An Aria for Nick

CHAPTER 1   COLUMBUS, GEORGIA NEAR FORT BENNING TWELVE YEARS AGO   "WAKE up, birthday girl!" Aria Suarez buried herself deeper under the covers. "Aria, honey, time to wake up!" With a groan, Aria stretched and slowly sat up. She could hear her mother at the base of the stairs and knew that if she didn't get up, one of her brothers would soon arrive to retrieve her. They could be relentless. A few minutes of extra sleep were not worth the torment that would cause, especially on her eighteenth birthday. She stumbled from her bedroom and into the bathroom where she turned on the shower and closed the shower curtain, letting the hot water make the long morning journey up the old pipes from the water heater in the basement. She leaned against the wall and waited for the mirror to start to steam. As she looked out through the window and noticed the dark pre-dawn sky, she made a silent resolution that she would take only afternoon classes in college, and find work that never required her to wake before dawn. Aria showered quickly, then stumbled back to her room and threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She heard a tap on the door and looked up as her mother walked in, carrying a cup of coffee. Aria gratefully accepted the hot cup and eagerly enjoyed the first sip. "Thanks, Mom." Doris Suarez regarded her youngest child, a little grin playing about her lips. Aria imagined what her mother must be feeling. Perhaps a little tug at realizing that the last of her babies had grown into adulthood. Out of four children, Aria was not only the baby but also the only girl — so very different from her brothers. She even looked different. Her brothers had all inherited their father's dark looks and height, while Aria was petite with blonde hair, more like her mother. The only traces of her Hispanic heritage were her caramel brown eyes and skin that looked just dark enough to imitate a healthy tan. Aria ran her hands through her short blonde hair and sat on the side of her bed to wiggle her toes into her shoes. "Is Daddy still here?" she asked. "No. He left a couple of hours ago. He tried to wake you, but said you wouldn't budge." Aria's father served in the United States Army. He had made the Army his career and a way of life for his family. They currently enjoyed the duty station at Fort Benning, Georgia. Aria rubbed her eyes and put her head in her hands, trying to banish the cobwebs from her brain. "No big deal. We had such a big party Saturday." "He said to tell you, and I quote, 'God has truly blessed this family with such an amazing daughter.' He prayed for you this morning, thanking God for your talent with music and for your sharp mind." Aria smiled despite her drowsiness. Sometimes she thought she could listen to her father pray all day. She started to feel the caffeine hit her bloodstream, and willed it to help her wake up. She hated mornings, especially Monday mornings. "How many more days until Spring Break?" Doris Suarez laughed and kissed the top of her only daughter's head. "Another cup of coffee, and you'll be ready to face the day, dear." She started to walk out of the room, and stopped at the door. "Your brothers are all downstairs, awake and waiting to wish you Happy Birthday," she confided. Aria groaned, making her mother laugh. "John is even making you waffles." John was Aria's eldest brother, eight years her senior, and a police officer in Atlanta, home on vacation for five days past New Year's Day, having worked over Christmas. Then there was Henry, who was twenty-five and a third year medical student. Finally, Adam, who was twenty-one and going to college in California learning to make movies and write screenplays. Henry and Adam each had another week before school started back for them. "Tell them I'm on my way," Aria said, and bent to gather her books. She packed up her backpack, grabbed her coffee cup from her dresser, then made her way downstairs. She walked through the living room and pushed open the kitchen door, ignoring Henry who made some laughing comment about it being a beautiful morning. John stood at the counter, pouring batter into the waffle iron as Adam poured a cup of coffee. She walked up behind Adam and rested her forehead against his back while she set her coffee cup in front of him for a refill. "Aria, it can't be good for you to be that dependent on caffeine. You're barely eighteen," John said, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't have to be if they didn't start school around here at the ungodly hour of seven-twenty," Aria mumbled. "I miss Washington. They didn't start there until eight-ten." Her cup full, she grabbed it and flopped