kept her cool and only lashed out when she was threatened. And yet sometimes she seemed so fragile, smiling tiny smiles that didn't reach her eyes and giving half-hearted replies. It wasn't the Georgina Wells he'd come to know.
"Sometimes the world can be harsh. She'll need all the assurance and help she can get whenever life knocks her down." He looked to Veronica—the only other person who knew Georgina so well—with a purpose. "I want to be there for her like she was for me."
Veronica gasped softly but then smiled. "I admire your dedication but at the same time I'm worried for you. What if you give too much?"
"I'll be cautious."
She said no more as they shifted to easy conversation, skating along and ignoring their other companions. The cousins were at each other's throats as Connor tied Georgina's laces muttering curses, Aaron laughing quietly at their feud.