Arya gently caressed Nymeria's hair as she solemnly stared at her direwolf. She tried to push the huge wolf away, but the animal wouldn't budge.
"Nymeria, go," she commanded and tried to force Nymeria to walk away, but the animal held its position. Nymeria then nuzzled Arya for a moment before lapping her owner's face with her huge tongue. Arya hugged her beloved direwolf as she rested her face in Nymeria's warm, soft fur.
The direwolf then walked backwards and stopped. She stared at Arya for a moment before turning around and walking to Mycah.
"I promise I'll take good care of her." Arya had to leave Nymeria with Mycah because she couldn't bring her to King's Landing. The Baratheons had a strict no pets' policy. Another reason to hate them. Her family wasn't even staying in their house—it was the guesthouse. She didn't understand why she couldn't bring Nymeria.
"Thanks, Mycah." The boy walked over to Arya and gave her a big hug. Although the Stark girl wasn't big on hugs, she received it anyways.
It wasn't just Nymeria—it was everything. It was Jon leaving without a proper heads up, Mycah's dad losing his job, her bullshit punishment, and being even more of a fucking outcast than she already was. For a fact, Arya knew that King's Landing was going to be worse than Winterfell as far as making friends went.
Her dad thought that moving to King's Landing would be a good opportunity for her to expand her horizons and meet new people, but he couldn't be anymore wrong if he tried. Parents only said shit like that to make their kids feel better about moving, but Arya wasn't naïve. Kids are kids no matter where you move. You either conform or they attack and ridicule you. The different were shunned and the conformists were embraced.
"Promise to call," Mycah gave her a small smile and Arya nodded.
After settling into their new home at King's Landing, Ned and Catelyn planned a family day to go tour the city. The city was nice, but Arya found it hard to be excited about the move or the new city. She didn't want to go out and meet new people. She didn't want a fresh start or a new chapter. Arya wanted her old life back. Things may have not changed all that much now, but they were going to and she knew it was going to be hell.
Once the sight seeing was over, Arya didn't leave her room except to eat meals with her family.
Arya started to read more books and joined sites that suggested books and online forums to discuss them as well. The books ranged from atrocious to phenomenal. Although she was an exceptional reader and could read levels about her grade, some of them were difficult for her, which was why she joined the forums. There were other books that were downright terrible and shouldn't have been published, let alone written in the first place.
"Do they even have a criteria anymore in order to get published," Arya mumbled to herself.
Without fail, she called Mycah everyday and they played online games and discussed music. Mycah was really into music and listened to everything. He would suggest a lot of unknown artists, songs, and records because he knew she would like it. Over time, Arya knew not to doubt him. Even if she didn't initially like the song, she eventually found herself enjoying it.
Other times, he did recommend well known artist and they would have discussions about what were the merits of a great song or artist. Arya may have not been as fanatical as Mycah, but she was no slouch when it came to music. Her music collection was broad even without Mycah's help and she knew her shit as well.
There were days she was completely engrossed with her online games and did nothing else.
Her parents had had enough of Arya shutting herself off to the world.
"Why do I have to go to this stupid dinner party," Arya complained.
"Because being in your room all of the time is unhealthy." Catelyn rinsed the plate as she spoke to her daughter. The older woman supposed that she was so critical of Arya because she saw some of herself in her. Arya was stubborn, rash, and opinionated—like Catelyn was when she was a girl. Of course, she was not as wild as Arya, but there were days that Catelyn saw who she used to be in her youngest girl.
Before she had met Brandon.
"But, I am on punishment, remember, mom?" Arya put on her best poker face. "I shouldn't be allowed to enjoy myself—even a little bit,"
Catelyn grinned at her daughter. "Yes, I know you are on punishment, but you have been in your room for far room long and there is more to life than those four walls."
"That stupid ass dinner party isn't one of them." Her mother gasped in offense before mock glaring at Arya. She was trying to get in trouble in order to escape the party.
"Well, since you are all about having adequate punishment, you're going to the party." Arya made a noise in disapproval.
"But, mom," she whined.
"But, mom, what?" Catelyn dared her to speak. "Your punishment is hardly a punishment. You can't complain about it, and then use it against your father and I for your benefit. How is staying in your room when you don't want to go outside in the first place and doing whatever you want considered a punishment?" An eyebrow was raised to indicate checkmate for Catelyn. "You don't want to go to the party because it would make you miserable like a punishment would, which is why you are going to this party."
