Arianna
After speaking to Vince, I ran to my room and closed the door breathing heavily.
What was that?
Why was Vince so cool about it?
I so openly defied him.
Yet he didn't lash out. Neither did he seem upset about it.
I expected at least he would scold me or warn me. But he looked absolutely okay with what I said.
Could dad be right about them not hurting me?
No. I should wait and watch for a few more days before judging. I can't trust them blindly.
I sighed.
Whatever it is, I'll deal with it tomorrow. I am already exhausted with all the overthinking I did for the whole day.
I slept for the day and woke up next morning as usual.
I completed my morning routine and walked to the dining room.
As usual Theo made me a coffee.
The unusual thing is as soon as Dylan sat at the dining table he gave me a nod as a form of greeting and I nodded back awkwardly.
Ugh.
I felt so awkward!
Just like always Ace greeted me with a smile and I smiled back. But the next thing that happened shocked me to my core.
"Good morning, Arianna.", Ash greeted me in an emotionless voice with a curt nod.
I was shocked.
Wait.
Did Ash really greet me?
Am I dreaming?
I kept staring at him wide eyed and he kept staring back at me with a stoic face. Theo cleared his throat bringing me out of my state of shock.
"Will you not greet him back, princess?", Theo said amused and I cleared my throat awkwardly.
"Good morning.", I said awkwardly and my cheeks turned pink due to embarrassment.
No one said anything and the breakfast went on normally. Angelina, just like yesterday greeted everyone but refused to meet my eyes. The dark circles under her eyes are getting more and more prominent.
Is she not sleeping daily?
She looks more and more exhausted each passing day. I need to talk to her about why she is avoiding me.
Breakfast went as usual and Ash is driving me to school.
I wonder why it is always Ash who is dropping and picking me up from school. At least if it is Ace, he speaks to me and the drive would be less boring. But I don't know why but I'm struck with Ash.
Sigh.
After a while, Ash cleared his throat and I stiffened but didn't turn to him.
"Arianna", he called me with his usual emotionless voice.
I turned towards him and hummed.
He didn't speak anything for a while and turned away.
Why did he call me?
I don't know.
Maybe to scold me about yesterday. But I will tell him the same thing as yesterday. Somehow Vince not lashing out at me gives courage to defy Ash.
He cleared his throat again and I ignored him.
"Arianna", he called again and this time I heard some hesitance in his voice.
I didn't say anything but turned away from the window and looked at him.
I noticed his ears turned a very light shade of pink.
Wait.
What?
Don't tell me he is blushing!
Why though?
"I um", he started but stopped and cleared his throat. His hold on the steering wheel tightened.
"I uh you I ", he fumbled with his words and cleared his throat yet again.
I frowned.
What is it?
He took a deep breath and his knuckles turned white holding the steering wheel more tightly.
"I don't have anything to say. You can tell me anything you want.", he said firmly and a little faster.
Huh?
I looked at him frowning.
My brain didn't process what he said for a moment.
What's that supposed to mean?
And why are his ears turning more pink.
"What do you mean?", I asked frowning.
He turned and glared at me.
What did I do?
What's wrong with him?
"Talk", he said firmly.
I will die out of confusion.
What the hell does he want?
"What should I talk?", I asked with a frown.
"Anything", he said a little harshly.
I shook my head and turned around to look out of the window. I don't know what he is saying and he is not ready to tell it properly, so I just didn't say anything.
"Don't ignore me, Arianna.", he said in an emotionless voice and I had enough.
What the hell does he want?
And who is avoiding whom?
I turned around and glared at him.
"Who is avoiding whom, Ash?", I asked glaring at him.
"You are avoiding me when I'm talking to you.", he said.
"When did you even talk to me for me to avoid you?", I scoffed.
"Just now.", he said and glared at me.
"You weren't talking to me. You said something I didn't even understand.", I said and scowled.
"I asked you to talk. What's there to not understand in it?", he asked raising his voice a little.
"And I asked you what should I say?", I asked him raising my voice a little too.
"And I told you to talk anything.", he said and glared at me yet again.
"What do you mean by 'anything'", I asked exasperatedly.
"Don't you know what 'anything' means?", he said a little calmly.
