Exchange For a Year

Chapter 28

Aaron's POV

My ears perk up as I hear Aphmau enter the room, she finally came to visit, I've been waiting for her all week. Melissa had to go away for collage and forgot her phone so dad posted it back to her. Mom said Aphmau would come in when she was ready and that she needed time too. But now she was here.

"Hey Aphmau."

She looked like a wreak, not that I could talk, I was covered in bandages and crap so yeah. I had suffered many cuts from debris and a lot that would leave scars.

"Aaron, how are you doing,"

"A lot better now you're here,"

I'm glad to know she's okay at least physically I'm not sure about mentally. I know that I want to help her though this. My dad told me it was stupid bravery but at least neither of us ended up dead. I'm being discharged this afternoon, under strict instruction to take it easy and rest. I know this mean no more football for a long while.

"That's good uh when you going home?"

"This arvo, hopefully." I push myself up off the bed to giver her a hug but she beats me too it, throwing herself around me.

"Thank you, what you did was bold,"

"For my potato sure,"

She didn't get mad at me this time, even when she does its only jokingly, I know we've both got a long way to go but she's safe and that matters to me. A growing dampness in my shirt tells me she's crying, not loud, just quiet sniffles. My dad takes this as his queue and leaves the room without a word.

"You'll be okay, and so will I."

Her crying gets more intense and I fear I may have done something to trigger her, I sit back on the bed and pull her up with me, letting her do whatever she needed too.

"I thought this year would be shit, but its been the best year of my life so far,"

"Why would it be bad?"

"I'm a nobody back home,"

She goes on to tell me about this situation with her at home, how at school this guy tried to put the moves on her and everyone though she was stealing him, he was dating 'Little Miss Popular' but saw Aph as a side chick and turned her school life to crap. She'd been called a hussy by most people, not even her closest friends stuck by her side and it had caused her a lot of pain. She told me about her cuts, her darkest thoughts and how she'd created an online alias to make some kind of friend. Aphmau eventually got onto what was happening here and a few bits I already knew. I'm not sure she meant too but she ended up blurting out about Katelyn being a stubborn ass and not telling Travis about their baby.

"Aph, that's horrible, I promise to always be here for you,"

"I know, and its just too much sometimes then what happened to you.... I thought I was going to lose you."

"Not gonna happen, even when you have to leave."

I plant a kiss on her temple, I never would have guessed she had it so bad back in Spain, I though she'd be this popular, smart girl that everyone loved. Despite what she may think that's actually happening to her here. I've heard people whispering that she was quite surprising, after all she did makes friends with me and that's a feat on its own.