Chapter 5- We Apparently Both Suck At Geography

“Aria,” Caleb says, bursting into my room all of a sudden. “There’s a limo outside for you,” He informs me.

“Geez, Caleb, knock much?” I ask, irritated at my brother.

I really shouldn’t be though, irritated at him, I mean. Caleb doesn’t know of the thing called personal space. That or he just doesn’t respect it. He usually does that though- just walks into a room or whatever without knocking or anything. Not just to me either, I mean like, everyone.

“Nope, not really, but you already know that,” Caleb chuckles, biting down into an apple. “Why’s there a limo?”

“I’m going to the zoo,” I explain, getting out of my bed and pulling my tall black Uggs over my lime green ankle socks.

“Why’re you going to the zoo? And more importantly, why’re you going there in a limo?”

“Well, I’m going to the zoo because I wanna see the animals and I’m going with my friend,” I explain.

“Your friend who has a limo?” He skeptically interrogates, chomping noisily on his green Granny Smith apple.

“Yes! My friend who has a limo,” I confirm, grabbing my cell phone and slinging my purse over my shoulder.

“I smell something…fishy,” Caleb accuses me as I flip my bedroom light off, walking past him into the corridor.

“Hmm, maybe it’s time for you to clean Tapioca’s tank again,” I suggest, descending the stairs.  Tapioca is Caleb’s pet fish.

“You’re so funny,” Caleb sarcastically remarks, following me down the stairs. “Seriously, what’s up?”

“Jesus Christ, you really are annoying and nosy, aren’t you?” I reply, pulling the front door open, seeing Mason’s black limo idling.

“Yes, I really am. Plus it’s my job to know this stuff- I’m your big brother,” He reminds me, raising his eyebrows.

“Okay,” I sigh. “It’s Mason Carter, but Caleb, I swear to God if you tell anyone I will literally drown you in Tapioca’s dirty, stinky tank full of pee.” I warn, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Wait, what? Are you serious? You’re going to the zoo with Mason Carter?” Caleb asks incredulously.

“What, are you a Masonater as well?” I wonder, looking at my brother weirdly.

“No, but I hear Clark and Holland talk about him a lot. He’s out there in that limo?”

“Yes and I need to go. Caleb, don’t tell anyone. Not even the fish,” I demand before walking out of the front door.

“The fish’s name is Tapioca!” He calls after me.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I reply, walking down the driveway to the street, were the limo is waiting for me.

“Good afternoon, Miss Austin,” Chule says, getting out of the driver’s seat and opening the back door for me. 

“Hi, how do you know my name?” I say shyly as he extends his arm, gesturing towards the interior of the limo.

“Mr. Carter, of course.” Chule replies as I f I’m stupid for asking.

“Oh right,” I retort, awkwardly walking past him and getting into the limo. “Thank you,” I tell Chule as he closes the door.

“It’s his job, Aria, you don’t have to thank him,” Mason laughs from his spot beside me.

“I’m a polite girl,” I shrug. “Anyways, this is an absolutely awful way to lay low.” I inform him.

“What do you mean?” He asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re riding around town in a limo; people are gonna get suspicious of who’s in here.” I explain as Chule drives off.

“Oh, yeah, you’re probably right about that. I don’t care, like, I know that they’ll know I’m here soon enough,” He shrugs.

“This is true. So, tell me why you suddenly wanted to go to the zoo,” I request.

“Because I wanna see the animals. I heard that they have a new shark exhibit where you can actually touch one.”

“Wow, that seems…awful.” I say. “I hope that you don’t expect me to do that, because I just won’t do it, Mason.”

“We’ll see,” He laughs, pushing a button and making the partition between us and Chule go up. “I’m can be very persuasive.”

“Well, seeing as how you’re an actor, I’d expect you to be,” I say, looking around the limo in utter shock of how amazing it is.

“Have you never been in a limo?” Mason wonders curiously.

“No.” I reply, shaking my head. “You see, I’m a normal seventeen year old girl in high school with a job and all that kinda stuff.”

“I’m in high school too, you know, I just do it by correspondence. And I have a job,” Mason informs me, laughing softly.

“Well, yeah, but you’re not normal,” I shoot back.

