Exploiting Realities

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO - THE WORST DAY EVER

I laughed at her comparison. "I'll manage," I told her, turning into Aria's driveway.

"Okay..." Lorelai said slowly, still unsure. "Just...be nice, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay Lor. Don't worry."

Not really following my word to Lorelai, I barged into Aria's house without knocking.

"Aria!" I shouted angrily, walking through her house and into her living room. "Aria, get out here!!"

After a short while, Aria wandered in there, confused. "What's going on?" she asked. I turned to face her. "Oh gosh, Al! What happened to you?! Are you alright?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you broke up with Dillon?" I snapped, ignoring her concerns.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were dating McKinzie?" she snapped right back, all sympathy gone from her voice.  Damn, I had  completely forgotten about that. How did she even know about McKinzie?

"That's besides the point," I told her, getting back to my original question. "You need to tell me these things! How was I supposed to know that there was a pissed off guy just getting over a breakup out to get me?"

"You got into a fight with Dillon?!" she exclaimed. "What the hell, Alec!"

"That dickhead started it!"

"I don't give a shit who started it," she yelled at me. "You shouldn't have continued it! That is not your place. You do not have that right."

"I was defending you!" I shouted in defense. Why the hell was she getting so pissed at me over this?

"Well, don't! You can't defend me, Alec. That's not your place."

"Do I look like I care whether it's my place or not?"

"No," she said, "you don't. But I do. I don't want you defending me. I don't want you fighting my battles. I don't want you taking my side. Hell, I don't even want you standing up for me. Okay? You lost that right two weeks ago."

I thought for a second. Two weeks ago?

"You're implying that what happened that day meant nothing to me," I said, confused.

"It's not an implication," she told me, coldly. "It's a fact. But you know what? It was a mistake. No big deal, Alec."

"But it was a big deal! Why are you pretending that it wasn't?!"

"It wasn't a big deal," she argued. "You kissed me. It was a stupid mistake. You obviously know that too, since you're with McKinzie now."

"Is that what this is about?" I asked her, appalled. "McKinzie?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Why do you say that so lightly? McKinzie. Your girlfriend. That word actually means something to most people."

I sighed. "You don't get it," I told her. "McKinzie is just...it's not that big of a deal. She's...she's..."

"Disposable?" she finished for me. "Like all of the other girls that you've dated? Look Al, maybe I just don't want to be like all of those other girls! You treat them all like garbage, like Dillon treated me. I just got out of an awful relationship. I don't need you putting me into a new one."

Aria's words stung. I looked into her eyes, that weird shade of purple, and saw the hurt in them. It really killed me, to see her hurting like that. I didn't know if I could fix it...but I didn't know how I caused it, either.

"Aria..." I said softly, taking a few steps closer to her, cautiously. "Aria, you aren't like any of those other girls." I walked closer to her and put my hand gently on her cheek, only to have her push me away.

"Don't you dare try to kiss me again," she snapped. "I know what it's like to be cheated on, and it sucks. I don't wish that on McKinzie."

"Aria..." I started.

"Just leave, Alec," she commanded me. "Just get away from me." She turned her back to me and started walking away. I couldn't...I couldn't just let her leave. Not like that. I ran up behind her and grabbed her hand. She yanked it away. "Leave," she exclaimed, pointing to the door.

Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed my bag and walked out the door. What had just happened? What had I done to make everything so tense between the two of us? Besides Lorelai, Aria was my best friend. She meant the world to me! What had just happened in there...I felt like I could never talk to her again. Part of me was breaking at the thought of it, but it seemed like my new reality. I walked into my house and up to my room. Maybe we just needed some time apart.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Being a very nonviolent person, I'm AWFUL at writing fight scenes. That's why it was so vague. Someday maybe it'll be a movie with a nice choreographed fight scene. That'd be nice. But for now, I'm sorry but I'm forcing you to use your imagination. 

So...there's plenty of tension between Alec and Aria now...and it kinda makes me mad. I'm mad at my own book. But, sadly, all of this is necessary to get where I'm going with this. 

Comment and vote pleeeeease!!! You guys have no idea how excited I get when I get a comment!!

Dedication goes to @UnicornPosts for the awesome cover on the side!!

-V.E.