Heartbeat

Chapter 1.

— Aria's POV —

"I can't come in today, you know I'm not on shift. I've been working for the past five days, this is my break before I'm in next week." I hear my mom on the phone - speaking to work I assume - and I blink my eyes open at the sound. "I can't, I'm sorry. I have no one for the kids, you'll have to get Foster to cover."

I attempted to take a nap which in this house never goes well, I either wake up to one of the girls screaming or climbing on top of me, but it was needed today more than ever, even if I did just have an hour of rest.

I was up until four am with Eloise crying next door, my mum attempting to shush her to sleep so no one else would wake up in the house.

Although she's two, she still relies on us more than a usual toddler of her age would. Dad's death hit us all hard as a family, and although my dad never got the chance to even hold her, Eloise was affected too.

She started having nightmares around a year ago, every night she wakes up screaming from her wicked dreams, and either my mom or myself goes into ease her back to sleep with a bottle or a cuddle.

And with the long night, I'm always so tired, so as twelve o'clock came around today, I just knew tonight would be a long night if I didn't close my eyes for even just a few minutes.

My best friend; Lillie is throwing a going away party for all of the students that were in our grade, and I of course couldn't say no. Unlike myself, she was quite popular in High School. Everyone knew her, as she did with everyone else.

Even with popularity though our friendship never faltered, she'd still make sure that at every lunch time she'd sit with me, and our other friend Hannah. And never once - despite my lack in popularity - pretend to not know me. Sadly you see that too much once you go from Middle School to High.

And although partying really isn't my scene, I still say yes. I will always be there for my best friend, and even though we'll probably spend even just a minute together tonight, I'm going to be there until the end.

This is our last goodbye as friends. We've spent every minute with one another all through summer, we even took a vacation road trip to Malibu and stayed there for a week. We got drunk, swam in the ocean at night, and even hooked up with a couple surfer boys.

That summer was the perfect way to say goodbye, and with our last night together being filled with booze and dance music, I can only hope we end it on high.

I mean, nothing can go wrong, I'm sure.

"Mom, mom, hold on." I gather myself up, crawling off the couch, and she instantly shuts me down, waving her hand at me to shut up, and so I stay silent.

"Thank you, Rob. I'll see you Monday." She hangs up the phone then, and I look at her sheepishly.

"I could've-"

"Nope, you've got Lillie's party tonight, and you've had the girls all week, I think I can stay home for once and cope, alright?" She says, and I hum my lips, slouching back on the sofa. "Sorry, I woke you."

"It's okay." I say as Eloise climbs on top of me, and I pick her up, tickling her as I do, letting her giggles fill my ears. "I needed to be up anyway, huh, El?"

"Ari." She squeals and I stop tickling her, letting her have a breath. "Cookies?"

"I don't think mom will let you have cookies so close to dinner, baby." I tell her and she sulks, putting her bottom lip out. She wouldn't actually cry, that's just her technique in a way to get what she wants, and it works every time. "But maybe she doesn't need to know."