Sorry I can’t be home tonight. Feel free to use the money for back-to-school shopping. Try to stay under two-hundred dollars. Have a great senior year!
Love, Dad
The temptation came as swiftly as her anger did. Aria hated how she even contemplated taking the card. Even after she just gave herself a ten-minute lecture on how she didn’t want to be one of those kids again, and the fact that her dad clearly had to say to spend under two-hundred, made her want to hit something.
She had to remind herself that it won’t be like that anymore.
She was better than that.
Aria left the card on the countertop and quickly prepared herself something for dinner.
As she ate, Aria distracted herself with her phone in order to avoid that stupid piece of plastic on the counter. It was an uneventful dinner, but at least she was full.
As she went upstairs to get ready for bed, she couldn’t help but wonder where her life was heading.
What kind of year would her senior year be like? What kind of people would she meet?
She then thought about what her purpose post-high school would be. This was after all, her last year of being a kid. She didn’t have any full-on responsibilities yet, but soon enough, they would come.
In a lot of ways, she wished that she had a passion or a talent for something. Her dad was really smart, and was a tech-geek who talked a lot about his Ivy League days. Her mom was a social butterfly and was able to make connections through her work; both of which were based on her doing something with communications which simply made sense. Mira was a superstar athlete and she’ll probably get a full ride scholarship to her university of choice.
Then there was her.
What was she good at, or at least skilled enough to make a living off of? Aria wasn’t even sure herself.
As she fell on her bed after her nightly routine, she began to think of everything, anything, and nothing.
From classes, to teachers, to jobs, to dances.
Eventually, her mind flitted off to relationships.
That’s a bad idea.
High school romances were meant to stay in high school. If her and her boyfriend went beyond that then what were the odds of that relationship lasting through university? Or through their careers? Or if they had to move? Not to mention the fact that people grow up at different paces.
It sounds like more of a pain than anything.
Then again, would it be nice to have a relationship?
Yes.
Yes, it would be nice to finally experience a relationship. Maybe it wouldn’t be ideal like how all the movies and television shows portrayed it, but the idea of something so wholesome, sweet, and heartwarming sounded like something Aria wanted to try out one day.
Then again, she was a little too picky to try with simply anyone. Aria didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but she did know what she didn’t want.
She didn’t want to be with someone for the sake of being with someone. There wasn’t anything special in that. She wanted someone who was worth it; someone who she was willing to break her own heart for; and someone she would never regret crying over.
At least not too much.
But people who fit those certain ‘someones’ were an ultra rare commodity.
***
Getting up in the early morning wasn’t exactly her forte.
Nevertheless, the sun was out and was expecting her to be wide awake by now.
Eventually, she groggily and semi-reluctantly got out of bed.
As she prepared for school, Aria decided to go with something casual despite the fact that she already bought some new clothes last week. Besides, it wasn’t like it was picture day or anything fancy like that.
Breakfast was a quiet affair. Her dad seemed to have left for work earlier that morning, although he did manage to make a small stack of fresh waffles for her. Despite them not being crunchy or piping hot, Aria appreciated the sentiment, and quickly ate the soft waffles. After she finished her meal, she began her voyage to school.
Their town house was within walking distance to the high school which was nice because they only had one car. Plus, she could avoid the massive traffic jam when the school day ends.
Her classes were going by slowly as usual. It was the first day back, and all the teachers had to talk about the same academic expectations and syllabi. It was also the day where everyone had a chance to reconnect with each other.
Somewhere along the line, Aria realized that her schedule didn’t align with Mira’s or anyone else that she usually spoke to. Nevertheless, she found it strangely liberarting. It forced her into a new and slightly uncomfortable situation, but it would help her grow as a person. It was also an opportunity for her to get better at adjusting and expanding her social circle.
The day soon ended and Aria was waiting for Mira in the library to wait out the traffic as usual. After one quick text later, there was a change of plans. Apparently, Mira was showing a few new kids the soccer field, and instead of waiting, Aria decided to meet them there.
By the time she climbed the last bit of steps towards the soccer field, her breathing was already uneven, and she wondered who the hell would come up here during this time of the day. The sun was beating down on her back, and her backpack was already filled with a few books.
Whose bright idea was to come up here again?
Oh right, her crazy best friend who wanted her to
