Chapter 29
"Attention all juniors, there will be a contest during all lunch periods. The proceeds will go to our Senior trip to Paris, more details will be announced during each lunch period. So for now, Au revoir." Spencer said over the intercom. Chloe and I looked at one another as Ezra started to pass our Romeo and Juliet project grades out. Since he didn't want to start the new unit on a Friday, he was letting us do whatever we wanted.
"I didn't know our senior trip was in Paris, I figured it would be maybe California or New York, or Miami." Chloe said and I shrugged.
"Oh please, this town is anything but regular." I said as Ezra handed me my half of the project and I knew there would be a secret note in there as well.
"How's your dad?" Hanna asked smirking at me. Everyone in town had heard about Byron and Ella, and that he wrote away his parental rights.
"Last time I checked, I don't have a dad. How's your dads new family?" I asked and Hanna's smirky smile dropped and she turned away.
"How have your been about that? How's mike?" Chloe asked softly and I shrugged.
"To be honest? I'm up and down. One minute I'm fine, but the next I'm crying and I mean ugly crying. Mike, he tries to hide his feelings when he's around me or Ella... but I can see through it. He won't talk to me and I know he isn't talking to Ella, I'm hoping he's talking to someone though." I said as Spencer walked back in from the office.
"Bonjour." I said teasing her as she sat next to us and Emily came over with Maya.
"Why does Hanna keep looking over here?" Spencer asked quietly, concerned and I gave her a look.
"She's mad that I mentioned her dads new family." I said and she tried to hold back her snickering.
After school
I stared at my reflection in the mirror as I tried to reapply lip gloss. Before I could even get the wand onto my lips, Maya came in and locked the door.
"We need to talk." She said after checking under the stalls and I looked at her in confusion.
"Why the hell are you avoiding Ezra? He feels he's losing you and doesn't know why, you won't talk to him or answer any of his texts or calls. Are you and the baby okay?" She asked carefully.
"We're both fine." I said and Maya came a few inches from me. I can smell the bacon cheeseburger she had for lunch on her breath and it was gross.
"The baby might be fine, but you're not. I can tell, what's going on." She said and I tried to hold back the tears but couldn't.
"He shouldn't be with me! I'm destroying his life." I cried and Maya pulled me into a hug.
"What happened? Did Hanna say something?" Maya asked and I cried harder.
"Not in the real world." I sniffed as Maya sat us down, she pulled out some tissues out of her backpack.
"What are you talking about?" She asked as I tried to gain some composure.
"Last Thursday, I had a dream. I was called to the principal's office and Hanna was there. She had told him about me being with Ezra and him being the father, with proof. And they were having Ezra arrested. I can't let that happen! He can't lose everything he worked for!" I cried and Maya pulled me closer.
"Aria, you can't just avoid him like this. He's in love with you, did you think if you avoided him long enough he would just walk away?" Maya asked and I stared at the bathroom door, I'm surprised he hasn't yet.
"Why not? I'm great at ruining relationships. I'm the reason my parents split and why Byron never wanted us. It was only a matter of time before Ezra walked away too." I said not looking at her, I could hear the few people left in the hallway. I know one of them is Ezra probably talking to another student about the homework from last night.
"You are NOT the reason your parents split up,Byron is okay? It's his loss for not wanting to be a part of your life or Mike's wait... is this avoiding Ezra all because you feel like you're the reason Ella and Byron split?" Maya asked and I looked down at the tissues crumbled up in my hands.
"Am I destroying everything I touch? First my parents relationship, now I'm destroying Ezra's life." I asked as someone banged on the door.
"We're having a therapy session, go away!" Maya yelled at the door.
"Aria, you are not destroying anything! You had nothing to do with your parents splitting up! And no you are not destroying Ezra's life! I'm giving you a reality check right now, yes your relationship with him is illegal and he could possibly go to jail, but he loves you! Why would he risk it for you? You two met at the time you did for a reason! You can't decide one day to just start avoiding him so he'll leave! He's crazy about you, he isn't going to give up unless he knows you absolutely don't love him and don't want to be with him!" Maya said and I knew she was right, I can't just avoid him. It isn't fair to him.
"But I need to tell you this. You're not destroying his life, but at the moment you're destroying his heart by avoiding him and not giving him any reasons why. And 'I'm just tired' is not a valid reason." Maya said pulling us back up, before I could say anything she fixed my hair and walked out. I fixed my eyes and made my way towards Ezra's classroom, hopefully he'll talk to me. But when I got there, it was empty and my heart dropped. He already left.
Before I could turn around car lights shined into the room and I smiled before running off. The school felt strange with no one pretty much here, how long were maya and I in the bathroom? I skidded to a stop when I got outside to see Ezra leaning against the back of his car.
"Maya told me." He called out as soon as I started walking down the steps.
"I was in the bathroom for like a minute after she left." I said stopping at the bottom, not sure if he really wanted to talk to me or not.
"She talks really fast. I had a hard time keeping up with what she was saying." He said and we just stared at each other for a few moments before he gave me a look I knew well and motioned me to come over to him. I dropped my bag and ran towards him, our lips crashed together as he picked me off the ground and I cupped his face in my hands.
"You are my everything." Ezra whispered as we pulled apart. He gently sat me on the hood of his car and kissed my forehead.
"Hey, we are not your parents Ar. Ok? Nothing is going to get me to walk away, not one thing." He said and kissed my nose.
"Why don't I make us some dinner? And by me making it, I meant I'll order Chinese. We can even watch The Notebook." He said getting me to giggle a bit, I'm really glad the parking lot is empty and hidden by busses.
"That sounds perfect." I said as he brushed some hair behind my ear.
