The entire way there, she spent her time getting to know Grace's friends. They were just as fierce, just as bold as Grace was. When Aria asked them about how their families got here, they told their stories without any sign of pity or sorrow.
She admired that kind of mentality that the things they'd been through only made them stronger. Some of them had been here most of their lives; they couldn't even remember where their families had originally come from.
"It doesn't matter to us," one of the girls said, "Where you come from has nothing to do with who you are or where you're going. Like you two," she said, nodding at Aria and Mara. "You came from below the ground. But if I cut you right now, your blood would be as red as mine. So what if you came from somewhere different than me? We all bleed red."
Aria nodded. It was so different from how they'd been seen when they were first sent up. The Terra hadn't cared that they were young. They hurt them all the same. They didn't think about the fact that not a single one of them really had a choice. They were sent up mostly unwillingly. It wasn't their fault that they were deemed disposable just because they'd gotten into some trouble.
This village was similar to the one residing below the palace, but this one was much bigger. They fit right in. Aria could tell they'd obviously come here a lot. On the other hand, she and Mara felt a little out of place. They'd become pretty familiar with the people in the palace, with the people in the village below them. But these were brand new faces.
All the same, they were welcomed. She couldn't really believe that everyone here was so accepting that they didn't see her people the way the others had.
She realized it was because, at some point, most of the people here had been outsiders too. Sure, there were kids and young adults that had probably been born here. But for the most part, they had all come to this place from somewhere else. So what if she and Mara came from somewhere else too?
It made Aria happy. It was how she had hoped they'd be seen when they realized they weren't alone on Earth all those months ago.
She didn't really want to leave when Grace said it was time to go. There were so many people here, so many stories she hadn't heard yet.
"Please know that you are always welcomed here, my lady," the young woman Aria had been talking to said, "I hope you visit again. Thank you for gracing us with your presence."
"I will," Aria said, smiling at the woman. "Thank you for having me."
She said her goodbyes and left the village with a tote full of presents. She didn't really feel like accepting everything she'd been given. Still, the people there were so adamant about showering her with gifts that she couldn't really say no.
That night at dinner, she joined her friends at their table instead of the one she usually sat at. She laughed too loudly and made terrible jokes, and teased Brent about his new relationship with Martinez.
She felt so happy, happier than she'd been in months, that she wasn't even upset when she saw Ben walk through the doors. She wasn't mad at him anymore. He was obviously doing better and staying out of trouble since she hadn't heard anything. She vaguely wondered if he had shown up because he somehow knew that Lex was gone.
He joined them and told them about the new village he was living in and about what he'd been up to since he'd left.
His eyes lingered on Aria's longer than she wanted them to. After he complimented her on her haircut, his eyes dropped to her chest, and she looked down, noticing a red mark peeking up just below the top of her dress. She resisted the urge to pull the dress up; she had nothing to be ashamed about.
The marks on the side of her neck were covered by her hair; no one had noticed them. Well, no one besides Mara.
Aria met Ben's judgmental stare with a stern gaze, challenging him to say something. But he didn't.
Good, she thought, getting back to the conversation she'd been having with Adrian. Their relationship had improved slightly. He'd become less of a dick, she realized.
After a while, Aria decided to head to her quarters. She was feeling particularly inspired, so she wanted to write. As she bid the others good night, Ben asked if he could walk her to her room. She felt a little weary about it, but she accepted his offer and walked with him. They were friends, after all. Well, they used to be. Maybe she could fix that, too?
"So...I take it everything is going well?" he asked as they walked to her room.
"Yeah, it is. I got a job, actually. I'm working with the kids, tutoring and making lesson plans-"
"I have to tell you something," Ben said, cutting her off. "I-I came tonight because I...I have some news for you."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Lex isn't who you think he is, Aria," Ben said, looking over his shoulder, making sure they were alone.
Aria rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious, Aria. He's...he's been lying to you," Ben said, stopping in his tracks. They were in the hallway outside her room.
Aria turned to face him, feeling weary already. She wondered if this conversation was stemming from the fact that he'd seen the mark on her chest. He must have known she and Lex were really together now.
"Yeah? And what has he been lying about, Ben?" she asked. She knew her tone was making it pretty apparent that she was only humoring him, that she didn't actually want to hear what he had to say.
"Aria, I know that I messed up. I know that. What I did was stupid. But I was right. We can't trust
