The New Girl

Los Angeles

It's been roughly a month since Dom, my mom, and I moved to LA. Overall, despite what drove us here, moving here was one of the best things to ever happen to us. It's Friday night and I'm on my way over to Ayden's to spend the next few hours with him.

Bennet and Ayden were fine, again. Ayden had explained to Bennet why he was being so snippy when all he did was drive me to school. Bennet still hasn't even addressed the idea of maybe telling his friends, or at least Ayden, the whole truth. I don't blame him, but I really do hope he decides to. Surely I will never know Ayden as well as Bennet does, but I know for sure that Ayden will never walk away from Bennet over something like that.

Audrey was the one to let me inside, informing me that Ayden is probably too wrapped up in his game on the XBox to acknowledge I arrived.

So, I tiptoed down the stairs as quietly as I could. To my luck, Ayden had headphones on, so it muffled any noise I made. I stood directly behind where he sat on the couch, then waited for the perfect moment to grab his shoulders to scare him.

When I did, the only reaction I got out of him was him looking over his shoulder and grinning at me.

"I saw in the reflection from the glass, G." He explained, gesturing to the glass on the entertainment center that blew my cover. I swung my body over the side of the couch and sat next to Ayden.

We both agreed it's been a long week and to just stay in and relax tonight. I kicked my legs up so they laid over Ayden's legs, where he rested his remote control on top of.

"When was the last time you talked to your dad?" Ayden asked me as he thought his virtual gun at an enemy.

"2 or 3 weeks ago, maybe?" I shrugged. "He wrote my family a letter saying he wants to fix things and stupid shit like that. I kind of get mad and threw it out. Someone else saw it, but I don't know who." I admitted, slight guilt settling in. "Who is he to make that decision, though? He left us when we needed him more than ever." Ayden rubbed my thigh to comfort me.

There was nothing he really had to say with words. He's been there for Bennet all his life, through his mom's death and his father's disownment, he's watched his friend be affected by a bad father and he knows all the right ways to comfort someone in my situation.

"How is your relationship with your dad?"

"I haven't seen him in a while, but he's like my best friend. He always does anything and everything he can to be there for Audrey and I, despite being thousands of miles away. Sometimes, I blame the separation on him." He admitted. "Like, if he had never gotten involved with the army, he wouldn't have been an absentee parent and my mom wouldn't have divorced him. I know what he's doing is brave and I love him for it, but I just wish things were different."

"You don't think they would have divorce if he was never in the army?"

"No," he shook his head. "My mom loves my dad, and my dad loves my mom. The only reason she divorced him is because she didn't want to sit around waiting for forever. My dad only signed the papers to give her what she wanted." I hope I meet Mr. Chambers soon. Ayden always speaks so highly of him and I'd love to meet a father that has children that still look up to him.

Ayden laid down on the couch with me in front of him in his arms as he held the remote in his hands and I curled up next to him.

"Didn't you say your dad has another daughter?" He, then, kissed the top of my head. "Sorry that I keep asking about it, you don't have to answer."

No more secrets. "Yeah, I think she's almost 2."

"Ever met her?"

My eyes tiredly began to close. "Nope."