“Yeah, okay. So, have you told anyone that I’m here yet?”

“Nope, well, just my big brother and that’s only because he wouldn’t leave me alone about it.”’

“I didn’t know that you had a brother,” Mason tells me, pulling his iPhone from his pocket, looking down at it and putting it back.

“I do, sadly,” I sigh, half-seriously. I mean, I love Caleb and all, but he’s annoying sometimes. And by sometimes I mean, all the time. “He’s not gonna tell anyone. I threatened to drown him in Tapioca’s urine if he did, so I’m pretty positive that he won’t,” I chirp.

“Tapioca’s urine? Like, Tapioca Pudding?” He wonders, looking at me with a curious expression.

“Yeah, like Tapioca Pudding, only it’s not pudding, that’s what my brother named his fish.”

“Ooooh,” Mason says, nodding in understanding. “What a…nice name for a fish.”

“Yeah, no, it’s not.” I laugh.

“No, not really,” He agrees, laughing with me.

“So, you really can’t just drive your car?” I wonder randomly as Chule merges onto a freeway.

“No, I can, I just have to have Ty and Rock with me or behind me, closely following.” Mason explains nonchalantly.

“Well, what if you wanna go and buy something private or something? Do they like, follow you in the store as well?”

“They’re my main body guards; they’re paid to protect me, so yeah, they follow me everywhere. To answer you first question though, I don’t really buy stuff that I’d care about them knowing about. But really, if I don’t want anyone to know that I buy something, I’ll just order it over the internet and have it sent to my house.”

“Oh, that’s smart,” I truthfully remark.

“I’m not just a handsome face, Aria,” Mason teases.

“You’re also an arrogant movie star,” I retort, nodding.

“Exactly!” He says, obviously just joshing around.

“So, what are you gonna do if someone recognizes you?” I ask Mason as we walk in through the large front gates of the zoo, slipping on my all-access bracelet- he insisted we get them so that we can go anywhere in the entire zoo. He’s a weird boy.

“Oh, right, Chule gave me some stuff so that doesn’t happen,” He tells me, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a black beanie.

“A beanie?” I ask with a giggle. “That’s gonna disguise you.”

“Yes, yes it is.” Mason confirms pulling the beanie over his head and taking a pair of black square frame glass out of his pocket. “And these.” He slips the glasses on and blinks a few times, adjusting to the vision difference. Then he modifies his beanie and looks down at me. “I look like a totally new person, no?”

“Oh, yes, definitely.” I truthfully reply, nodding as we walk through the zoo. “You look like a hipster,” I inform him.

“I knew I would,” He sighs heavily. “Stupid Chule being all stereo-typical.” He groans.

“It’s cute,” I assure him. “Now, what exhibit should we go to first?” I wonder as we walk aimlessly down the sidewalk.

“Whichever one we hit first- I wanna go to all of them. Especially the ocean exhibit.”

“Okay, but I’m telling you right now that I’m not touching a shark,” I warn him.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say,” He retorts, totally unconvinced by my words. Mason’s phone rings out in his pocket and he pulls it out, glancing down at the display. I look over at him and see a frown form on his face. He pushes the silence button on his iPhone and pushes it back down in his pocket, clearing his throat. “Let’s go to the reptile exhibit. I’ve got a thing for snakes,” He explains.

“Snakes are icky,” I complain. “But okay, I think it’s on the other side though. Why’d you ignore that phone call?” I wonder.

“It’s just Brianne, and I don’t wanna talk to her right now,” Mason informs me as we make our way to the other side of the zoo.

“Brianne Blossom?” I ask incredulously. But it’s totally credulous because they are both movie stars and probably friends considering the fact that they are co-stars and their new movie is coming out really, really soon.

“Yeah, that’s the one. She’s been blowing my phone up lately.”

“Well, she probably likes you,” I shrug.

“She’s not really my type- I try not to date co-workers.” Mason tells me.

“Wait a minute, I thought your and Brianne’s new movie was about to come out?” I ask suddenly even though I know it is.

“It is,” Mason confirms. “Why? You wanna go and see it or something?” He teases, giving me a boyish grin.

“No, I don’t wanna see it,” I assure him. “Just, I thought you two were already done filming it and whatnot.”