Arya made a face in disgust. "But, isn't that a bad idea? You want me to meet new people and make friends. Since I will already dread being there, I will be poor company to keep."
A few dishes were put away before Catelyn turned around to face her daughter, and then put her hands on her hips. You could give Arya a map with the easiest directions to a location and she will find the most difficult way to get there. She just had to learn things her own way or no way at all.
"Then make sure you are excellent company to keep this weekend," Catelyn warned. "I don't understand why it is so hard for you to at least try and get along with other people."
"Because other people are idiots." Catelyn didn't say anything as she thought of what to say next.
Briefly, she rubbed her temples, and then looked at her daughter. "I worry about, Arya, that is all. Is it wrong of your father and I to want you to have a life outside of videogames, music, and the Internet? Is it wrong of us to want you to have more than one friend?" Arya opened her mouth to defend herself when Catelyn raised a hand to silence her. "I know I may never understand you, but I can see that you are lonely and no parent wants their child to feel lonely or alone. I just want you to be happy."
The sincerity in her mother's voice was palpable. Just like Sansa, her mother tried relating, but they didn't know how to connect to her. And if Arya was honest with herself, she didn't know how to relate to them either. The difference between her and Sansa and her mother was that they actually tried. But, she didn't.
"I am happy…. sometimes," she admitted. Catelyn slowly walked over to her daughter and hugged her. "But, it feels like I'm always the odd person out-like I'm trying to make myself fit where I don't belong. That makes me feel more alone than being cooped up in my room all day."
It was the most honest thing Arya ever said to her mother and they both knew it.
Catelyn went into the cabinet where they stored the wine glasses, pulled two of them out, and sat one in front of Arya. For a moment, she disappeared into the walk-in pantry and strolled back to the table with red wine. She filled one-fourth of Arya's glass, and then poured herself a glass.
Usually, her mother and father allowed their kids have wine on holidays and certain dinner parties they threw. This deviation from the norm was quite odd.
"We're going to have a drink together," Catelyn obviously stated. "And you are going to tell me about yourself. I mean really tell me." Arya looked at her wine before looking at her mother. "Go on. I wouldn't pour you a cup if I didn't intend for you to drink it."
Arya hesitantly sipped her drink. "What do you want me to tell you?"
"Anything," her mother shrugged. "Tell me anything you want. I would love to hear it."
An hour later, the two Stark women giggled as Arya recounted one of her many stories. Interest colored Catelyn's face as she heard the vivid details of the adventures. There was cackling swirling in the air and tears falling down their eyes. Out of the blue, Arya asked:
"Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if Uncle Brandon lived?" A contemplative look set upon her mother's face and she grabbed her talking companion's glass and refilled it to the one-fourth mark again.
The question didn't seem to catch Catelyn off guard, but she wasn't expecting it either. It seemed as if the woman was gauging if she should talk about the subject or not.
"I did the first few years," she admitted.
"So, was dad like second best or something," Arya made direct eye contact as she spoke.
"No." Her smile was a musing one as she took a sip of her wine. "I wasn't interested in your dad at all. I thought he was far too serious and distant. He was cold and unapologetically direct. There was nothing inviting about him." A short pause, then, "But I couldn't have been more wrong."
Arya seemed hurt that Catelyn was not initially interested in her father, despite her mother admitting being wrong about him. Catelyn sensed her daughter's emotional response to her confession.
"Arya," she began. "How you see your father and how he behaves around us is completely different from how strangers see him and how he behaves around them." She sat her glass down and scooted closer to Arya. "Your father is a very deliberate man and the way I interpreted him is the way he wanted me to. And the same goes for you. He's this great, loving dad because he wants to be one. People don't act the same way around everyone; their behavior changes to fit that person or group. Ned's the same way. I only got to know his softer side because he eventually let me in."
"So what if Uncle Brandon had lived," Arya pushed. Catelyn then understood some of Arya's antagonistic behavior towards her in the last year. Her daughter believed that if her uncle had lived, she wouldn't be here, which is true. She wanted to believe that her parents chose each other out of love not circumstance. It surprised Cat, but she surmised that Arya wanted her existence to be more concrete than her mother's fiancée dying and her father being there.