"No. I don't. Please tell me what talking anything means.", I said with a blank expression.
"You are such a brat!", he said.
"I'm not a brat.", I said firmly.
"Yes you are.", he said firmly too.
"You are behaving like a girl on her periods.", I said and he glared at me.
"I'm not. You are just being dumb.", he said and scowled.
"I'm not dumb. Your questions are.", I scoffed.
"Yeah whatever, short stuff.", he said with a small smirk.
Wait.
Did he just call me short stuff???
How dare this guy!
I am not even that short. I am average among girls of my age group.
"Who do you think you are calling short stuff?", I asked glaring at him.
"See? I told you, you are dumb. Who else is present in this car except you and me?", he said with the smirk still not leaving his face.
I took a deep breath to calm myself. I felt like hitting his face with a pan and remove that smirk off his face.
"What's wrong, short stuff? No words left?", he mocked with the smirk intact.
Ugh.
I want to slap that smirk off his face.
"I don't argue with kids.", I said with a smirk of my own.
"Who the hell are you calling a kid?", he said with a scowl.
"See? I told you, you are dumb. Who else is present here except you and me?", I mocked repeating his own statement and he scowled.
"Short stuff.", he muttered.
"Dumb kid.", I muttered.
We glared at each other, huffed and turned away.
We didn't talk after that and in just five minutes we reached school. The journey felt short today. Maybe because Ash decided to annoy me.
He stooped the car for me to get down.
"Call us if anything goes wrong or anyone messes with you.", he said seriously.
"No. I won't.", I said.
"Don't argue with me on this, Arianna.", he said firmly looking in my eyes.
"What if I do?", I challenged.
"I'll come sit with you and your friends at lunch.", he smirked and I glared at him.
I didn't answer and huffed and got out of the car. My mood got spoiled because of him. Why did he have to fight with me early in the morning!
I huffed and started walking inside the building and that's when it struck me.
Did Ash and I fight with each other like normal siblings?
Did we just fight each other without him threatening me and I fearing him?
Wow! That's new!
Wait.
Now I understood. He asked me to talk anything. He was trying to start a conversation!
That was a very lame way of starting a conversation. But he did try though!
But I won't try to talk to him. I want to see him try.
I giggled internally and a small smile graced my lips. My heart felt light and I'm happy that he tried.
The school went as usual with Angelina looking down and walking away whenever she sees me. I had enough of it.
She took the first step towards forming a bond with me and now it is my turn to take a step towards her and I will. Today at home, I'm going to clear all the things that are coming between us.
In the evening, Ace drove me back home. We talked and laughed through the ride. Talking to Ace is easier than I thought. He speaks and jokes about random things and is gentle to me. So, I enjoyed my ride with him.
After reaching home, I quickly completed my assignments for the day and went to Angelina's room. But she wasn't there in her room.
I didn't have the strength to search the whole house again, so I asked Sofia, but she said she doesn't know.
Sigh.
Where can she be?
She is not even in the garden.
Maybe she is in the west wing. But she said Vince doesn't allow her there. Then where else can she be?
Oh yeah! The terrace!
Why didn't I think of it before!
I went to the terrace and I am right! She is here!
A small portion of the terrace is used to grow different kinds of flowers and there were two garden benches near the garden.
She is sitting on one of it and sleeping?
No, I think she is just closing her eyes.
I went and sat beside her on the same bench and she jumped a little startled. She looked at me wide eyed and looked away.
She kept staring at nothing in particular and so am I. There was silence for a few minutes with both of us in our own thoughts.
"I am sorry, Anna.", she said after a while and I looked at her. Guilt could clearly be heard in her voice. She still didn't look at me. She kept looking straight.
"Why?", I asked.
"I was not meant to be here. You are. It is your place.", she said. Her voice wavering a little.
"I don't know about who is meant to be where but I do know it is not your fault.", I said calmly.
"If it wasn't for me, you would have been here all these years. You would have grown up with your family.", she said. She has not looked at me yet.
"You are not the one who changed our places.", I said.
"If I had not been born in the same place or maybe on the same day or if I hadn't been born at all then this wouldn't have happened.", she said and her voice cracked at the end.
I was shocked listening to her.
How can she think like that!
