Gated Heart

Chapter 6

The following week, Aren and Mia sat at a table in the school lunch yard, eating their food together in peace. A unique friendship has blossomed between the two. Eating and walking with Aren had become routine for her, and he tagged along beside Mia whenever he could. He didn't often talk much, but he stuck to her side, content to just be in her company. People at school continued to watch them with astonishment when they walked down the hall together, Aren always casually trailing alongside her. Mia found herself spending more time with Aren then she realized, and even though he was pretty quiet and unconcerned, she liked having him as a friend.

Sitting at the lunch table, Mia heard someone call out to her excitedly.

"Mia!" A sweet voice exclaimed from afar.

Curious, both she and Aren turned to see who it was.

Mia's face lit up and she sprang to her feet. "Emily!" She yelled back with a huge smile.

They ran to each other and practically jumped into a hug. They giggled as they squeezed each other with excitement.

"You're back!" Mia exclaimed.

"I'm back!" Emily responded.

Aren just stared at them in confusion from the lunch table.

"I told you I'd be back in 5 months! What, did you forget about me?" Emily teased.

Mia giggled. "No, dummy! It just feels like an eternity. Welcome home!"

"Thanks," Emily said with a smile. She leaned over to look past Mia at Aren. She raised an eyebrow. "Wait a sec. Is that... Aren?"

Mia nodded.

Emily gaped at her. "And you're eating lunch with him?? What, did he get a personality transplant while I was gone? That guy doesn't talk to ANYONE."

Mia sighed. "It's hard to explain, I'll try and catch you up later. Come on, let me introduce you."

They walked back over to the lunch table where Aren sat, uninterested.

"Aren, this is Emily, my best friend since age ten," Mia beamed.

Aren glanced at Emily and looked back at Mia. His expression stayed neutral, but after a moment, he nodded at Emily."

"Heh heh..." Emily chuckled awkwardly. She leaned in to Mia. "I don't think he likes me," she whispered.

Mia scratched her head. "Uh... no, no... he's just like that." She laughed nervously. "Come, sit down."

They all sat at the lunch table together.

"So..." Emily said to Aren. "How long have you and Mia been friends?"

Aren ignored her.

"He's pretty shy, isn't he?" Emily stated.

He looked up. "I'm not shy," he said matter-of-factly.

Mia and Emily stared in surprise.

"Oh whoa, deep voice," Emily said without thinking. "Wasn't expecting that."

"He talked to you!" Mia marveled. "Wow, he doesn't normally do that."

Aren looked at them in annoyance. They were talking about him as if he weren't sitting right there, like he was a child. He went back to eating his food, no longer interested, and ignored them for the rest of lunch.

Emily ate lunch with Aren and Mia almost every day after that. At first, Aren was a bit unhappy about Emily's intrusion into his time with Mia, but after a few days, he started noticing how often Emily made Mia smile and laugh. Though he was rarely sure what was so funny, it was hard to dislike anything or anyone that made Mia smile so happily, and he began appreciating Emily's presence at lunch time. Although he didn't grow any real fondness for Emily, the way he had for Mia, he did start warming up to her a bit.