Catelyn chose her words carefully. "The answer wouldn't bring you peace either way," she answered. "You question if you would have existed if Brandon had lived and we both know the answer, but life is a series of hypotheticals." Catelyn wanted her daughter to see the bigger picture. "You want to believe that you were meant to be here and you were, Arya, you were because if not, then you wouldn't be. What if my mother had never died? What if I dated my childhood friend Petyr when he asked me out? What if I went with my first choice of college instead of my second? What if my parents never met? Regardless of how you feel about these answers, that's all they are: hypotheticals. It doesn't change the fact that I love your father and we are still together 20 years later."
Slowly, she older woman picked up her glass and took a sip and Arya did the same.
"Hypotheticals will drive you insane," she sighed. "It drove me insane for a while. Gods knows it did." A longer sip was taken, and then she contemplated the hypothetical. "If he had lived, it would have been great at first. When he died, we were still in that honeymoon phase of our relationship and I overlooked important attributes that made long sustaining relationships. It would have fizzled and I would have been unhappy and stuck in a marriage that I had rushed into. And tragically in love with your father." Arya stared at her in disbelief. "I know people think I loved your father because I had to, which is partially true, but I fell in love with your father because of who he was. Like I said earlier, he's warm and kind with family and I think we would have gotten to know each other and that I would have realized my mistake. But, it would have been too late by then. Either way I would have done my duty."
Arya let out a small chuckle. "Duty," she repeated. "I guess Sansa is a younger you then," she remarked. "She's always going about how it is our duty to do this or that. No one wonder why two get each other so much." Catelyn could read the subtext: Arya was saying that Sansa was her favorite.
"Yes, I get Sansa, but you were more of a younger me than she is," Arya gave a disagreeing look. "Who do you think you get your stubbornness from or your opinionated nature? Not your father, that's for sure. We may not share certain in things in common, but you are more like me than you realize, Arya," she pointed at her daughter and smirked. "Contrary to what you think, I don't play favorites or have any either. It's just easier for me understand Sansa than it is you. I love all of my children equally. And I have favorite characteristics I enjoy in each of you."
Catelyn swallowed the rest of her drink and washed the glasses. After she was done, she dried them off and put them back in the cabinet.
"I enjoyed talking to you, Arya," her mother smiled warmly before placing a kiss on her forehead. "Our conversation has helped me get to understand you a little bit better. Thank you for talking to me."
With that, she exited the kitchen and left Arya to her thoughts.
Although her mother rescinded her dinner party punishment, Arya still went anyways. Catelyn said she didn't have to go since it had nothing to do with the family or business, but Arya wanted to give making new friends another go.
The Dayne family was hosting the dinner party. They seemed to be nice enough people Arya thought as her parents introduced her to them. Her father asked about King's Landing as far as the community and schools went, but the Dayne's didn't know much. They explained that they just owned a summerhouse and said that the crime was relatively low.
Arya smiled and laughed at the right jokes for a while before venturing away.
Despite her efforts, Arya quickly found out that the kids in King's Landing was worst than the kids in Winterfell. They took class and nobility very seriously as well as adhering to traditional gender roles. Also, they were incredibly snobby. The predictably of her peers no longer astounded Arya. She saw Sansa get along famously with everyone and Bran and Rickon were making great impressions as well.
Somehow she found herself outside trying to escape from the party. Simultaneously, she was overwhelmed by the people, but underwhelmed by their predictability. Perhaps she was the issue—she was a glitch in high society. Everyone got along and understood one another except for her. Mycah was the only one who she could relate and he didn't judge her and, despite their closeness, there was an empty void inside of her.
"Do you mind if I join you," Arya jumped slightly and turned to face the voice.
"Have you got any manners?" She asked incredulous as she looked at her guest Edric Dayne. "Besides, why are you asking? This is your house."
Edric bowed his head.
"Yes, but I wouldn't want to intrude upon your privacy," he said as way of explanation. "You seem to want to be alone."
"Really?" Arya proclaimed sarcastically. "Then why are you asking to join me?"
"Sorry, my lady." Edric uttered apologetically. "I will excuse myself." Edric turned to walk towards the mansion.
