Between The Lines

nineteen

             I woke up the next day expecting some kind of a message or a phone-call or something from Aaron. I knew he'd be embarrassed and will want to rant. Yet when I checked my phone, nothing. I realised he wouldn't get up until late, considering the state he was in the previous night. I dropped him a message to come and get his car, we could talk then, and got out of my bed. By the time I got downstairs mum was is the kitchen making breakfast.

"Good morning Millie! Aaron came by to take his car. He didn't want me to wake you up."

"When?"

He must've known I was up. I did text him...

"About an hour ago."

          Which meant he'd come before I got up. I checked my phone to see if he had replied but he hadn't. I had expected him to overreact, it was Aaron we're talking about. But this was straight out avoiding. Aaron had actually gone from ignoring me to avoiding me, overnight. My hopes of things finally settling down were pounded to dust and scattered in the air.
I had planned a perfect intervention for him. I wanted to talk to him and finally clear off the weirdness between us from the past few weeks. I had never been so cut off from him, and this was starting to take a toll on me.
               I had talked to Brooke about that a few times. But other than her weird cryptic messages revolving around you need to see it yourself, and you'll find out soon, she insisted that nothing was off. I wondered how she missed the irony of it.
So I called up Aaron. Not once, not twice, but 8 times and every time the call went straight to voicemail. I dropped several messages. I called Brooke, to no avail.
So I did the next best thing I could think of.

Aaron's dad let me in and I headed straight to Aaron's room. I found him on his bed, head buried in his pillow.

"That bad huh?"

"What do you want Amelia?"

He sat up but still seemed distant.

"You probably don't remember much but you got drunk out of your wits last night."
I scooted closer to sit next to him.
"It was so unlike you."

I knew there must have been a reason that happened. I half expected it to be something really stupid. But I was gonna let him do the talking. But Aaron didn't seem like he was about to talk any time soon.

"What happened yeste..."
"I actually remember everything"

He spoke as I started to. So I let him continue.

"Actually Amelia I do remember everything and it would be great if you stop reminding me of it."

I could sense that he was hurt and ashamed and dejected, but I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why.

"Aaron you don't have to be embarrassed... These things happen sometimes. No one's even gonna remember it by tomorrow!"

"I bet it's already forgotten!"

"Aaron what happened last night wasn't a big deal. No one cares!"

At this though, I noticed Aaron visibly flinch. He moved away from me as if I burned him.

"I bet you don't Amelia. So why are you even here? I figured you didn't care yesterday itself. So why don't you run back to your precious little boyfriend."

"Aaron what the hell are you talking about!"

He was spewing venom. I didn't know where all this bitterness was coming from. I had thought we actually reconnected the previous night. My throat had started to hurt and I was gulping down my frustration.

"Amelia I don't need your sympathy or your pity. So why don't you leave me alone and we'll forget we ever had this conversation."

Aaron had crossed the line. I got up and left the room at lightning speed, but not before I gave him a piece of my mind.

"You know what Aaron. I came here to check up on you because we're friends and I care about you. Things have been tensed lately and I wanted to make amends. But maybe you don't deserve to be my friend after all."

"And you know what? I haven't wanted to be a friend for a long time. So maybe this is for the best."

I was almost out of earshot when he replied but I felt his words burn my ears like acid. It was too late to turn around.

_______________________________

Long time no see!