Beneath the laughter

Aiden leaned back into his chair, nursing a beer as he listened to his friend’s banter. They were seated around their usual table in their favorite bar; A dimly lit dive smelling of stale cigarettes and spilled alcohol. Clinging classes and laughter usually filled the air but tonight, the conversation had a sharper edge.

“So, Aiden,” Mike said, a smirk playing on his lips. “What’s this I hear about you and Emily? You’re going soft on us man.”

Aiden’s jaw tightened, but he forced a casual smile. “What are you talking about?”

“He didn’t stutter,” Kevin chimed in, leaning forward. “We’ve seen you with her. You’re opening doors and stuff. No more jokes, no more flirting with other girls. It’s like she’s got you on a leash.”

The other guys chuckled, whilst Aiden scoffed trying his best not to show the knot of frustration tightening in his chest. He glanced around the table, searching for a retort that would shut them up without revealing the turmoil brewing inside him.

“Whatever man,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’m just trying to be a gentleman.”

“Sounds like you’ve caught feelings, Aiden,” Mike teased, shaking his head. “Next thing you know, you’ll be a full blown simp.”

Aiden forced a laugh through Mike’s stinging words. Deep down, he knew there was some truth to their jokes. Emily had changed him, made him want to be better man; a concept foreign to him due to his past, a past defined by a single moment in kindergarten that would forever shape his views of women.

Back then, little Aiden had a crush on a girl named Sarah. He had gathered all his courage to give her a couple of daisies he’d picked from the schoolyard. But when he presented them to her she just pushed him to the ground and laughed whilst telling him she didn’t like him. The rejection stung deeply, and from that moment on, Aiden vowed never to let himself be vulnerable around females ever again. He built walls of arrogance and cruelty, treating every girl he dated as a conquest rather than a partner. Humiliating his girlfriends, gave Aiden the male validation he desperately craved.

But Emily was different. She was kind, beautiful, smart and saw through the veneer he presented to the world. There was a strength in her gaze that unnerved him, a quiet confidence that challenged his usual tactics. Aiden found himself wanting to be different for her, to be the man she deserved.

Everything changed however, when Mike’s birthday came around and they celebrated at the dive bar. Emily joined Aiden that night, hoping to connect with the people that meant so much to him. The evening started pleasant enough; she would smile politely at their crude jokes; even the ones made at her expense. Aiden’s friends were loud and as the night wore on, the jokes turned meaner and their banter, relentless.

“You remember that girl from college, the one who thought we were exclusive?” Aiden laughed, leaning in closer to Emily as if she were part of the joke. “Man, she cried for days when she found out I was also dating her best friend.”

His friends roared with laughter, and Emily’s smile faltered. She felt a pang of discomfort, but Aiden didn’t notice. He was too caught up in the attention, too drunk on their approval. “That’s not funny,” Emily said softly, trying to steer the conversation away. “Maybe we should talk about something else.”

But Aiden ignored her, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Oh, come on, Emily. Lighten up, besides she had a high body count, I wasn’t going to take her seriously; women like that deserve what’s coming to them.”

Kevin, picking up on Aiden’s lead, pointed his beer bottle at Emily. “Yeah, Emily, don’t be such a buzzkill. We’re just having a good time.”

Emily forced a smile through her growing discomfort. She squeezed Aiden’s arm, hoping he would take the hint. Instead, he pulled her hand off, turning to his friends with a grin.

“You guys want to hear something hilarious?” Aiden said, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of nearby patrons. “Emily here actually thought I was going to change for her. Can you believe that?”

Emily’s heart sank, her face flushing with embarrassment. She glanced around, seeing the smirks on Aiden’s friends' faces. “Aiden, please,” she whispered, her voice pleading.

But Aiden was too far gone, too immersed in his performance. “She actually believed all that crap about being different. But let’s be for real, a leopard doesn’t change its spots, right?”

The laughter grew louder, and Emily felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Despite her careful vetting of him, she believed Aiden would treat her differently, she wanted to see the good in him, but this was too much.

“Aiden,” she said, her voice shaking, “I think I’m going to head home.”

“What?,” Mike said, slapping Aiden on the back. “It’s just a joke. Don’t get so emotional.”

But Emily had had enough. She stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor, drawing more eyes to their table. She looked at Aiden, hoping for some sign of remorse, but his expression was a mix of confusion and defiance. He wanted to get up and leave with her but chose his friends instead; their validation was more important.

“Emily, don’t be sensitive,” Aiden said, reaching for her arm.

She pulled away, her voice firm despite the quiver. “No! This isn’t a joke to me. I thought you were different, you told me you were different!”

Without another word, she turned and walked out of the bar, her heart heavy with the weight of her decision. Aiden watched her go, a mix of anger and regret churning inside him, but the jeers and laughter of his friends drowned out any chance of introspection.

As the door closed behind her, Aiden’s friends continued to laugh, clinking their bottles together in a toast to their own obliviousness. Aiden tried to join in, but instead had a hollow feeling in his chest, getting larger by the second; the reality of what he had lost was beginning to sink in.

Emily didn’t look back. As she stepped out into the cool night air, she felt a sense of relief wash over her, mingling with the sadness. She had given Aiden a chance and chosen him, but now she would choose herself.

Inside the bar, Aiden picked up his beer, the taste bitter on his tongue. He tried to force himself to laugh along with his friends, but the sound rang silent. For the first time, he wondered if the price of their approval was worth the cost of losing the one person who had truly cared for him.