"Edric, wait." Arya said and the boy stopped in his tracks. "You can join me if only you don't call me my lady."
"That I can do," he agreed as he sat next to her. The Stark girl examined her new companion. He had light blonde hair and dark blue eyes. "You can call me Ned."
"Okay," she nodded. "My father's nickname is Ned."
"I know."
They didn't speak to each as Arya stargazed. She had found several constellations when Ned spoke.
"My birthday was last week," he said nonchalantly.
"Oh really," her tone was detached.
"Yeah, I turned 15."
"That's nice." Arya didn't care too much for her own birthday; she just wanted her presents.
"How old are you? That's if you mind me asking."
"Thirteen."
"Thirteen," he repeated.
"Yeah, my birthday is in December." Arya didn't know why she told him. It just seemed like something to say.
Ned skipped a couple rocks and Arya joined him. Whatever game they were playing, she was winning. A few rules had been added, which only made it harder for Ned. He was good at games and sports, but not naturally. He wasn't someone who just got the hang of something; he needed to practice.
"Do you want to go to my tree house?" Arya looked at the extravagantly crafted structure and nodded yes. They walked to the tree house in silence and Ned gestured to the rope ladder for Arya to go first. "Ladies first."
Arya rolled her eyes and she took off her flats and handed it to Ned. "No, you go first."
"It would be rude and impolite for me to go first," Ned pushed the ladder toward her.
"And it would be unladylike for me to go." She gestured towards her dress and Ned blushed. Arya hated to use the term unladylike, but it was the only way Ned would understand.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he stammered as he covered his eyes. "Uh…I promise not to look."
"Just go, Ned," Arya groaned, and then pushed him to go up the ladder. Grudgingly, the older boy complied and Arya followed after him.
The inside of the tree house looked like an office combined with a game room. It even had working electricity. There was a big screen TV mounted on the wall with a shelf beneath it that had a DVD player and movies. Arya whistled as she examined the place.
"And you only stay here for the summer," she asked without looking at him. "Do you have one back Starfall like this?"
"Yeah, it's bigger than this one," Ned replied.
"Cool beans," she said absentmindedly.
Ned turned on the TV as Arya continued to search his room. Unsurprisingly, he had cable and Internet in his tree house as well. It seemed as if they had similar interest in music, movies, and sports. She picked up a CD and showed it to Ned.
"You listen to 'Explosions in the Sky'?" The song Slow Dance filled the room as she turned the volume to a moderate level. Ned had approved of her choice in song.
"Yeah," he sat on his beanbag chair and watched her as she continued to look around.
"Cool beans," she smiled at him.
Arya opened a cabinet and gasped.
"Ned, you bad boy, you," she said excitedly and, instantly, Ned knew what she was looking at.
"Arya, don't touch that," he went over to shut the cabinet doors. Arya stopped him.
"Why not?" She threw him a displeased glance before pulling out the items.
"Because you are too young for it," he explained as Arya throatily laughed.
"And you aren't?" Ned was quiet. "I thought so. Why do you have alcohol and cigarettes anyways? You seem like you're a stickler for the rules."
Ned's faced turned bright red.
"Aww…you were trying to rebel," they walked to the beanbags and sat down together. "You couldn't go through with it, could you?"
"How could you tell?" Arya held up the unopened package of cigarettes.
"Besides being unopened, it has been collecting dust."
Arya opened the whiskey bottle and poured her and Ned a glass, but not too much. She then opened the cigarettes and handed Ned one.
"I've never smoked before," he stated the obvious.
"Me neither," she shrugged, and then lit both of their cigarettes.
In an anxious manner, Ned puffed his cigarette, but didn't inhale and Arya glared at him.
"Are you serious?" She then cautiously inhaled her cigarette, and then coughed. Ned followed her lead and went into a coughing fit. "Quiet down," she shushed.
"I can't—" his coughing fit began again and Arya handed him his glass a whiskey. As the boy tried to contain his coughing, tears welled in his eyes. After Ned somewhat composed himself, he gulped down his drink and Arya quickly refilled his cup.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." He shook his head up and down as he took another drag. The coughing wasn't a bad the second time. "So, why are you…you know?" He gestured to the cigarettes and whiskey.
"Every girl needs a rebellious side," she said as way of explanation.
