Faded Promises

7

Hanna's POV

The drama club rehearsals ended late today.

I'm ready to dive into my bed, my fluffly black bed.... My dad best present, my bed feels like heaven the second I lay on it.

But now I need to stop thinking about it.

I take a deep breath as we finish our final scene, trying to shake off the day's stress.

"Great work, everyone! We'll pick up from here tomorrow," Mrs. Parker calls out.

The relief in her voice is palpable, probably just as ready for the day to end as we are.

As I pack up my script, I glance around for Lucy. Normally, we'd walk to the bus stop together, but tonight she had a date with Jake.

I try to push down a pang of jealousy; it wasn't fair to Lucy. She deserves to be happy but sometimes looking at her I wish I had that unconditional love.

I step out of the school and walk toward the bus stop.

The air is cool, but at least the sky looks like a painting, all the beautiful color over me make me smile.

I shiver slightly, wishing I had brought a jacket. I pull out my phone and scroll through messages absentmindedly, trying to distract myself while I wait for the bus.

A car horn blares , startling me. I look up to see Aiden's car pulling up beside the curb.

He roll down the window and leans over, his face illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights.

Please can he look bad for one fucking day?

"Get in," he says, his voice flat but with an edge I couldn't quite place.

I blink, confuse. "What?"

"I said, get in the car, Hanna. I'll give you a ride home."

I'm mad, how can he talk to me like this, after the way he's been treating me. "I'm fine, Aiden. The bus will be here any minute."

He frown, his eyes narrowing. "It's getting late, and it's not safe. Just get in the car."

I shake my head, taking a step back. "No, really, it's fine. I don't want to be with you"

Aiden's expression darkening , and he lets out a frustrated sigh. "You're so annoying , Hanna. Just... get in the car. Please"

His tone soften at the end, but I still feel a knot of resistance in my stomach. "No."

He mutters something under his breath, glaring at me. Then, without another word, he speds off, leaving me standing

I watch his taillights disappear down the road, my heart pounding.

What's his problem? I shake my head, trying to brush off this confusion I feel.

I glance down the street, hoping the bus would arrive soon.

A few minutes passed, and I'm starting to get inpatient, the bus is taking a while.

But then I hear the sound of a car engine revving. I turned around, and to my surprise, Aiden's car is back, screeching to a halt right in front of me. He gets out, his face a mask of determination and frustration.

"Aiden, what are you doing?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly.

He doesn't answer. Instead, he walks straight toward me, grabs me by the arm, and starts pulling me toward the car.

"Hey! What are you doing? Let go of me!" I protest, trying to pull away, but his grip is firm.

"I'm not leaving you out here alone," he says through gritted teeth. "It's not safe, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Before I can argue further, he opens the passenger door and practically lifts me into the seat.

I glare at him, but he ignores me, slamming the door shut and walking around to the driver's side.

As he gets in and starts the car, I cross my arms over my chest, seething with anger. "You can't just manhandle me like that.I told you I was fine."

He glances at me, his jaw clenching . "And I told you it's not safe. I wasn't going to leave you out here alone."

"Wow be careful you might sound as you actually care"

His head turn and I can see the fire in his eyes, but I know better to think my words actually hurt him.

We drive in tense silence, the only sound the hum of the engine.

When we finally pull up to my house, I didn't wait for him to say anything.

I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out of the car, slamming the door behind me.

Drama queen here but I don't care, I needed to slam something . It was the door or his head.

I can feel him looking at me but I don't care. He can't cut me off of his life and then proceed to look worried about me. He can't. He made his choice .

Inside, the house is quiet. My dad was still at his dinner with friends, so I had the place to myself.

I went straight to the kitchen and grab the lasagna Aiden's mom had made. He may be a jerk but his mom makes the best food.

My mom was always jealous when I mentioned how much I loved her food.

After dinner, I head to my room and flop onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

I need to tell this to Lucy, it's 11 pm... hmm she might be busy still but I really need to speak with her. Sorry Jake.

"Hey! How was rehearsal?" Lucy's cheerful voice came through the line,

"Hey, Luce. It was fine, but something weird happened after."

"Oh? Spill the tea, girl."

"Jake?" I don't want him to ear and maybe tell his friend that I'm thinking about him.

"Taking a shower, we're good. He takes forever"

I take a deep breath, recounting the whole situation with Aiden, from him demanding I get in the car to him practically kidnapping me.

"Wow," Lucy says, her tone serious. "As he gone insane?"

"He may. He looked genuinely worried."

"I swear I'm gonna smack him. If he's doing because you got yourself a date with Ethan... I know he's my friend but I don't care"

"And why he would do that"

Lucy sigh. "Honestly, Hanna, it sounds like he still cares about you. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show it. Or maybe he's struggling with his own feelings."

I let out a frustrated groan. "I don't know, Luce. I just wish things were simpler."

"I get it. But you need to focus on you, okay? You have that date with Ethan coming up. Maybe it's time to let yourself move on a bit."

"Yeah, you're right," I say, though my thoughts are still tangled. "Thanks, Lucy. I needed to hear that."

"Anytime, Hanna. Just take it one step at a time. And if Aiden tries anything like that again, tell him to back off."

I laugh, feeling a bit lighter. "I will. Thanks, Luce. Have fun with Jake."

"Thanks, I will. Talk to you tomorrow."

I hang up and lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Lucy is right. I need to focus on myself and give Ethan a chance. But no matter how hard I try, I can't shake the lingering questions about Aiden. Why did he care so much? And why does it still matter to me?

As I drift off to sleep, my mind replays the day's events over and over, the confusion and emotions swirling together in a restless haze. Tomorrow is another day, another chance to figure things out. But for now, all I can do was hope for some clarity—and maybe, just maybe, a good night's sleep.