The Unpopular Popular Girl

Chapter 17

(ARIA'S P.O.V)

I stared at Sean with an open mouth. It wasn't like I hadn't heard him. I could still hear him, his words going around in my head again and again, "He didn't want you to be with anyone else ever, Aria." "He threatened them not to." But the meaning wasn't sinking in.

It couldn't be right. It just couldn't be. We were friends. We are friends. Friends don't do things like that with each other, right? And he was.. is my best friend. That surely means all of this is not true. Sure he and I were not on talking terms right now but things had been great with us before. He had always cared for me and I for him. He told me he loved me too. That means something too right?

"Aria!" Sean was shaking me and speaking to me but I couldn't make myself answer him. I could hear his voice but it was like I had my ears plugged and his voice was all muffled.

"Aria please!" This time he shook me harder and looked at me pleadingly. I guess I was scaring him pretty badly. I mean I wasn't responding, because I couldn't. I tried to open my mouth but it was like my body wasn't functioning. It wasn't listening to me. I kept looking at him but my eyes weren't blinking. Tears started filling my eyes because of the strain.

Or maybe it was because of the news. I didn't know. I was numb. I had to do something. I had to get out of there. In that very moment I moved and got out of the car. I looked around me and started walking aimlessly down the road. 

Sean caught up to me and started walking beside me without talking. Or maybe I couldn't hear him.

I kept walking not bothering to glance at Sean who was still walking with me till I reached a dead end. I had forgotten all about Sean being there with me till he spoke, taking me by surprise. But I didn't even have it in me to jump or do something that might show he startled me.

"Aria?" He called softly to me. 

I turned to look at him. His blue eyes seemed to be filled with worry. I couldn't remember him ever looking at me like that before.

"Let's go home? It's getting late. Your mom must be getting worried." 

Late? Confused I looked at the sky and noticed that it indeed was getting late. 

Sean held my hand and led me back to the car. 

We drove in silence. I kept looking out of the window emotionlessly. I knew I was in shock and would soon have to think things through but for now I liked being numb. The trees looked lovely as we whizzed past them.

I could feel Sean's eyes on me every few minutes but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. 

When we reached my house Sean took my hand in his and drew circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. I looked at our hands and somehow felt relaxed. It felt nice. But I couldn't respond. I looked at him and saw hurt in his eyes and I could only imagine how terrible I looked.

"Aria. I am sorry." He looked tired, really tired. "I shouldn't have told you that." 

I nodded my head acknowledging his apology and got down from the car to my house. 

I closed the door softly behind me and only then I heard him drive away. I walked to my room without spotting my mom. I assumed she was out or was in the basement, working on some other sculpture. Once I got to my room I worked like a robot thinking of one thing at a time. Took a bath, wore my pj's, combed my hair and flopped on the bed. 

Now what? I didn't know what I was supposed to do next and just then my phone beeped indicating that I had received a text message. I picked up my phone from the side table and read the text:

Sean: GN Aria. I m sorry about today.

I switched off my phone and got out of my bed. I had walked barely three steps when the edge of the table hit my leg and I fell to the floor. I pulled my leg to my chest and sobbed silently. It wasn't my leg that was hurting. It was my chest. It felt like there was a huge weight there and it was making it hard for me to breathe. 

At first I thought about all the reasons why it couldn't be true. We were way too good friends. Damon wasn't like that. I actually wasn't special. 

Then I remembered the incident that had happened in eighth grade.

(Flashback)

I was sitting alone in class. The teacher had already left but I wanted to complete my reading.

"Just a few more pages." I thought to myself as I read the novel.

Suddenly the door creaked open and a cute boy with dark hair and grey eyes stepped into the classroom. I recognised him as Pete Marty. The cutest boy in eighth grade. He and I even had few classes together. 

"Hey." He walked towards me smiling.

"Hey." I replied trying not to sound overly excited. 

"What are you doing?" He asked and then turned around to look back at the door nervously.

"Reading Harry Potter." 

"Which part?" He sat down on the desk next to me.

"Prisoner of Azkaban. I have to finish it 'cause my mom promised to take me to the library today. Then I can totally take the next book." I finished with a giddy smile and hoped Pete didn't find me weird.

"Goblet of fire is totally cool. I read it last summer." He grinned at me making me blush.

Well he was the cutest guy in eighth grade so it was only natural for me to have a crush on him.

"You are really pretty." He looked into my eyes, his grey eyes shining bright and I could feel the heat that quickly spread across my cheeks.

"Thanks. You are really pretty too." Then when I realised what I had said I quickly added, "I mean you are good looking. Not pretty as in girl pretty."

He grinned at me and nodded. Then with one quick glance at the door he started, "Aria. I was wondering-"

And just at that perfect moment Damon entered the room and said, "Pete? What are you doing here?"

I started to tell him off but Pete suddenly got up from his seat next to me and hurriedly got out of the class  saying ,"Nothing just looking for my book."

I looked at him baffled. What was all that about? I turned to glare at Damon for scaring Pete away but he too had disappeared. 

(Flashback over)

The next time I had seen Pete he had bruises all over his face and he  never spoke to me again. I had thought that maybe he had realised how weird I was and wanted nothing to do with me.

But now I understood what really had happened.

I sobbed harder when I realised that it actually was the truth. My best friend was threatening everybody. My best friend was the reason why I lacked self confidence. My best friend was the reason why I had never dated before. 

I still didn't believe that I was special but I knew that I wasn't ugly looking either. I always wondered why it was that I had to always go to the dances with my best friend as no one ever asked me, while everyone else got dates. Now I guess I understood the reason behing that too.

I sobbed till my eyes were tired and empty of tears and then I slowly slipped off to sleep on the floor, curled up in the fetal position.