Aria went to a spot where the sun was directly shining on her face. She tried to look at the sun but immediately looked down, blinking rapidly and scrunching up her face.
Jacob came from behind, "That's what happens when you look at the sun. Are you an idiot, or do you think you're some kind of God."
Aria could not be bothered to answer him and just rolled her eyes.
She turned and pulled off her sweater and hung it to dry on a low branch of a tree. Then she began to squeeze her long hair which she had left open today to remove water from them.
Jacob was about to give some sassy comeback to Aria when he saw her removing her sweater. Jacob looked at Aria with her mouth open as his words were stuck in his throat. Jacob was fairly handsome and was a good bender, so girls always flocked around him. He never paid attention to those girls and even found them annoying. Though he never liked them, he was still polite and unable to reject many of their advances. But Aria was the only girl outside his family with whom he really enjoyed himself. Jacob did not like Aria romantically or anything like that, he just admired her bending skills and thought that she was fun to be around.
But today, as he saw her drying her golden hair and the sun shining behind her, not dazzling, rather complimenting her beauty, Jacob felt a new emotion in his heart.
He felt something warm in his heart when Aria gave him a smile and beckoned him as she sat down, her hair slightly swaying in the wind. What was this? How come he had never before noticed that Aria was so beautiful? Her long hair, dark eyes that seemed like they could and did hold an entire sea and that mature smile, which seemed to have already braved many hardships, but still dared to smile.
Jacob had always felt like Aria did not belong in their village. Like she was too good for it, like she was a beautiful dream that would disappear the instant you opened your eyes. He had even asked her about it when they had become friends. But Aria's smile had vanished and her eyes had dimmed on the question. So Jacob had changed the topic and promised himself never to ask about it. He believed that Aria would tell him whenever she was ready. But now, Jacob really wanted to know what was it? Not because he was curious, but he wanted to find out what had happened that could make such a small girl smile so maturely?
What had happened that only a seven year old child was found unconscious in the river? What had happened that a 14 year old knew so well how to hide her emotions? He had often seen Aria's bright smile disappear when she thought no one was looking. He wondered what had happened?
Jacob shook his head and pulled himself back. Aria was here right now, she was trying her best not to let anyone know that she was unhappy deep inside. So Jacob was also going to try his best to make her truly happy.
He took off his shirt and hung it beside Aria's sweater, then he went and sat beside her.