“Ooh, yeah, we finished like, a year ago. We’re shooting the sequel to it now, but it doesn’t come out for another two years.”

“Ah, well, that makes sense,” I reply. “It must be nice to be a movie star,” I say.

“It’s pretty cool, I guess,” He shrugs. “I think you’ve got it better though.”

“That’s not true at all,” I laugh.

“Uh huh. You just wait until the media finds out I’m home. It’s gonna be hell.”

“So, if you know that they’re gonna be swarming Indiana, how come you came back?”

“I told you- I hadn’t been here not once since I left. Plus, you get sick of all the people in L.A., Indianapolis is a so much roomier.”

“I would agree with you, but I’ve never been to Los Angeles, so I wouldn’t know,” I giggle.

“You’ve never been to Los Angeles?” He skeptically asks, looking down at me as we walk the cobblestone.

“Nope, in fact, the farthest I’ve been from home is like, Nebraska,” I explain.

“Oh, the potato state?”

“I’m pretty sure that that’s Idaho, Mason,” I giggle, shaking my head.

“Then what’s Nebraska?” He wonders.

“I dunno, the cheese state?”

“That’s Wisconsin, stupid,” Mason replies, teasingly.

“Well, I have no idea what Nebraska is. We apparently both suck at geography.”

“I guess so,” Mason agrees with a small laugh. “Oh, here it is- the reptile exhibit.”

________________

“You’re such a girl, Aria,” Mason laughs, leaning against the titled wall of the bathroom.

“Oh shut up,” I demand, vigorously rubbing my fingers together, lathering the soap in my hands and letting the hot water run over them. “A snake was on me. Like, literally wrapped around me,” I remind him. “He totally tried to kill me,” I exclaim, still briskly scrubbing my hands under the scaling hot water to get the dirty snake germs off of me. I don’t have a strong immune system and I do not wanna get the snake flu. Is there snake flu? I’d imagine so; I mean, there are bird flus and that pig flu- swine flu, so I’m sure that somewhere in the world there exists such a thing as snake flu. Maybe not in North America, but those snakes were definitely not North American snakes. They looked like they belong deep in the rain forests of South America or something like that.

“Okay, first, it was a girl and it wasn’t trying to kill you,” Mason corrects me, still laughing.

“You know this how?” I tease, peering down at my pruny fingers, deciding they’re clean enough- I’ve been at this for a while now.

“Because the dude said it was a girl but you were too busy yelling your head off.” He explains, waving his hand in front of the black motion-censored paper towel dispenser. Mason rips it off and turns the water taps off, handing me the long strip of brown towels.

“Well, snakes are weird and ugly and slimy and gross and just yeah,” I shiver, drying my hands and throwing the towel in the bin.

“You must have been bitten by one before or something? Is that why you’re so scared of them?” Mason queries, pulling the door to the bathroom open and gesturing for me go out first. I do and I notice immediately the dirty looks people are sending me and Mason. We were in there for like, twenty minutes while I was washing my hands and by the way people are looking at us, I think that they think we did the nasty in there. Yes, I just referred to a quickie as ‘doing the nasty’.

“Uh, no, I didn’t get bit by one,” I assure him, ignoring the looks as my face heats up. “I just don’t like them.”

“Well, I got bit by one- a King Cobra about two years ago but I think they’re really cool.” He explains

“Oh my gosh, you got bit a King Cobra?” I ask skeptically. “How are you not dead right now?”

Mason chuckles and says, “I was in, uh, India at the time shooting for a movie and it just snuck up on me. It was pretty bad. At least, I think it was. I don’t really remember because it’s all pretty fuzzy, but Alec told me when I woke up that they’d rushed me to the place they have in India- I mean, I guess it happens a lot there, snake attacks since that’s where most King Cobras live. But yeah, they got it all out and I only slept for like, three days.” He explains like it’s no big deal that he nearly lost his life.

“My life is so, so boring compared to yours,” I giggle, shaking my head as we walk down the path of the zoo in a random direction.

“Boring is cool,” Mason defends. “It’s nice and calming.” He adds.

“Well, that’s true. Oh and did you say Alec? Like, Alec Brooks?”

