My Life in Rosewood

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It took a while to even get me out of the bathroom that night. Mike attempted to talk to me through the door to apologize but I ignored him, hearing Aria even yell at him behind the door for wording things the way he did. I obviously get where he's coming from on things not being normal with his family, but he didn't need to take it out on Aria, and sure as hell did not need to say what he said to me. All I wanted him to know was that I got him and I know why he got mad, but his outburst was over the top.

I must have been sitting in the bathroom for a good half hour before Aria knocks on the door and tells me Mike left. So eventually after a few extra seconds of getting myself together because I was still crying, I open the door and head back to our room. Aria doesn't pressure me into saying anything as I walk straight to my bed and she closes the door. The look of concern on her face is noticeable but she still doesn't say anything else and starts to clean up her side of the room, the night being over.

The following day I didn't go to school because of how bad I felt when I woke up. Mike really got in my head last night and now my brain's scattered everywhere, flashbacks, pain, emotions, everything. But I didn't tell them that, I played it off like I didn't feel well and my aunt and uncle didn't seem to notice the difference since I rarely ask to stay home. The entire day I never leave my room, and even ignore my phone other than to send a quick text to let my manager know that I'm not going to be in school and to let me know if she can handle the store without me or if she wants it closed for the day. I'm shocked with the reply being she'd open up for me. Then hours later when everyone starts to get back from work and school they not only realize that I'm still in my room, but also that I never come down to greet them. So they assume I'm still not feeling well and come up to check in. The problem is that I'm not in the mood to talk so I kind of brush them off when they attempt to have a conversion with me so they both leave. Even Mike tried to talk to me a few times when he noticed my mood, but I ignored him too and this gave him the hint to back off.

When Aria finally comes up to her room later on she sees me on my bed rolled up in a ball under the blankets and her voice is concerned when she asks what's going on. But once again I don't acknowledge someone who is trying to get through to me and I know she's scared from the tone in her voice as she tried more than once to get me to open up, seeing for the first time what my depressed side looks like from the accident. I never looked at her the whole time she spoke, but I could sense she wasn't sure what to do. So as far as I know she kept herself plopped on her bed to keep me company and hoping I'd talk to her.

All day I stayed in the same spot, not moving from my curled up position on my bed and now it's dark out. Aria stayed with me for the rest of the day unless it was to use the bathroom or get food. She tried a few times to get me to drink or eat, even talk, but it didn't work well. Then eventually she let me know she needed to leave for a little bit and she'd be back as soon as she could, something about Spencer needing her because of Melissa. I was so out of it that I barely heard what she said.

I'm not sure how long she's gone for but she left the lamp next to our beds on for me so that I wasn't in complete darkness, but time passes and eventually I feel the bed move as someone plops onto my bed beside me, my body is turned towards the wall and focused on that as I feel a hand gently lands on my arm now. I assume it's Aria as I take a soft breath.

"You need to eat something."

I shake my head lightly, my mind racing with flashbacks when I realize it's Aunt Ella. Finally I open my mouth and speak, "I'm not hungry." My voice is hoarse from not saying a word the entire day.

She's quiet for a second, "We're all worried about you, sweetie."

I close my eyes now, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, tell me what's going on."