In Fair Verona

I

Also, main character has a unisex name and if you didn't read the intro, Casey is a boy.

This is not casey x auguste,,,, like y'all, they're siblings smh. it's isaac!

—

Ari sits at the end of her bed as she sorts through her binders. She's been sitting their for an hour now, both of us in silence. We've been in silence the entire night. Ignoring the huge elephant in the room.

"This whole damn thing is a mess," she says.

"I know. That's why you're organizing it," I mumble as I write a reminder on my notebook. I don't bother looking up.

"No. Casey, this— this whole thing," she looks up after putting her binder down, rather loudly. "C'mon. It's been seven years. Getting up and leaving isn't an option. It shouldn't be. You've got eight more months."

"Arianna," I say, still not looking up. "I'm not getting up and walking away. I wasn't given a choice. And eight months is four shy of a whole year so I can't go begging the court. Besides this arrangement maybe isn't the worst thing in the world."

"You're kidding me right? Now you're on your dads side? After him neglecting you for eighteen years?!"

"Ari stop. You don't understand."

"It's not fair!"

God, what is she? A child?

"It is too," I finally snap. "You have your mum, your dad and your little brother. Who the hell do I have, hm? You're to ignorant to understand what it's like."

"You hated him," she says between gritted teeth. She's still not listening.

"You have no right to tell me how I should react to this. Now drop it," I say.

Arianna stays quiet. Now that I'm looking at her I notice how red he face is and how much she fights the urge to cry.

"I'm going to be alone."

"You were going off to university anyway," I shrug.

"We were supposed to graduate together." That does it, her voice cracks.

Tears slowly fall down her face, down her cheeks and to the bottom of her jaw.

"I know," I say grabbing my binder and shoving it in my bag.

"Where- where are you going?"

"Home Ari. It's late and I've gotta finish cleaning my grandmas. The couple moves in tomorrow at eleven."

More tears build up in her eyes.

"Why do you have to leave tomorrow?"

"Cause I do Ari. C'mon walk me out."

"I'll walk you home."

I nod my head and wait as she gets up and quickly scrambles to find socks. Then she gives up and tries to find shoes.

"You have flip flops downstairs."

"But it's raining."

"So?"

"Fine," she laughs a bit as she wipes her tears. "It just feels gross."

We walk downstairs and she grabs an umbrella and slips on her flip flops and I put on my sneakers.

"Mum I'm going to walk Casey home." Ari closes the door behind us.

Once we get off her porch it's only spitting. Unnecessary for an umbrella but Arianna uses it anyway.

"So," she says filling the silence. "Think you'll like your step mum and step sibling... siblings?"

"Dunno," I shrug.

It's quiet between us. The rain is a soothing sound as it hits the ground.

It's a quiet walk. Even as we walk up the driveway to my old house.

Finally I stand at the porch step.

Arianna slowly makes her way up the porch steps with her umbrella. Closing it once she's at the top.

"I guess it's goodbye." I give her a weak smile.

"Oh Case- I... c'mon you can't really be leaving. It's too much to wrap my head around," she mumbles.

"I'm only a plane ride away," I laugh, moving backwards to lean against the brick wall.

"Text me every now and then will you?" She smiles.

"Of course."

"Not daily though. That's how friends fall out. Just every now and then we can have a chat."

"Okay."

"And promise me you won't get in too much trouble? You almost got yourself expelled."

"Should've," I groan. "I'm leaving anyway. Woulda gone out with a bang."

"One, your grandmas death was unexpected and school ended just under two months ago. You wouldn't of known you were moving. And two, that shit stays on your record so don't get any ideas."

"What? It's going to screw up my chance at college? I have enough suspensions as it is but the main worry woulda been the money. Look Ari I'm on my own. Always have been."

"Thought your grandmas money went towards you're schooling."

"It's locked away till I'm eighteen and no it doesn't necessarily have to be for that. She's dead she don't know."

"You don't believe she's watching over you?"

I snort before shooting an 'your kidding' look at her.

"Yeah fine, never mind. Wrong person to ask."

"Think you're dad will pay?" She asks.

"Look, he didn't know I was alive till a bit ago. I doubt he's been saving up and prepared for me going off to school in a year."

"You never know."

"No maybe not. But you need to realize there's more to it," I say. "I haven't got a clue what I want to do, haven't taken the right courses for any career but that's not a huge deal. The huge deal is I've got no extra curricular or good grades to put on my resume. All I've got is the number of lates, skips, detentions, suspensions and so on."

"You really like to corner yourself don't you."

I smile a bit and she does too.

"Well I best be going," she says grinning wide. She gets up from leaning on the beam and holds her arm out.

I've never generally hugged her. I have but we don't typically.

"C'mon. You're flying hours away. Give me a damn hug."

I smile before groaning and moving to hug her. She hugs tight.

I pull away and smile. She goes to turn around but she's hesitant. Too quickly I don't register what's happening and she kisses me.

I pull away and from there it feels awkward.

Quickly she mumbles a goodbye before she's down the steps and gone. All so quickly.

I didn't realize... I didn't realize she liked me. But I don't like her back?