CHAPTER 2
POVS ARIA
"Mom, you hadn't told us that Aria was coming to eat with us too," Spencer tries to whisper to Veronica, but I hear her anyway. She seemed a little moody. Veronica ignores her.
''I'm glad you finally came. I thought you weren't going to come when ten minutes passed,'' Verónica tells me, while she makes a place for me between Spencer and her, but not before giving me a hug saying that it's been a long time since we've seen each other. The girls look at me between serious and a little embarrassed, I wouldn't know how to define it.
"Ehh... the time went by quickly in the cafeteria and I didn't realize the time, sorry," I say embarrassed, not knowing what to do once I sit down or where to look. Everything was very uncomfortable.
"It's okay, I'm going to tell the waiter to come so you can order whatever you want," says Verónica as she motions to the employee to come to our table. Once I have ordered, Veronica starts talking to the others and there is a semi-comfortable conversation between them, while I try to calm down and step aside and focus on eating.
''How long are you going to stay before you go to some country again, Aria?'' Verónica asks me, trying to get me into the conversation when she sees that I am not talking anything. The girls look at me intrigued.I don't even know if they knew what I was doing these months.
"If I don't get a new opportunity, I'll be here for a month or so before going to Madagascar for another month," I tell her, trying to remember the itinerary I had for the next few months. Sometimes I got involved myself.
"You're working as a photojournalist, right?" Alison tells me, surprising the rest of the girls. No one had spoken to me until now. The first time in more than a year.
''Yes,'' I say, nervous because one of them is talking to me.
"How did you know?" Emily asks, just as curious as Hanna and Spencer.
''A few days ago, I met their mother in the supermarket and she helped me take care of the babies for a moment. Since she was there, I asked her a little about how things were going for everyone. She didn't tell me much, except that you were traveling a lot now and that you had focused on photojournalism,'' Alison says the latter, looking at me. I noticed that something in her attitude toward me had softened a little.
''And what are you doing in those countries?'' asks Hanna, wanting to know a little more about my life this year, but still looking at me somewhat suspiciously.
''I try to ensure that what is happening in that country or town can be seen by everyone and that help can reach those places. At least I try to be able to tell the truth through photos and experiences of people who are suffering,'' I say, a little passionate about the subject, but embarrassed to tell them more about the subject. I didn't know if she was just asking me out of politeness and because Veronica was here.
''Wow, look who's talking about the truth,'' Spencer says in a reproachful tone. The others look at her a little scandalized.
"Spencer, stop, not everything is as it seems," Veronica replies to her daughter.
''I saw perfectly what it was. I don't need any more versions,'' Spencer says grumpily to her.
Before Verónica tries to defend me again, I stop her, 'Don't defend me, it's okay. Let's finish eating,'' I whisper to her, and we all go back to finish eating. The atmosphere remained tense and silent until it was time for dessert.
''I want a custard and a piece of cheesecake. Also, a smoothie with condensed milk,'' says Hanna animatedly, while the rest of us look at her, surprised.
"Hanna, aren't you going a little overboard with the sugar?" Emily scolds her a little.
"I'm pregnant, Emily, don't you dare mess with my cravings," Hanna almost screamed at the mere mention that she was eating too much sugar. This leaves me devastated again. I was missing another important moment in their lives.
"I want a coffee," I say agitated after hearing that Hanna was pregnant.
''Better give her tea lime,'' Verónica quickly says to the waiter, just before putting a hand on my knee to calm me down, ''how many coffees have you already had today? You're too nervous,' she tells me softly.
"I don't know... about six...," I say, uncomfortable feeling everyone's gaze on me.
''Aria, you shouldn't drink so much coffee, your mother told me the other day that the doctor had already warned you several times that you still had to continue avoiding certain foods and resting a little more, but you weren't paying attention to him,'' Verónica scolds me, because she had enough trust in me to be able to do it. She really had always been like an aunt to me.
''It's all good, I've only been awake for more than 24 hours and I need something to keep me awake and let's leave it with the doctor, I don't want to postpone my life any longer after all...'' I whisper the latter to Verónica, well I don't want the others to find out anything.
They give me questioning looks because of the interaction I have had with Verónica, but they leave it aside without wanting to interact much more with me. The rest of lunch passes without further ado, mainly because I don't say anything else. I sighed with relief when we paid and headed towards the courthouse.
"Do you want to leave your things in my car? I have it parked here next door," Verónica tells me so that I wouldn't go into the trial loaded with things from the trip.
"Yes, thank you," I say gratefully.
"I'm sorry if lunch was a little uncomfortable for you. At least you have talked a little, although I am very sorry for how stubborn my daughter is," Verónica apologizes as the two of us approach the car alone and the others wait at the courthouse door.
"Nothing happens, it's normal. At least I've been able to know a little about their lives. That's what I'll settle for now," I say with a saddened look.
"If you would let me, tell them the truth…", Verónica replies.
"You've seen that they don't want to hear it. I tried it at the time," she was tired of thinking about the subject.
"And are you ready to see him again? I must call you to give your version of what happened and, even if you don't tell them now, the girls will eventually find out in court," Verónica tells me softly, knowing how much this topic affected me.
"I don't want to see him, but if I have to do it so I can make him stay in prison all his life, it will be worth it," I tell her, shaking slightly. Verónica gives me a brief hug as support, and we head to the courthouse door where the others are waiting for us.
"Since you have already testified and you don't have to contribute much more to the trial, I probably don't have to call you to talk, I would just call Aria. If the accused's lawyer calls you, try not to pay attention to any nonsense that the defense lawyer tells you. Many times, they do it just to provoke you and make you show instability," Verónica tells us just before entering. There were only 5 minutes left in the trial, so we started to enter the courtroom.
"Why is Aria talking and not us?" Hanna asks confused once we sit down. I sit next to Verónica at the main table and the rest sit behind us in the first seats.
"Because there are things that happened that you don't know," says Verónica calmly.
"And why don't we know?" Spencer says irritated.
"Because you didn't want to know, Spencer," says Veronica, now angry. I put a hand on her shoulder to let her know that she doesn't need to defend me.
When everything is ready before the trial begins, the person who caused all our torment, who ruined my life, enters.
The person behind A enters.
Enter Ezra Fitz.
Hi, here you have another chapter. I'm sorry if some things don't sound much like trials in reality. I don't have much knowledge about trials in the US and I do my best to imagine what best suits me for the story hahahaha. kisses