Six weeks away

Chapter five

The girls walked down street after street until they reached Ivory Road where Mr. Longs lived.

"Are you sure you want to do this." Alexis asked for the third time. The anxiety was just rolling off her.

Aria took Alex's hand. "I'm sure."

The girls walked down the rest of the street until they reached Mr. Longs' house. Aria knocked on the door. Unlike the night that she had told her granddad, she didn't hesitate. She was much more confident with the two people that she trusted the most backing her up.

She heard shouting from inside. "I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU I WONT TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT ARIA! GO AWAY! I DON'T LIKE YOU COMING HERE EVERY DAY!"

"You've already told me to go away and I went. Now I'm back. What are you going to do beat me again?"

There was silence from inside. Then she heard the lock click. The trio took a step back on the stoop as Mr. Longs opened the door. His arm blocking the space between him and the door frame." I thought I told you to leave. I thought I said that I didn't want to see your face anymore."

"I just came to get some things from my room."

"You can buy new new things wherever you're living now. I really don't care. Now leave."

"I came to get the things I can't replace. Like the pictures of mom."

He was quiet as he moved back from the door. " Go get them and leave."

Aria slipped past him and headed upstairs to her room. Alexis and Johanna tried to follow her but before they could Mr. Longs stuck back out his arm blocking their way inside.

" I don't want either one of you stepping a foot inside my house." He looked at Johanna." I know you're happy to have your best friend back," He shifted his gaze to glare at at Alexis. " and I don't know who you are but I'd bet that you're this girl that Aria has been doing who knows what with, but I do not want either one of you or your faggot thoughts in my house."

Behind him Aria was walking down the stairs with a full duffle bag on her shoulder. She over heard what her grandfather was saying to them and she knew that she could no longer hold in what she had been wanting to say to him the last few months.

" You know, you may not like me or who I choose to date, but I haven't liked the way you've been acting lately either. I don't like the way you talk to me or my friends and I don't like the way you treat me like I'm some kind of waitress ."

Mr. Longs turned around to face her.

" I don't like that all you've done since my mom's death is get drunk every day and I don't think mom would like it either."

"Get out." Mr. Longs said.

"And I certainly don't like the way you call this 'your house'"

" Get out." Said Mr. Longs said through clenched teeth.

"This was my Grandma's house. You moved in with her, Here in this house all those years ago. Or did you forget that with all of your drunkenness?"

"THIS IS MY HOUSE! MINE, MY OWN AND I DON'T WANT YOU IN IT. GET OUT."

Aria did just that. She got out. She walked past her grandfather and out the door without looking back. She didn't stop walking either. She kept walking until she got to the end of the street.

She stood there at the end of the street until her Alex and Johanna caught up with her.

They stood there quietly and listened to the slamming of the door behind them.

After standing there quietly for a few moments Alexis finally asked "So, are you still going to live with your uncle?"

"Yeah I am." Aria said squeezing her hand around the strap of her bag.

"Are you leaving right now?"

"Yeah I am." Aria said again.

Aria looked at Alexis and saw that she was crying. She walked over to her and hugged her and gave her a lenghty kiss. She looked at Johanna and saw that she was crying too, so she walked over and hugged her too.

After she hugged both of them she stood in between them. " I only live a day and a half's drive so I can come back and visit all the time." She turned to Johanna. " And I promise to call this time."

"You better." She said laughing a little bit. " Can we at least walk with you to the bus station?" Said Johanna.

"Of course you can." Aria said.

The girls walked down the streets to the bus station. Aria and Alexis held hands as they walked.
As they walked Aria thought about why the town was named Wilt. The leaves on the trees always wilted away so easily. Maybe it's time that I Wilted away from here. She thought to herself.

The girls said goodbye again at the bus station as she left to her uncle Joshua's place.

That wasn't the last time Wilt heard from Aria, but it was the last time for Mr.Longs. Her uncle Joshua kept his promise let her live with him until she went off to college. The years went by and Aria and Alexis broke up but they stayed close friends, just like her and Johanna. She kept her promise and called all the time and visited every summer for a few weeks.