It wasn't her fault at all.
I was going to say the same but she beat me to it.
"You know, Anna, my existence has always been a bane to the people around me.", she said and chuckled painfully.
I don't know how close we got in these few days but my heart churned looking at her like this.
Why is she doing this to herself?
Why is she talking like this?
"All the people who love and care for me have suffered in their life. Because of me.", she said fisting her palms tightly and biting her lips.
Her cheeks and nose are slightly turning pink and I can clearly see that she is trying to control her emotions.
"What do you mean? Why are you talking like this?", I asked exasperatedly.
I can't see her like this! Her voice is laced with so much pain that it reminds me of myself when I was at my old house.
"If you had been here, Anna, everything would have been so much better. No one would have suffered. Not you. Not them.", she said avoiding my previous question.
"What are you saying, Angel? What difference did it make? They didn't know we were swapped, so you were their sister. So, whatever you say they have suffered, they would have suffered even if I was in your place.", I said trying to make her understand.
It is true though!
What difference would it have made if it was me and not her?
"It would have made a big difference.", she said and I frowned.
"I just can't bring myself to look at you. At first when I saw you, I somehow managed to hide my guilt and pain. But as the days went by, I truly liked you and wanted to be friends with you.", she said and took a deep breath. Her voice was getting thicker.
"But the day dad came home and told you the truth, I couldn't hide it anymore. The guilt is too much that it has started to suffocate me.", she said in a thick voice and paused to breathe.
I could see the tears forming in her eyes. She looked up to prevent the tears from falling and her lower lip is trembling.
"I am sorry that I ", she started but stopped suddenly and turned her face to the other side.
I know the tears have started flowing down her cheeks. I don't know why but my own eyes stung with tears. She is in too much pain.
"I am sorry I'm being such a hindrance in your life. If I had not been here, you would have had a great bond with the guys and dad.", she said trying to control her sobs but failing miserably.
"It's not your fault, Angelina.", I said softly, trying to control my own tears.
"M-Maybe I should leave. M-Maybe if I-I leave then everything will get n-normal.", she said breathing hard.
I looked at her shocked.
What is she saying?
"M-Maybe I should c-convince Vince to l-let me go to my biological r-relatives or or m-maybe to the f-foster care", she said and her breathing is getting faster.
I couldn't take it anymore and turned her around and cupped her face. Her eyes full of tears, face red and her breathing short and fast.
"Why would you do anything like that? Nothing that happened is because of you.", I said softly.
I have seen how much my brothers love and adore her. Looking at their relation, I understood what loving means. In the past few days, I could see how much she means to them.
They haven't verbalized it but their actions speak their feelings. I wish for a bond like that too. But I don't want hers' to break.
I can't even imagine this house without her, this family without her.
I myself don't want her to leave. I don't know if we are like sisters or not but she is the kind of person anyone would want in their lives.
I have never seen a person so supportive, understanding and kind.
I don't want Angelina to leave. I want her to stay here, with me. I want her to be my sister.
She bit her lip and tried to turn away but I didn't let her.
"I don't know what happened in the past, Angel. But I'm pretty sure nothing is your fault. And me being away from them all these years is also not your fault. This is your family, Angelina. Our family.", I said firmly.
She shook her head and more tears flowed down her eyes. She removed my hands and turned away.
"I thought he was w-wrong. B-But he was r-right all a-along.", she said wiping her tears furiously with her sleeves.
"I-I am nothing b-but a b-burden and a d-disgrace. N-Nothing but a c-curse on this f-family.", she said in between her sobs and her breathing was getting more faster.
I couldn't take it anymore and hugged her. She stiffened but relaxed after a moment.
I couldn't hear her talking about herself like that. I know how much it pains to listen someone say that to us. I've heard it all my life.
But I'm shocked that someone called Angelina all those names too.
I got angry on that person whoever said all that. How can they be so ignorant to a person's feelings?
I felt anger course through me and asked her,
"Who is he?"
********************************************************************************
So much emotion in one chapter!
How was the chapter?
What do you think about Ash and Aria's fight?
What do you think about Angel's breakdown and Aria's reaction?
Who do you think 'he' is?
Don't forget to vote, comment and follow.
Yours lovingly,
Author.