Song is Distance by Christina Perri
~*~
♪-Chapter-Ten
Aria:
The drizzling rain pours down in a torrent sending its silent fury across the town in one swift motion.
The sun is filling up the room
And I can hear you dreaming
Do you feel the way I do right now?
As if the weather conformed to what I was feeling, I numbly trudge through the near empty streets, small droplets of redemption searing into my skin.
I wasn’t sure if I was cold or just numb.
With my tears mingling with the tears falling from the sky, I shudder hard.
He had a fiancé.
She wasn’t his girlfriend. She was his fiancé, the one he was promised to.
Clenching my fists I feel the tears welling underneath my eyelids.
Wasn’t that something worth mentioning before you kissed someone? Before you let that person fall for you?
I wish we would just give up
Cause the best part is falling
Call it anything but love
I stumble slightly over the slight bump in the road and the puddle of rain I step into sprays into the air.
The look on Teegan’s face when Maria said that; It wasn’t a kind of face that did anything to even try and dispute her words, it was one of resignation, guilt and sadness.
But what hurt the most was the cold, triumphant way Maria held herself.
It wasn’t the fact that Teegan didn’t dispute the claim that finally made me fall to the floor; it was Maria’s confidence that sealed everything.
She wouldn’t be that confident if she didn’t know that Teegan belonged to her in every sense of the word.
And I will make sure to keep my distance
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
I shake my head hard, my wet hair sticking to my face.
Tro, Zach and Trey knew and didn’t even bother telling me.
They wanted me to stay. They said I was good for Teegan…
How long can we keep this up, up, up?
I slip to the ground, as my palms slap into the dirtied, flowing water. Heaving a shaky sob I ground my teeth together, anger at my feeling of betrayal searing through me.
Pushing myself up, I press my hands to my eyes not even trying to discern the difference between my tears and the rain.
And please don't stand so close to me
I'm having trouble breathing
I didn’t want to go home alone. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would actually trust myself to be alone in this state.
Flipping open my phone I hit the speed dial. It was a miracle it still worked in the wet rain.
After waiting for a few moments, I hear the click of the receiving end.
“Aria? Baby?” My mother asks through the phone.
I rest my palm against the brick wall, facing it.
Hiccupping a sob, I shut my eyes. Compose yourself Aria I chide myself.
I'm afraid of what you'll see right now
I give you everything I am
“Aria?” My mother asks again. “Are you okay?”
“When are you coming home?” I ask, sucking in a shaky breath.
“We’re still out of town. We’re on a plane to Shanghai right now. Why? Are you ok?” my mother asks. Through the phone different tones of beeping, talking and machinery sound out.
“M-mom,” I breathe. “I need you to come home.”
“Why? Did the house catch on fire or something?” My mom asks slightly worried.
No, but I wish I did.
“N-no,” I shiver, the cold seeping in. I forgot to grab a jacket.
“P-Please, just come,” I beg.
“Aria what is going on? Your scaring me,” my mother replies impatiently.
“I don’t want to go home and be there alone!” I cry out into the phone in frustration, collapsing into a heap on the stairs near the brick wall that had to be someone’s house.
“Why? Are you scared? Don’t be silly now, Carmina has her shot pretty soon so let’s stop this childish-“
“I’m not being childish,” I sob into the phone.
“Aria,” my mother whispers harshly. “Stop crying.”
I bury my face into my hand not holding the phone. She didn’t understand what it was like to go home and be alone.
She didn’t know the feeling.
All my broken heart beats
Until I know you understand
“Aria,” my mother says firmly. “If you are scared, go to Blythe’s House.”
Blythe. That's right.: My best friend who happened to be in Paris currently for winter break.
Goosebumps prickle my bare skin exposed by my T-shirt and I can see my breath out in the air.
“It’s not that I’m scared, I just want you to-“
“I’ll talk to you later Aria. I’ve got to go,” my mother interrupts. “No more crying dear, you’ll get wrinkles faster.”
