BABY STEPS

CHAPTER TWO

I woke up this morning with a headache like no other. I knew I was stressed about the first day of school but I didn't think I was this stressed. Sitting up in my bed I sighed, patting my hair down with my hands.

I made my way out to the hall so that I can use the bathroom before anyone else, but was too late because there was Micah and Jeremy fighting over whose turn it was.

"You went in first last time!" Jeremy protests.

"Yeah, but last time wasn't the first day of school. I can't be late right now Jeremy." Micah says, shoving his short body out of the way and going inside.

"Are you just going to let this happen?" Jeremy asks me, going into a fit. I just shrug.

"Jeremy, you're twelve. He needs it more than you." Iris says, coming out of her bedroom. I just stood there and waited so that I can get the Aspirin from the medicine cabinet once he was done.

"I don't understand why all of us have to share a bathroom! This isn't fair! We can at least have three!" I rolled my eyes at him, and then placed my fingers on my forehead.

"Calm down Jerbear," I whispered, trying to get him to stop yelling. "In just one short year you'll have the bathroom all to yourself. You and Ashton both." As soon as Micah opened the door I went in, smiling at Jeremy. "My turn,"

"Hey Aria!" Taylor grinned, walking up to me. "Can you believe summer is over already? It's so lame." She laughed, and I gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Just one more year of this and we're off to college!" Bonnie says, and I sighed.

They are way too giddy for it to be early in the morning, and I am way too sick to care. "What's wrong, Aria?" Oliveyah asked, c*****g her head to the side.

"Nothing," I said. "I'm just tired still." At that, she laughed.

"You should start going to bed early then, it's not very healthy to go to sleep late and wake up early." Everyone started to groan except me.

"Gosh, Oliveyah!" Taylor complains, walking away.

"Don't start with this stuff!" Bonnie says, walking away also but in the opposite direction.

"What did I say?" She says, looking at both of them before shrugging.

"I should get to my locker," I say, waving her a quick goodbye.

At my locker, I found it just as I had left it before. Pictures of my friends taped on the door, a small Coldplay poster, and a paper heart and flower that I made in Art my freshman year.

I started to empty my bag to fill it up with two books, but stop when I notice these two girls laughing and looking in my direction. They stop when they see me looking but never wipe the smug grins from their faces.

I look away from them slowly, wondering what they were laughing about but shrugged it off. I closed my locker then headed to my first class.

On the way to Mr. Welch's class I saw Ian. Which, might I add I was not happy about but was expecting. I mean, we do go to school together!

I know that he didn't see me: he was too busy talking to his friends, but I still got all flushed. I guess that comes from my seven years of being heels over head in love with him.

I still can't even believe I slept with him! I can't believe that I actually let myself be with him and have it not mean more than a way out, than because he had feelings for me. Which I don't even think he does.

I was nothing more than company under his sheets; a stain in his perfect life. A memory that he probably won't even discuss with his future wife. When he tells the story of his lost virginity, he won't say "she was the love of my life in that day," and he won't say "I'll never forget the way her skin felt against mine." He'll just say "oh." He'll say she was just this girl from my class, and I was tired of being a virgin.

In hindsight, maybe sleeping with him wasn't such a good idea. I know I don't mind being just a stain in someone's life - as long as I am there. But that's not how it was supposed to be with Ian.

Moving my dark hair behind my ear, I scurried into the room unsure if he saw me staring at him or not, but hoping it was the latter.

"Aria!" Bonnie whined, wrapping her arms around me. "Why have you been so distant lately?" I blinked a few times, snapping out of my stupor.

"What?" I asked, looking around the lunch table.

"You haven't been talking to us much since last week," she explains, leaning her head on my shoulder. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Bonnie. I just haven't been feeling very well lately." I smile at her reassuringly, and she grins back, her deep brown eyes sparkling.

"Well, as long as you're not getting tired of me," she says, going back to her food.

"Oh, BonBon! I could never get tired of you!" I laugh, pinching her pale skin.

"Ow!" She complains, pushing my hand away, but soon after she starts smiling again.

"Where's Olive and Taylor?" I asked, noticing that they weren't there.

"They never came. Taylor's with Hailey though, they're starting some sort of art project or something. I don't know. And Olive's in the library as usual." At that, I rolled my eyes, biting into my chicken tenders.

"Hey baby," a deep voice says from behind us. I notice that it's just Bonnie's boyfriend Joseph.

"Hi!" She says brightly, letting him kiss her. He sits in the seat in front of us with his tray, and waves a hello at him. "I haven't seen you all day!" She says, and he shrugs.

"I'm sorry, Bon. I had a lot of catching up to do," he laughs. "How've you been Aria? I haven't seen you all summer."

"I've been fine," I said, pulling out my iPhone because I heard it ting. It was just a text from Oliveyah asking me to bring her a water bottle. I half smiled at my phone shaking my head.

"What?" Bonnie asked, looking at my phone.

"I gotta go," I said simply standing up from my seat. "My friendly services are needed." I grabbed my tray, !bought Oliveyah her water, then made my way to the library.

~•~

I grabbed a piece of tissue for my mouth, wiping away the puke. I guess that cafeteria food didn't sit well with me anymore.

I wiped the sweat away from my forehead, and just when I begin to get up I started to puke again.

When I finally came out of the bathroom, I noticed one of the girls from earlier looking at me from the mirror. She was obviously here the whole time; otherwise she wouldn't be staring at me like she knew something about me that I didn't.

I averted my eyes quickly washing my hands and mouth at the sink. "Don't worry," she says while applying some mascara. "I won't tell."

"Tell what?" I asked blandly, drying my hands.

"That you're bulimic." She said it like it was the most normal thing in the world; like she was telling me the sky was blue. "That would explain how you got so skinny over the summer, and why you're here after downing all those chicken tenders for lunch." She laughs coldly. "I don't judge though."

"You think I'm throwing up on purpose?" I asked her in disbelief. She just shrugged. "Are you watching me or something?"

"Whatever, it's either that it you're pregnant and I'm guessing it's not the latter." And with that, she was gone.