Finding Aria (Wᴀᴛᴛʏ Aᴡᴀʀᴅs 2013)

26-♪- Be Still

            The songbook? I couldn’t even have the heart in me to hide it. It still lay on my dresser, the photo tucked away forever.

            No explanation for why he left my life so quickly.

            He never even broke it off with me.

            “Aria?” Zach asks, waving a hand in front of my face.

            “Hm?”

            He whistles lowly. “You’re a mess.”

            I only glare at him, leaning back on the couch.

            “Do you want to talk?’ he asks me hesitantly.

            I laugh.

            “You? Talk?” I laugh harder. “You suck at emotional support. I just didn’t want to be alone right now and Blythe is probably sleeping.”

            “She it,” he responds easily.

            I wiggle my eyebrows at him and he ducks his head, embarrassed. “You would know.”

            At least it was good to know Blythe and Zach were getting closer.

            “Has he…said anything to you?” I ask slowly after our laughter dwindles away.

            “Aria-,” Zach begins to warn me.

            I cut him short. “I know. I know you don’t want me to linger on it but-“ my voice cracks and I feel like crying.

            I stop.

            All I had of him was the songbook, photo and a couple songs that he sang on my iPod that he had saved for me.

            I missed him so much. I missed his embrace, his sweet smell, and his laughter. I missed everything.

            I was so pathetic.

            Zach wraps an arm around me, letting me rest my head on his shoulder.

            “I’m not defending him right now, he screwed up, but he’s going through this pretty tough too.”

            He doesn’t elaborate and I don’t ask further, allowing myself to just sit there and think.

            “I’m switching to his school.”

            “You mean or school?” Zach asks, excited.

            “I guess,” I reply, blandly.

            Zach scoffs at me. “At least try to sound happy that you’re going to see me.”

            I roll my eyes. “Forgive me your highness.”

            “Off with your head.”

           

            A comfortable silence settles between us and Zach stands up, throwing a pillow and blanket at me.

            “Sleep a little,” he tells me.

            “Your mom-“ I begin.

            “You’re like family now. It’s not the fist time you’ve come here,” he reminds me.

            He was right. I was coming her often.