“But mo-“
The end line clicks and she’s gone.
Gulping hard, I look at my phone and without a moment’s hesitations begin to dial the phone number I know by heart.
“Bonjour mon Amie” a chirpy voice asks through the phone.
I sigh in relief, her voice relieving memories of us basking in the sun with five scoops of ice cream. It reminded me of home. Of the old days.
“Aria?” she asks me, her tone slightly worried. “What’s wrong? Please tell me you didn’t try to take a shower in the car wash again.”
I laugh but it soon turns into a cough.
“Are you sick?” Blythe asks. I can hear the bell of a door and the honking of a taxi.
Not answering her question, I lean my head against the wall.
“I’m assuming your still in Paris?” I ask wearily, the words tiring me out.
Blythe makes a noise in affirmative.
My heart sinks into my stomach. So much for staying at her house.
“What’s wrong my little Ri bear?” Blythe ask using her nickname for me.
“N-nothing,” I sigh.
“I don’t belie-“
“Listen, I’ve got to go,” I interrupt her not wanting to worry her.
“Okay but say the word that you need me and I’m there in seconds flat. I promise,” Blythe, swears, severely loyal to me like always.
Years of friendship penetrate my mind and I smile softly.
“Gotha,”
“Chow!” she calls out before I close the phone.
Closing my eyes I cradle my phone in my lap.
I was so tired and drained. Yawning, I feel my skin prickle as the cold rain pours down on me.
It was comforting, engulphing in a way that made me feel weightless.
But maybe it was just my drowsiness.
Just as I slip into the unconscious, I see a dark, shrouded figure approaching me.
If only that was who I wanted it to be.
Black.
~*~
Teegan:
And I will make sure to keep my distance
I watch Aria from behind as she stumbles around.
Careful to match my every footstep with her, my eyes never leave her frame.
Raising her arm and flicking her wrist to wipe her wet face, I don’t see the expression Aria is wearing but from the weighty feeling in my heart, I know she is crying.
I, Teegan Kemps, was the biggest idiot in the world.
I had made the one girl, who I had never wanted to hurt, cry.
I was the jerk.
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
How long can we keep this up, up, up?
I don’t even know what kept me from telling her about Maria.
I blame it on the excuse that I never had the time to, but deep inside I know that it’s all bull crap.
I didn’t tell Aria because I wanted her. I wanted her so badly it hurt just to see her smile because instead of focusing on the things I should have been, all I could imagine was her lightning eyes and blushing cheeks.
And I keep waiting
For you to take me
Aria stumbles slightly and I stop mid step so she can’t hear me.
The rain slides down my face and I blink it rapidly away.
The rain reminded me of the day we met.
The moment when I instantly recognized her.
How could I not? She was the girl I had thought about for years.
Wondering if she ever hated me for making her forget her audition. Wondering if she ever thought of me…Wondering what would happen if we met again.
And on that blessed day, I really did meet her again.
Even though it was a bittersweet event that involved an accident, if I had the chance to change anything, I wouldn’t.
I wouldn’t even change the moment I kissed her because in that moment, I swear, nothing felt more right than having her there in my arms.
But I was selfish.
You keep waiting
To save what we have
Not only had I delusionally thought myself into thinking I could forget my past, but I had dragged Aria into it as well.
Rubbing my eyes fiercely, Aria suddenly slips and falls forward to the ground.
I hold my breath, clutching my arm and using all my strength to restrain from going to her.
You’ve done enough, the voice in my head whispers.
So I'll make sure to keep my distance
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
But I hadn’t. There was still so much that I wanted to do with Aria.
I wanted to hear her sing again. To see the way she would look shyly away from me, the way her lips felt against mine.
But life had a cruel way of awakening the dreamers.
How long can we keep this up, up, up?
Aria stands up again and trudges slowly to the wall where she leans forward on it.
Slipping behind a wall, I watch as she flips open her phone.
I heard her conversation.
But I wish I didn’t.
Hallway through listening into her conversation, I turn around so I can’t see Aria cry.
