Sorry it's been so long! I've been so busy with school and writing my novel! I'm about 200 pages into it now, and the plot has hardly started! Well, FINALLY, here's the next chapter!
I can't even begin to comprehend what Hanna is telling me about what went down the night I went blind. I thought Spencer would be the first one to rush in and save me, not the one to tell someone not to. Even though I want to be angry I just can't find it in myself because she did have a good point. If Emily had run in there to try to get me out, she could have been burned too. Spencer was doing what she does best, using statistics and logic to protect the group as a whole instead of any one individual.
"What were you going during all of this?" I ask, wanting to know whether I have to tread lightly whether I talk about either of the other girls.
"I wanted to run and help you, but I didn't want to get stuck in the middle." She tells me, but I'm not sure if she's just saying it or if she actually means it. I've always been a really good liar and I've always been really good and being able to tell if other people were lying because there was a look in their eye every time they lied. I obviously can't do that anymore.
"I don't know what to say." I muttered.
"Don't say anything." Hanna says, "You don't have to." I nod. A moment of silence passes, and I call out for Emily, saying her name slightly above a normal volume.
"Right here." She says as her arm slips under mine. She guides me back to the table she was at and we eat our lunch in silence for the most part. When we're both done eating, I finally decide to start a conversation.
"You tried to save me?" I ask her.
"Yes." She mumbles.
"And Spencer..." I start.
"That bitch held me back." Emily snaps. I almost flinch at the venom in her voice.
"Emily..."
"No! I could have saved you, if it weren't for her, you wouldn't be blind, and you wouldn't have that massive scar across your face like a tattoo telling people you were in an accident!" She shouts.
"If it weren't for Spencer, we could BOTH be blind and carrying these 'massive scars'!" I shout back at her trying to keep my frustration in control. I don't want them fighting for so long for such a stupid reason.
"I think you're looking for someone to blame, and Spencer just happens to be that person." I say more calmly this time. Emily doesn't respond for a minute, she's probably pondering what I've said.
"You weren't there Aria." She tells me.
"I think I was." I say, motioning to my face, which apparently has scars from the accident.
"No you weren't. Not after you ran in there. I wanted so desperately to help you, but Spencer held me back. The firework went off and while I ran into the garage to find you, Spencer led the retreat. She left you in that garage when she knew you could be burning alive." Emily cries. My breath catches in my throat and I don't know what to say. Hanna didn't tell me this part.
"When I came into that garage, you were lying on the floor, and I thought you were dead." Emily chokes on her own air as she tries to continue.
"I tried to stay with you, but they took me away. They thought I was the one who did this to you." She says.
"I'm sorry Aria." I hear Spencer behind you and whirl in my seat to try and face her.
"What do you want Spencer?" Emily asks. I sit horrified as an argument plays itself out.
"I was only trying to protect the whole group..." Spencer says.
"Stop making excuses!" Emily shouts at her. I stay low in my seat, sure that everyone is watching now.
"You're the one who let her run in there!" Spencer retaliates when she realizes that Emily isn't going to have a conversation.
"Just STOP!" I scream at both of them. The silence that follows is almost unbearable. I stand up from my seat and gather my books.
"I'm tired of you guys arguing all the time! It was my own damn fault, ok?! I ran into the fire, it wasn't Emily's fault for not catching me, it wasn't Spencer's fault for not trying, it was MINE. I ran into the garage, it's MY fault I got burned!" I yell at them. I pull my books close and start walking the direction I believe the school is in.
"Aria, wait!" Spencer calls.
"ARIA, STOP!" Emily screams at the top of her lungs. I keep walking, and when I take a step and almost trip when I descend, I finally hear the car. I just stepped off of a curb. A hard object slams into me and I fly across the street and get crushed beneath it. For a moment I wonder if I'm dead, if my body is sprawled across the street and my blood is staining the pavement.
"Aria, are you alright?" Ezra's voice asks me. The large object is lifted off of me and I realize what actually happened. Ezra tackled me out of the way.
"Aria!" Spencer and Emily call in unison as they rush to pull me off the road and into some grass.
"Are you alright?" Ezra asks.
"Yeah. I think so." I groan. Emily and Spencer's strong sports arms join Ezra's in lifting me to my feet.
"Is anything broken?" Spencer asks.
"No, my head just hurts." I flinch when Ezra touches my temple.
"I think you hit your head on the pavement." Ezra says.
"We should take you to the nurse." Spencer says.
"I'll do it." Emily says protectively, holding me in a tighter hug. It infuriates me that because of what just happened everything I told them went in one ear and out the other. The bell rings and signals the end of lunch.
"I'll take her, you two girls go to class." Ezra tells them. Emily hesitantly lets go of me and silence follows after they leave.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Ezra asks, still holding quite a bit of my weight with his arm around my waist. My whole body tingles, but I'm sure that's from Ezra's touch and not pain.
"Yeah." I say, squinting my eyes shut to try and stop the buzzing in my head.
"Come on, let's get you to the nurse." He tells me. I try to take a step, but he scoops me up into his arms and carries me back to the school with one arm under my knees and the other around my back. I take advantage of this and lean into him even though I know I can walk on my own.
"I'm sorry I hit you so hard." Ezra apologizes.
"It was still better than the car." I joke. I'm answered by silence, I guess he didn't think it was funny.
"You need to be more careful, ok? I worry about you, your reckless behavior. You act like you're not blind, but it's going to get you killed." He says in a soft tone, quiet enough that none of the classes can hear us through the thin doors in the empty hall.
"I'll try." I whisper. I don't want to act blind though, I don't want to be a stereotype, I want to prove I'm just as good as anyone else.
Review and follow if you want me to continue! I like to know I have some interested readers out there! Let me know what you think!