Under Your Influence (GANG Series)

Chapter 35

Arias POV

"So what's the truth?" Tara raises a brow. 

Oh no. There's that feeling again.

Please. Please Drew don't tell her.

I start hyperventilating. My breaths feel short and I feel like I'm literally about to die. I try drinking a glass of water, but that doesn't help me calm down. Instead I rush outside to open air.

"Aria!" I hear Tara shout my name.

As soon as I get outside I start to breathe in and out slowly. I sit on one of the dirty white steps. I rub my temples, rocking slowly back and forth. If I just stay like this then I can calm down and focus on my breaths. Unfortunately I hear two sets of footsteps slapping along on the concrete steps.

"Aria, what happened? What's wrong? Are you okay?" She asks too many questions at once not letting me answer one and that makes me a bit more anxious.

"Woah chill with the questions. It's not helping her." Drew says to her.

"Shut up! At least I'm not the one the who tried to drug her!" She says shouting at him.

"Aria what's wrong?", She asks me again, but in a more calming and soothing tone. I wanna answer but I need to be able to breathe first. As silence begins to fall between the three of us I begin to calm down.

"She's having a fucking anxiety attack! What the hell does it look like?!" I hear Drew say. And so the yelling begins again. They start arguing, shouting at each other. I focus on my own breaths and make sure I'm breathing okay so I don't freaking die. I can't make out what they're saying to each other. But it's too loud. It's too much. I feel like I'm gonna lose my mind.

"Quiet!" I scream. It was so loud. It echoed through the whole front yard.

They look at me with wide eyes. They don't say anything. They just stare at me. It's so silent here I can hear their very quiet breaths and my own heartbeat. My mind doesn't feel as chaotic as it did this morning. This weekend isn't as relaxing as I hoped it would be. I just wanted to have a fun weekend with my friends without any drama getting in the way. No gang talk, no boy talk. I'd give anything just to have a normal boring life if it meant I didn't have to deal with feeling like this constantly everyday.

After about half an hour of silence, which I am thankful for, I get up and I feel calm once again. They both look me in the eyes. They look worried, as if they're trying to figure out whether it's okay to say anything yet.

"I'm good now." I tell them.

"Good." Tara finally lets go of a breath she was a holding in. "I was really worried, and sorry for yelling." She continues.

I'm about to say something but Drew starts talking first.

"I'm sorry too. About everything Aria. I promise I'll never bother you again." He says.

"It's okay. It was just a small anxiety attack." I say not really meaning it.

I grew up always saying "it's okay" although I never really meant it. Well sometimes I did, but most times I didn't. So growing up I was only always just "okay". Or I said "fine". Nothing more than that or less than that.

"I think we should take her to the hospital." Drew says to his step sister.

"No shit. Of course we're gonna take her you dick wad." she spits. I fear that he might get mad and they'll start shouting at each other again, but he doesn't.

He just gives her a cold death stare.

"Don't just stand there. Go get the car." She snaps at him. He swiftly made his way down the stairs.