Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Truth Behind the Lies
"Why do you take forever to get ready?" I hear Sasha ask as I come down the stairs.
"Don't even get me started on you Sash." I walk pass Sasha and give her a nod to let her know we should go, but as I was about to walk out the door, my mom comes out.
"Sweetie, don't forget about tonight." Sasha heads out the door and waits in her car as I turn around and take a deep breath. She's in her work clothes, nice pair of grey slacks and a black blouse with a black cardigan. She always has to look professional.
"Yes I know mom. I'm working tonight for Mrs. Ray."
My mom smiles and says "Ok I'll see you later tonight for dinner. And remember, do not talk to strangers" I rolled my eyes and without saying a word I walk out to the door and head inside Sasha's brand new pink BMW.
"How exactly do you afford this again?" I ask
She smiles and says jokingly
"A sugar daddy." We both start cracking up as we drive off heading to school.
We finally reach our school: Central Coast High School. The biggest and most popular school in town. Everyone wants to attend this school and I wouldn't know why. It has an old look to it with its worn out brick walls. The inside interior looks like a bathroom floor with the tiles in the hallways and the paint on the walls are so old they are peeling. Even the lockers which are a dark shade of grey, don't give the school much to look at. I didn't always go to this school. I used to go to a school called Riverside High, it was a simple and small school, not many students would attend but I thought it was perfect. And that school had something for you to look at with it's nice tan outer look. The inside on the floor was a dark brown reddish carpet and surprisingly had a nice fresh smell to it. The lockers, on the other hand, were plain black but you'd never see a scratch or paint ripped off of them nor on the walls of the hallway of that school. But apparently Central Coast High had more credentials for me then Riverside High did. I'd still choose that school over any other school if it were up to me instead of my parents.
As we walk inside, Sasha ditches me to go flirt with our youngest and most handsome teacher, professor O'Brian. It's not the first time she's done this nor is it the last.
"Hey Aria!"
I look behind me to see him. Tall, handsome man with beautiful hazel eyes and silky smooth blonde hair. As he came closer I could smell the cologne he was wearing.
"Um, hey Nick." I say nervously trying to make sure he didn't notice me blushing. Nick isn't your typical football jock type, he is actually a real big sweetheart. He's been my friend ever since middle school, but he no longer was the nasty nose pick Nick anymore. Puberty definitely did him good.
"So how are you feeling?" He asks. "Do you remember anything that happened?" Its been a good 5 months since I last had been in that car accident, but everyone keeps bringing it up as if it happened just yesterday. And when I mean everyone, I mean him, my mom and Sasha. But the strangest thing, is that I don't recall anything about that night. I don't remember what I was doing before, during or after. I just remember waking up in the hospital and having minor amnesia. But once I saw everyone for the next few days, I remembered everyone easily.
"I feel great, but I don't remember anything at all unfortunately."
"That's good! I mean about you feeling great not about the other part."
I start to laugh a little and so does he.
"So-"
"Oh my gosh Aria, guess what?!" I feel Sasha's arm wrap around mine as she interrupts me talking.
"What is it Sash?"
Sasha starts shaking me in excitement. I've never seen her so excited.
"There's a new student joining in Mr. O'Brian's class today. And I hear he's pretty cute!!"
I start laughing at her getting excited over a new student.
"Oh you're talking about Stone aren't you?"
Both Sasha and I pause to look over at Nick. I was about to say something but Sasha beats me to it.
"Stone? What do you mean Stone?"
"Sorry I call him by his last name. His name is Alex, Alex Stone, the new student. He's joining the football team too." I start to nudge Sasha, smiling at her until I noticed that her face turns completely blank, as if she's seen a ghost.
"Sash, are you ok?" I ask her
She doesn't say anything but instead starts rollin her eyes as if she's pissed off.
"I'll see you guys in class ok?" She suddenly walks away quickly before I could try to stop her.
"What's with her?" Nick asks.
I just watch her speed walk down the hall and suddenly turn the corner sharply before I say
"I have no clue."
After a few minutes, I forgot about her little mood swing and talked with Nick until the bell rang for class. Once I got in, I see Sasha and sit next to her.
"Why'd you run off so quickly like that? Is everything ok?" I ask her.
