Aria blinks against the sun that shines brightly into her room. Nothing of what happened last night can be imagined on this sunny summer day. Sleepy, Aria rubs her eyes. When she glances at her alarm clock, she notices how many hours she has slept.
It is already 11:23 am, when Aria stretches her arms, in order to become awake. But when she closes her eyes again for a moment, the memories flash into her memory. She sees Noel sitting in front of her with his mocking grin and her heart instantly begins to speed up again.
Aria buries her face at her blanket as someone quietly knocks at the door. "Yes?" Aria asks, pulling the blanket out of her face again. The door opens and the face of her mother appears.
"Good morning", she says softly. "Morning", Aria mutters in a sleepy voice. "Did you have an argument?" Her mother asks and Aria wonders for a moment what and who she could think of until she realizes that she actually wanted to stay with her friends at Alison's place.
Aria shakes her head. "No, I just didn't feel well and wanted to sleep at home", she explains. Ella nods understandingly. "Are you feeling better?" She asks worried. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry", Aria replies.
Ella nods, smiling. "Breakfast is in the fridge, sleepy head", she says laughing before closing the door again. Aria falls back on her pillow. Without looking, she grabs for her mobile phone on the bedside table next to her bed.
As she looks at the display with still sleepy eyes, she is instantly wide-awake. She got a message from Jason. With a pounding heart and trembling fingers, she opens the message and startles as she reads his words.
There are only a few words, just a short string of letters. But they let her suspect something bad happened.
I'm sorry.
Only these words, no more. No explanation what that is supposed to mean. Nothing at all.
She throws the blanket back and nearly jumps out of her bed. Nervously, she dials his number. But apart from the recurring ringing tone, she doesn't hear anything. He doesn't answer the call.
She's typing a message into her mobile phone hurriedly.
What happened? What are you sorry for? Please call me!
Her uneasiness becomes even bigger when she sees that he has written this message several hours after he has dropped her off at her doorstep. What happened in the meantime?
Without thinking, she grabs the first clothes she finds and puts them on. An incredible fear rises up in her. What did he do and what is his message supposed to mean?
She looks into the mirror one more time and brushes her hair. Then she reaches for her backpack, which stands on the chair in front of her desk and runs straight out of her room and down the stairs.
Hastily, she slips into her sneakers, as her mother walks around the corner worried because she has been aware of the loud rumbling. "What's going on?" She asks irritated. Aria looks at her mother, as if she hasn't remembered that she isn't alone in the house.
"I have to go", Aria replies briefly. Ella looks at her daughter in astonishment. "Don't you want to eat breakfast?" She asks. "Or go back to the bathroom before you leave the house?" She adds, looking down at her daughter and wondering about her interesting choice of clothes and her pale face.
Aria just shakes her head without a word. Ella is getting worried. She hasn't seen her daughter like this before. Gentle but determined, she puts her hands on Aria's shoulders. "Hey, what's going on?" She asks, forcing her daughter to look at her.
"You've just been lying completely relaxed in bed and now you are running out of the house as if someone is behind you", she says. Aria forces herself to calm down. She doesn't want to answer questions now. She has too many of her own.
But she knows that she has to convince her mother everything is all right. The faster she can go. "I just have to go to see Ali. I need my things, which are still at her place. I forgot them yesterday", she says calmly.
Of course, she keeps quiet about the fact that she wasn't even at Alison's yesterday, but came directly from a party.
"And that's so urgent that you can't even eat something?" Ella asks concerned. Aria just nods. "It's my notebook. You know, I'm lost without that", she says, laughing insecurely. Ella looks skeptically at her daughter for a moment, but then her face relaxes. In fact, she knows that the notebook in which her daughter writes all her literary ideas is Aria's little treasure.
"Ok, if you think you have to do that", Ella says, letting her hands sink from her daughter. Aria gives her mother a kiss on the cheek and quickly leaves the house before her mother thinks of even more questions. Of course, she doesn't want to go to Alison because she needs this notebook so urgently. Even if this is indeed her most valuable possession. She needs answers. And maybe Alison can give her some.
"Aria!" Alison greets her with her usual high voice and a bright smile. Aria tries to force herself to smile. She has to try to figure out why Jason apologizes to her without Alison becoming suspicious.
"Hey", Aria replies softly. "Come in!" Alison asks. Aria replies with a timid smile and steps into the imposing house. "How are you? Spencer told me that you didn't feel well?" She asks, sounding really worried.
