"Aria, I am surprised by your behaviour. You've always been a straight 'A' student with a clean slate. I am disappointed in you." Mrs. Benedict said.
I was sitting in the principal's office, across from her. The office was pretty much how every principal's office looks like, clean, official and very boring with the plain walls and minimal furnishing. The only colourful things were the various trophies and awards that the school had won.
"I am sorry, ma'am. This won't happen again." I replied.
She looked at me for a while and then nodded her head.
"I am holding you to your word, Aria. I don't want a repeat of this episode ever again."
"I won't disappoint you again, ma'am." I was overjoyed. Being a good student had its perks.
"But I can't let you off just like that."
I guess I had spoken too soon. I waited with baited breath to hear my punishment.
"You'll have to write a 1000 word essay about why you did this and how you won't repeat this ever again." She looked at me sternly but I thought I could see a glint of amusement in her eyes.
"I'll have it ready by tomorrow."
"I want it on my desk first thing in the morning."
"It will be." I promised.
Then she signed a late pass and gave it to me. "Go now." She dismissed me.
"Thank you, ma'am." I turned and headed back to class through the empty hallways.
I entered the classroom and handed the late pass to Mr. Saltzman who glanced through it and looked at me in shock but didn't say anything. I guess being a good girl all my life and then having a late pass signed by the principal is a very big deal.
I sat down in my seat and tried to concentrate on what Mr. Saltzman was teaching when suddenly a paper ball landed on my desk.
Annoyed, I opened it and it read,
What happened? You alright?
I looked around and found Sean looking at me with concern. I smiled at him and he sighed in relief. I gestured to him that I'd explain everything after class.
"Would you like to sit elsewhere, Aria?" I heard Mr. Saltzman's voice.
"Um. No. I think I am pretty comfortable here, sir. Thank you for the offer." The entire class laughed. I don't know what had made me say that. I never, never talked back to teachers. Maybe I'd had enough of shit to deal with so, I was acting out but I had shocked myself and Mr. Saltzman with my reply.
"Detention after school!"
I frowned and kicked myself mentally. Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut? Argh! Now I had to write an essay and stay back after school for detention when all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. This day had been way too draining both emotionally and mentally.
"Sir?" I heard Sean speak up.
"Yes?" Mr. Saltzman sounded irritated at having been interrupted.
"The offer you just gave to Aria, can it be extended to me too?"
"What?"
What the hell was he saying?
"I mean, can I sit next to Aria if you don't mind?" Sean crunched up his eyebrows in a way that made me sigh dreamily and I observed I wasn't the only one with that thought since I could hear many girls sighing at the same moment.
"I do mind. Now if you could just sit where you were sitting and let me finish my class, I would be grateful." Mr. Saltzman turned towards the board.
I stole a quick glance towards Sean and saw him staring at me. He smirked when he saw me look and I blushed and turned away.
After the class got over I picked up my books and started walking out when Sean caught me. "You alright?"
"Yes, Sean. I am fine." Then I remembered how weird I had acted the previous day and figured that I owed him an apology. "I am sorry about yesterday though."
"It's fine, Aria. What did principal Benedict say?"
"She gave me a lecture about how unlike me it was and then asked me to promise her that it wouldn't happen ever again."
"That's it? Perks of being a nerd, eh?" He grinned.
"That's what I thought but then she told me I had to write a 1000 word essay about the mistake I had done." I grimaced.
"Oh. I'll help you with that if you want." He offered.
"Thanks but no thanks. I can manage that. I'll probably finish it during detention."
"Want me to wait?"
"No. You go. I'll take the bus."
"You sure?"
"Yes I am. Now I am getting late to class. I'll see you at lunch. I am sorry once again." I pecked him on his cheek and left a stunned Sean behind me as I walked to class.
______________________________________
"What am I hearing about you entering the boy's changing room?" Reese raised both her eyebrows at me and I groaned as picked at my food. We were at lunch and Reese had come stomping towards me with an astonished look on her face. "Well. Did you?" She prodded.
"Yup." I refused to meet her eyes, afraid of how she might look at me now. I know I had done something totally humiliating but I wasn't thinking at that time. I had just needed to see Damon. And it didn't help that most of the boys were in towels.