“Alec Brooks, yeah,” He confirms. “My very first friend in Hollywood. You a fan?”

“He’s pretty cool,” I nod with a shrug. “Like, I’m not obsessed or anything, but he’s cool.”

Alec Brooks is a double threat. He’s a singer and an actor. And not just an actor, but like, according to Holland, “the second best teenage actor in all of Hollywood.” Mason was the first, of course. She did deem him the best teenage male singer though, but that’s just because Mason doesn’t sing. Not like, professionally anyway. He’s totally gorgeous though, Alec Brooks is. I guess you could call him a pop singer, he kinda does the Justin Bieber type songs minus the annoying stuff and the rapper wanna be stuff.

“He is cool,” Mason agrees. “But yeah, that’s how that happened. I still think they’re kinda cool though- snakes, I mean.”

“Mason?” I ask, looking up at him briefly as we continue our walk- we’re right near the monkey and ape habitat now.

“Yeah?” He asks, looking down at me with a curious expression on his face.

“What’s your middle name?” I wonder.

“You’re so random,” He laughs. “Brady, is it.”

“Mason Brady Carter?”

“That’s my name,” Mason confirms. “Why do you ask?”

“Just so that I could say this: Mason Brady Carter, you are really, really weird.” I like his weird though, because he’s pretty funny.

“Well, you’re the one who just washed your hands for two years because a snake was on you,” He reminds me, grinning boyishly.

“Touché,” I retort, then gesture towards the huge apes down in their grassy habitat thingy. “We’re at the apes and monkeys now.”

“Oh wow,” He replies, looking over at the monkeys, just now noticing them. “Monkeys are pretty weird too, you know.”

“They really are,” I agree. “Like they’re practically humans. That’s extremely scary,” I complain. “And orangutans are ugly.” I add.

“Well, you’re mean,” Mason says, but I can tell that he’s only joking.

“Well, they are!” I exclaim. “You know it, I know it and the monkeys all know it.” I inform him.

“Whatever you say, Aria,” He appeases me, shaking his head. “So, what’s your middle name? I think it’s only fair I know.”

“Nope, you’re not gonna know because I hate my middle name and it makes me feel like a really old author,” I explain.

“A really old author?” Mason echoes, wrinkling his forehead. “What is it, Emily? Like Emily Bronte?”

“Nope, not Emily,” I deny, shaking my head and slipping my phone, snapping pictures of the monkeys and apes.

They’re weird, but they’re adorable. Aside from those darn orangutans- but I only see one of those and he’s really big and fat so he’s just lying on the ground. I’d worry that he’s dead, but his back is going up and down at a steady rate, so he must be sleeping.  

“Uh, Rowling?”

“Did you just call J.K. Rowling old?” I ask him.

“She is old,” He defends. “But I’m gonna guess your parents didn’t give you the middle name ‘Rowling’?”

“No, they didn’t. They’re not that heartless.” I tell him. My parents are actually really, really nice people.

“Well, I’m gonna figure it out,” Mason promises me. “I mean, I read a lot.”

“Mhm, I’m sure you will,” I reply. “But when you do, you won’t know it because I’m not saying so.”

“Are we gonna have to do the Ted thing here?” He asks me as a lady pushing a two seat-er stroller bumps past us roughly.

“Rude,” I growl, narrowing my eyes at her and her stupid big, bulky stroller. “What Ted thing?” I ask Mason, referring to the movie.

“You know, the part where John names all the girls? The speed lightening thing.” He explains

“Oooh!” I chirp. “Yeah, I remember that. But no, I don’t think it’ll be necessary,” I chuckle.

“Is it…Austen?” He guesses, leaning over the railing that’s over the monkey habitat. He can’t like, fall though- it’s too high up.

“No, Austin’s my last name,” I remind him. “That’d be stupid. Aria Austen Austin.”

“That would be a very unfortunate name.” He says. “What about…Goldsworthy?”

“Mason, you have to go for middle names. That’s obviously a last name,” I chuckle.

“Hey, people are naming their children all sorts of weird things now-a-days.”

“It’s Jane,” I admit, walking away from the apes as one of them starts beating on his chest and being annoying.