But nonetheless, her sobs still met my ears.
I had come to terms with the fact that I was losing my hearing.
I had no control of when those random moments of not being able to hear would occur, but as I lean against that wall shutting my eyes and trying to block out Aria’s cries for her mother to come home, I wish my hearing left.
I wish that at that moment, I wouldn’t be able to hear the words coming from Aria’s mouth.
Make sure to keep my distance
I cautiously peer around the wall as Aria leans her head against the wall behind me.
This was my punishment. I had to watch and hear the consequences of my actions.
Even though I knew I had to take responsibility for the consequence of not telling Aria about Maria, I couldn’t help but still feel angry with Maria.
I wasn’t engaged to Maria.
Ever since we were little, Maria clung to the idea of one day marrying me and after all these years, she still hasn’t abandoned the thought.
But maybe my mistake was willingly accepting Maria’s proposition that we go out.
She had pleaded with me day after day and I was emotionally drained that day. I didn’t have it in me to fight against it anymore. So I said yes to Maria.
So why didn’t I tell Aria that Maria and I weren’t getting married?
Because I was still dating Maria and either way, I had kissed Aria when I was supposed to be with someone else.
It was just switching names with the relationship between Maria and i.
Snapping into reality, I watch as Aria’s head begins to droop.
Was she sleeping out here?
It was only then that I realized the fact her body was covered in goose bumps, her lips a pale blue.
Panicking slightly, I step out from the shadows not even caring if she would see me anymore but when I come closer, her eyes are shut.
Slipping out of my jacket, I clutch Aria’s body to mine, holding her limp body and trying to put the jacket around her.
She was so…cold…so limp.
Fear strikes me and scenarios run through my mind.
Couldn’t people die from long-term exposure to the cold?
Scooping Aria up into my arms bridal style, I lower my face to hers, studying how shallow her breaths were.
“Hang on,” I mutter, my lips brushing against her forehead. “I’ll get you home.”
“I-I liked him so much,” Aria whispers faintly. I freeze, wondering if she knew that I was holding her right now, but her eyes were still shut. She was mumbling in her unconscious.
Say "I love you" when you're not listening
Casting one more worried look at Aria, I hesitantly lower my lips to hers so they barely touch.
Don’t do it one part of me screams.
But I couldn’t stand it.
It was a force really.
She was asleep anyways.
I kiss her lips briefly hoping that somewhere in the limbo at which she slept, she would at least felt a bit comforted that I was there with her.
Smoothing her hair back, I press her face against my chest to help lessen the amount of rain soaking her, and trudge slowly home.
How long til we call this love, love, love?
~*~
Troian~
“I hate her already,” Maria spats, her beautiful face twisting into a scowl as she throws the rag onto the counter.
I take a bite out of my sandwich, silent as Maria rants about Teegan and Aria.
In some aspects, I could understand why she was so angry. Teegan was her boyfriend.
Even though I knew Teegan unwillingly went out with Maria, Teegan had to man up to his actions and choose one girl before both got hurt…
But then again, both did.
I liked Aria, I really did. Her quiet demeanor and soft words were much needed in this rowdy household, but Aria didn’t even know about Maria until yesterday and Aria still didn’t know that Teegan was losing his hearing.
Clearing my throat, I toss my sandwich, my appetite leaving me.
Zach, Trey, and Maria didn’t know either.
Only I did.
That stupid boy who thought he would spare everyone’s feelings if he just didn’t say anything about his “condition”.
But Teegan and I were best buddies, if he wanted me to keep a secret, I would.
Maria leans against the counter fuming and I reach behind her to grab a glass of water, my arms brushing her bare arms.
“What were they even doing anyways?” Maria asks, her mouth set in a hard line but her eyes were slightly watery.
I clear my throat again, considering telling her the truth and saying the most logical guess: They were kissing, but I couldn’t do that to Maria.
“I don’t know,” I respond gruffly. “Probably just making some food.”
Maria looks at me doubtful and I’m surprised she half fell for my BS.
