The Mechanic

Chapter Thirty-three - "Arms Around You."

"The Mechanic"

Chapter Thirty-three

'Arms Around You.'

Scene...

Continuing

Demi's POV

"Ari...," I whispered as I stepped toward her, my hands covered over my mouth.

"Oh my God, your hair."

"You're here!" I choked.

"Hurry up and hug me!" She demanded, walking toward me with open arms, her matching bracelet dangling from her wrist. Immediately, I did just that, throwing my arms around her small frame and holding her tight. Joe's family went into an uproar, laughing and applauding as I held my best friend.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you . . . how much I've needed you," I sniffled, giggling a bit. She laughed.

"Trust me, I know." She pulled back slowly, nodding her head toward Joe, who had approached me from behind sometime during our reunion. "Joseph, here, never left me out of the loop."

I turned around to Joe, smiling at him happily.

"I can't believe you did this," I said, gesturing toward Ariana. He grinned.

"I told you you'd see her soon," he replied, subtly stroking my hand.

"Demi," I heard Denise say, and at this, we all turned. "Before you arrived, your friend here was telling us that you had some things you were wanting to contribute to today's gifts."

Naturally, my mind raced back to the presents I had purchased that I had to leave behind the morning before. I felt disheartened to have to tell everyone this news, but they were all waiting, so I had to break it.

"I . . . I did have gifts for today, but, I, um," I glanced at all of the faces watching me before my eyes met the ground. "Unfortunately, I couldn't bring them today."

Then, Ariana's familiar hand grasped my shoulder from behind.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Dem," she stated, and confusedly, I turned to her.

"Come again?"

As if on cue, Joe's father, alongside Nicholas, walked into the den holding the many boxes and bags I had purchased just a few days earlier.

"No way," I gasped, once again bringing my palm back up over my mouth.Simultaneously filled with overbearing happiness and utter confusion, I had both unending questions and nothing to say. I looked at Ariana again, whose arm had snaked its way around my neck. "H-how?"

She grinned, leaning her head against mine.

"You're my best friend," she said simply. "That's how."

"You all were in on this?" I asked everyone in the room, and in jumbled responses, my inquiry was affirmed. I had never felt this feeling; not once in my life had I felt so important to so many people. "I have . . . so many questions," I sighed, taking a step forward into the center of the room. When Ariana released me, I stood before Joseph's entire family, my heart filled with humility, gratitude, and so many things I couldn't explain.

Even though I was still taking it all in, my emotion quickly got the better of me. And though I was incredibly overwhelmed by every event that took place over the last few days, I was somehow empowered by this positivity. So empowered, in fact, that as Joe's family began to quiet, and while I held their attention, I decided to thank them.