"I'm fine", Aria replies quickly. "It was just a bit overwhelming", she adds silently. Alison looks at her sympathetically. When Spencer told her that Aria had gone home, Alison really felt guilty. Actually, she should have known that Aria doesn't want to go to another party yet. But she ignored her fears and persuaded her.
"How was the party after I left?" Aria asks Alison casually. "Great", Alison replies, "until my brother entered the party", she adds, rolling her eyes annoyed.
Immediately, Aria listens carefully. She hasn't expected to hit the mark that quickly. But now she realizes how her heart beats faster. Jason has been at the party. Although she asked him not to go.
"Jason punched Noel", Alison says, interrupting Aria's thoughts. Aria stares at her friend with dilated eyes. "What?" She says incredulously. "He came to the party completely drunk and punched Noel. After that he has been the main topic of all the conversations and everyone plied me with questions all night, as if I had any idea what was going on in his head", Alison replies angrily.
"You don't know why Jason punched him?" Aria asks cautiously. She suspects what the reason might have been. But Alison just shakes her head. "No, he left immediately and Noel doesn't want to talk about it", Alison explains.
Aria is relieved. At least nobody knows the reason for this fight. She just hopes that Noel doesn't change his mind and won't tell anyone what has happened. But actually, she fears that he wants to punish them for what Jason did.
"And you haven't seen Jason today?" Aria asks carefully again. "No, I think he slept here. But he got up early this morning, got into his car and left. No idea. He took some clothes with him. Who knows when he will come back. I don't care", Alison replies as uninterested as possible. But after she has said the words, she stares into the distance for a moment and seems thoughtful.
"He left?" Aria makes sure that she heard Alison right and she feels the lump growing bigger in her throat. Alison nods, without looking at Aria. "As always, when it gets difficult", Alison murmurs sighing.
Please call me... Let's talk.
She has already written countless messages to him. Every day. Multiple times.
He hasn't answered so far.
Every morning, she reaches for her mobile phone first and every night, she hopes until the second, in which she falls into a restless sleep, that he answers only once. That he'll send her only a small sign that he is doing well.
But she has hoped in vain. For five days. On Saturday was the party and now it is Thursday. Every day she becomes even more nervous. Every day, she tries a bit more to hide how big her concern for Jason is.
But she knows she isn't the only one who is really worried. Alison seems to be getting more and more nervous every day as well. Even though she would never admit that, she seems to be sleepless at night. The dark shadows under her eyes betray her every morning.
Her smile is a little more pretended every day and her good mood is so fake, that almost everyone noticed something is up. Aria has seen several times that tears burn in her eyes. But she knows she shouldn't ask Alison in front of the others. Alison wouldn't forgive her.
That's why she grasps the chance when she sees Alison sitting alone in the Brew. She sits alone in the farthest corner of the café. Aria knows that it is a risk. Alison shows no weakness and she especially hides the care for her brother. But maybe she is grateful when she doesn't have to play the unapproachable sister all the time.
"Hey", Aria greets her cautiously because Alison looks deepened at her phone and apparently didn't notice that Aria walked to her. In fact, Alison startles and looks at Aria with dilated eyes.
But her eyes are not only frightened but also reddened with tears. For a moment Aria holds her breath. She guessed Alison is worried. Alison, however, only realizes at this moment that her emotional situation hasn't been undetected.
And Aria doesn't know how her friend will react to this realization. Maybe she will get angry and wants to be alone. Perhaps she runs out of the café and covers her face in shame.
But instead, Alison lowers her gaze and sighs. She feels caught. It is hard for her to show the girls her weaknesses. But she also knows that it would be stupid to deny it now.
"Hey", she whispers softly. "Can I sit down?" Aria asks cautiously. Alison nods silently. As inconspicuously as possible, she wipes a tear from the corner of her eye. Aria knows how difficult it is for her to always hide the feelings.
She wants to give her friend the feeling that she doesn't have to do that in her presence. That's why Aria is searching in her handbag and handing Alison a handkerchief with an understanding smile.
In fact, she knows exactly how Alison feels. The same feelings, the same worries torment her for days. Only that Alison isn't allowed to know that ...
Aria feels badly at that thought. Her friend, who always pretends to be so strong, sits next to her and shows her a completely different side of her and she pretends that Jason is no more for her than Alison's brother. She is the only one who is still lying at the moment.
"Did Jason call you?" Aria asks cautiously. Alison just shakes her head without a word and another tear runs down her cheek to her chin.
He didn't call me either…As much as Aria would love to tell her the truth, she still knows she can't exaggerate Alison's short hint of weakness. Alison would never react to Aria's feelings for her brother with understanding or acceptance.