Her willingness to believe so easily was the worst part because it spoke of Maria’s adamant desire to believe that Teegan would be hers forever.
That dream was what clouded her from seeing anyone else.
From seeing me.
Swallowing hard I turn to take a swig of my water, downing it all in seconds flat.
Turning back around I force a smile and tap her hip lightly.
“Don’t worry about it Maria,” I try and sooth her.
Maria purses her lip for a moment before sighing.
“Your Right Ro, I shouldn’t be worrying about it. Thanks,” Maria smiles brightly, making me bend my body so she could ruffle my hair.
Breezing out of the kitchen in a cold flurry that left me feeling cold, I lean against the counter thinking deeply.
Even if she wouldn’t be happy with you, I remind myself, be happy that she’s happy with Teegan.
Telling myself that one last time, I crumple the plastic water bottle in my hand and toss it into the trash before leaving.
~*~
Troian~
“What the hell happened to you?” Zach splutters.
Trey, Zach, Maria and I were all clustered in the living room watching TV when Teegan busted through the door, the rain plastering his midnight hair to his face.
His grey eyes had a hard and determined look to them, but that wasn’t the thing that had us all on our feet.
It was Aria.
Draped limply in Teegan’s arms, her pale skin contrasted against Teegan’s tan skin.
I stride up to the two of them peering down at Aria.
“What happened?” I ask Teegan, picking up her limp arm and feeling the cold, iciness of her fingers.
Teegan coughs. “She went out in the rain without a jacket.”
Zach curses behind me and he gathers around Aria, placing a hand over her forehead.
“Dude, We’ve got to call a doctor. She looks sick,” Zach says worriedly.
“You don’t think I freaking know that!” Teegan yells, startling everyone.
Teegan rarely yelled.
Seeing the frustration and worry in his eyes, I place a firm hand on his shoulder so he looks at me
“Give her to me,” I command softly.
Hesitating slightly, Teegan carefully places aria in my arms.
“Take care of her,” He mutters, rubbing his face with his hands as I walk away to go find a room.
Turning slightly I spot Maria with her arms folded and her eyes slightly troubled as she watched Teegan.
I beckon her closer.
“I need you to dress Aria,” I mumble close by Maria’s ear.
Maria glares furiously at me.
“I won’t go near her,” she growls under her breath.
“Maria,” Teegan grounds out, swinging his hand down. “Help Tro or so help me-“
I glower at Teegan and he stops mid sentence.
I’ve got this I say trying to convey this to Teegan.
Giving up, Teegan clenches his face and stalks out of the room, the sound of a banging door ringing out through the house.
Walking to Teegan’s room I don’t have to look behind me to know that Maria is following.
Setting Aria gingerly onto the bed, I rummage through the drawers trying to find some dry clothes.
After finding some, I throw the bundle of dry clothes at Maria.
Catching it, Maria stares blankly at the floor.
Feeling sadness rip through me, I square my shoulders and prepare to leave the room so Maria can dress Aria.
I freeze when Maria’s arm snaps out to grab my forearm.
”They’re serious aren’t they,” She whispers, still looking at the floor.
I hated seeing Maria cry.
I felt like the bad guy in the story.
Ripping my arm from her grasp, I turn the knob to the door.
“Get her dressed,” I order before walking out and slamming the door behind me.
The colder you are, the less emotion you show.
~*~
A/N- Hello my Lovelies :) I hope everyone is doing well. So this was sort of a filler chapter to help explain some confusion. If you are confused or just don't like the way i integrate lyrics into my story, please comment and tell me. If you like the lyrics as a part of my writting, please tell me that to :)
What do you guys think about Tro and his love interest? I am hoping that next chatper will be slightly more interesting and have some more Teegan and Aria in it so keep an eye out for the next update :)
Love you, bye! p.s please vote :)
7/6/13- Want to do a finding aria one shot? go to the chapter labeled "IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE"- it will be the chapter after chapter thirty. prizes are involved