Beyond Words | ON HOLD

Chapter 2

Her bag landed with a thud on the other side of the room. Aria flopped on her bed, "how can teachers set homework on the first day" she grumbled.

"Because they like to watch you suffer" She looked up and saw her older sister Naomi leaning on the door frame. "You scared the crap out of me" she laughed.

Naomi laughed and came to sit beside her, "how was your first day?" Aria pulled a face, "how do you think" she said sarcastically. "I think you had a great day and can't wait for school tomorrow." Naomi responded with a grin.

She answered by whacking her sister with her book. "Anyway, why are you home?" She asked. "I don't go back to college till next week." Aria bit back her complaints. "It's nice to see you, but I want to get my homework done"

"When are you gonna make a new video?" Naomi asked. Her older sister was in her second year of college, and was the only one apart from Maya who knew that she uploaded videos to YouTube, more specifically, videos of her singing her songs, playing the guitar and piano.

"Hopefully tonight, after my homework" she groaned, thinking about the calculus homework she had to do, which would take her a good half an hour. "Well you have fun with that" Naomi added, before giving her a hug, and going downstairs.

Aria reluctantly sat at her desk, and started doing her homework. Halfway through her English, Alex walked in. "Homework already?" He winced. "Haven't you got any" she said offhandedly, fiercely scribbling on her page.

"Nope" he shrugged, sitting on her bed. "Done!" She announced with flourish after a while. It had taken her a long time, but her homework was finally done. "Now get out" she commanded immediately, waggling her fingler at Alex.

He rolled his eyes, but left. Finally alone Aria set up her video camera and grabbed her guitar. She ran through her new lyrics a few times before hitting play.

As she played, she closed her eyes, allowing herself to get whisked into her own imaginary world, where things were easy, simple. Her brother would call it boring, nothing to do, nothing to keep you on your toes, but everything was much easier there, and didn't give you a headache.

She finished as quickly as she started, taking a deep breathe. When she was playing, she almost held her breathe, and kept her eyes closed, shutting out the world.

As soon as Aria hit the red button on her phone, stopping the video, a crash echoed downstairs, followed by a shout from their mother, and Naomi's laugh.

She put her phone away and packed up her guitar, getting downstairs just in time to see the tail end of her mother's rant.

Alex was standing, with a very bored expression on his face, holding a 6 pack. Naomi was leaning on the fridge, eating a rice cake, and looking very bemused by the whole situation.

"What happened?" She whispered to Naomi. "Alex was grabbing beers behind mums back, and knocked the trash can over." Aria held back a giggle as Alex mouthed 'Help me' at her.

She rolled her eyes, Alex was going to a party tonight, a back to school party, and she was his designated sober driver. So she was happy that he was getting a little lecture, it was compensation for the call she was going to receive 2AM.

"You need to learn to be more responsible Alex! You are in your senior year, you need to buck up your ideas and sort out your life" Aria smirked at him, mouthing 'yeah alex.' His face creased with frustration as she sashayed out the room.

"Yes mum!" His exasperated voice echoed through the house. Aria giggled and flopped on the sofa. She had nothing planned for the night, so she decided to go on a movie marathon.