Hold Me Tight

Chapter 2.

 I woke up to someone down stairs. I rolled over and glanced at my clock. It was 12:49. I got up and quickly changed from my pajamas and tank top to a pair of yoga pants with my booties then I changed into a different tank top and pulled on a thin sweater. I ran my hands through my hair and wiped the sleep from my eyes and headed down the stairs. When I walked into the kitchen I saw my mom with tears crawling down her cheeks as Krista sat beside her with an arm around her and holding her other hand. Collin was sitting next to her and both Collin and Krista didn't look too happy. “Is everything okay?" I asked scared to know what was going on. My mom got up from where she was sitting and pulled me into a tight hug.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her. I looked at Collin with a questioning look and he bit his lip. Finally my mom let go and Collin told me to sit down and I did. My mom sat back down at her chair and swiped away her tears. I looked at my mom... she wasn't wearing her wedding rings. We sat silently for a moment and I felt a lump rising in my throat. "aria," Krista explained slowly " this morning there was a package in the mail..." then Collin finished the sentence for her "and the package was um, d-divorce papers and some pictures of him with someone else..." he stammered. If this was a cartoon my jaw would have dropped to the ground, but it isn’t. I starred almost as if they were speaking a different language, but they weren't. I tried to take a deep breathe but I couldn't. My mom got up and left the room and Krista followed.

I folded my arms on the table and rested my head on them. I heard a chair scrape back and footsteps over to where I was sitting. Collin lightly touched my arm and that was enough to set me off. Slowly I stood up, still trying to figure things out in my head when he pulled me into his arms. "I-I don’t understand...” I began. He held me closer. "He lied, he cheated, and he wants out." my mom spat. collin wrapped his arms around me and I buried my head into his chest. He lightly rubbed my back. After standing in the kitchen for a while he dragged me into the living room and tried to pull me into his lap but I sat beside him. I just couldn't sit in my best friends lap, I wanted to, trust me, but if I did I would probably break and confess everything to him, and that everything was how much I loved him.

But we were best friends and there would never be anything between us. I sat there still trying to process everything that had happened. I was caught up in my thought when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." I told Collin and go up from the couch. I unlocked the door and opened it to see my grandma (my mom’s mom) standing in the door way. She smiled at me and I forced one on my face.

We didn't say much she just pulled me in for a hug asked me how I was doing then asked for my mom. I went and sat back down on the couch. On the t.v was a happy family having family time. The tears stung my eyes. I turned my head so Collin couldn't see me cry, but I failed and he noticed. “please don’t cry." he softly whispered. I didn't know how I was feeling, I couldn't tell if I was mad or upset, but I lashed out at him, "don't cry? You’ve never had your father walk out on you or cheat on your mom or hit you." I said, more tears falling down my cheeks.

He shifted slightly and I wished I hadn't said a word I just did. “I’m sorry Collin." I cried "please don't go." I finished.  “Don’t go? Aria where do you think I'm going?" he asked calmly. “You left before but you came back and then he left and I don't want you to leave again." I sobbed. "Why would I leave?" his voice gentle and soft. "Why wouldn't you, everyone has started to leave me." I admitted. "Believe me when I say this, I'm not going anywhere." he insisted.

As the day went on most of my mom’s side of the family came to visit. I could tell with all that was going on my mom didn't want me around to see her upset which I understood. As more and more family arrived our house got pretty crowded, so Krista said she was going to go home, let my mom have time with her family. She asked Collin if he was coming with her but he said he would stay with me for a while. It felt like every time someone else came over I got more and more stressed. I don't know why it was just so much, to go from a happy fammily to a broken one. Collin was in the living room and I was looking for something to eat. I pulled open the refrigerator door and scanned the shelves. My eyes were instantly glued the icing sitting on the top shelf.