Dating Disasters : A Study in Distance

Chapter 7: Shattered Glass and Wedding Bells

"Ari I don't want to go on the rollercoaster!" Ash whined pulling at my hand.

We were ten and standing in line for the scariest thing in the world. I wouldn't admit it of course.

"Come on Ash, Ave said we were girls and too chicken to do it. Don't you want to prove him wrong?"

"Why can't we not rise to the bait."

"We can do that... after the coaster. Come on we'll do it together."

"I want ice cream and candy floss after."

"After Ave and Aiden have to buy us whatever we want cos we won."

Suddenly her eyes lit up, "you could have said that ten years ago! Come on! I wanna make them broke. You, me and Hadley can go on the carousel next!"

"Next!"

"You ready?"

"Never!"

I grinned at my best friend as we raced toward the carts. Together we would face the world. And win.

Arika Justice knew exactly what she was doing, she hadn't had the excuse to do it much but every so often... it was good to mindlessly throw yourself into work to alleviate any thinking that could damage your very precocious balance on reality.

So when she finished cleaning the garage, attic and every closet in the house, her mother wasn't sure whether to be happy or worried.

Fortunately Alison was called away for business and soon Ari had the house to herself to deny...clean.

She was knee deep in sneakers when her phone began buzzing. As per her usual for the last few days she ignored it. Ari had successfully ignored Robyn for three days and she wasn't giving in now.

It was only on the tenth ring in four minutes when she ran a hand through  her cropped hair dejectedly and answered.

"Dont make me regret this Ro. I told you its not happening. This isn't Serendipity."

"Well you're in a good mood...great." Ari knew that tone, that tone ushered in more trouble than the bloody Weasley Twins.

"What did you do!" Some may say that this was a terrible over reaction. They didn't know Asher.

Ari dusted herself off and headed over to make herself some strong coffee. As soon as her hand brushed passed the tea onto the coffee, she smiled weirdly.

Aiden had loved coffee and since she was no smaller than knee high she had followed him along to get him to make her some. Avery had scowled at her whilst sipping tea and Adi had always laughed even when he started making her coffee at age twelve.

She blamed her addiction  on him and every time she visited London they made a point of going out and trying insane new coffee treats. Avery had hated it and he and Andrew would boycot by turning everything tea related for days.

Tea flavoured inscents, tea oils that made everything stink, tea bag shaped pillows, tea leaves randomly dropped in rooms, tea bath salts the works. The game annoyed tea and coffee hating Asher to no end.

"So good news and bad news," Asher laughed in a light airy voice, "good news I got kicked out of Uni so I may be coming down to you bad news I'm getting married!"

The entire last part was so rushed that it took Ari a second before her head caught up.

WHAT!

She tried to enunciate her disbelief but the hot coffee scalded her tongue making the coffee spit out awkwardly. The burn made her recoil which only caused the coffee in her hand to spill which made her drop the cup on her foot.

Glass shattered everywhere cutting the top of her foot making her jump back on more glass, as if that wasn't enough her  phone slipped into the pool of liquid cracking everywhere.

"Blithering f***ing shitter of hell!"

Ari didn't curse often but when she did shit got creative in a weird way.

"Ow!"

There was glass everywhere, she could feel the pieces in her foot as she timidly tip toed out sitting herself on the counter.

Before she did anything else she checked the phone.

Shattered and non responsive.

"F*** my life!"

She hobbled to the broom and quickly cleaned up the mess. Of all the times for Asher to go bat shit crazy. Ari knew what she had to do.

Painstakingly she started the tedious process of removing all the glass from her feet, cleaning and bandaging. Some of the cuts were pretty deep but most were shallow.

As she worked she got on the landline and tried Asher, no response.

The Thorne residence, no response.

Robyn, nothing.

Not even the Thorne boys were answering.

"Hey Ro I'm heading up to London for a few weeks to sort some Asher drama out. I should be back soon but I can't seem to reach anyone so when you get this call mum explain as much as you can. You know the old house number you can reach me there because my phone is... not working. Call me in twenty hours I should reach by then."

She hung up and called up her usual travel agency. A flight in twenty four hours, now this should get interesting.

"Hi Thea, so you're going to laugh..."

She hadn't.

It was near impossible but Ari and Thea found a flight leaving in a few hours, down side it was one way.

I can always book a return later, Ari thought as she threw as many things as she could into a suitcase.

"God damn Ash!" Ari swore throwing jeans and shirts into the bag.

She failed to close it up and threw some things into hand luggage, along with her laptop and bathroom bag.

"Hi Mrs Allen. Yes it is Arika from next door." Ari muttered as she locked her bags, "Yea, I'm great. How are the puppies? Good great, no I'll visit when I come back I promise. Oh home for a bit. About that Mum isn't home for a bit so I was wondering if I could- you will. Thank you Mrs Allen! Ill drop the key off in a sec."

With that taken care of Ari raced out to her cab. After dropping off the key she sprinted in and told the driver to hit it.

"Have a good trip." The cabbie grinned helping unload her bags.

"Thanks."

With no time to spare Ari legged it to the front desk to check in, with minutes to spare she was at check in and in her seat.

It was around that time that she realised she was still in her pyjamas.

"Joy." She muttered staring at the over sized Batman singlet and and grey sweat pants.

Griping about her best friend and poor life choices Ari pulled her blanket closer and settled in for a long flight, pointedly ignoring all the stares she was getting.

If she wasn't my best friend...

***

"Did she take the bait?"

"Oh yeah. She's heading your way as we speak."

"Good. The game is on."