"You look very pretty tonight," he said shyly. Arya had on a deep gray A-Line dress and her hair was done in a traditional Winterfell hairstyle with some loose curls. Arya side-eyed him before mumbling:
"Thanks." She didn't believe him, but she didn't want to continue the conversation either. Better to accept the compliment than talking about it any more than she wanted to.
They watched TV as they smoked, but really it was channel surfing. Arya had no interest in anything that was on and Ned was being a gracious host by letting her choose. He suggested shows and movies to watch, but Arya was dismissive of his suggestions.
"You don't seem like your thirteen." Arya raised her eyebrow. "I don't know…you seem older than that. You act older than me."
"That's because I can see how stupid everything and everythone are," Arya said as if it was common knowledge.
"Do you think I am stupid," he asked.
"Yeah, but I think everyone is stupid, so it doesn't matter." She finished her glass of whiskey and stopped Ned as he tried to pour her another cup. "I don't hang out with kids around my age, except my best friend Mycah and he lives in another city. So, I spend a lot of time around my older brothers. I watch a lot of TV and movies, read a lot of books—books for older kids, listen to kick ass music, and my parents treat me like a young adult rather than some stupid kid. So, it was a combination of things really. I observe people as well," she said offhandedly.
"I like it," Ned complimented.
"Thanks." The cigarette was deposited in her cup since she didn't wanted to be rude and leave it on his floor. As she was about to say something to Ned, he tried to lean in and kiss her, but she stopped him before he could. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry," he stammered. "I just wanted to kiss you."
"God, you're such an idiot," she exclaimed as she picked up her shoes from the floor. He called after her as she descended the ladder, and then followed her.
"I'm so sorry, Arya. I didn't mean to offend you," he apologized profusely once he got to the ground. "It's just that…I like you and I thought that you liked me."
Arya laughed. "You thought that I liked you? I was just being nice. You were the one who came over and asked to sit next to me."
A pained expression fell upon Ned's face. Internally, she groaned.
"Look, Ned, I'm sorry for laughing and saying what I did. You are a nice guy, but I don't like you like that," she apologized. "And we just met each other like an hour and half ago."
Ned scratched his head, and then nodded in agreement. It looked as if he was too embarrassed to talk about it. He changed the subject. "Let's find a way to get this smell off of us before you leave."
"Great idea."
There was a spare toothbrush that Ned gave to Arya and the brushed their teeth and tongues very thoroughly—in separate bathrooms, of course. Ned then gave Arya some dryer sheets to rub on her body before giving her perfume to spray on herself that his Aunt Ashara left at the house.
"If that doesn't work, then I don't know what else will other than washing and drying my clothes," Arya said as they walked into the kitchen. The teens ate some ice cream as they waited for the dinner party to end. The Stark girl still had no idea what Ned was thinking when he tried to kiss her. She didn't think much boys or thought that they were icky, but she definitely was NOT interested in dating, kissing, or anything else.
"I know I tried to kiss you, but we can still be friends, right?" He took a scoop of ice cream and put it in his mouth as he stared expectantly at Arya.
"Of course, but please don't try to kiss me again."
"Okay." They shook hands on it.
Later on, as she buckled her seatbelt, her mom smiled at her.
"I see you made a friend." Arya could tell that her mother was excited.
"Yes, a friend." She emphasized. "The rest were terrible and he lives in Dorne, so I guess we are going to be pen pals."
"Still, two friends are better than one." Her daughter shrugged.
"And one is better than none."
Her father paid for Mycah to come down and visit her and Arya introduced him to Ned. The three of them were inseparable while Mycah was in town. After he left, their calls continued, but she spent more time with Ned. Besides the whole kiss fiasco, he proved to be a good friend. And he seemed to be happy to be invited into Arya's triangle of friends.
When school started, she didn't expect it to be any different than her time in Winterfell and it wasn't. Sansa got all of the attention as usual and she was ignored…as usual, which was fine. As she ate lunch by herself, she read books and did schoolwork, so she wouldn't have much to do when she got home. Everything was fine until Joffrey started trying to bully her. Keyword: trying. Arya refused to be bullied by anyone whether or not she had a shot in winning, which she always believed she did.