She sighs and says "It will be." She didn't seem like she wanted to talk and knowing Sasha, if I push her she will be mad at me for the rest of the week, so I let it go. Soon Professor O'Brian comes into class and tells us to quiet down.
"Now I know all of you are seniors and it's your final year of high school, but that does not mean you can slack off from doing homework and classwork. Please know that I will be harder on you this year because after this you will be stepping into the real world and I'm going to be helping you prepare for it. But first before we get into our amazing Literature subject, I'd like to introduce you to a new student. Alex Stone." Alex walks in smooth confidently and swiftly with his hands in his pockets He wore black jeans with a black t-shirt. He had spiked up dark black hair with those familiar deep blue eyes. He showed an indifferent look as he could care less for all the girls whistling at him. As he searched the room with his beautiful blue eyes they soon met with mine. My heart dropped as he held his gaze with mine. He smiled, but soon enough I broke the gaze and looked away towards the floor.
"He's not even that good looking." I hear Sasha mumble.
"Sasha really?? We have the same taste in guys, so I know you find him just attractive as I do." Once I said that I must've set her off. Maybe she liked the guy and just wanted him for herself because once I said that she screamed
"WHAT?!?!?!"
Professor O'Brian and the whole class was looking at us. In embarrassment I just smiled awkwardly and soon Mr. O'Brian told Sasha to move away from me.
"We will discuss this later" she whispers as she takes her stuff and moves to the desk next to Nick. Soon enough, Alex took her place and sat next to me. I felt myself froze as he sat himself. I couldn't help but stare at him. His posture was perfect and so was his jawline, it's as if I've never seen a guy like this in my entire life. I couldn't help but feel like I know him or seen him before. Suddenly he catches me staring at him. I looked away quickly but he still had noticed.
"Could you not stare at me, I know I'm pretty to look at, but you're kind of distracting me from paying attention?"
What a jerk!!! I was shocked he even said that.
"So does anyone have an opinion on what I just read right now?" I hear Professor O'Brian ask. I raise my hand and say "Actually Professor O'Brian, Alex was just telling me a very interesting opinion on that paragraph you just read. Why don't you tell everyone in class Alex?"
"Wait what?" Alex says in confusion. I start laughing as Professor O'Brain says "Yes Alex, please do share with the rest of the class."
He was turning red but soon enough he came up with a dumb answer to respond with. I gave him a look and said "Next time, don't sit next to me and you won't have to worry about what I just pulled off right now with Professor O'Brian." The bell rings right after I say that and soon I walk out of class feeling proud.
After sitting hours through class, the bell finally rung for lunch time. Once I got out of math class, I went to my locker where I normally meet up with Sasha. Usually she is there before me but this time, she wasn't. I decided to wait a few minutes before I went to go look for her. I started to walk toward the back end of the hall when I started to hear her voice, although it did not sound very happy. I peeked around the corner to see her and Alex talking.
"What are you doing here Alex?" I hear her ask in a pissed off voice.
"You know why I'm here Sasha."
"No I don't, but whatever it is, you know you can't stay at this school."
"I can do whatever I please, Sasha, Last I checked, you aren't my mother. And even if you were I wouldn't listen anyways"
"You made a deal Alex! You know what will happen if you stay!?"
"First off, I was never included or part of that deal. Did you forget that, that deal was only towards my brother?"
"That deal was towards your whole entire family and you know it!" Sasha takes a deep breath before continuing
"If you are not gone by the end of this week, I will contact 'you know who' and send both you and your brothers' ass to prison where you belong!"
Soon Sasha storms off the opposite direction. I was just about to head after Sasha until I heard someone from behind me.
"Aria? What are you doing?"
I turn around quickly to see Nick.
"Um, nothing. I was just looking for Sasha."
He laughs.
"Ok well I actually wanted to ask you something, if you're not too busy."
I walked over to him and said
"Sure what's up?"
He seemed nervous as he took a deep breath and looked directly into my eyes.
"I was wondering if you would be free on Friday night to hang out?"
"Are you asking me out?" I asked him.
He started to blush and I started to giggle a little. It was cute that I was the one making him blush when usually it's vice versa.
"I'm only asking you out if you say yes."
"So if I say no, what are you doing then?"
He chuckled and said "Then I'm just asking to hang out as a friend."
