Hey guys... Sorry?
Probably doesn't cut it does it?
Anyway, one of the reviews for last chapter asked me to tone down the swearing... Look I try to only use it if it's really necessary, and I don't really want to have to remove it, but if you guys a finding this too offensive let me know and I'll change it. (or maybe change the rating to M, but I think that seems a bit drastic)
On with story, oh and, all mistakes are mine and mine alone (And there could be few, its 2am)!
To say Aria was surprised to see her best friend, as she was limping out of the ring would be the understatement of the year.
She honestly didn't know what to think.
She felt angry.
She betrayed.
And yet the smallest part of her felt relieved.
Because as pissed off as she was at the prospect of Spencer stopping her from fighting.
The fact that she was here meant she still cared.
And she's not sure when, but somewhere, between the fights, the secrecy and the control. She stopped believing that her friends cared.
Because as much as she wanted to keep this secret.
As much as she wanted to believe that she was fine on her own.
Part of her couldn't help but wish they had noticed.
Because she couldn't bring herself to ask for help.
But that didn't mean she didn't need it.
But there was no way in hell she was going to admit that.
Because over the last few weeks, she's been fine on her own (that's what she keeps telling herself).
So she's going to keep up that charade.
"Spencer what the hell are you doing here?"
And when she's met with nothing but silence, she turns to Caleb, because over the last few weeks she learned to trust him with her life, and she couldn't believe he'd sell her out. She refused to believe someone else so close could betray her, she had too much of that already.
"Did you tell her? Did you bring her here? I trusted you Caleb, I thought y…"
It's at this point that Spencer finally recognises Aria and the words coming out of her mouth.
"He didn't tell me Aria," The words come out hesitantly as if she's scared of Aria's response.
"Well then how are you here, cause you sure as hell didn't just stumble upon this place!" Aria shoots back.
Spencer didn't answer, she simply showed Aria the same text she'd shown Caleb mere minutes earlier.
And with that Aria turned and collapsed against the wall, the old structure of the building the only thing holding her up. The wincing not going unnoticed by her best friend.
Because somehow A hadn't managed to do it again.
Somehow they'd managed to take away the one thing she thought she had control of.
The one thing she thought was hers.
And if A could do that, then they could do anything.
And she thinks she's known that for a while.
But it's only now that it's really starting to sink in.
"Cmon Aria, let's get you home," Spencer said softly to the younger girl; putting aside all feelings of anger she currently had towards her best friend, (there would be a time and place for that confrontation). She placed her arm around cautiously around her, taking the place of the wall as Aria's main support. She turned to Caleb who was silently watching the entire scene take place. "I've got her."
And he hesitates, just for a second; because as much as he knows she's in good hands. He's been the one who's looked after her for last five weeks. And he's not sure he's ready to give that up.
"I'll look after her, I'll call you if I need anything." Spencer answers the hesitation in his eyes.
But it's not until Aria looks up and gives him a slight nod; that he reluctantly agrees.
Because if she's willing to let Spencer help her, then she might be ready to admit she needs help.
And for the first time, in what feels like a long time,
He thinks that maybe, just maybe, there might be a way out for Aria.
So he places his faith in Spencer, praying to a god he doesn't actually believe in that she won't let her down.
The car trip is silent (apart from the small winces whenever the car hits a bump). Spencer can't recall the amount of times she opened her mouth in an attempt to say something, only to close it again. What was she meant to say?
How was she possibly meant to start this conversation, she didn't even know what this conversation was about?
By the time they arrive at Spencers place, Aria is virtually asleep on the car window; and as she looks over at her friend who looks so small and innocent the overwhelming feeling of guilt returns. Because Spencer can't for the life of her figure out when everything got so fucked up.
"Hey, c'mon Aria we're here." She gently places her hand on Aria's shoulder who immediately straightens up in the car, taking in her surroundings.
"Spencer, I thought you were taking me home?" She questions with a mixture of curiosity and slight agitation.
"Seriously? You seriously thought I was going to drop you home and pretend that everything was just fine? Really?"
Aria resists the urge to reply with a snarky comment about the fact she didn't seem to care for the last few weeks, instead just replying with a simple "Whatever," as she opened the door and slowly rose to her feet.
Spencer was by her side in seconds (ignoring the snide response); and silently helping into her house and up the stairs into her room.
"What's your mum going to say?" Aria questions as the girls enter Spencer's bedroom.
"Oh I don't know, I'm sure you can just come up with some kind of lie, shouldn't be too difficult for you." Spencer shoots back, refusing to make eye contact as she carefully guides Aria to the edge of her bed.
The response leaves Aria a little speechless, but mostly just pissed off. What right did Spencer have to be angry at her?
She didn't ask for her help?
She didn't ask her for anything?
But as Spencer crouches down and begins uniting her gym shoes she realises that maybe that was the problem. Because they were supposed to be best friends; yet when she really needed someone she turned to Caleb.
And Aria realises now as she sees the unshed tears in her friend's eyes, how much that must have hurt her. Because Aria knows how that feels, the feeling of being looked over; the feeling of you're not good enough; the feeling of finding out your best friend has been keeping secrets from you.
