23 - Missed Calls and Sleepy Smiles

Spencer pov

I groaned, throwing my book to the side. The spine was so worn that it stayed on the page I had been reading, even though it had been thrown with some force. I took a dressing gown, pulling my arms through as I made my way down the stairs. The house was dark and quiet. My mum was asleep, having come home exhausted and leaving to go to bed soon after eating.

I opened the door, walking out into the back garden. The grass tickled my bare feet as I made my way over to the barn. I knocked on the door, waiting. Eventually, Melissa arrived, looking a little messy. She was wearing pyjamas, not her own, and her hair was all wild and messy like Medusa's snakes. Her lipstick, which she had worn today, was smudged over the right side of her face, and she looked like she had been crying with laughter for a while.

"Melissa, it's 10:52. Please, just go to sleep and send Wren home." I said, checking my watch. Melissa blushed, embarrassed that I had figured out Wren was here. It wouldn't take a genius.

"He has nowhere else to go. Just, please don't tell mum. I mean, she doesn't really approve, and he can't wander around aimlessly until tomorrow. Please?" She begged, and Wren came to the door. He was barely dressed, in a pair of blue stripey shorts, his bare chest gleaming in the light.

"Well, it won't be my fault if she hears you two together. Goodness knows, you were loud enough for me to become aware." I said, grumpily, before folding my arms in front of my chest. It was kind of cold, and I suppose Wren noticed this because he wrapped his arms around Melissa.

Melissa nuzzled in to him, and then turned to me. "Thank you, Spence. I promise we won't be loud." Wren gave a smirk, catching on to her inside joke, and I just gave her a sigh, threw up my arms, and sassily walked away.

I heard the door of the barn close, and a female giggle. Then I closed the back door, and went back up to my room. In the hall, I heard my mother's voice.

"Spencer? Tell Melissa to send Wren home." Her voice sounded as fed up as I felt, and I poked my head into her room. She was sat on her bed, reading a magazine and eating a banana.

"I tried, mum." I said, and she nodded before I went to my room. Just as I settled down, I found I had a missed call.

Toby.

I ignored it, but part of me was hyper aware of it. Maybe he accidentally dialed my number. Maybe he meant to do it. Maybe I should focus on the book I was reading instead of what reason led to his name being on my screen. I continued reading, until my phone rang. At first I qas expecting Toby to have tried calling me again, but one look at the screen showed it was Aria.

"Hey, Aria, what's up?" I asked, attempting to sound calm and cool. She sounded as if she was outside.

"My dad kicked me out. I have nowhere to go." She sobbed quietly, and I barely made out her words.

"Where are you?" I couldn't have her walking around outside with God knows who on the street, at this time of night. I pulled on a pair of shoes as I listened.

"I'm by the flower shop on the high street." She said, and I raced downstairs, taking the car keys. I was out the door in a flash, getting into the car.

"I'll be two minutes." I promised, then hung up.

-----

I pulled on to the high street, carefully driving down to the flower shop. I saw someone sat on a bench, hunched over to protect them from the wind and the slight rain that had begun. I parked up, and the person's head whipped up.

Aria had tears streaming down her cheeks, and she attempted to wipe them away before I stumbled out of the car. She stood up, and I enclosed her safely in my arms. I don't know how long we stood there, clinging to each other, but I let go when I felt her small body shiver. I took her hand, and then pulled off the jacket I had thrown on before leaving. I wrapped it around her shoulders, before leading her to the car. I opened the door, and she wasted no time on climbing in.

I got in, and turned the heater up. Aria shivered, and I wanted to hold her again. But I had to get her back to my house, so she could change from these soggy clothes. I focused on making it home, but we were about five minutes away when she turned to me.

"Spence, what do I do?" She sounded worried, and I felt sorry for her. It wasn't easy, living Aria's life. But she did it perfectly, might I say.

"I don't know, but for now you can come sleep over at mine." I offered, and she nodded. Maybe tonight wasn't going to be such a 'cuddle and kisses' night. Maybe tonight, she needed a friend more than a....whatever I was to her now.

So it was as I picked her out a pair of pyjamas, and she got settled into my bed beside me, that I decided to voice my thoughts.

"Aria?" I asked into the darkness.

"Mmm?" Came her reply, as if she was falling asleep.

"Are you my girlfriend?" I decided to come right out, and ask her. She shuffled her position, and looked up at me.

"You never asked me to be." There was a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Well, will you be my girlfriend?" I asked, a new air of confidence around me. She pretended to think for a moment, and then smiled.

"Of course." And then she kissed me before resting her head on my chest. And that's why I fell asleep with a smile on my face.