down at the table. She crossed her arms, resting her head on her folded wrists as the coffee cup warmed her palms. She heard someone set a plate on the table and the smell of waffles with softened butter and real maple syrup filled her senses. Her mouth started watering, so she lifted her head and saw all three of her brothers standing around the table staring at her and grinning. "What are you staring at?" she asked. She put a hand to her hair to make sure nothing was sticking up anywhere. "Happy Birthday, Aria," Adam said. Henry pulled a small box wrapped up in a page from the Sunday comics out of his pocket. The large pink bow adorning it looked slightly crushed. She took the box and stared down at it for a moment. "But you already gave me presents," she said. For some reason, she felt tears tickling the corner of her eyes and an unexpected tightness in the back of her throat. "Didn't you wonder why we got you things like socks and stationery?" Adam asked. "I didn't really think about it," Aria whispered as she ripped the paper off the box. She opened the lid and her mouth dropped open in shock. The tears had moved to cloud her eyes, and threatened to spill over. Her hand shook a little as she retrieved the single key nestled in a bed of tissue paper. "Come outside, Aria," John said. She flew out of her chair and into the arms of the closest brother, laughing and crying. She went to each one, kissing and hugging them in turn, then dashed outside. Parked at the curb under a streetlight was a shiny little black sports car with a big pink ribbon around it. She turned back around to look toward where they all stood on the porch, watching her with grins on their faces. "How … ?" "Adam and I had extra money after last semester was over with, and John here has good credit," Henry said. "Real good credit," Adam said, elbowing John in the ribs. "Besides, when you become a world famous pianist, you can buy us all cars." "Make mine a Viper!" John enthused. She went back to them and kissed each one of them on their unshaven cheeks again. "You guys are awesome," she said. Then she ran to the car and stood at the driver's door. "Come on. Let's go for a ride."   ¯¯¯¯   "AND there it sat all shiny and black," Aria bragged. She stood at her locker, talking with her best friend, Carol Mabry. "We're still talking about your brothers, right? The Brothers' Suarez? I didn't know they had it in them to be that sweet," Carol teased. "Every once in a while they throw me a bone," Aria said. "Apparently, my parents didn't have anything to do with it." She glanced up and felt her pulse pick up. Nick Williams walked toward her. She remembered how she had smiled for days after discovering that his locker was next to hers this year. Since her sophomore year she'd had a very strong, very serious crush on him. She had even joined JROTC to try to get him to notice her. It hadn't worked. Other than to bark orders of a military capacity at her, he never even looked at her of his own volition. He reached his locker and spun the dial without even glancing in her direction. "Hey, Nick," she greeted, a little breathless. He looked down at her, an annoyed look on his face. She could have sworn that she had to swallow around her heart when his eyes met hers. Ice blue was the only way she knew how to describe them, nearly silver, with lashes any woman would envy. His dirty blond hair was cut military short, his nose slightly crooked, and he had a little scar on his chin. It served to give him a daring, somewhat dangerous bad-boy look. Also, he was tall. She barely reached his shoulder. When she noticed he had a fresh bruise on one cheek, unexpected anger surged through her mind. The black eye he had last week had barely faded, and now he already had another bruise. "Suarez," he answered evenly, responding to her greeting. "Don't be late again this afternoon," he cautioned as he grabbed his U. S. History textbook and slammed his locker. She watched him walk away without a backward glance. They served on the JROTC rifle team together and had a match on Friday. Nick was the best shot in the state, and Aria had been hoping that he might finally notice her if she joined the team, too. So, she'd joined, despite her intense piano lessons and practice schedule. Apparently, the time and sacrifice hadn't worked, because he still only called her by her last name. "You need to give up on that boy," Carol said. Aria shook her head sharply. "Never." Carol slammed her locker shut. "He thinks you're too good for him." Aria pursed her lips, considering. "Seems like I should be the judge of that," she concluded as she and Carol made their way to Physics class.   ¯¯¯¯