30 minutes later and the pair finally reached the doorstep to Arias small town home. She reached into her book bag for her keys, pulling them out before shoving one silver key into the lock. She opened the door and allowed herself and Marcus to enter her living room.
The room was bare, except for a light brown couch, coffee table, one empty bookshelf and a tv stand with a small flat screen on top. She was still trying to make the place her own, but it took longer then she planned.
"Home sweet home." Aria sighed as she plopped down onto the couch, tossing her book bag on the wooden coffee table in front of her.
Marcus sat beside her, kicking his feet up on the table. "At least you live alone. I have to share an apartment with a gothic weirdo." He teased with a slight chuckle. "Man he loves to blast his metal music."
Aria rolled her eyes. "The dude has no friends, leave him alone." She playfully nudged his side, causing him to fake groan. "Let's get to studying. We do have an English exam Friday." She reached over to the few textbooks on the coffee table, pulling out the English one they needed.
Marcus watched as he ran his fingers through his brown hair. "Good thing I have you. I wouldn't be barely passing since Professor Boring can't make things interesting." He teased, causing the girl to chuckle as she flipped through the pages.
"Just shut up and grab paper and pen." Aria placed the textbook on the table, beginning her tutoring session to her best friend.
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It was two hours later, the sun had gone down and the moon had taken its place. The sound of crickets echoed around the house as the pair ended their tutoring session. "There. All you need to know." Aria let out a small yawn, rubbing the back of her aching neck. "Just don't lose these notes."
Marcus nodded as he grabbed the paper that his notes were lazily written on and stuffed it into his book bag. "Don't worry." He playfully winked at his friend. A small ding sounded in his pocket, indicating he had a text message. He pulled out his phone and checked the notification. Sighing, he shoved the phone back into his pocket. "I gotta get going. My dumbass brother needs help with something."
Aria watched as he stood from the couch, stretching his muscular limbs. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then?" She asked, knowing it was the weekend.
The young boy nodded his head with a teasing smirk. "Miss me already." He chuckled when she smacked the back of his leg. "I'll come by and pick you up around noon-ish." He grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He turned to her, leaning down and pecking her cheek before heading towards the door. "Sleep tight Aria." He flashed her a smile before heading out into the night.
Alone in the house, Aria made sure to lock the front door before preparing dinner. She always loved to cook, it was the one thing she did for herself that her mother never did. She watched YouTube videos to help her learn over the years.
She walked into her small kitchen. She managed to add some decorations, not much but the perfect amount. A small picture of a wiener dog wearing a cooks hat and apron hung above the bar, black stools placed neatly underneath the table top. Aria opened the fridge, grabbing some ingredients for her one-person dinner.
"Cheese." She mumbled to herself, placing the bag of shredded cheese on the counter. "Soft tortilla shells and little bits of chicken." She was making herself some chicken quesadilla, homemade style.
It didn't take her long to cook. All she had to do was bake the chicken and chopped them into little pieces. She sprinkled cheese into the tortilla shells and placed the chicken on top before placing them in the microwave. It was an easy dinner.
The microwave dinged, indicating the food was cooked. She sat at the bar and began eating. As she ate, she scrolled through her phone in boredom. It did suck living alone but she did enjoy having her own privacy.
One she finished, she washed her dirty dishes in the sink before heading upstairs to the bathroom. She wanted to take a warm bath before heading off to bed. She grabbed a fluffy pink towel and folded it up on the toilet. She bent over the tub side, turning on the faucet.
Slipping off her shirt, she tossed it to the corner of the room before removing the rest of the clothes. She stepped into the tub, sitting down with a relaxed sigh. It doesn't hurt to relax after a long school day.
After a few minutes of silence, her phone began to ring. A groan left her lips as she reached over to grab her phone from atop the towel on the toilet. The caller ID read "Mother".
Aria hesitated for a good few minutes before answering. "Hello?" She was shocked that her mother had finally called her after months of her moving.
"Aria-" her mother started, her voice stern and empty. "I just lost my job due to health reasons. I cannot help pay rent.." The one thing her mother did do was help pay half of the rent, it helped Aria a lot and she focused more on her studies then working a full-time job.
Frowning, the young girl ran her free hand through her soaked hair. "Seriously?" She sighed, shaking her head. "I guess I'll just get a full-time job, or possibly a roommate."
"Mhmm." Was all her mother had to say to that. "If anything else comes up I'll call you. But for now, I'll be staying in the hospital until further notice." Aria so badly wanted to know what was wrong with her health, but she knew her mother wouldn't tell her. "Don't cause me anymore stress." Her mother spat before hanging up.
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she held them in. She didn't understand why her mother was acting so cold towards her. She didn't believe it was only just because she moved to another state to pursue her dream career. Sinking into the water, Aria couldn't help but worry about her mother. Was she okay? Is her health that bad? Why wouldn't her mother talk to her?
All the young girl could do was worry and overthink. Maybe she could try to get her mother to open up like she used to do. She could only try.