Aria (The Aria Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  At the bottom of the bag were the high heels I had worn and a small envelope with my jewelry in it. I breathed a sigh of relief at having found it. My watch and earrings weren’t anything special but the silver ring had been my grandmother’s. I opened the small bag and emptied its contents into my hand. Among the small pile of jewelry was another piece, noticeably different in color and shape. It was a small pendant, attached to a delicate chain. I pulled it from the pile and examined it closely. The pendant was gold, rectangular in shape, about an inch long and had an unusual form of writing on it. I studied the elegant script but it wasn’t anything I recognized. Arabic perhaps, or some sort of hieroglyphic language?

  I stared at it closely and rolled the pendant over in my hand. I knew that many things about last night were foggy and that I couldn’t completely trust my memory, but I knew one thing for certain…this beautiful piece of jewelry was not mine.

  Chapter 2

  I didn’t think about the attack. I went to bed early, eager to put the exhausting day behind me but I found little refuge. My night was full of bad dreams, numerous bathroom breaks and a myriad of other reasons that I insisted were important at the time. I got up to adjust the thermostat or the lighting in my room, let the dog out to pee, anything as an excuse not to fall asleep. Morning came quickly. I awoke, groggy, cranky and generally irritated as one is when they haven’t slept well. I should have just taken one of Sam’s sleeping pills as she suggested and snored the night away.

  I took a long, scalding shower, feeling only marginally guilty about hoarding all the hot water. The steam cleared my stuffy nose and the water relaxed my tense muscles after my restless night. As I stood under the cascading water, I finally allowed the memories of the attack to fill my mind. I replayed my conversation with Matt in my head, like a movie, sometimes rewinding so I could “watch” the scene again. I thought about it long and hard but I still couldn’t remember much. There were too many holes and periods that were still…foggy.

  I placed my face under the showerhead and let the water wash the tears from my eyes. I forced them back, knowing that once I started it would be difficult to stop them. I knew the sadness wasn’t just for Matt. As the doctor and detective had said, I was incredibly lucky to be alive.

  By the time I got dressed and headed downstairs, it was almost nine-thirty. I was half starved and craving a caffeine IV. I could hear an assortment of voices as I descended the steps and, as I reached the landing, I saw them - Sam, her boyfriend Ronny, and two of our friends, Jenna and Bodie. They were eating breakfast and watching TV and, as I neared, all gave a small cheer at seeing me.

  I rolled my eyes and felt my face flush red. “What’s going on?” I asked, heading for the kitchen. Clearly, Sam had informed everyone about last night.

  “We decided to ditch classes today and hang out with you. You know, support and all,” Bodie said.

  “That’s so sweet,” I muttered, even though Bodie ditched classes on an almost weekly basis. He peeled himself off the couch and came over to give me a hug. I winced as he crushed me, squeezing so tight my ribs nearly cracked, but I didn’t say anything. His unkempt hair was still wet and he smelled like a salty mixture of sand and surf. Our home had become a safehouse for Bodie, a place where he could avoid school, jobs, ex-girlfriends and other outside obligations. He rarely came to actually visit us. He was a self-proclaimed surfing expert and usually came to do just that, watch TV and ransack our barren refrigerator. It was not unusual to find him curled up on our couch in early hours of the morning.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I said.

  “Yes, we did,” Jenna answered. “Our friend was hurt, we needed to be here.”

  “It’s also a good excuse to skip classes,” Ronny piped up between bites of his cereal. Sam threw a dish towel at him.

  “I called in sick for you,” Sam said but I wasn’t really surprised.

  “Thanks, Mom,” I muttered. “Lydia will love that.”

  “It’s fine; I told her what happened. You need a day to rest and, besides, the doctor said no using your brain today. No school, work or tv…and no workouts all week!” Sam was saying and I rolled my eyes again, knowing full well I was going to break every rule by the week’s end. But I didn’t argue with her about the work part. I knew she was right. I worked part time at a local gymnastics place, teaching children the basics of the sport. The thought of trying to deal with a group of screaming, squirming youngsters was already sending my head into a tailspin. I would have been useless today anyhow.

