"Beneath the Glacial Gaze, Whispers of Lavender Dreams"

**Chapter 01: Whispers of Lavender Perfume: Echoes of a Forgotten Friendship**

"Aria, you know I can forcefully break free if I want to," I calmly asserted and rose my eyes, looking straight into her blue eyes.

She had beautiful eyes, darker than Mom's but equally captivating. I couldn't help but notice the deep, dark circles beneath her eyes, as if she hadn't gotten enough sleep.

"Stop looking into her eyes, Claire. They are full of sarcasm, venom, and deceit." I warned myself once again.

Aria scoffed, "Oh! Why don't you break free then, Claire? Or are you still afraid of hurting me, hmm? You know what? I hate your hypocrisy."

As I looked into her eyes, full of venom and hatred, my blood started to boil. I felt like anger was burning away my sanity. I forgot all about caution as I forcefully extricated myself.

However, the moment I regained freedom, my brain started to function, and I began to regret doing it almost immediately.

I turned to look at Aria, whose face looked the same as before. But her facade couldn't fool me. I quickly shifted my eyes to her left hand, which was trembling slightly. I knew I must have hurt her. Guilt gnawed at me.

Without even thinking, I quickly grabbed her trembling hand, which was cold like ice. I couldn't help but think she must have been out in the chilly air for a long time.

Brushing aside distractive thoughts, I tried to check if I had worsened her previous wound.

However, she didn't give me the chance to check as she attempted to pull away, and I could only loosen my grip as I didn't want to hurt her or break her already broken hand.

She looked at me with hatred and sarcasm, saying, "Oh Claire Simkims, how caring of you. Stop being such a fake. I don't need your pretentious benevolence."

"Save it for Alex, Claire," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "Your little acts of kindness won't change anything. You think you're so caring, but it's just a pathetic attempt to mask your own guilt."

Her accusation hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt the weight of her words settle uncomfortably.

Before I could respond, she continued, her tone sharpening with each word."You always play the victim, don't you? Acting like the world owes you something. Well, newsflash, Claire, no one's buying it. Not anymore."

I clenched my fists, a surge of frustration coursing through me. "Aria, you're the one who's changed. What happened to us being best friends? Why are you pushing me away like this?"

Aria scoffed with a bitter edge to her laughter. "Friends? Please. You're delusional if you think we were ever true friends. I've seen through your act, Claire. It's time you see through it too."

The bitterness in her words stung, and I felt my blood boil once again. Anger was getting a better hold on me, so I simply stormed away from Aria, avoiding eye contact. I don't want to look hatred in her eyes.

However, as I navigate through the hallways, I can't help but remember how she looked at me. Her eyes were going to become my nightmare.

I hadn't even come to terms with the fact that my best friend suddenly started to stay away from me, and now she despised me too.

Who could tell me why, in hell, she was doing this? Why couldn't she just tell me if I had wronged her in any way? Tears threatened, and I fought against them. I quickly stopped and took a deep breath. I hated tears, and I refused to shed them for Aria Smith.

I tried to distract myself and think of other things. But I couldn't help but think of Aria. Her chestnut-colored short hair made her appear heroic, although she was weaker than me.

Just two weeks ago, her eyes were filled with concern and affection for me, and now all of that has changed for some absurd reason I don't even know.

Ugh, I felt like I needed an outlet; otherwise, I was going to be crazy. For god's sake, that was my best friend, but now she hates me. Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh... As I stomped on the floor in frustration, my phone began to ring. It was from Uncle John.

Composing myself and wiping away lingering frustration, I answered, "Uncle John, I need you to pick me up from the hotel. It's an emergency. Come quickly, please."

Uncle John, always dependable, assured me of his swift arrival as he was nearby.

I gathered my belongings and headed to the hotel entrance, eager to put the unsettling encounter with Aria behind me.

As I waited for Uncle John, my mind raced with thoughts of Mom like a runaway train.

The weight of forgetting Mom's birthday crashed over me like an unexpected wave. Guilt gnawed at my conscience.

Finger crossed, I only hoped the surprise visit and the carefully prepared gift would compensate.

I wanted to concentrate on Mom's birthday and forget all about Aria. But apparently, it's not working.

Her words echoed like a haunting melody, an unending loop in my mind.

The winter air, crisp and gentle, brushed against my face, offering a moment of respite for my chaotic thoughts.

The name Alex echoed in my mind, mentioned by Aria.

Unfortunately, even after racking my brain for a long time, I couldn't recall anyone by that name.

Ugh, right now, I desperately wanted to return to the hallway and ask her, 'Aria Smith, who the hell is this Alex?'

A tempest of thoughts raged within, but I battled to present a serene facade, not wanting to draw attention to my inner turmoil.

Rozi...