Querencia

Chapter Nine

"So you know what I realized earlier?" Ariella asks.

The rest of the week had surprisingly been uneventful, besides the usual staring and whispers. Scott had been quiet and left us alone, occasionally looking at us with a smirk, as if he had something up his sleeve. I'm suspicious of him but otherwise ignore his antics.

It's Sunday and we decided to lounge around the house, mostly swinging on the front porch and cuddling. I'm sitting parallel to the seat as she laid her head in my lap, her left leg hanging off to gently push us back and forth.

"What?"

"I'm here constantly and we're always hanging out with your parents, but I don't know that much about them, or about your family at all."

"What do you wanna know."

"Everything." She chuckles.

"Well...I'm adopted, my parents met in college and they own a small furniture store in town." I say, giving bare details.

"That's it?"

I shrug "There's not much to tell."

"Grandparents?Cousins?Aunts or Uncles?"

I shake my head "Grandparents passed away and they both are only children."

"Okay well what are your parents like? Hobbies?Habits?Quirks?"

"Mom plans. Dad chops."

She sits up and faces me "That's a little vague."

I brush her hair behind her ear " There's not much to tell Angel."

She seems hesitant and suspicious at my dismissive behavior but thankfully lets it go and lays back down.

It's not that I don't trust her, it's the fact I want nothing more than to forget the circumstances that led to my adoption, and my parents had a past they would rather move past. I don't want Ariella to think less of me or my parents. A part of me knows she wouldn't judge me, but I also know that people can't help judgment.

. . .

"Okay what's up?" Ariella asks, coming up to me as I close my locker.

"Hey I was just about to find you, are you ready for lunch?"

"Is there something I need to know?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You know how you were being dismissive the other day?"

"I-" she cut me off with a look.

I sigh "Yeah..."

"Well I mentioned it to Ryan and Bailey."

I'm irked by this, but I know if she was acting weird I'd mention it to Sarah and Jackson so I let it go. My stomach begins to knot at where this story seems to be going.

"And Scott overheard me."

I scrunch my brows "Did he say something."

Over the years Scott had come to know all my secrets, habits, hobbies, and hopes and dreams. It made me disgusted that out of all people he knew me better than most.

"He came up to me and asked how serious we were getting, and I said pretty serious and he laughed. He said then how come you know nothing about her family's dirty laundry? Then he just walked away."

I huff and readjusted my bag on my shoulder. My veins are twitching in simmering anger at Scott. I knew he wouldn't just let go of my rejection, and his petty ass would go to lengths to get me back. I would like to say this was a low blow even for him, and it is low, but it's just on-level for him.