"Whoa, Aria. I am so proud of you." I looked up confused. Had I heard right? Apparently I had. "Yes. I am proud of you. Well. According to the stories running round, you stuffed a towel inside his mouth and showed him his place. That's called being a woman." She ruffled my hair and I slapped her hand away.
If that was the story going round then they didn't know about the part where I broke down?
"Then there is the part of both of you becoming all emotional and acting like a couple but I just choose to ignore it and tell others to do the same." Reese continued nonchalantly.
"Thanks Reese." I replied gratefully and she just nodded in acknowledgement while she stuffed her face with food.
"Slow down, will you?" Sean said as he sat down next to me.
I looked up at him trying to analyse if he had heard the rumours and if he had then what was he thinking when he gave me a small peck. "Hey there."
"Hey." I smiled.
"People. Keep it cool, okay? I am eating here." Reese complained.
"Then go and eat elsewhere." Sean shot back earning a slap on the shoulder from me.
Reese just laughed and said, "Like you could live without me."
Just then a guy, I think his name is Kevin, came up to Reese and asked if he could talk to her, somewhere private. And just like that she had disappeared and I was alone at the table with Sean not knowing where to start the explanation from.
"You don't have to explain anything to me." Sean said before I had even said anything. He continued eating like it was no big deal.
"But I want to." I had to.
"Okay." He put down his pizza slice and looked at me and then there, in his eyes I could see that he actually wanted to know.
"I thought a lot about what you said and I even cried over it.." I started.
"Aria." Sean reached for me.
"Let me finish, Sean." And when he nodded, I continued, "I even cried over it but then when I woke up today I realised that there had been no mistake of mine in all this. He should be the one crying and all of a sudden I was angry. Very angry. With just one thought : I had to show him his place. So I came early and decided to confront him. And he had the audacity to claim that he was in fact protecting me! So, I told him our friendship was over and that's when I saw you." I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing heart.
"Were you crying?"
"Huh?"
"I saw tears in your eyes." Sean looked at me with his deep blue eyes and I felt touched. He was worried that I had been crying. He didn't for one second think something else had happened. He trusted me. With this new knowledge now filling me I moved forward and pressed my lips to his and gave him a long and lingering kiss.
"I am fine, Sean. All the shouting had caused me to become emotional but I am fine."
"You are something, Aria Montgomery. You surprise me." Sean said before sweeping in for another kiss.
This time when he pulled back I could hear all the whoops and hoots and blushed deep crimson. I had to learn to control myself. I was becoming a PDA freak. Sean just chuckled.
Then he sobered up and with a sudden serious expression said, "But, Aria, Damon has been your friend since you were kids. You can't just end it like that."
"I can and I did. When he thinks he can control my life without even asking me, I can do this. Anyway, I don't want to talk about it anymore. Please?" I pleaded. I honestly didn't want to think about Damon anymore. Every time I heard his name it was like my blood boiled.
"Okay." He went back to eating his food and then a few of his friends came over and started talking to him about trials and all things sports and I tuned them out.
This time I knew I had done the correct thing. It hurt for me to think that my childhood friend was no more my best friend but I knew it was for the best. We had been through a lot and he had always been there for me but this was just too much. Maybe I was over doing it but all I knew was, at this minute I needed to be away from him. I needed time. They say time heals all wounds so maybe this too would be healed but not right now. Not this very minute.
Just then my phone buzzed and I had a text.
Unknown Number: Do you think all the secrets in your life are over? Well think again.
Confused I replied,
Me:Who's this?
In no time I had a reply.
Unknown Number: Ask Sean why he suddenly decided to move here?
Unknown Number: Or a much better question would be 'Why you?' don't you think?
I froze when I read the message. It was the same question that I had been pondering over. Why me?
"You alright babe?" Sean covered my hand with his and gave my fingers a little squeeze.
Could he have a hidden motive. No. Internally I shook my head. This was the doing of some jealous girl who didn't want to see me and Sean together. Externally I smiled and nodded my head. Sean looked at me for a little longer but then turned away.
Me: Stop texting me. Your words mean nothing to me.
I replied to whoever it was.
Just then the bell rang and Sean and I walked to class together.