But she didn't mean it like that.
It wasn't like that.
"Listen Spencer I…" But she's cut off before she can even begin her explanation.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Spencer questions desperately as she removes Aria's left shoe to reveal the beginnings of what appears to be a pretty serious swollen ankle. "Seriously Aria, what the hell were thinking, how could you possibly think this is good idea, what possessed you to think 'hey you know what might be fun, getting in a boxing ring with dudes twice my size and getting the crap beaten out me'?"
"Hey, I won tonight!" Aria interjects in an attempt to soften her friend's frightened and angry expression. (It didn't work)
"Aria what the hell is wrong with you?" Spencers asks loudly "This isn't funny, none of this is funny, aren't our lives fucked up enough without you trying to kill yourself?"
"That's not what I was doing!" Aria shoots back, because she may not have had any idea what was going through her mind, she knows she's not suicidal, that much she's sure of.
"Then what were you doing? Please! For the love of god explain it to me?" And Spencer's question isn't accusing or aggressive, it was desperate curiosity. Because she needed to know, she needed know why her best friend was resorting to such drastic measures, she need to know why.
"I just… "Aria looks into her best friends' eyes which are swimming in desperation, pleading with her to explain. And with that look, the first of the many walls which she'd spent the last few weeks building up around herself, comes crashing down.
Because this is Spencer.
Her best friend,
The other half of team 'Sparia'.
And she's always been there for her, it's just taken Aria this long to realise.
And she deserved some sort of an explanation (even if Aria couldn't quite explain it to herself just yet).
She owed her at least that much.
"I can't do this anymore, 'A' is everywhere, they know everything, they have control over every fucking thing in my life! I just… I just needed something that A couldn't control, that they couldn't take away from me, something that I was in charge of! And as stupid as it sounds; out there it's just me and whoever is in the ring with me. Me versus them, and I can see them, and hear them and I know what their intentions are, and there's none of this other bullshit that goes with it. I'm in charge, and I know I can't control what the other person does, but I can control myself, and I can defend myself. For twenty fucking minutes of my life I'm in control."
By the time Aria finishes her rant tears are threatening to spill from her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. She turns and looks at her best friend who is now sitting beside her on the bed.
"You don't understand do you?"
"I do." Spencer answers back honestly, "But that doesn't mean for a second I condone what you're doing." She looks down to see the smaller girl practically falling asleep on her.
"Alright c'mon let's get that shirt off" And if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation Spencer would've laughed at how quickly the younger girls eye's shot opened.
"Excuse me?"
"Look Aria, right now I have so many different emotions running through my head I can't even think straight, and I can only imagine how you feel. So let's just get this over with and get to bed."
"What over with?"
"Look I don't know how the rest of the fights went, but I know that bloke tonight teed off on your ribcage like he was kicking a field goal, so c'mon, off with the shirt!"
Aria sighed reluctantly, and slowly (and painfully), pulled the tank top over her head, feeling extremely exposed, as she sat on the bed in nothing but short shorts, and a sports bra.
"Stand up." Spencer ordered, trying to keep her emotions at bay as she examined her friends' discoloured torso. "Shit Aria!" She exclaimed as she lightly traced her fingers over the bruising.
"Not tonight Spence, please?" Aria sighed in an exhausted voice, as she saw the emotions begin to build up on her friends' face again.
"Does it hurt to breathe in?" Spencer questioned.
"No more than it does at any other time."
"No sharp pains or anything like that"
Aria just shook her head.
"Alright, um, I don't think anything is seriously broken, not that I'm a doctor, maybe a cracked rib or 4 but there's nothing we can really do for that anyway, anything else troubling you?" Spencer asked, trying not to let her emotions bubble over.
Aria just smiled slightly and went to Spencer's closest to find some old clothes to sleep in, "Ask me in the morning."
Spencer just sighed, "You know where the towels are?"
Aria nodded and headed to the bathroom. Leaving Spencer to her thoughts, thoughts that she couldn't for the life of her process.
She had so many emotions running through her head she couldn't tell which way was up anymore.
She felt guilty.
She was confused.
She was overwhelmed.
And she was just so angry.
She wanted to apologise to Aria, tell her she was so sorry for not helping her sooner; yet at the time she wanted to scream at her for being so selfish.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the tiny brunette limped back into the room, Spencers' clothes hanging off her small body. Her damp hair was in a messy ponytail, the bags under eyes were distinctive, the knuckles on her right hand, swollen, bruising was beginning to form on her face, and she looked absolutely exhausted.
And as Spencer took sight of the young girl; all she really wanted to do that night was hold her and never let go. The rest could wait until morning.
So she offered a sad smile as she rolled over to the other side of the bed. Allowing Aria to slowly slide under the covers, before she gently wrapped her arm around the younger girl.
And yes, Spencer knew they still had a way to go.
A very long way.
But she finally had her best friend, safely back in her arms'
And she was never letting go again.
Okay so I'm considering leaving the story here? Everyone's kinda happy right?
Or should I keep going and bring in Emily and Hannah?
Let me know what you guys think!