He stole it, she stole it- THE FINAL BOOK

Four

It was about a month later when we began filming for the movie. 

I was still really upset about the entire Joey situation, but I tried forgetting it. I made my way to the filming building.

I walked inside to see many cameramen, a lot of filming equipment, and the filming backdrop.

"Yeah! Let's get filming!" I say out loud, clapping my hands together as everyone looks to me and smiles at my enthusiasm.

****

Joey's POV

I was working an everyday job. The usual, as an editor for another random movie. 

As I was reading the cast list, a girl walked in.

"Yeah! Let's get filming!" she says out loud, clapping her hands together. We all look at her, smiling at her enthusiasm. Usually there would be actors coming in saying 'ugh let's get this over with' or 'I never wanted this job in the first place' or 'someone go get me some water or something puh-LEEZE I'm dying over here!'

Just kidding on that last one. But actors and actresses are really... dramatic sometimes. I guess they should be because it's what they specialise in.

But when I look at this girl closer...

It's Aria.

"I'm gonna go get some water!" she says awkwardly, everyone still looking at her.

"Would you like me to do that for you, ma'am?" an assistant asks.

"No, no. I'm all good. Let me go find some for myself," she smiles. 

I mentally facepalm myself. She hasn't changed since high school.

As she walks out probably to the green room or something, I walk after her.

****

Aria's POV

I just embarrassed myself in front of my entire crew team.

Great.

"Way to go Aria, you just had to-"

"Aria?" I hear a voice from down the hall. 

I turn to see a familiar-looking boy.

"Do I know you?" I ask awkwardly.

"Um, hi? Remember me?" he says.

I stare at him, trying to figure out where I know him from. After a while, I shake my head. I can't put a finger on it.

Until he speaks.

"I used to be your boyfriend."

My mouth drops.

"Joey?" I ask, my heart skipping a beat.

"Hi Aria," he smiles, and I run up to him, jumping in his arms.

"Oh my God, Joey," I say, and begin crying.

"You okay?" he asks, grabbing my hands.

"I'm fine," I answer, pulling away from him. "Well... not really."

He looks concerned.

"You left me... And you didn't forgive me or anything..." I say, looking down at the ground, "I missed you and in eleventh grade... I-I.... I went through some rough stages. I had eating disorders and I suffered depression...."

He looks torn. He looks like I just ruined his entire life.

"Aria, I am so sorry," he says sadly.

"You weren't there when I needed you," I say sadly, allowing tears to flow down my face.

"I'm so, so sorry," he says, defeated.

It's quiet for a second. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't do this, please. Don't leave me again," he says, tears forming in his eyes.

This makes me really cry. I begin crying really hard, my head in my hands.

"Joey, I've been fine my entire life without you so far and I'm fine alone," I say, walking past him.

"Aria," he says, and or some stupid reason I stop walking away and I freeze.

"Aria, please," he says.

"Joey, just...."

"Aria, listen to me!" he says roughly, and I turn around to see him walk slowly up to me.

"I love you," he says, his voice cracking. "I love you and only you. I've never loved anyone else."

It's quiet as he walks up to me and wipes one of my tears. 

"I don't like seeing you cry," he whispers.

It's silent as we stand there.

Our future depends on what I have to say, right here, right now.

Joey tore me apart and he was never there for me when I needed him. He hurt me, so, so much. If he was never in my life maybe we would meet somewhere, some other place. Maybe we would be meeting here, at this set, and he would ask me out for lunch and then we'd date and live happily ever after.

But then again... if he was never in my life then I wouldn't never have had Charles and Aaron and all these other people I'm in contact with that I love so much.

I sighed.

"I wish you were never in my life... I wish we never met," I say.

Joey's hand from wiping my tear falls beside him, and his expression is full of pain and defeat. He looked at the ground sadly. He had lost the battle. Or had he?

"I wish we met right here. Right in this very moment. I wish we had just got to know each other's names, I wish we got to know each other as strangers again," I say, looking at him. "Hey... keep your head up, Birlem."

He slowly looked up at me.

"I'll always be here," I say.

We stare at each other for a few more seconds before I say, 

"And maybe one day, we can start again."

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The end