Chapter Ten - Can This Get Any Worse?

Noel followed Aria to the office, she was almost at a run. What is she doing he thought as he followed her. When she got there she stopped dead in her tracks. What is wrong with her? Then he saw him, Ezra was standing there with the principle talking and laughing. The same questions Aria thought ran though Noel's head. Why is he here? There's no way he can teach here again Noel thought. That's when Aria turned around, almost running into him. Aria looked up at him, she looked like she was about to cry or scream, Noel couldn't tell.

Aria couldn't believe who she was looking up at. Noel just stood there staring at her and occasionally looking past her to see Ezra. Aria could still hear him chatting away with Mr. Calloway. This has to be a dream she thought so she tried pinching herself. Nope, she was still here in her nightmare. Noel took her hand and spoke.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" Noel asked her.

"Yes please!" she said about to bust out in tears.

Noel put him arm around her and guided her through the halls, she passed her friends, still standing at their lockers and they looked at her sympathetically. Why is this happening Aria wondered. What did I do to deserve this? Thank god Noel was here to save me she thought, without him I would've ran out crying in front of everyone like a freak, then Ezra would know his appearance here got to me and that's probably exactly what he wants she considered. Noel guided Aria all the way to the parking lot and to his car, she got in and noticed something.

"Did you move the painting I made you?" she asked.

"No, why?" Noel said looking at her.

"It's gone Noel" she told him pointing to the backseat.

"What?" he asked, turning around to look behind him "someone must have taken it... why would someone do that?"

"Who would do it is a better question" Aria said. Now she wasn't just upset that Ezra was back teaching at her school she was pissed because someone had stolen her artwork.

"I don't know, my keys were in my pocket, I had locked the door" Noel said driving out of the parking lot. "I'm really sorry Aria, I know you worked hard on it"

"It's okay Noel, it wasn't your fault"

"No, I'm gonna find it Aria. I bet it was just some idiot, thought it was funny to take people's stuff" Noel said angrily.

"I'll just make you another one" she said trying to calm him down.

"I liked that one, I'll find it, and everything will be okay" he said to her and continued driving until they got to his house "My parents are out of town for some museum opening thing" Noel told her coming around to open the car door for her.

"They go to a lot of things" Aria said getting out of the car, it had been a while since she had seen Noel's house in the daytime. It was huge and beautiful, her house was probably a fourth the size of this one. The Kahn's were probably the most influential and wealthy in the town, but they were also most likely the nicest people she had ever met.

"Yeah, they like art and museums. They have always traveled and collected artifacts and souvenirs together from all over the world" he told Aria unlocking the front door. "Their stuff is all over the house as decorations" Noel laughed "In case you couldn't tell already"

"Yeah, I noticed" she laughed following him to the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?" Noel asked pulling out a soda.

"Ummm, just water" she said and he handed her one.

"Are you hungry? I can order a pizza if you want" he said sitting at the counter.

"Yeah sure that sounds good"

"Okay, hold on" he told her and left the room. Aria looked around the kitchen, everything was clean and neat but that's probably because they had someone clean for them and most likely cook. At Aria's house her mom Ella cooked every night, well until her parents broke up, now she doesn't cook as much. They have a "family" dinner her mom calls it, which is really everyone but her dad every Tuesday and Thursday, other than that they get take out and pizza or just whatever is in the fridge. Noel came back a few moments later. "Okay they said it would be like an hour since it's lunch time"

"Okay, that's fine, I'll be ready to eat by then" she laughed.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Noel asked.

"The pizza?" she asked jokingly.

"No" he laughed "What happened at the school"

"Oh... I don't know... I just can't believe he came there, I thought I wouldn't have to see him ever again. It would've made it so easy to get over him that way" she said looking down at the counter.

"It's okay, if he bothers you I'll take care of it. I'll always be there if you need me" Noel said with kind eyes "You also have all your friends there, you can do it Aria, he doesn't matter anymore as long as that's what you want"

"It is what I want, I wanna be normal" she laughed "well in the dating category"

Noel laughed with her, she was feeling better already. Noel was right Ezra didn't matter, it would be really awkward for a while around school but Aria could do it, he parents had broken up she got through that and the A thing so this was nothing. I'm a strong woman she thought to herself and Ezra is just a person, he means nothing now. Noel grabbed her hand and she followed him into the living room.

"We can watch TV or something until the pizza gets here if you want" he offered.

"We can watch more LOST" she suggested.

"Okay, I'll go get it" and he walked off.

Noel came back a few minutes later with the DVDs and they picked up where they had left off. Then he sat with her on the couch, Aria felt really comfortable with Noel, maybe more than Ezra and it took her weeks to be comfortable with him and now here she was after less then a week with Noel. Ezra was not going to get to her and she was going to show him she didn't care tomorrow at school, she was gonna pretend that he didn't even exist how would that make him feel? Aria was confident, none of this was going to get to her, she was gonna make sure of it. Noel grabbed Aria's hand and pulled her close to him.

When Aria got home she was happy, everything was going good, except the Ezra thing of coarse but she was going to forget him. Aria walked into the kitchen to see her dad and mom talking. Great, she thought what is this about?

"Hey honey" her mom said motioning for her to sit down.

"Hi... dad, what are you doing here?" Aria asked.

"Your dad wants to talk to you Aria, and Mike but since he's at lacrosse practice you get to go first" her mom said.

"Ohh, okay.."

"Aria, I just wanted to tell everyone that I am going to continue seeing Meredith" her father said. Seriously? she thought. Can this day get any worse? Just when I think things are getting better and everything will be okay this happens she thought. Why me?

"Ohh, okay. I guess I'm happy for you" Aria said looking at her mom, trying to figure out if she was okay with what her dad was saying.

"I'm also dating other people" her mom admitted.

"That's cool" Aria said "I have a lot of homework so I'm just gonna go to my room, thank you for being honest I guess"

Aria went to her room, she didn't wanna think about what she had just been told, it was crazy. Then when she saw her art she remembered someone had stolen the one she had given to Noel, which brought back school and how Ezra was there. Ugh she thought, I'm never gonna go to sleep. Aria pulled out her phone to check her messages, and she had plenty.

Is everything okay? - Spencer

Where did you go? - Hanna

I'm here if you wanna talk. - Emily

I heard you skipped school to be with Noel ;) - Mike

Hey, I just got back from practice. Are you doing okay? - Noel

Really Aria thought, was Mike crazy? I guess I'll reply to my friends first she thought and she did. Aria pretty much told them everything that had happened after she had left and right before. Even the art being stolen and how her parents were crazy and seeing other people. They may be divorced but did they have to start seeing people now? Then she replied to Noel and told him about it too he offered to call and then he did, after talking about an hour Aria finally got to do her homework that Spencer had filled her in on.