I start laughing as he nervously still waits for my answer.
"I don't have anything planned on Friday and would love to go out." Soon his nervousness seemed to melt away and he was back to his confident self.
"Ok then, it's a date! I'll pick u up around noon."
I agreed with him.
"Ok sounds great, I gotta go now and find Sasha. But I'll see you Friday."
He waved goodbye as I walked away.
As I walked around campus, I couldn't find Sasha and I soon got a text message from her. Apparently she wasn't feeling too good so she drove home which was inconvenient for me because she was my ride to my job after school.
"Dammit, Sasha." I say out loud to myself.
"Let me guess she left school?" I hear a voice come from behind.
I turn around to see Alex smoking a cigarette.
"There's no smoking on campus you do know that right?"
He chuckles and throws it on the grounds and smashes it with his foot.
"It's our little secret ok?" He winks when he says this.
I roll my eyes and ask "How do you know Sasha?"
"I don't know her."
I scoff at him since I know for a fact he's lying.
"So I hear you need a ride to your job now that Sasha left?"
"How did you know-"
"I just know. Maybe I'm psychic." He says jokingly.
"Uh ok? But no thanks, I'll take the bus."
"You rather take the bus with a bunch of creeps on it than ride with someone you know you will be safe with?"
He was really starting to get on my nerves so I said
"Yes, because anything is better then riding with a creep like you."
I soon walk away without saying anything else. Later after school is over, I catch the bus to take me to the bakery I work at.
...
(8:00 p.m. at the bakery)
"You're ok with closing the rest of the shop on your own?" Ann my coworker asks. I nod and say "Yeah, it's easy. We've closed up everything here,
I'm just going to change out of these clothes and then lock up and leave." Ann was hesitant to leave. She was a neat freak and organizer. She always had to make sure everything was perfect before she left.
"And you are sure you don't want me to give you a ride home?"
"I'm sure. My house is on the opposite side from where you live. I don't want to make you back track."
"Ok, well just make sure everything is in its original place and set the alarm before you leave."
"I know already just go home." I say while I'm laughing.
She finally leaves and soon I go change in the back and lock up everything before I head to the bus stop. As soon as I reach the stop I pull out my phone to text my mom where I'm at. As soon as I sent it, my mom writes back,
"Did you get the receipt for the big order that our neighbor Mr. Rogers ordered?"
I quickly checked my bag and took it out to take a picture of and send it to her. Once I did that, a huge gust of wind passes me taking the receipt with it.
"Shit!" I told myself. The receipt landed in the middle of the road so I quickly ran over to get it before it had the chance to fly away again. After I picked it up and I started to turn around but as I did, I saw big flashing bright lights and heard the honking noise of a truck. It all went by too fast and I just froze without moving. All I could do was shut my eyes. I suddenly felt someone's arms go around my waist and tackle me to the floor. I lay on the floor shocked as the male figure hovers over me and asks me if I'm ok? I nodded but I was so shocked and froze that there were no words coming out of me. My vision started to get blurry.
"Can you stand up for me?" I hear the man ask.
I just realized a stranger is helping me so I tried to focus on them and their voice. I suddenly made eye contact with the man.
I was so out of it that I said "You have really pretty blue eyes" right before everything went dark and I blacked out.
(30 min. Later)
Opening my eyes slowly, I looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The room was a light blue color. I got up slowly and realized that I was in someone's room. Someone that I did not know at all. Trying not to freak out, I calmly looked in my bag to see if my phone was inside. I found my phone and right before I was going to call someone I heard someone say "You're awake?" I quickly turned around and asked "Who-"
But I couldn't finish my sentence. Because the man I was looking at, I knew...
"I don't mean any harm." He says gently. "My name is..."
"Jay..." I finish his sentence for him. His eyes go wide as he's shocked that I know his name. I know I would be too if some strange person I didn't know at all knew my name.
Suddenly in between all the confusion both him and I were in, I got a text message from an unknown number...
"There's something you should know Aria. Someone has been keeping something from you. A big secret that may be unforgivable if the truth is not revealed soon... Just know this was not planned to intentionally hurt you, it was only for your protection... I will send you a time and place to meet tomorrow night, meet at that destination to uncover the truth behind the lies."
...to be continued...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone