midnight ➳ hood a.u

0.1

Summer break.

It use to be Aria's favourite time of the year. Hanging out with her friends, going shopping, beaches. She loved it all.

But that was before the incident.

You see, a couple years back Aria went to this party. She was really drunk and lost track of time. It ended up being 5:00 in the morning when she decided to head back home. Her house was only a couple blocks down from the party so she walked. As Aria was walking she felt a hand cup her mouth and she was slammed to the ground. She started to panic and kicked her legs around. Suddenly the weight of Aria's attacker was pulled off of her.

It was her parents.

Aria thought they must have been coming to the party to see what was taking her so long.

Her attacker wasn't going down without a fight. He, at least she assumed it was a guy, punched her father in the mouth and slapped her mother across the face. Aria tried to pull herself up but the force from when the attacker pushed her to the ground made her dizzy.

She couldn't stand up.

The next thing that happened made Aria freeze completely.

The man pulled out a gun and everything seemed to go in slow motion.

He shot her parents and ran away.

Every since that night, Aria has been living with her 21 year old cousin Ryan. He loves her to death and is so protective of her, especially after the incident. Ryan is the only family member that Aria really sees. His parents, Aria's uncle and aunty, died in a car crash and Ryan was their only child. Aria's other uncle and aunty couldn't have children so Ryan is her only cousin. Plus she didn't have siblings. Her mother had a miscarriage a few years after she had Aria. Ever since then she didn't try for anymore kids because the heartbreak from losing one was too unbearable to do again.

Every summer break from then on, Ryan and Aria went up to the lake house that their grandparents use to own. They passed away about six years ago and handed the house over to Ryan and Aria's parents. But now it was just them.

They both absolutely loved the lake house but Aria just hated summer break.

It reminded her too much of what she lost and could've prevented from happening.

She blames herself everyday for what happened. Ryan has told her over and over again that it wasn't her fault. It was "the fucking psycho with the fucked up mind's fault." He told her this daily, but every time she came up with some stupid excuse as to why it was and always will be her fault.

Aria will never forgive herself.

"Babe you almost ready to go?"

Ryan asked from outside Aria's door.

She zipped up her bag and turned around smiling big at her most favourite person in the world.

"Ready."

"Let's go," Ryan smiled taking Aria's suitcase as she carried her smaller bag.

They made their way to Ryan's car and packed all their belongings in the boot and back seat before climbing into the front.

Ryan started the car as Aria popped her earphones in, prepared for the three hour drive.

~

"Aria babe, wake up. We're here," Ryan quietly spoke as he softly shook Aria to wake her up.

Aria was confused. She didn't remember falling asleep. She shrugged and stretched her arms, hopping out the car. She walked to the back of the car and picked out the belongings from the backseat and set them at the front door, then made her way to the boot of the car where Ryan was already unloading their luggage from. She helped him out and soon all their luggage was inside the cute cosy lake house.