  “Taylor couldn’t miss school today, she has a lab she had to be at and then she has to go to work,” Sam explained.

  “Well,” I said, reaching for a mug and pouring myself some coffee, “she’s on my list.” A dark, almost syrup like liquid slowly emerged from the simmering pot and eventually found its way into my mug. Bodie had made the coffee today. Sam smiled at me and pushed the sugar my direction. I honestly didn’t care if someone couldn’t come today as there were more than enough bodies in our cramped little living room. It was always good to see my friends but, this time, all I could think about was being alone. It was Sam who was the social butterfly anyway.

  “We didn’t want you to be by yourself. Thought we could hang out and stuff today. Make it a no stress day,” Sam said, tousling her dark curls.

  “Awesome,” I said, eyeing some renegade coffee grounds swirling around in my drink. I poured in some cream to dilute Bodie’s noxious concoction. Jenna came over and slung an arm around my shoulders. She gave me a tight squeeze before sitting at the counter.

  “How’s your head?” she asked me.

  “It feels ok,” I lied. It actually felt like it was in a vice. I had already taken my allotted amount of Tylenol for the morning.

  She gestured to my forehead. “How long until you get your stitches out?”

  “I dunno. I don’t really give a shit,” I muttered, almost to myself.

  “Wow, you’re a real princess this morning,” she said but she wasn’t offended. “Looks like you already got them wet.”

  I cursed again, fingering my forehead. “Do you think it matters?”

  “You never were good at following directions,” Sam said playfully, downing the last of her coffee. “Hopefully it won’t get infected.”

  “Just keep an eye on it,” Jenna said calmly, waving away my concern. She took a sip from her own mug and I caught sight of the infinitesimal glare she sent Sam. I could always count on Jenna to counteract the over-bearing mother that was my roommate. She managed to bring things down a few notches when Sam got worked up and went nuclear. But I had to admit, this time, Sam was handling things surprisingly well.

  “So, tell me how you’re really doing,” Jenna said. Her tone was off and she was worried, I could tell. I shrugged and let out a sigh.

  “I’m ok. I didn’t see anything and I don’t remember much so I feel ok. It’s not like I witnessed the guy getting killed.” I nearly shuddered at the thought.

  “Yeah, thank God. I mean could you imagine, seeing something like that?” Jenna shook her head, her blonde hair falling into her eyes. “It was on the news this morning,” she said quietly.

  “What?!” I exclaimed. Was she kidding me? The news?! “They didn’t mention me did they?” I stammered.

  “No, they didn’t mention any names. It was just a quick blurb about a fatal shooting, you know. They didn’t have much info. Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.” She cringed, immediately regretting her statement.

  “No, it’s fine. I’m just freaking out a little.” I ran my hands through my hair. Jenna then questioned me about the night’s events which I regurgitated for her like an absentminded zombie. Again, my recollections about the alley were vague. When I had finished, she set her coffee mug on the counter, folded her arms across her body and shook her head. “That’s so scary, you’re lucky to be alive.”

  “I know,” I replied. It was becoming my automated answer to that statement.

&nbs
p; We spent the morning being total bums and, I had to admit, it was exactly what I needed. We snacked, gossiped, played a board game and were contemplating a lunch run when the phone rang. It was the detective who wanted to know when I would be coming in to give my statement. I felt my heart sink, I had nearly forgotten. Sam glanced at me and asked if 3pm would be ok. I nodded from my place on the couch and turned my attention back to the video game massacre that was taking place on the television. Ronny had brought his Xbox over and he and Bodie were in the middle of some bloody, covert, military battle. It was a little graphic for my taste but I sat there anyway, snuggled up in a blanket and feeling my eyelids grow heavier by the second. I knew if I didn’t rest more, Sam would have a conniption and send everyone home.

  Jenna was sitting next to me, a computer in her lap, surfing and pretending to ignore the brutal carnage taking place on the TV. Ronny finally threw his hands up in victory as animated body parts flew in every direction.

  “What the hell, dude?!” Bodie hollered. “I was re-loading!”

