Anger Management

Ch. 22: Aiden

Aiden

  I wake up and see Aria shaking beside me, her eyes are still closed. I reach over and shake her shoulder. "Aria, wake up," I say. "You're dreaming, wake up." Her eyes snap open and she looks at me. She is still shaking and her teeth have started to chatter. Her eyes are watering, she opens her mouth but no words come out, so I speak instead. "Were you having a bad dream?" I ask her. She nods her head yes. "What was it about?" I ask her.

  She speaks through her still chattering teeth. "I don't know," she says. "Isn't that weird? I can't remember what the dream was about, yet I can still feel everything. All of the emotions I felt while dreaming. They're not good." Her voice cracks on the last word.

  "Does this happen a lot?" I ask her softly.

  She nods her head a little. "Usually the music blocks them out." She pauses. "I think they're about my mom," she whispers. Her teeth start to chatter even more.

  "Aria, you're freezing. Come here." I reach over and try to pull her closer, but she flinches away.

  "What are you doing?"

  "It's fine. Just trust me." I grasp her around the waist and pull her closer, she shows little resistance. I pull her into my side and wrap my arms around her. She is tense at first, but she eventually relaxes into my hold. She snuggles in closer, resting her head under my chin. Her teeth stop chattering. I look down at her, her eyes are closed. "Are you asleep?" I ask her in a whisper.

  She opens her eyes and looks up at me shaking her head. We stare into each other's eyes for a moment before she speaks. "Aiden?" she asks.

  "Yeah?"

  "Thank you."

  I look at her skeptically. "What are you thanking me for?"

  "For not being who I thought you were." She rests her head back under my chin and closes her eyes.

  "You're not who I expected either," I say, but she is already asleep.

*

  I wake up and Aria is still laying next to me with her arms wrapped around my torso. I look over at the clock, it's 7:26. I gently nudge Aria awake. "What?" she says in an irritated tone, keeping her eyes closed.

  "We have to get ready for school," I tell her.

  "Ew, school," she groans. I chuckle slightly making Aria's body shake due to the fact that she is laying half on top of me. "Can't we just stay here?" she asks still not looking at me.

  "No, we have to turn in that project. Remember the one that we spent most of yesterday completing?"

  "Who cares. We'll hand it in tomorrow."

  "Then it will be late."

  "So?" she says. She finally opens her eyes and looks at me. "Why do you have to be such a goody-goody?" she asks.

  "I'm not. I, just, don't want you to get a bad grade."

  She groans rolling her eyes. "Fine, I'll get up, but I call the shower first." She gets up off of the bed and runs into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, before I can even react.

  "The towels are in the cupboard," I yell to her. Well, I'm going to be late, I think.

  "Thank you," she yells back.

  I hear the water running, and after about ten minutes I hear it shut off and the shower curtain open. Is she really done? I ask myself.

  After a few more minutes she sticks her head out of the door, leaving the rest of her body shielded by the door. "Do you have a shirt I could where to school?" she asks me.

  "Let me check," I say and get up to look through my dresser drawers.

  "While you're at it will you grab me my shorts from yesterday?" she asks pointing to the pile of her other clothes.

  "Isn't it a little too cold for shorts?" I pull a plain grey t-shirt with a small Hollister bird near the one shoulder and walk over to grab her shorts.

  She shrugs. "Maybe a little, but I'll be okay."

  I walk over and hand her the clothes. "Here," I say. "Everyone will probably notice that you're wearing a guy's shirt, but I doubt that they'll ask questions," I assure her.

  "Thanks," she says taking the shirt and slipping back into the bathroom, shutting the door.

  A few minutes later she comes out of the bathroom in her shorts and my grey t-shirt. She could make anything look good. Surprisingly the shirt wasn't too big. She has it tucked into her jean shorts, so that probably makes it look smaller. She notices me checking her out and a frown slips onto her face. "What?" she asks placing a hand on her hip.

  "Nothing. You just look cute in my clothes too," I say.

  She walks over and slaps me upside the head. "What have I told you about calling me cute?" she asks.

  "To not do it, but by me saying that it doesn't make it any less true."

  She rolls her eyes. "You know I hate you sometimes, right?" she asks raising her eyebrows.

  "And what have I told you?" I ask her. She just stares at me, eyebrows raised. I continue, "I told you that you don't hate me, you love me." She slaps me upside the head again. "Ow, stop doing that," I tell her rubbing the back of my head.

  "I'll stop doing it when you stop doing things that I don't like."

  "Did you know that you're even adorable when you're hitting me?" And it's true.

  "Adorable? That's a new one," she says.

  "Does that mean you're not going to hit me?" I ask hopefully.

  "Nope," she says hitting me again.

  "Stop it!" I nearly yell. Aria just laughs.