As the school year progressed, Joffrey's attempts increasingly worse and worse, as did her relationship with Sansa. The two had started to date before the summer ended and her sister defended everything Joffrey all while acting as if Arya was the instigator. Her perfect prince would never do such a thing. Arya had such a "hateful" heart and just wanted to make her life miserable by messing with her boyfriend.
The Baratheon's ran King's Landing and either people turned a blind eye or didn't believe Joffrey to be the shit Arya knew him to be. It was all too much to bear. Staying in her room wasn't an option because he only bothered her at school. Also, her parents wouldn't let her transfer schools or get homeschooled.
All hell broke loose in April.
Joffrey was eating lunch during the wrong period. It made Arya feel uncomfortable to be in the same room as Joffrey. Nothing good ever came when they were in the same room together whether or not other people were around them. Arya quickly finished her lunch and when she looked up, Joffrey was gone. She cursed herself for taking her eyes off of Joffrey. After she threw her trash away, she began to walk towards the exit when someone and their whole tray of food collided with her.
"My bad," the guy pretended ignorance. "I didn't see you right there." He slightly rubbed the food on Arya's shirt, and then walked away. Arya was furious. She saw red as she heard a few of her peers giggled. Suddenly, a cold drink was poured on her head.
By now, she was absolutely fuming.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She turned to the guy who poured the cold beverage on her. This had to be Joffrey's doing. Her fist was balled to her side and Arya was prepared to punch him, but she was also on the verge of crying. It was all too much. A new city, new school, Jon was still gone, and everything was shit. Could her life get any worse? She didn't want her classmates to see her cry.
She turned around and starting walking when, suddenly she was tripped and fell.
"Watch where you're going, horse face!" She heard Joffrey yell. Laughter erupted in the lunchroom.
Arya turned too see Joffrey get up from his place at the table and stand above her. Suddenly, she jumped up and pushed her tormentor. Joffrey staggered a bit and after he re-gained his balance, he angrily walked towards her as Arya got into a fighting stance. As if he could fight, Joffrey tried to punch Arya, but she dodged all of his attempts before landing some well placed hits herself.
Joffrey was doubled over and saw his friends to attack Arya and waved them off. Arya knew that if they had been alone, Joffrey would have let them, but they were in front of other people and he didn't want to seem weak.
Again, the Baratheon boy tried to hit her, but Arya gracefully maneuvered away from any intended hits. Joffrey threw himself at her and she responded by holding him tight and kneeing him in the gut.
In pain, Joffrey writhed on the floor as he squinched his eyes shut.
"Why are you guys just standing there?" He whined after he opened his eyes. "Fuck the bitch up!"
As both of the boys made their way towards her, she decided to attack one of them first before being attacked herself. Luckily for her, the guys had the same scrawny stature like Joffrey.
In quick succession, Arya gave a few sucker punches to one of the guys in the gut. The boys began to gasp as he fell to the floor. The other one wrapped his arms around her tightly and she responded by using all of her might to step on his foot, and then leaning forward to flip him over when the kid let his guard down.
Before she could gather herself, she felt some grabbed a huge chunk of her hair. Rather than struggle against this method of attack, Arya pushed her weight against her attacker and let them fall forward. As she got on her hands and knees, she saw that it was Joffrey. He tried to crawl away, but Arya grabbed him, turned him over, and crawled on top of him to immobilize him. She then began to land punches on his face.
"What where you are going, shit face!" She shouted at her sister's boyfriend. Blood curdling cries filled the cafeteria room as Arya released a year's worth of pent of anger. Joffrey stopped struggling and went limp. Only his head moved to signal that he was still conscious.
Arya got up and numbly stared at Joffrey. Blood dripped from her hand as she then looked around in the cafeteria. Everyone stared at her in shock and horror. She didn't care what they thought. What did they do when three boys tried to attack her? They stared and yell 'fight, fight'. Where were the teachers who were supposed to prevent it from escalating this far?
There was no resistance from her when the security guards apprehended her.
She waited for her parents in the principal's office.
As they spoke to the principal, she remained silent unless spoken to. It was explained that she would be suspended until all of the details were sorted as to what really happened.
The silence while in principal's office carried over from the car ride to the hospital. Arya's hand was experiencing excruciating pain and was swollen. Without speaking, it seemed to be agreed that her hand was broken. The x-ray confirmed it. Arya left the hospital with a cast and some papers on how to properly care for her hand.
