A Lifetime's Worth

Chapter 6

"Where the hell were you? I've called you about 6 times!" Peyton's voice blared through the cellphone's speaker.

"Sorry. I was at Parker's." Ariana replied sheepishly. "Peyton, can we not do this today. I'm exhausted. I can't take more of this nonsense any more."

"No. I'm at your place already and you are going to tell me exactly what happened. All I heard was that you and Tash and Shay and Sarah were shouting at each other at lunch."

"Tash wasn't there." Ariana said. She was getting tired of rumors spreading around like wildfire. "Just..wait for some time. I'll be there." She said and hung up before Peyton could say another word. Ariana rushed towards home. As she passed Tom's Diner, she noticed that a group of girls were staring at her and talking in hushed voices. Ariana noticed that they were juniors. Great. So almost the whole school knew about it.

Ariana reached home and realised that her parents weren't back from work yet. Their car wasn't in the driveway. But she could she Sam, her younger brother's, bike casually strewn against the garage wall, which meant he was home.

"Your friend's here." A voice greeted her the moment she stepped inside the house.

Ariana almost jumped out of horror at the voice. The lights of both the hallway and the living room was switched off and Sam's voice came from somewhere in the darkness.

"Geez Sam! What the hell is wrong with you! Why the fuck are you sitting in the dark? And why is it so smoky in... Are you getting high?" Ariana screamed. She switched on the light and found that she was right. Her brother was laying on the couch smoking stash. "Mom and Dad could be here any minute! Are you out of your mind?"

"Chill Ariana. They're gone. Chicago this time. Won't be back until next week." He said coolly.

"What? Again?" Ariana replied in a weary tone. "Wait..their cars aren't in the garage." She exclaimed.

"They went directly from work. Left a voicemail. Wanna check?" He replied in the same cool tone.

"They had only just come back from LA after a week the day before yesterday." Ariana exclaimed.

Sam shrugged and continued with his joint. It was pretty typical of Mr. and Mrs. Vermont. They were both lawyers and cases kept them busy and moving all the time. They were pretty oblivious to most of what was going on in their children's life, except for their grades. They expected them to turn out to be as successful as they themselves were. So after each test, both Ariana and Sam had to present their report cards and offer an explanation for unsatisfactory performance which was all fine until Ariana started flunking in Math. Sam was not an issue. Despite his pot smoking and partying, he was pretty damn good in academics.

"Gimme that." Ariana sighed. Sam handed over the joint to Ariana and she took a long drag and slowly blew out the smoke and watched it curling up in the dim light. Then she took another puff.

"What's with you?" Sam asked staring into the smoke that Ariana blew out.

"School stuff." Ariana replied shortly.

"Oh yes, I heard. Problems in the possy, eh?"

Ariana remained silent. She took a third drag and let it move through her, feeling it creeping up into her brain, calming her nerves.

"Is that why your friend's waiting upstairs for you?" He continued. Ariana's silence was answer enough for him. "Want me to send her away?"

Ariana looked at her brother and sighed. They had this connection which somehow instantly made them understand what the other wanted. After all, they had been each other's support system all of their lives. They knew how to take care of each other. "I'll have to do this sooner or later. I'd much rather get this over with now." She said and handed the joint back to her brother.

"Suit yourself."

Ariana got up and headed towards the staircase to go to her room. "What do you want for dinner?" She asked Sam.

"You go deal with your shit. I'll get us pizza." Sam replied.

Ariana dreaded entering the room but she did it all the same. Peyton was seated on the couch with her back to the door and was reading Lolita.

"Help yourself." Ariana said sarcastically. Peyton turned around and smiled.

"Well you came so fast!" She said equally sarcastically.

Ariana threw her bag on the bed and then threw herself on it.

"Yes, take your own time. I've got all day." Peyton said again. At this point, Ariana could have strangled her. The only thing that kept her restrained was knowing that Peyton was only trying to help.

"How much do you know already?" Ariana asked her trying to keep her tone modulated.

"I told you all that I know."

Ariana sighed. "Look, Tash and Shay had a fight cause Tash was spreading stuff about her. Now somehow, Shay got the idea that I was the one who told Natasha all of that in the first place. I tried reasoning with her, but she wouldn't listen. So I got pissed and the rest happened as it happened."

"What stuff?" Peyton asked in surprise.

"That Shay blew Viktor. And that they almost did it. And Shay dumped him immediately after that."

"But Natasha and Viktor were dating." Peyton asked, confused.

"Exactly. So Shay basically took revenge on Viktor for dumping Tash."

"That is sick. And Tash didn't come clean about it? And why was Sarah in the picture?"

"Tash told her. She wouldn't listen. Says she has evidence and nothing Tash or I said mattered anymore anyway." Ariana said. She could feel her voice breaking. In reality, there was a lot more that Shay had said. Stuff like I loved you Ariana and you broke my heart and you don't deserve to be a friend to anyone and I'm so sorry I ever met you stuff. But she didn't want to cry in front of Peyton. So she took a deep breath, a very deep one indeed, and continued, "Sarah thinks I bitched about her too. God bless their evidence of course."

"What the hell." Peyton muttered. "Do you want me to talk to Shay? Damn, everyone knows that Tash makes things up for attention! Has Shay gone numb in her brain?"

"Sure looks like it. And don't talk to her. She'll come herself when she has her senses back. And if she doesn't, well, I don't need a friend that does not trust me." Ariana replied curtly. That initial shock had turned into anger. Anger at not being trusted. Anger at not being given a chance to speak. Anger at losing her soul sister.

Peyton kept silent for a while. And then she got up. "I'll go now. Stay strong, girl. She'll see through it soon enough. Bye."

"Thanks, Penny. It means so much to me that you understand." I said genuinely, smiling.

"You know I'm always here for you. Bye." She said and left me sitting all alone in my room, remembering a very similar conversation that I had not less than two weeks ago.