  “It’s war, man! You don’t get to call a time-out to reload!”

  “That was total crap! Hashtag cheat, hashtag lame.”

  I pulled my blanket up closer and tried drowning out the noise level with my hand. Napping was not in the cards today.

  “Are we doing lunch or what?” Jenna demanded from them.

  “I dunno. What time is it?” Bodie asked, setting up for another round with Ronny.

  “Nya’s not up for going out!” Sam shouted from the kitchen.

  “It’s after twelve.”

  “No wonder I’m so starved. We need sustenance,” Bodie said, rubbing his bare stomach. His wavy hair was dry now and was sticking out in every direction as if static electricity itself had reached unprecedented levels inside his very head.

  “Yeah,” Ronny piped up. “Someone needs to do a burger run.”

  “I’m not buying you dorks a burger,” Jenna said, “You can have peanut butter and jelly.”

  “I don’t have money,” Bodie whined to her.

  “Get a job.”

  “I’ll buy lunch,” Sam piped up from the kitchen, “but someone needs to go get it,” she said. The only response was the drone of the fake military aircraft on the television. “Someone needs to go get it, though,” Sam repeated, cupping her hands and shouting toward the living room.

  “Not me,” Bodie said.

  “Yeah, you,” Sam confirmed, walking over with her purse in her hand. “I just cleaned up your flipping mess in the kitchen. Both y’all are going.” Sam pointed at the boys and tossed a few bills on the couch.

  Jenna stifled a laugh behind her hand and Bodie snapped his head her direction. “Keep it up. You’ll be lucky to get a fry.”

  “I want everything on my burger and a chocolate shake,” Jenna yelled after him as he headed down the hall toward the backdoor. “You better not mess up my order…butthead!!”

  My head snapped up. “Sorry, Ny,” she whispered.

  Ronny abandoned his controller and covered his ears with his hands as he followed Bodie down the hall. Rock and roll blared from the paused television.

  “Oh my God! It’s like babysitting and not getting paid to do it,” Sam said, walking over to the TV. She fumbled briefly with the remote before clicking it off and the house was drowned in silence. The quiet serenity only lasted about two minutes when we heard a loud bang from the backdoor. Ronny appeared in the kitchen a moment later.

  “Hey, can I borrow your car?” he asked Sam.

  “Why?”

  “I parked a few doors down near that rental and now I’m blocked in.”

  “Babe, you can’t park in someone else’s driveway,” Sam scolded him.

  “It’s been empty for months! Now there’s a moving van in my way.”

  “Someone’s moving in?” Sam asked, curious. The home several doors down from ours had been vacant for months, the result of a nasty divorce and a foreclosure. It was a beautiful two story place with hardwood floors and track lighting and it had one of the most beautiful and modern kitchens I had ever seen. It had been occupied for years by a wealthy plastic surgeon and his architect wife who passed out entire candy bars every Halloween. Needless to say, as a child, that house had left a lasting impression on me and I was saddened when I heard of the couples’ impending split. The new owner lived in Florida and a renter had not yet been found. Until now it seemed.

  “Yeah, and I’m boxed in. Can I use your car?” Ronny asked again.

  “Yes.” She retrieved her car keys from her bag and tossed them across the room into Ronny’s waiting hand. “Did you get a look at them?” Sam asked as Ronny turned to leave. Only Sam would care about new neighbors. Six months ago, when a young couple moved in down the road, she walked Nico by their place everyday, eager to get a look at the newcomers. She even went so far as to take a pair of binoculars onto the beach so she could spy on them through their front windows. I told her she needed therapy.

  “No, but they’re loaded I’ll tell you that,” Ronny shouted over his shoulder.

  “Why?”

  “They have some superbikes worth a boatload. Dude’s got three of them.” He closed the door behind him, leaving us alone once again.

  “Superbikes?” Sam frowned.

  “Motorcycles. The crotch-rocket kind,” Jenna clarified for her.

  “Oh. So, it’s a guy living there?” She raised her eyebrows at me. “I wanna see.” She headed for the stairs, motioning for us to follow. “Come on, come on…let’s have a look.”