"Arya, your father and I will talk to you about this when I come back," Catelyn said in a tight voice as she and her father exited the car. Ned was busy talking to Robert as he made his way to the front door. Her mother had to pick up Rickon from school.
"I know," Arya groaned.
"You know?" Catelyn said incredulously. "No, you don't know. You don't know anything," she fumed. "Do you realize how big the consequences of your actions are?"
Arya went to her room and locked the door. She didn't want to do anything or talk to anyone. It didn't surprise her that everyone thought that she was completely guilty of initiating the fight. She may have thrown the first punch, but she was provoked plain and simple.
Twenty minutes later, she went down stairs to make herself a sandwich and get a bottle of water to take with her medicine. It was too strong to take on an empty stomach. She was halfway finished with her sandwich when Sansa barged into the kitchen.
"You must really hate me, huh!" Sansa dropped her book bag and walked over to Arya.
"Sansa, leave me alone," Arya warned before drinking her water. "I'm not in a mood to talk."
"You're not in a mood to talk," Sansa said as she invaded her sister's personal space. "You just beat up my boyfriend in front of the ENTIRE school for no reason at all."
"Get out of my face." Arya gave Sansa a dark glare before getting up and putting her dishes in the sink.
"No," Sansa walked behind Arya and maneuvered her head so that her sister was looking at her. "I've been out of your face since school started. I've been out of your face so we wouldn't argue all of the time. But, that hasn't helped anything—it has only made it worse. Now I am in your face because you can't just bully and fight people without any consequences."
Arya balled her good fist and deeply exhaled. "I don't have time for this," she dismissed as she attempted to walk away.
"Then you better make time," her sister demanded as she grabbed Arya's arm. Arya snatched her arm out of Sansa's hold and whipped around to face her.
"You better keep your fucking hands off of me before I pound your face in like I did your beloved Joffrey," she threatened.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said fearlessly as she walked closer to Arya in order to use her height to intimidate her.
"Then you're a goddamn fool," Arya declared. "Your boyfriend and his friends weren't either and they ended up more bruised than me."
Fear colored Sansa's eyes briefly, and then she stood tall again. Arya walked away this time knowing that Sansa wouldn't grab her again.
"That's why you are going to end up old, bitter, and lonely." Sansa yelled behind her. "No one's going to love you—no one!"
Sansa followed Arya to the front of the house.
"I don't fucking care!"
"You don't care because you know it wouldn't make a difference if you did care." Sansa shouted back. "Mycah and Ned are only friends with you because they feel sorry for you. Poor Ned for was forced to be your friend by his parents and, well, Mycah wasn't forced to, but who wouldn't love being friends with a rich girl when she is desperate for friends and you get free stuff?" Sansa was looking to draw blood. "You think you are hot shit, Arya, but no one likes you. My bad, you already know that which is why you pretend not to care. You act as if you are misunderstood when, really, no one cares to understand. Why would they? You're angry all of the time and bully people. I really think you are adopted or some bastard like Jon," she spat. "And it's not like you are much to look at either…no wonder the boys stay away. At the rate you are going, you are bound to bloom into a full-blown mare soon. "
Arya could feel the tears coming, but her anger smothered the weaker reaction and she faced her sister.
"Well, I rather be a mare than a stupid piece of shit like you," she lashed out. "God, you're so fucking stupid, Sansa. You get the grades, but that's because you remember shit rather than understand it. Even a monkey can do it, but wait—a monkey is smarter than you. And you think you are better than me because you are prettier and because they guys pay attention to you?" Arya laughed in her sister's face. "They just want to fuck you, dumbass. Do any of them try and get to know you and the things you like? No, no they don't. They just buy you flowers and whisper sweet things and you melt. It's because they know if they are persistent enough, you'll spread your legs like elevator doors. All they have to do is push the right button. Isn't the only time Joffrey even shows the slightest bit of interest in you is for sex? 'Come on, Sansa, it's not that big of a deal'," she mocked. "Even he knows you are a dumbass. I mean that is the only way to explain way to explain it, right? Only a dumbass would treat a guy like a king when he treats her like shit, except when he trying to convince her to have sex."
"At least, I can get a boyfriend!" Tears pooled in Sansa's eyes as she looked at her sister.
