Finding Aria (Wᴀᴛᴛʏ Aᴡᴀʀᴅs 2013)

26-♪- Be Still

            Anger blazes within me at what she just called him. Love? Love?

            I scoff, laughing at her. With three pair of eyes trained on me, I stand up roughly, my chair scraping back as I look down at Carmina and my mother on the floor.

            “Aren’t you ashamed? Such shallow dreams, thoughts,” I cast disdainfully down at Carmina. “People.”

            “Aria,” my mother snaps.

            “I’m going to bed,’ I mutter, turning around to exit.

            “If you don’t switch, we won’t fund your college.”

            I freeze, grinding my teeth. Spinning around, I stare at my mother who stands up, dusting herself off.

            “You want to get away, don’t you?” she asks me. I don’t respond. “You have nothing without us. All we ask is that you write the songs and transfer to this new highschool for your last year. After that, we’ll give you everything you need to go as far away as you want.” My mother tells me, approaching me.

            I exhale slowly.

            One year.

            “Of course,” my mother continues, reaching up to cup my cheek. “We would miss you but you’re old enough to know the facts now.”

            I just stare at her as she smiles softly at me, triumphant.

            Placing my hands over hers, I remove her hand from my face, numbly turning around and exiting the room.

            Stopping at the base of the stairs, I stare at the ground, my hand lingering on the railing.

            One year.

            Then I could leave this town for good.

            No Carmina. No family. No lies. No Teegan.

            With a small pang of my heart and a clog in my throat, I grab my house keys and leave through the front door.

~*~

            “I missed you babe, but your killing me here,” Zach yawns, standing at his door.

            “Shut up,” I mutter, pushing past him to get into his house.

            “Come right in,” he says sarcastically.

            “Thanks,” I joke halfheartedly.

            Closing the door, he leads me to the kitchen.

            “Hey Aria,” his mother greets me.

            “Hello Mrs. Canter,” I say politely, following Zach out to his living room.

            Turning around, he shuts the double doors as I sit cross-legged on one of his couches sullenly.

            “Can’t sleep?” he asks me.

            I shrug. “It’s gotten…better.”

            “I can’t believe it’s been three weeks,” he mutters mostly to himself.

            I don’t respond. It’s been three weeks. I haven’t seen or heard from teegan.

            The worst was the first week. I waited and waited but he never came.