Once Again

chapter 3

Aria

Ever since the call letting my parents know that Evelyn's kidnapper was found, things seemingly shifted back to what it was like when she first went missing. Then Thursday morning, I walked into the kitchen surprised to see my mother at the island drinking coffee and talking with my grandmother and Emory. I was even more surprised when she announced we were going back to school. I thought it would have at least been a full week, to let the news die down a bit. Once again the news vans were parked outside our house, just like with every major life changing event that happens in our family. Even Georgies birth made the news, it was told as a heart warming event, they used my baby brothers birth after the loss of my sister to get viewers, and that was the day I decided I hated the news and the people who showed up in those vans.

The only thing that felt different then last time though, I didn't have Bentley in my corner offering support. I hated that I knew nothing about what was going on with her. I had been a terrible friend to her and truthfully I kind of deserved the silent treatment, but I thought with everything going on she might says something, or that she might at least send a "happy birthday, but I'm still mad" text. Her silence meant one of two things, either she hated me and we would never make up, or whatever was going on with her was really bad.

When we got to school this morning I stopped out front out of habit, expecting Bentley to be there. It wasn't as if I didn't have other friends, but I just didn't have the same kind of friendship with my other friends that I had with Bentley. This entire week, the only text I received had been to ask questions, and seemed to be an almost morbid curiosity from them. Not a single one had asked how I was doing. After I realized Bentley wasn't going to be meeting me I went to class instead. It felt so wrong to walk to class without her, knowing she was somewhere in the building.

When I got to English, and saw Marcus, it was as if I had suddenly remembered he existed. He had been shifting between trying to be there for me and giving me my space, but couldn't seem to make up his mind on Which. So when I walked in he stood up, starting to walk towards me and then half way into that action changed his mind and sat back down. Then looked at me, wanting to say something, but the words seemenly died in his throat. I had essentially been ignoring him since the first phone call with Erin, when she told me about her suspicions that her mother was Evelyns kidnapper. I hadn't meant to, I just had a lot on my mind, and I knew if I talked to him, I'd spill everything and I hadn't wanted anyone to know until I figured out what to do with the information. It wasn't exactly the best way to treat a person though, after you've had a first date.

I realized that if I wanted to continue any kind of relationship with him, I was probably going to have to be the one to make the first step. "Hi," he looks at me for a second blinking in confusion.

"Hey,..... Um, how's your day going?" It was a bit of a rough start, but at least we were talking.

"Uh, it's okay I guess." I wasn't sure how to answer that. Do I say that the news is parked out side my house hoping to catch my family falling apart in real time, and my best friend since forever no longer wants anything to do with me? That felt like a little too much for a common curiosity question that no one really wants the answer too.

He nods awkwardly for a second, "cool," and then we both just sit there in silence until the teacher comes in. It wasn't until class was over that either of us spoke again. "Aria?" He calls out as I was about to look away.

I turn around to look at him, "yeah?"

He steps around a kid who was trying to exit the classroom. "How are are you doing, really?"