Pleasure

Chapter Twenty-Four

I stare out the car window at my house. I feel the sweat begin to build up on my palms as my heart flutters faster and faster. I wipe my hands on my jeans and look over at Jacob.

"Can't we just go back to your place? I can live with you for the rest of my life, right?" I bite my lip nervously. He chuckles deeply before placing his hand on my thigh.

"Call me if you need me to pick you up, okay?" He pulls me towards him and pecks my forehead softly.

I wiggle the doorknob before getting out of the car. I feel my feet staying glued to the ground. I don't want to move. I don't know what fate awaits me. I just want to stand here and think about the endless possibilities of if I didn't show up.

I manage to trudge my way to the front door and open it slowly. The house is still and quiet. I expect a billion cameras and lights to come out of nowhere, asking me if I'm safe and unharmed but nothing comes. Just eerie silence. I shut the door behind me and listen. Maybe they're not home?

"Aria? Is that you?" My mother's voice rings from down the hall. I see her head pop out from behind the wall. She smiles and paces to me, embracing me as if I've been gone for a year. "We're so sorry. It should have never escalated to that and we take full responsibility." Her words are muffled by her tears. I can't help but to hold her back.

I hear the floor creak and look up to see my dad standing near us with tears in his eyes. My mom and I disconnect and I turn to him with my chest poked out a little. He scrunches his eyebrows before pulling me in for a hug.

I admit, this is sappy. They were wrong and it went way farther than I expected, but they're still my parents and I still love them.

"We've come up with a plan for you." My dad walks me to the couch and we all sit down. "If you want to stay here and finish school, you can. We'll find you an apartment and pay for everything until you graduate and go off to college. Then you can go wherever you want. We don't want to bring you down, Aria. We don't want to hold you back."

I feel jitters inside of my body that I can't contain. I squeal from excitement. "Really?! You'd do that?" They nod simultaneously. "I'm so excited! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I run to my room and fall back on my bed, smiling up at the ceiling.

I instantly pull out my phone and dial Jacob's number.

"You're calling me, that means you aren't dead." He wittily says once picking up. I giggle and sit up.

"No, not dead. But I do have exciting news, can we have dinner tonight and talk about it?"

"Dinner?" He hesitates. I arch my eyebrows in confusion.

"Is that a bad time?" I ask, noticeably upset.

There's a shifting sound on the other end before he states, "No, that's fine. I'll pick you up a little late, around 8 maybe."

I bite my lip for a moment. "Yeah, that's fine. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, of course Aria." I can practically hear him smile. The way my name slips out of his mouth still makes my heart skip a beat. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay." And with that I hang up the phone. The excitement still hasn't settled and I feel my face cramping from smiling so hard.

At dinner, Jacob seems distant. He doesn't say much, just chews his food and looks down at his fork. He occasionally looks up at me and smiles, but even his smile is far-flung.

"So, I have good news." I smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Spill."

"My parents said I can get my own apartment and graduate school here. They're going to pay for everything. That way I don't have to move, and I can finally be on my own before college."

He seemed happy until I mentioned the last part. "You're going to college?"

"Yes? Why wouldn't I?" I question, confused. He shakes his head and looks down. "What?"

"Nothing, I just never heard you talking about it that's all." He mumbles, using his fork to push around the food on his plate. He clears his throat and stands. He grabs his plate and tosses it in the sink. "I'm not hungry." He mumbles, walking away from me.

I follow after him, feeling the need to expand on this conversation.

"What? What's the big deal about me going to college?" I inquire, stalking behind him. He doesn't respond. He just plops down on the couch. "Are you going to college?"

"No." He states simply, and quite harshly.

"Why not?"

"School isn't for everyone, Aria." He mumbles, scrolling through channels. I think he just needs something to do to keep his mind off of this conversation, but I'm not going to stop.

"Well, I know. What are you going to do after you graduate?"

He shrugs, "Work." I let a scuff exit my lips and his eyes dart towards me.

I shake my head in defense. "That's not bad, I'm just wondering why you wouldn't want to go. Like, you would have a lot more access to things if you went to college. Even if it's just a two year college."

"I'm not going so stop trying to convince me." He bites.

"I'm not trying ... I'm just saying. Why are you getting so defensive about this?" I retort. He's rude and I don't like the tone in his voice. I'm just stating facts.

"Not everyone is all preppy and happy and has their life put together for them on a silver platter like you, Aria. Some of us can't wait to graduate to be done with it all. There's nothing for me in school, I don't care. So stop talking about it and stop brining it up like you're going to change my mind or something."

I sit there with my mouth slightly parted. He's never been so mean to me. I mean he's done some things but he's never taken this tone with me and he's never acted so rude. I don't know what to say.

I stand and look down at him. He doesn't watch me and he doesn't say anything. His leg bounces irritatedly up and down and his face is hard. He's eyes are looking at the TV but you can tell his mind is elsewhere.

I go gather my belongings, and make my way home. It's treacherous and long and all I do is think about Jacob. When I get inside I don't speak a word to anyone.

I go to my room, undress, and change into some comfortable clothes. I put my hair into a bun and crawl into bed with every word he said still lingering on my mind. It's like a broken record, on a loop, playing over and over again. I shut my eyes and see the words in pink letters slicing through the darkness. I let them haunt my mind before it slowly drifts off into subconsciousness.