My Anchor ~ Harry Hook

CHAPTER SEVEN

'What are you doing here?' Bash asked, tilting his head.

'I forgot something,' Aria said unconvincingly.
'And that something is in your father's office, is it?' Sebastian questioned her, raising an eyebrow at her.

'Yep, uh huh, so I think I'll just grab it and go,' she said, turning back towards the door.

'Uh, uh, uh, not so fast, mon chou,' he interrupted before walking past her into her father's office and sitting down on the grand sofa in the corner and patting the space next to him.

'What's really going on? You're never here unless you have to be,' he questioned softly.

'Nothing Bash I just forgot something,' she said, looking down at her lap and fiddling with her fingers.

'Do you want to know something, Mon chou?' Sebastian asked, and Aria hummed in reply, not looking up.

'I remember when you were born. You were the tiniest little baby I had ever seen. I remember your first infectious laugh. I remember your first steps. I remember you running through halls with that same infectious laugh. Most importantly, I remember thinking that I would do anything to protect you. I don't agree with anything your parents do, and it pains me that I have had to helplessly sit and watch you go through the last eleven years, but because of all that, I completely understand all this sneaking around and lying. But you can trust me, mon chou,' Sebastian said as Aria sat in silence, looking around the room, trying to figure out where the remote could be. When her eyes found it on her father's desk, her face lit up.

'Yep, definitely, I get that, but nothings going on; I did just forget something,' she said quickly, looking back at him. 'I promise Bash,' she finished smiling, but Sebastian was looking at the desk where her eyes had been just moments before, causing Aria's heart to race.

However, Sebastian didn't say anything and instead looked at his watch before coughing and pushing himself to stand up, kissing the top of her head. 'I have a meeting in five minutes. I'm going to have to go mon chou. I apologise,' he excused himself.

'Oh, no worries,' Aria dismissed him, hoping to get him out faster, but as he turned to close the door, he winked at her, which gave her all the reassurance she needed. As soon as the door clicked into place, she was on her feet and racing towards the desk, grabbing the remote before stuffing it into her pocket and leaving as fast as she could.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Over the next week, she continued planning, now with the help of Lonnie and Jane, to ensure she'd be as safe as possible while on the Isle.

The Saturday after her trip home, she started her journey to the Isle. When it began to grow dark, she left her dorm room, saying goodbye to the other two, and made her way along the edge of the forest, trying to stay concealed. As she made her way to the bridge and across it, she let her mind wander.

It wandered across the plains of her childhood that she had stored in the back of her mind.

She thought about all the times, as a toddler, her mother took her to the beach and taught her to swim. She hadn't swam or been in the ocean since she had refused.

She thought about dancing around the living room while standing on her father's feet while her mother hummed songs from her corner of the room.

She thought about running through the halls with her sister, shrieking with joy.

She thought about sneaking into her sister's room for forbidden sleepovers.

She thought about how, as she grew older, her parents put more and more pressure on her to be perfect and how, when she inevitably fell short of their expectations, she was invisible to them.

She thought about how, every day after her failed initiation, she felt herself falling further and further down her parents priorities.

She thought about how, despite all of that, Melody and Sebastian stuck next to her. Just like they said they would.

She thought about the day she was told she was being shipped off to Auradon Prep and how terrified she was.

She thought about how now, a year later, she has the most incredible group of friends that support her doing dumb shit like this. Well. Some of them

She thought about how, as much as she had tried to deny it, the villain kids were just like her in every way. Except she had the privilege of growing up in Auradon and never struggling.

She thought about how everyone would hate her if they knew what she was doing.

She thought about Chad and how much she hated him. How much she wished that this would push him to break up with her.

By the time she reached the barrier, she was so overwhelmed that she hadn't realised she was crying. Stopping about ten feet from the barrier, she collected her emotions and took a deep breath before digging the remote out of her pocket and pressing the button that was helpfully labelled 'open'.