dumbass aaron and caroline i should not be watching a kellan movie rn tbh like wtf this isn't ok
The worst part of all is that they know each other.
Sort of. Kind of. At the very least both of them have met once before. Before the obsessions with timers came about. before everyone was obsessed with finding their soulmate. Before things were awkward and weird and the only question people asked were--how long have you got? They knew each other.Â
But they didn't really know each other.Â
Caroline Carlyle had been quite the precocious little high school freshman. Flirty, enigmatic and so damn charming that it was no surprise that she'd ended up dating a senior and though a hell of a lot of people side eyed that entire relationship, she was all too happy to flaunt it in everyone's faces. Not that she cared, of course, she was a sarcastic little thing, witty and biting and capable of ignoring everyone who had something to say to her about dating someone four years older.
Everyone but him of course. Being his best friend, naturally Aaron didn't approve.
But it didn't last at all. He was a dick and she learned the hard way, only kicking herself after the fact, only regretting literally everything when she had her head buried in her sister's shoulder crying her eyes out because, shit, Caroline Carlyle was a pathetic little high school freshman. Fucking Travis.Â
Her sister gets her timer first and she eye rolls. Though there's something about seeing the two of them holding hands that kind of makes her want one, too. A tiny, closeted hopeless romantic side of her that says, I want that, too. So she gets one. It's a stupid decision and she realizes that the minute the thing flashes on and it reads six hours.
The only reason Aaron has one is because Louise convinced him and him being older brother felt that he had to say yes. He was way too young to be worrying about all that soulmate shit, but whatever, it wasn't real was it? There was no way technology was that advanced that a fucking stop watch stapled to your wrist could pinpoint the time you met your soulmate.
It didn't matter, his was blank and though his younger sister was dejected there was nothing she could do about it. He didn't pay any attention to it after that, except for the few times he waved his arm in front of his face long enough to catch a glimpse at it. It was always blank.
So of course he didn't think anything about it as he was going to work that day. it was fucking work, nothing happened.
Caroline on the other hand was panicking. Literally panicking so hard she'd grabbed her sister by the shoulders and shook her. "I am not ready for this shit."
Her sister, of course, was unsuccessful at getting her to calm down, pulling her in for a tight hug and promising her a movie night, just the two of them, and well...maybe one more. The only thing she could say at that was an exasperated, "That's not helping," causing her sister to laugh and shake her head.
"Come on Care, what are you gonna do, stay home? You can't meet your soulmate at home." That certainly got her to react.Â
"Yeah, yeah, you know what I'm staying home." And of course that was an unacceptable answer. Two hours later they're standing in line, buying tickets for frozen and Caroline is looking around the area worried. What if he was old?
He hates it. Sitting in the theater waiting for the damn thing to finish and hearing the song play for what feels like the three thousandth time. Caroline is enraptured, maybe crying a little bit, completely forgotten about the countdown clock to her impending doom as the credits roll and asking her sister if she wants to build a snowman.
Amelia heads to the bathroom and she heads out, people are exiting, talking, she's singing in her head and it's dark. She doesn't see him. She doesn't hear it. And she walks right into him before she realizes what the fuck is happening.Â
"Oh my god." She still hasn't seen his face though, still doesn't know it's Aaron fucking Lansing and for the most part, Caroline is just standing there, Frozen(heheh) and stunned. "I forgot that was happening." It's not until she hears his voice that she realizes who it is.
"What the fuck? When did this happen?" He's asking rhetorically, of course, but she answers him. "Six hours ago I'm guessing." Shit. She knows that voice.
He on the other hand has no idea who it is and he raises his eyebrows, wondering when the fuck these damn theater lights are going to come on. How long are these fucking credits anyway? "Uh...yeah?"Â
And she laughs. It's all she can do. It's the only way she can react. She laughs because if she doesn't she's going to fucking cry. She hates this asshole. "This has got to be a joke." Is all she says, by now her laugh nearly hysterical. Somehow she hasn't run away.
Aaron is stunned in a completely different way, he's still standing there, people passing by them, and he's stuck thinking--this bitch is fucking crazy. Caroline doesn't move though, she can't move, she doesn't know what to do. This guy isn't her soulmate. Why is she still standing there.
Finally, the theater lights come on and she squints, eyes adjusted to the darkness she looks up at his face and her stupid heart betrays her. Jesus he's cuter than she remembers. He finally studies her face, makes the connection and laughs, not that hysterical maniacal laughter that she'd been putting off. He's genuinely amused as his hands circle her wrist and he compares timers.
"Travis is going to shit his fucking pants."
