What I Wouldn't Give

Chapter 6

Aria had looked at the reality of what seemed to her like high school. She was a junior in high school while most of her life had gone past her while she was on her suicide mission with her parents not being there. She had stroke over the necklace that she had worn around her neck, the one that Caleb had given to her. Exhaling she couldn't figure out what made the man seem so familiar to her nor what had attracted her to him.

Caleb Armani was the oldest brother of Ella, but somehow it had seemed to Aria like he was a lot more than just that. He was a man who understood how to calm her and who understood what she was going through. Of course, Aria had visited the Armani residence a lot more often since her nearly suicide attempt, but it wasn't to stop herself from jumping off the bridge. It was to seek something she once knew and loved.

"I seriously need to take a beat tonight," Ella said as Aria looked at her best friend.

"What this time, Ella? You seem to need that a lot," Aria said as Ella looked at her, rolling her eyes.

"Caleb is driving me insane with college. Like insane. I'm 17! Applications probably only open in January, next year, but he wants me to take everything seriously. Ugh whatever. We applied for a pageant, remember? Miss Huntington," Ella said as Aria gasped at the words.

"I totally forgot. I don't have an escort. Who's taking you?" Aria asked.

"Mason actually. Why haven't you asked Landon yet? Or is he not interested?" Ella asked as Aria looked at her.

Landon Walker was one of the people that Aria had known as long as she could tell. She has had all of her friends for quite awhile, but the new ones she didn't adapt to that well. Besides when she had met Caleb.

"I can't believe I forgot about it. I was so excited to apply for the pageant," Aria said as she plopped down on the couch and Caleb gave her a cup of tea.

"Pull out if you aren't that excited anymore. What is stopping you?" Caleb asked as he sat down next to her with a glass of scotch in his hand.

"My mom was Miss Huntington back in the day. I applied two years ago but never went through with it after the accident. This year I was excited to do it. I was in a good place with their death. Don't worry. I'm not going to jump off a bridge. But I did hope that I could still do it all. Bow the pageant us next week and I don't have anyone to escort me. I really don't want to just go up and ask one of the guys at school. Most of them thinks that it is stupid," Aria said.

"I'll escort you then," Caleb said as Aria looked at him.

"I'm serious, Aria. My mother was also Miss Huntington years ago and it would be nice to see the process from a different angle than always. So if you want to, I'll go with you," Caleb said.

There was something in his voice that made Aria think he was serious. For a second she had stared in the cup, before she looked back at him, her Hazel eyes filled with hope.

"I would really like that," Aria said.

"Then it's settled. I'll escort you to the pageant. If I can recall there is a dance as well," Caleb said as Aria had nodded.

"My real name isn't Aria."

Caleb had looked at the girl, shocked and confused. To him the girl has always been known as Aria Carter and he couldn't think of any other name that she could be known as.

"What is it then?" Caleb managed to ask after a few seconds of silence.

"Arianna Penelope Carter. My father gave me the nickname Aria when I was born," Aria said.

"Makes sense. Arianna is a long name and typically Ari is usually used. But I personally think both Arianna and Aria are beautiful names. Where does Penelope come from?" Caleb asked.

"My mother was Penelope Montgomery," Aria said.

"Sounds like a good way to honor her. Aria, I didn't want to ask a whole lot about all of it, but how have you been doing with everything?" Caleb asked as he noticed ho tears appeared in Aria's eyes and she had put her cup on the coffee table.

"Rough," Aria said as she brushed her hair out of her face.

"For the first time I got reminded about everything. There was a moment today where I wanted to call my mother and ask for her help with everything. Things with the pageant seemed too real and I though I was back two years. I, suddenly, realized that she wasn't going to come back to help me. And that... That hit me hard," Aria said as a lost tear fell on her cheek.

Caleb had looked at Aria as he gently wiped her falling tears away with his thumb. He had to admit that the teenage girl had seemed to him like a lot more than just a friend of Ella's. To him the young 17-year old had seemed like someone he had known for years and someone he could grow on.

Suddenly they heard as the door flew open and saw as Ella came stumbling in. Immediately Caleb knew she was drunk and rushed over to her.

"Ella-May Armani, what the hell? It's still broad daylight," Caleb said helping his sister to stand as she was stumbling over her feet.

"I'm a drunk. Think I know the time of day?" Ella said and it was clear to both Caleb and Aria that she was drunk.

"Get her to bed. I'll make her coffee and bring up painkillers," Aria said as Caleb took his sister upstairs to her bedroom.