Let's go back to the start

24. Fight Song

Ezra's POV
It had been a whole month. I tried calling and texting Aria but she never took my calls so eventually I just gave up. I made my way to the Phoenix bar to meet up with my best friend Hardy from college. He was already there when I arrived and seemed to of had a few too many drinks already.

"Hey bro" he said squeezing me in for a man hug before sitting back at the bar and ordering us a round.

"Hey how's everything?" I asked taking a seat on the stool beside him.

"Really good. I've actually started seeing someone now, I would love you to meet her" he replied with a big silly grin on his face. "What's new with you, we haven't spoken in months?" He asked taking a sip of scotch.

"Well I'm actually gonna be a dad soon" I said giving him a weak smile.

"Wow Aria's pregnant!" He exclaimed laughing.

"Nope not Aria" I replied sadly looking around the bar. It bought back way too many memories.

"Your kidding? You've been seeing someone else" he replied smiling. I just nodded not knowing what else to say.

"Hey you remember the girl with the dark hair you proposed too a long time ago?" He asked with a grin.

"Yeah Jackie" I replied wondering where this conversation was going.

"I saw her in New York around 6 months ago, dating your little bro" he said laughing hysterically. I paused and thought that he must of had Jackie mixed up with someone else.

"Nah couldn't of been her" I replied shaking my head and taking a big gulp of scotch.

"Looked a lot like her" he said nudging me. I didn't know how to tell him it was Jackie carrying my child. We kept smashing down scotch after scotch. I noticed Emily, Hannah and Spencer walk in and take a seat at a table. Which meant Aria was going to show any minute. An hour later and she was still a no show. I watched as the girls enjoyed their drinks and stood up and stumbled my way over.

"Hey is Aria coming tonight?" I think I managed to say without slurring.

"No, she didn't tell you?" Spencer asked standing up.

"Tell me what?" I asked curiously.

"She moved to New York" Hannah said quickly butting in.

"Oh" I replied a little in shock.

"Well anyway we should get going" Spencer replied before the girls got up and left. I sat down in one of their empty chairs. Why didn't she tell me I thought. I looked up and noticed Hannah left her phone. Maybe Aria would answer if I called her off Hannah's phone. I picked it up and being drunk my finger accidentally pressed the photo album button and right away a photo pops up of Jackie sitting in this very bar kissing my..my brother. I looked at the date on the photo and realised it was around the same time Jackie had gotten pregnant. I decided against calling Aria as I didn't know what I would say. I sent Spence a quick text off the phone letting her know Hannah had left it behind. About 15 minutes later Hannah made her way up to me taking her phone.

"Ah thanks I guess" she said smiling.

"No problem. Hey Hannah when I went to text Spencer I accidentally clicked photos and that photo of Jackie came up?" I asked. She quickly raised her eyebrows.

"Jackie threatened Aria if we mentioned it to you" she replied before speed walking from the bar.

Aria knew. How could she keep something like this from me, what had Jackie threatened her with? I helped Hardy to the taxi and said good bye before deciding to walk back to my apartment to clear my head. I decided to just come out and ask Jackie who was staying at my apartment because her new place was being painted. I busted through the door to find her still awake watching tv.

"You know I'm not the father!" I said angrily leaning against the table.

"What the hell Ezra of course it's yours" she replied standing up.

"You slept with Wes!" I yelled trying to drag the truth from her by clutching at straws.

"Yeah but what's that matter it's still your flesh and blood!" She shouted back.

"You know it's his and he deserves to know" I replied a little bit calmer.

"I found out I was pregnant before I slept with you. But I don't want Wes I want you. I love you Ezra" she yelled as tears filled her eyes.

"You let me believe this was my son" I said as a tear slid down my cheek. "You let me fall in love with him" I added feeling so hurt.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

"Just be out of my apartment by morning and never come back" I said grabbing a bag and some clothes and made my way to my office at Hollis for the night.

Arias POV
It had been 6 weeks at my new school and I had already made a group of friends. I had started learning the piano and focused more on my song writing. The teacher had given us an assignment to perform a song or music we had written. Most of the students played instruments so chose to write instrumental pieces. There was only three of us out of the 40 that had been accepted as singers and/or song writers. We had to perform on a stage in front of friends and family so I invited my mom and dad and 3 best friends.

I hadn't seen them since I started my classes and they were like a breath of fresh air. I showed them around my school and introduced them to the friends I had made. All the students were amazing which made me extremely nauseous for my turn. I heard my name being called and gave my parents and friends a quick hug before making my way up on stage. I sat down at the keyboard and started playing and singing into the mic.

"Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion
And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep
Everybody's worried about me
In too deep
Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)
And it's been two years I miss my home
But there's a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe"
(Fight Song-Rachel Platten)

I finished my song and looked toward the crowd who were now roaring with applause. I took a bow and made my way back to my seat.

"Oh my that was absolutely amazing!" Mom screamed beaming with pride.

"Well done sweetie" dad said pulling me in for a hug. I pulled back and looked towards my friends who all ran over crowding me in a hug.

"Can't believe I'm gonna be best friends with a famous person" Hannah said giggling. Which made us all laugh.

"Aria that was an amazing song. Written about Ezra I suspect" she remarked smiling.

"Have you guys seen him?" I asked.

"Yeah he seems to be doing ok" Emily replied smiling. We finished watching the rest of the artists and then made our way to a nice restaurant for dinner. It was so hard to say goodbye to the girls and my parents but I knew I would see them in a few weeks.