"At least, I can get a boyfriend," Arya mocked. "Shut the fuck up talking to me, stupid ass cunt."
Her stomach dropped when she heard her mother gasp and father shout, "Arya!"
Loud sobs filled the air as Sansa cried on the couch. Arya groaned in disgust. She believed Sansa had no right to cry with all that shit she just said to her.
Unsurprisingly, her parents only her very last statement. Rich. Rich, indeed. Stoically, Arya listened as her parents yelled while they reprimanded her. They went on at length about how her behavior was unacceptable and that they couldn't allow this to go on. They said that thought King's Landing would have been beneficial for her and that she was making progress. She was too "uncontrollable" and not willing to get along well with others. Robert Baratheon wanted to press charges and put her in a juvenile detention center.
Arya heard about everyone feelings from Joffrey to Sansa to Cersei to Catelyn. Everyone had thoughts about the fight and what happened afterwards.
Ned had calmed Robert down when he said that he would take care of it.
Eight weeks later, she was packing for her extended stay at some behavioral rehabilitation center for teens called "Wholistic Core."
All of the things that Arya could take with her were packed, which included her clothes, toiletries, iPod, and a few other miscellaneous items. No phones and no laptops. Her father packed her things into the car before they ate breakfast. Arya hadn't spoke to Sansa since that day and Sansa didn't want to speak to her. Truth be told, she didn't speak to hardly anyone even Mycah and Ned, which may or may have had something to do with Sansa.
Her mother and father drove her to the airport as Arya gloomily watched the trees pass her by.
"I know you hate us for this," Ned began. "But, we're doing what's best for you."
"No, you are doing this for Robert," she pronounced Robert Baratheon's name in a snide tone.
"It is a solution that benefits both parties." Arya saw her father look at her through the rearview mirror. His eyes told her to tread lightly.
Catelyn turned around to face her daughter. "I don't know why you are so mad at us, Arya. If Robert had his way, you would be in a detention center right now. You should be thankful to your father and I for finding a suitable alternative rather than being angry at us."
Arya said nothing and continued to look at the swirl of trees.
Ned arranged for Arya's bags to be delivered separately from her when they got to the airport. It would be too much for her to carry all at once. Arya only had to carry two pieces of luggage, which was fine by her.
Before her parents waved her off through the gate, they tried to hug her, but she was unresponsive. As she was about to enter the gate, she stopped and turned around.
"I'm not angry at you all for punishing me." Arya gnawed at her lip. "I understand why you had to do it. I'm angry because after everything happened, no one ever asked me how I felt and what really happened. No one wanted to listen to me. I am angry because no matter what I have done, you all have ALWAYS listened to me. ALWAYS. And the one time I needed to be heard the most, you two were so busy trying to make Mr. Baratheon happy that you never heard me out." Tears welled in Arya's eyes as she spoke, and then she walked away.
"Arya," her mother called out, but Arya ignored her as she went through the gate.
It baffled Arya that her parents never truly spoke to her. They were obsessed with how their kids were feeling and would hear their side of the story before reacting. Even if the same outcome did happen, at least, they would have heard her out.
She supposed that her parents had been under a lot of stress. The school wanted to permanently expel her because of the severity of Joffrey's injuries, Robert wanted to press criminal charges and have her in juvie, and all of the other countless stuff that stemmed from her fighting Joffrey. Her parents were trying to fight the expulsion, but the school did not want Arya back on their premises and neither did Robert.
When everything had went down, she had been so angry with everyone, especially her parents. After Catelyn and Ned were through reprimanding Arya, she went to her room, flopped on her bed, and screamed into her pillow. For hours, she spent her time alternating between being pacing her room and ranting to herself and crying. She had enough of people admonishing her and saying that she wasn't behaving like a lady. It was all too much. Arya stared herself in her mirror and something within her cracked. Almost as if she was possessed, she grabbed a pair of scissors and frantically cut her hair.
The next day, as Catelyn watched her daughter descend the stairs, she said nothing, but devastation accumulated in her eyes as realized her daughter had cut her long locks.
It made Arya had temporarily happy. She figured it was the last time she was going to be happy for a long time.
As the airplane ascended above the clouds, Arya dreaded how each second brought her closer to the prison called Wholistic Core.