  I rolled my eyes at Jenna but she only laughed. We listened to the pounding of Sam’s footsteps as she climbed both sets of stairs to the third floor. I could hear the door open onto the crow’s nest but it was several minutes before I heard anything else. Jenna was checking text messages on her cellphone when Sam came running back downstairs.

  “I can’t see anything up there. Come on, come on.” She was out of breath from all her frantic stairclimbing. She headed for the front door and the beach side of the house. She was out there a total of thirty seconds when she came back inside, defeated. Jenna was still texting and I was on the couch, my head resting on the back of it. I closed my eyes and pulled the blanket up around my shoulders again.

  “Anything to report?” Jenna mumbled. She got no answer, just a mouthful of pillow as Sam tossed it square into her face.

  By the afternoon, everyone had left. Bodie and Jenna both had late classes that couldn’t be missed and I had a date with the detective. Ronny complained about basketball practice as he picked up Sam in a big hug, lifting her off the ground. He was older than she, a senior, and was due to graduate this coming June. He was tall and lanky, at least six five, and he was the only person I knew who could palm a basketball. He was Long Beach State’s secret weapon, their starting forward, and was already being offered coaching positions around LA. He and Sam had been together for as long as I could remember and, these days, I didn’t picture Sam without Ronny at her side. They were a single item, two for the price of one.

  Sam insisted she drive me to L.A., despite my complaints, citing some unofficial medical jargon about concussions and that I shouldn’t drive afterward for at least 48 hours.

  “You need to stop this,” I muttered as we hit the freeway.

  Sam furrowed her brow, playing dumb. “Whaddya mean?”

  “You know what I mean,” I said, a hint of annoyance creeping into my voice. “Sam, you need to stop babying me. I’m fine.”

  “Stop babying you? It’s only been a day, you know.”

  “No, it hasn’t. You’ve been doing this for a year now.”

  Sam merged easily into traffic and sighed. “I don’t mean to. I just…I worry about you. I know you’re tired of hearing it, but you haven’t been yourself in a long time.”

  I nodded my head and I did understand what she was talking about. My grandmother’s death had been a difficult time and I knew that Sam was right, but I still didn’t like being mothere
d.

  “This whole year has…sucked for you. And now this…the last thing you needed was more drama. I mean, my God, of all the people for this to happen to.” She mumbled now as if she wasn’t even talking to me anymore. I knew she was feeling guilty too, guilty for having talked me into going out the other night.

  “I’m not a ticking time bomb, I’m not gonna blow. Give me a little credit. I can handle things.”

  “I know you can, sweetie. You’re the toughest person I know. I just want to see you happy again. You used to joke around all the time and you loved to do things and hang out with our friends. Now, you just work out and go to school and work out some more. You don’t seem happy. You’re on autopilot… you’re lost.” I cringed as she said it and I knew she was right. It seemed like everyone around me was picking a major and had a game plan. They knew exactly what they wanted and I hadn’t a clue. I was sitting there on the sidelines watching everyone else play the game of life.

  “I’ll be ok. I promise.” I shot her my best smile but I could tell she wasn’t buying it. I tried to change the subject.

  “You’re going to miss class tonight,” I said. ”This thing is going to take awhile.” Sam didn’t respond and she clearly didn’t care. We were silent the rest of the drive.

  My statement didn’t take nearly as long as expected, perhaps because I hadn’t witnessed very much and still couldn’t remember anything but the detective was appreciative of my efforts. Sam drove me home, dropping me off and heading to Ronny’s for a short visit before bed. She made me promise to stay out of trouble and not leave the house. I surprised even myself by actually doing what I told Sam I would. I spent the evening reading and going over lecture notes. I started my paper on the German occupation of Poland but abandoned the project within thirty minutes. I just didn’t have the energy for all that research. I closed my books and packed up my backpack for tomorrow. Maybe if I was totally prepared, I wouldn’t be late for my first class. I smirked in spite of my efforts. I was amazed that I could get up so early and still have trouble getting to school.