Homesick | S. HARRINGTON

7

When Aaron Montgomery was just a freshman, he believed he had his whole life planned out. He would graduate high school and go to Hawkins Community College. He would marry the girl of his dreams and raise a family in the only town he ever knew. Aaron Montgomery was okay with this fate, but as sophomore year rolled around, he began to have a change of heart. Maybe, just maybe, he could have a life outside of Hawkins. Maybe he would get a scholarship for football and move to a big city. Maybe Aaron Montgomery was meant for more than a picket-fence life. By mid-sophomore year, Aaron had decided that his hopes and dreams were just too big for the small town he grew up in. Aaron was sure that he was meant for so much more, and the only way to get to his goal was to leave.

There was only one problem; over the course of his sophomore year, Aaron had made the fatal mistake of falling in love with the one and only Thea Vigil. Now, dear reader, when I say in love, I mean poor Aaron thought of Thea when he first woke up and thought of her when he laid his head down to sleep. In a snap of her fingers, Aaron would be more than willing to move heaven and earth for her. She was everything he could have ever wanted and so much more. I know, I know, this doesn't sound like much of a problem, but to Aaron, his love for Thea could be the demise of everything he had wished for. If she said the word, he would stay in Hawkins, just to be with her. So, Aaron did the only logical thing he could think of and that was to break Thea's heart. (Granted, there was better ways to do so, but let's not get into that right now.)
It wasn't that he wanted to, God knows that the last thing Aaron wanted to do was hurt the girl who gave him nothing but her love and attention, but in that moment it seemed necessary. Except, when the deed was done and junior year began, Aaron found himself missing Thea and the small things she would do to remind him that she was there and she loved him. In the beginning, Aaron had felt liberated. He didn't have a girl to hold him down anymore, he was free to make all the bad decisions he wanted because in just a short year or so, he would be out of Hawkins. Then, the missing came. Aaron missed Thea dearly. He missed all of the little things she would do just to prove her love for him. He missed the faint scent of lavender that always seemed to hover around the girl. He missed her laugh, her smile, her everything. Occasionally, Aaron would catch himself staring at Thea longingly.
At first, Aaron was able to see the girl's sadness from a mile away. She didn't talk to anyone other than Eloise and the glint of mischief that always seemed to shine was no longer in her beautiful, beautiful eyes. But, as a month had passed, He noticed that Thea had began to smile more. (God, how he missed that smile.) She laughed with her new friends and the very sight of Thea being happ made Aaron's heart swell. But, along came jealousy. Regardless of the fact that Aaron wanted nothing but joy and happiness for Thea, it hurt him to see someone else making his girl happy. Yes, Thea did deserve it. She deserved every ounce of happiness she got after all the shit the universe had put her through, but it still hurt.

This is how Aaron found himself leaning against his locker, blatantly glaring at Steve Harrington, who stood next to Thea at her locker leaning against the neighboring one just as Aaron had done a thousand times before. Envy boiled in Aaron's veins, his vision going red for a split moment. He felt his jaw clench at the sight of Steve sending Thea into a frenzy of laugher. But, when the sweet, sweet symphony of laughter reached Aaron's ears, he felt every ounce of anger and envy fade away. Aaron let his eyes shut in bliss, a faint smile pulling at his lips. He always did love the sound of her laughter.

The moment of tranquility was cut short by the sharp ringing of the bell. His eyes snapped open at the sound and soon landed on the oncoming figures of Thea and Steve. Neither of the two paid any mind to Aaron's piercing stare. A frown replaced the smile he had and Aaron followed the path to his first period class. He watched as Steve bid Thea goodbye and went their separate ways. He noticed how Steve's hand brushed against Thea's arm; how she smiled that sweet, sweet smile and told him she would see him in class. The jealousy came back in flashes of red, but Aaron knew he had brought this upon himself. He dumped Thea and left the window of opportunity wide open for Steve Harrington to slither his way into Thea's heart. Aaron knew of Steve's infatuation with the Vigil girl and he knew that Steve never acted upon it due to her prior relationship, but now that Aaron was out of the picture, there was nothing stopping Steve. Aaron shook his head to try and rid himself of the thought of another guy holding, kissing, loving the only girl he had ever given his heart to.