"Why can't he answer at least once so I know he's okay", Alison murmurs softly but Aria can still hear the despair in her voice. Aria gently puts an arm around her friend.
"I'm sure he's ok", Aria whispers quietly, not even knowing who she wants to calm down. She has already imagined the worst scenarios in her thoughts and rarely does she still believe that everything is all right.
"I'm just so scared because ..." Alison hesitates for a moment because her voice cracks. "The last time he was gone for days ... We got a call and it was an employee of a hospital."
Alison breathes deeply before she continues. "He was taken into hospital with an alcohol poisoning. Miles away from Rosewood. My father and Jason have argued before. I heard every word at night when I was lying in bed. And then Jason slammed the door and he was just gone for days. Just like now", she says, sighing.
This is one of the scenarios that Aria has imagined, and she is very concerned about the fact that this case has actually already happened once. Desperately, she tries to hide her own tears, so Alison doesn't realize how close the two friends are in their care for Jason.
"Sorry", Alison says suddenly. She straightens up and wipes the tears from her cheeks. "I didn't want to howl in front of you", she adds with a laugh. "Don't worry. He's your brother. Of course, you're worried about him", Aria replies with a compassionate smile.
For a moment, Alison looks at her silently, as if she'd just realized by Aria's words how much she really loves her brother. But then suddenly she reaches for her bag and gets up.
"I ... I have to go", she says hastily. She wants to turn around and leave as she looks at Aria again. "You won't tell anyone about this, will you?" She says, and Aria isn't sure if this is really supposed to be a question or an order. But Aria just nods. Because Alison wouldn't have been satisfied with any other answer.
Sighing Aria reaches for her bag. It was a beginning. It was much more than Alison has revealed so far. Aria can't expect more from her.
Aria looks around the café to find a place where she can work on her notebook. But as she looks up and looks to the entrance of the café, she looks into the surprised and euphoric face of a tall blond woman.
Again, it overwhelms Aria, how similar Cece looks to Alison. Cece runs up to her with the same radiant smile as Alison always does.
"How small this town is! You always see well-known faces", she says, evidently full of joy. But Aria can't help but ask herself if Cece is able to be joyful honestly and with all her heart.
"Arielle, right?" Cece asks with a frown. "Aria", she corrects. "Right, right. I'm sorry. How are you, Aria?", the blonde asks but she continues to talk so fast that Aria doesn't have the chance to answer her question at all.
"Oh God, how stupid of me. I heard what happened at that party. You poor thing", she says. Aria can't stand the pitiful look with which Cece looks at her. "That was really shabby to attack a young girl like you. So young and innocent."
As if she still can't comprehend what has happened, Cece shakes her head helplessly. Aria, on the other hand, has to pull herself together, not to answer her snotty, as much as Cece has emphasized how young she is.
"But it was really impressive how Jason helps the friends of his little sister", Cece says, and she laughs as if she actually thinks it has been ridiculous. "Well, you're such a sworn gang, you're probably all little sisters to him", she adds, laughing.
Aria would like to yell at her. If Cece doesn't stop soon, Aria won't be able to hold back her anger. She almost wonders if Cece is aware of what Jason and her are doing, as much as she always emphasizes that Aria is actually much younger than him.
"One of his good moments", she murmurs, sighing. "Did you hear that he hit Noel at a party?" She asks, as if the whole town hasn't already talked about Noel's black eye and Jason, who hasn't been in town for days and who is seemingly to blame for this.
Nevertheless, Aria nods hesitantly. "That's just like him!", Cece says harshly. Aria just hopes that she will finally stop and go.
"I really don't know what I've liked about him", she says. But Aria wonders what Jason actually liked about her. "Well, he has his qualities. I can't deny that", she says, and Aria wants to stops her ears when she starts laughing loudly.
"You know, what I mean. Although you certainly don't know. You have certainly never been able to experience how it is when a man really knows what he is doing. Perhaps you're still a bit young", Cece notes and Aria sees her own knuckles whiten.
"All right, I have to go. I'm very busy", Cece says. Aria tries not to laugh. What seems to sound like she is an important person who has deigned to give Aria some of her precious time is really nothing more than the ridiculous attempt to make herself more important than she is.
Cece leans briefly down to Aria, who is still trying to control her emotions, places a hand on her back half-handedly as if she were hugging her and kisses her cheeks right and left. With an impressive twist of the pelvis she walks off on her high heels.
What do you think?
*MAYBE SPOILER ALERT* I just want to say that Cece isn't Charlie in my story. She is just Jason's ex-girlfriend and no relative. I really didn't like that incest thing :D