Chapter Twenty

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A couple weeks after the dance passed things have been a little hectic. I told the Montgomerys about what happened with Katie and I shit you not, it was a mix of some yells of rage that she'd done this and why didn't I say anything, but also with some decent moments of them somewhat understanding what I must have been thinking in my head throughout the process of it happening. I told them I had been too shocked to realize what happened and that I had also been afraid, she basically threatened to do it again. But then they started saying about wanting to press charges against her and that completely freaked me out. I begged and pleaded with them not to, practically crying from how scared I am of her. Eventually they calmed me down and reassured me that they wouldn't take action, but that if it ever happens again they would not hesitate. I took that as a win and agreed.

When I get back home after practice no one is around. I was too pooped out from basketball to even think about opening up the store so once I get inside I go to the kitchen to grab some leftover pizza from the night before and then head over to the family room to watch some TV. Or maybe a movie? I haven't decided yet. So I walk over to the movie shelves to see if anything catches my eye. As I look at the DVDs they have I come across something that says Aria and Jessie's Sixth Birthday wedged between some other home movies.

I stare at it for a few seconds and then grab it, debating for a while whether to put it on. I don't watch home videos anymore, the memories hurt too much. Dad's video camera and the burned DVDs he made are all in storage right now. Since the accident I've had a hard time watching or seeing anything with my family in it so my only resort was to put them away. I hadn't realized how long it had been since I've been able to look at anything that have their faces on them, not pictures and not videos. It's was hard to look at after they were gone and just putting things away made it easier.

After staring at the case in my hand for a while I take a breath, finally thinking that I should try. So I pop it into the DVD player and then sit on the couch. The first thing that comes to the screen is a banner that says Happy Sixth Birthday Jessie and Aria! before it zooms out and I see that Aria is ramming into me, making us both fall to the ground in a fit of laughter. We're in the backyard of my old house celebrating our birthdays even though we are a few weeks apart.

"Be careful!" Uncle Byron's voice comes from behind the camera.

"Byron can you help me with this?" My dad's voice comes and my heart sinks. Oh God, here we go.

"Yeah, coming." The camera moves now, being stretched out to the side, "Here, Ella, take this." Uncle Byron tells her.

"Mommy!" Aria yells and the camera shows her running over to Aunt Ella with me heading off the opposite way. Aria has tears in her eyes.

"What happened?" her mom asks.

Tears are streaming down her face now and she points to her elbow, "Boo Boo." There's nothing there. No scratch or blood, so it was probably one of those moments where she hit her elbow on the ground and it hurt.

"Aw. It's okay." The camera moves away from Aria and as we hear the sound of her kissing Aria's non-existing injury it shows me over by the bounce house with little Spencer.

I smile as I see myself trying to get Spencer to get inside with me, "Oh my God." I say to myself, half laughing.

Spencer is shaking her head in protest of going into the bouncy house. I remember she used to be afraid of it. Then, "Spen!" Aria says as her attempt of saying Spencer's name and runs over to us. She points to the bounce house, "Jump?"

Spencer shakes her head, seeming scared. "No."

"Peas?" Which was my way of saying please.

"It's okay Spencer." My mom comes into view of the camera now and my heart practically sobs from seeing her. Her body is facing sideways from the camera since she's staring at us, only getting a glimpse of her profile, but she has the same long dark hair I remember that is a little past her shoulders, slightly on the chubby side, but not enough for people to make her feel bad about it. I miss her so much. "Nothing to be afraid of....look." She picks me up and helps me inside. Then she does the same to Aria and they watch us jump around.

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