Princess
Reality
Alex's POV
Damn, how did this happen? I'm Alex Gaskarth, no one gets close to me. No one understands me. It's kind of my thing. But here I am, laying on Arianna's floor holding her after spilling all of my secrets, as she did the same.
We hated each other. Or so I thought. One stupid history project and a band practice later, we know everything about each other's dark lives.
Suddenly, there's a knock on Ari's door. She untangles herself from me, and opens the door to see a surprised looking Rian followed by Jack.
"Uhm, hey. What's going on in here?"
Ari tries to talk, but she's still crying too hard, so she just buries her face in Rian's shoulder. He wraps his arms around her protectively. "Alex?"
Jack made his way over to me, his eyes asking a silent question. I didn't know what to say, so I just looked at the floor.
"Rian, she told me about Martin, and your mom. And some other things that I think I should let her tell you." He stiffened and pulled away from her.
"Ari? What is it hon?"
"Wait a second, Rian. What about your mom? And who's Martin?"
Arianna's POV
This can't be happening. The only people I care about that are still alive are in this room, finding out the stuff I've kept from them. It's too much to take, and I collapse down on the floor.
"I'm so sorry." Is all I can manage to say.
"I think you'd better just tell them everything you told me, starting from the beginning." Alex said quietly, his eyes desparately trying to find mine.
So I did. I got it all out, for the second time that day. I feel like air. So light. It's like a burden's gone. Both Rian and Jack look ready to beat someone up, but I can't quite tell who they're mad at.
Finally Rian said, "That's it. We're moving out of here, Ari. We have enough money. And we've got to get you away from Martin. Oh hon, why didn't you tell me? I could have protected you?"
"I'm sorry Rian. I just didn't want him to hurt you too. And I think that's a good idea."
Jack is still silent. It's worrying me. That boy never shuts up.
"Jacky? I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me." He looks up at me suddenly, with those words.
"Jacky. You haven't called me that in years. Not since you left my life." His voice is lifeless, a monotone. I can tell he's close to breaking. "How could I hate you, Arianna? I disliked you a lot. Or who you became, because you thought you had to. That's not you. It never was. And I guess it's just hard because that's who you were for a really long time." He's crying.
"I know. And I'm sorry. There's nothing to say to fix it, I know. But I was afraid Jack. Afraid that you would leave. So I did the only thing I knew how - I left first."
"I get that now. And it's gonna be okay." He wrapped me in a huge hug.
Wow. Well, it's certainly been a long day.
"What on earth is happening?" Zack says, walking in the room.
"We'll fill you in later, Zack. Right now I think that we need to go, Jack, Zack." Alex said.
"Thanks guys." Rian and I said, simultaneously, and I managed to give him a small smile.
After they left, Rian turned to me and sighed. "I'm so sorry Ari. I should have noticed. I hate to ask this, but can you show me? Your scars, I mean. And also, is there anything else you need to tell me?"
I swallowed. There was one thing left, and I don't know if I can say it. "Okay, Rian." I pulled off my clothes enough for him to see the damage I had inflicted on myself.
"God....."
"I'm sorry Rian."
"For goodness' sake don't apologize! I just can't believe I never noticed, especially how skinny you are."
"It's okay Ri. I love you. There is one more thing, but I don't know if I can tell you."
"Ari, you can tell me anything. Honestly, anything."
"Martin raped me. It was a few years ago and it only happened once, but it happened."
There's a crash. Rian's punched a hole right through the wall of my room.
"Oh god. Ari......." And he's crying again.
"I know, Ri. But it's okay. We're all going to be okay." And I think I believe it, for once.
Damn, how did this happen? I'm Alex Gaskarth, no one gets close to me. No one understands me. It's kind of my thing. But here I am, laying on Arianna's floor holding her after spilling all of my secrets, as she did the same.
We hated each other. Or so I thought. One stupid history project and a band practice later, we know everything about each other's dark lives.
Suddenly, there's a knock on Ari's door. She untangles herself from me, and opens the door to see a surprised looking Rian followed by Jack.
"Uhm, hey. What's going on in here?"
Ari tries to talk, but she's still crying too hard, so she just buries her face in Rian's shoulder. He wraps his arms around her protectively. "Alex?"
Jack made his way over to me, his eyes asking a silent question. I didn't know what to say, so I just looked at the floor.
"Rian, she told me about Martin, and your mom. And some other things that I think I should let her tell you." He stiffened and pulled away from her.
"Ari? What is it hon?"
"Wait a second, Rian. What about your mom? And who's Martin?"
Arianna's POV
This can't be happening. The only people I care about that are still alive are in this room, finding out the stuff I've kept from them. It's too much to take, and I collapse down on the floor.
"I'm so sorry." Is all I can manage to say.
"I think you'd better just tell them everything you told me, starting from the beginning." Alex said quietly, his eyes desparately trying to find mine.
So I did. I got it all out, for the second time that day. I feel like air. So light. It's like a burden's gone. Both Rian and Jack look ready to beat someone up, but I can't quite tell who they're mad at.
Finally Rian said, "That's it. We're moving out of here, Ari. We have enough money. And we've got to get you away from Martin. Oh hon, why didn't you tell me? I could have protected you?"
"I'm sorry Rian. I just didn't want him to hurt you too. And I think that's a good idea."
Jack is still silent. It's worrying me. That boy never shuts up.
"Jacky? I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me." He looks up at me suddenly, with those words.
"Jacky. You haven't called me that in years. Not since you left my life." His voice is lifeless, a monotone. I can tell he's close to breaking. "How could I hate you, Arianna? I disliked you a lot. Or who you became, because you thought you had to. That's not you. It never was. And I guess it's just hard because that's who you were for a really long time." He's crying.
"I know. And I'm sorry. There's nothing to say to fix it, I know. But I was afraid Jack. Afraid that you would leave. So I did the only thing I knew how - I left first."
"I get that now. And it's gonna be okay." He wrapped me in a huge hug.
Wow. Well, it's certainly been a long day.
"What on earth is happening?" Zack says, walking in the room.
"We'll fill you in later, Zack. Right now I think that we need to go, Jack, Zack." Alex said.
"Thanks guys." Rian and I said, simultaneously, and I managed to give him a small smile.
After they left, Rian turned to me and sighed. "I'm so sorry Ari. I should have noticed. I hate to ask this, but can you show me? Your scars, I mean. And also, is there anything else you need to tell me?"
I swallowed. There was one thing left, and I don't know if I can say it. "Okay, Rian." I pulled off my clothes enough for him to see the damage I had inflicted on myself.
"God....."
"I'm sorry Rian."
"For goodness' sake don't apologize! I just can't believe I never noticed, especially how skinny you are."
"It's okay Ri. I love you. There is one more thing, but I don't know if I can tell you."
"Ari, you can tell me anything. Honestly, anything."
"Martin raped me. It was a few years ago and it only happened once, but it happened."
There's a crash. Rian's punched a hole right through the wall of my room.
"Oh god. Ari......." And he's crying again.
"I know, Ri. But it's okay. We're all going to be okay." And I think I believe it, for once.
Ah thank you so much! <3 You are amazing.
4/21/13