“Aria Jane Austin?” He asks, falling into step with me.

“Yep,” I confirm. “So, yeah, you were pretty close with Jane Austen.”

“So, your parents are like, regal people or something?”

“Well, not really,” I shake my head. “My mom just liked the name Jane, but my dad didn’t want it for my first name.”

“Well, that’s a nice name,” Mason compliments me. “So, Aria Jane Austen, are you ready to swim with sharks?” He asks.

“No, and I’m not gonna. Besides, the oceans habitat is all the way on the other side, so ha,” I tease him, sticking my tongue out.

“Really? Because I dunno, but that sure looks like a big ass shark to me,” Mason says, pointing forward with his head.

“Oh my gosh,” I whimper, following his gaze and seeing the huge underwater exhibit. It’s stupidly built, I think- like what are they gonna do if that huge sharks gets upset and starts banging its head against the glass? Then it’s gonna break it and all the water along with the two sharks they house in there are gonna come pouring out. Next thing you know, there’ll be a huge flash flood and if you don’t from that, the fact that there’d be two wild sharks on the loose would probably get you. But maybe I’m just paranoid.

“What, scared?” Mason jokes, pushing my side lightly.

“Hecks yes, I’m scared!” I wail then nearly jump for joy when I hear my phone ring in my pocket. “Hold on a second,” I tell him. Reaching down into the pocket of my jeans, I whip my iPhone out and let out a relieved sigh when I see that it’s my dear sweet best friend, Holland. I say that because I know she’s gonna talk a long time and maybe Mason won’t wanna wait on me and he’ll just go and get in that shark tank along. Or better yet, not at all, because I mean, it’s a shark tank- why would he wanna get in it?

“Hey Holland!” I chime into the phone.

“You’re awfully perky,” She observes. “But hello,” She replies, her voice cheery.

“How’s Melanie’s birthday party?” I ask her, looking down at my black Uggs.

“It’s awful and I want to go home.” Holland complains.

“You are at home, Hols,” I remind her. Melanie’s party is in the Melbourne’s massive backyard.

“Yeah, well, I wanna go to someone else’s home.” She grumpily replies. “Aria, there’s a clown here. A clown!”

“What’s wrong with clowns?” I wonder, furrowing my brow.

“Nothing, when you’re a kid; she turned fifteen!”

“I’m so sorry you have to deal with your icky step-sister,” I assure her.

“Yes, so am I,” She sighs. “So, where are you?”

“Huh?” I ask, taken aback by her question.

“Are you with a boy? Because you sounded like you were going on a date.”

“I’m just, uh, at Wal-Mart.” I lie horribly. I can easily lie to random people, but not my family and friends too well.

“You have a date at Wal-Mart? I think this guy may be a dud, Ari,” Holland tells me.

“Holland, I’m not on a date,” I tell her with a chuckle. “And I, uh, need to go, so I’ll call you back later, yeah?”

“No can do, my step-monster is walking over here and she’s probably gonna yell at me for being, ‘rude’. So, she’ll probably take my phone. I’ll just see you at school tomorrow,” Hols sighs sadly as if the party absolutely sucks, but then again, it probably does suck.

“Okay, Hols, see you tomorrow.” I respond before ending the phone call and putting my phone back into my pocket.

“You and that girl must be really close,” Mason observes.

“Holland? Yeah, she and Clark are my best friends,” I explain. “Well, really like my only friends I talk to a lot, I guess,” I murmur.

“You mean you’re not like, insanely popular?” Mason wonders, walking forward, myself parallel to him.

“Me? Insanely popular? God, not at all,” I laugh. “Like, I have friends, but I’m no Aubrey Posen or anything.”

“Aubrey Posen?” He asks, raising an eyebrow, clearly not getting the reference or knowing who she is.

“She’s from Pitch Perfect- keep up, Hollywood Boy,” I say, patting his shoulder in faux sympathy. 

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to my really close Wattpad friend, writerbug44, because today's her birthday! She won't see this until she's back from her camping trip, but yeah, happy birthday-- I hope that it's lovely! So, the picture is Clark- even though she's not in this chapter. She and Holland will both be in the next. Don't forget to comment and vote, please! See you guys on Monday!