The Neogene Project

Chapter 23 - Tombstones

Chapter 23 - Tombstones

 

“I’m sorry about everything,” Chance mumbled while the two of them were in the car, driving home. “I honestly didn’t think about what the consequences would be for trying to talk to the one person that has it out for me the most right now.”

Aria stayed silent. Her head was spinning. Memories were coming back in uncontrollable floods. She saw herself jumping off of a roof. She actually saw a lot of roofs, but there was no context. She saw a flash of blonde hair. She heard a very distinct gunshot, over and over and over again, but there was no scene that went with it, it was just there, ever present. An image of a meadow appeared in her mind. Aria tried to grasp it, understand what it was, and when she did, she immediately heard voices. “Is she ready yet?” “Two weeks.” Female and male. She also heard something else. “You weren’t supposed to kill her!” Aria gasped. That.. was her own voice. “I’m sorry, it was an accident,” came the reply of a male’s voice. She knew that it couldn’t have been Trenton. Who was she talking to. Who killed someone? Was it Rowen?

Aria clutched her head. “Ugh!” she screamed, and all at once the memories stopped coming. She couldn’t decide whether to be relieved or disappointed. Would she have found something important in her memories if they hadn’t stopped?

Chance swerved and almost hit a light pole, instead just jerkily pulling over on the sidewalk. “Aria, what is it? Something I said? You didn’t like what I said about Trenton?”

She shook her head, trying to speak, but finding her voice to be somehow broken.

“Did you not like what I said about him? Be honest. I know that you still care about him.”

Aria tried to tell him that she couldn’t even hear what he said about Trenton, or anything he said, but again, her voice was not working. She just pointed to her head with a shaky head.

“Memories?” he whispered.

“They’re gone now,” she replied hoarsely. Ha! She speaks!
“Good,” Chance replied. They were silent for a moment.

“Chance,” she said, biting her lip.

“Yep,” he replied, She wanted to say something, but could not bring herself to do it, somehow.

“Thank you for everything,” she said.

He nodded. “Of course,” he replied.

Aria clenched her fists. She had to force herself to say it. “Chance,” she began.

“Yes?” he asked.

She closed her eyes. “I think we should break up.”

Chance didn’t even miss a beat, saying, “We aren’t even dating.”

Aria nodded, opening her eyes. “I know. I mean that we shouldn’t go out in a romantic way anymore. I think we should just be friends.”

“If it’s because I talked to Trenton about our date, then I’m really sorry, but-”

“No,” Aria interrupted. “It has nothing to do with him. I’m just really not emotionally ready for a relationship anytime soon. It has nothing to do with you, really.”

“Oh,” Chance replied, the disappointment and hurt now very apparent in his voice.

“Also,” Aria continued, “all night, I could not stop comparing myself to... to Cleo.”

Chance’s arm noticeably stiffened at the mention of her name. “Aria,” he whispered, but he did not appear as though he was going to say anything more. Although he was probably beyond heartbroken, he was doing a good job of covering it up, and honestly Aria was so grateful for it.