The Incubus Under My Bed #wattys2019

Chapter 12- A Hit In The Hay

Aria woke up on the couch, in Henri's arms. They went back to Ashley and Whitney's apartment to help clean it out. Stella was on the air mattress with Whitney who basically had cried herself to sleep. They all had been up the past few hours talking about Ashley and what they'd miss about her and listening to Whitney rant about Ashley.

Aria didn't know if she would be strong enough to talk about her best friend and be in the space they shared for the past three years. Whitney was the strongest person Aria knew. She was also the most humble and honest. While, Whitney's honesty came with a sharp edge it was always comforting.

Aria was just truly getting to know Ashley, but she and Whitney went to grade school together. They generally hung out with different crowds, but that was mostly because Whitney was immersed in college life and Aria had been living at home. Aria remembered how kids would tease her for how conservative she was, and how she never really knew what was hip and cool, because she was so sheltered, and spend most of her time with her grandparents in church. Whitney was the first to try and get to know her. Whitney always invited her to parties and weekend activities that the others didn't necessarily want Aria at. After a while everyone got used to Aria. Aria owed Whitney a lot for being such a great friend for so many years.

Aria and Stella put their heads together and made her some tea to help ease some of her pain. For a bit it seemed as though it wasn't working. After they left the hospital's morgue Whitney was telling a story about the first night, she and Ashley spent together in their dorm room. Ashley didn't know the ins and outs of black hair care and was surprised at all Whitney had to do to care for her dreadlocks. As she told the story a bright smile curled her lips and she laughed. The tea only helped for an hour or so, but Aria reassured Henri she'd make more.

Aria looked around Ashley's room. She looked at all the pictures on her desk and saw one she was in. It was of she and Ashley at March Madness. Aria was in Tyrell's arms, and he was looking down at her as if she hung the stars. Aria's stomach turned. She hated how she hurt Tyrell, and she wished she could go back and somehow save what they had. Then she felt a warm hands snake around her waist.

"You, doing okay," Henri asked as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I was just looking around. I wanted to help pack a little more before I had to leave," she smiled.

"You can't go back home?" he questioned.

"I have to, you'll be okay," she said. Aria turned and placed her hand on his cheek and smiled warmly at him.

"I need you right now," he said. The softness in his tone made her heart stop.

"Babe, I'm here. I just need to help my grandma for a few hours. Stella's going to be here while I'm gone, and Tyrell texted me and said he was going to check up on Whitney in the morning. You're not alone."

"They're your friends," he laughed.

"They're not just my friends. They all care about you," she said and caressed his face. "You have other people in your life that can support you, if you let them. Not just me and Ash. And Whitney needs you."

"I-it hurts a lot," he said trying to sound strong. But Aria could sense his brokenness. "I never really let people get to me. I never really lost someone like this. Not in a while," he confessed.

"It's hard, especially when it's unexpected. My cousin Jax was shoot on a trip to New York. Before he left, he promised to get me and Stella playbills signed by the cast of Wicked. We were doing the musical in school, and he was going to be there during Idina Menzel's last show. And he was on his way from Spanish Harlem to get the playbills. He got into an argument with a guy that was hitting on his friend or something and the cops came, and somehow, he got shot. He didn't have to die over whatever it was, but he was gone," Aria said with tears in her eyes.