Ring
“Okay.” She hung up the phone.
Ever since that night every word spoken to her felt like a lie. People are hypocrites and they only say things just to make you feel better, they don’t actually care. They just want the walking ghost to rest in peace. Aria tried to blend back into social norms immediately, creating distractions, becoming busier, she was exhausted and at the end of the day, her efforts failed and the feelings all came back at once. Holding herself together, she screamed and sobbed into her salty pillows until she’d awoken with swollen eyes, lifting herself out of bed, forcing herself to get through another day hiding the pain.

“Aria can I use your napkin?” Lillian tapped on Aria’s shoulder. Lillian sat next to Aria at lunch every day. She was an eccentric girl. She was slender with black hair and long fingers. Her smile could lighten anyone’s mood, but her kind heart hasn’t been enough for Aria lately. They sat in the far corner of the lunchroom with a few others of Aria’s friends. The room smelled like ramen and burned popcorn. Aria was listening to other table’s conversations and Lillian caught her off guard.
“Oh, sorry, yeah here.” Aria handed Lillian her napkin. She then buried her face into her arms. Lillian sighed and looked at Aria. She stroked Aria’s hair and Aria placed her head next to hers. Aria turned her head to look at Lillian’s. Lillian’s face was genuine; she could tell something was wrong with Aria.
“Aria, it’s been two months.”
“Three.” Aria turned her face back to the cold table.
“You were fine yesterday, what’s wrong with you today?” Lillian’s voice was no longer kind; it was bored, sounding like she was faking empathy.
“He was in my dreams last night. I had a dream he called me and apologized and said everything was going to be okay. I woke up and checked my phone for any missed calls and when I realized I dreamt about it…” Aria’s voice trailed off to a slight mumble and before Lillian could ask more the bell rang.
Aria jolted upwards and grabbed her bag. “I’ll see you later.” She sped out of the lunchroom.
She didn’t pay attention to anyone that day, at least not until her fourth period. Aria sat through her classes spaced out, she couldn’t focus on anything. She dropped her pencil and Peter picked it up. She looked into Peter’s inviting eyes as he handed back her pencil. “Thanks.” she said.
“You’re welcome.” Peter smile then looked to the front of the classroom.
This brightened Aria’s mood substantially. It was the little things that kept her going. The bell rang to get to fifth period. Aria grabbed her stuff. Peter was about to walk out the door when he saw Aria struggling to carry her basketball bag. Peter walked over to Aria. “Need help?”
“No, I’m okay. I got it.”
“I insist.” Peter grabbed her bag. They both looked at each other and smiled.
Peter walked her to fifth period. “Can I text you later?” he asked. “What’s your number?”
“I’m not sure I have a prepaid phone and my number just changed when I reactivated it.” Aria placed her hand in her pocket. “Oh I’m sorry; I left it at home.”
“Here I’ll write my number down on your hand.” Peter took out a pen and scribbled his number into Aria’s hand.
“Okay I’ll text you later then.” Aria chuckled.
He made a couple jokes on the way to class and soon Aria had forgotten about her dream. They had the same fifth period together as well. In class, Peter kept looking at Aria and making funny faces. He scrunched his nose and stuck is tongue out and tried to touch his nose with it. He couldn’t. Aria laughed.
She took the bus home. An unusual transport since she usually drives to school. The walk home was quite soothing. The sun was making the light snow on the ground shine. It was almost springtime, she thought. Her winter boots lightly crunched the snow beneath her feet.
She arrived at her house to check the mail. There was none. I guess Dad got it. There was a wind that blew gently and her hair whipped against her nose. She remembered Peter’s act of his failed nose touching attempt and she attempted it herself.
She walked through the door. “Aria how was school? What are you doing?” her Dad asked through his office door.
Aria noticed her tongue was still out of her mouth. “Nothing.” she slurped it back in and giggled.
She placed her bags down and walked up the stairs. Her phone was on her bed. It was vibrating. It was a type of phone that if you didn’t answer it, it will keep vibrating until it is answered. She smiled and picked up the phone. Her phone didn’t say who it was, but she got a voicemail. Opening up her voicemail her smile faded from her face. She collapsed on the floor; phone still in hand, her heart rate sped up and she could barely recognize his voice, but from the first word she knew who it was.
“Okay.”