Loving You Differently

Eight

Aria Adkins

"Five thousand dollars?!" Sidney screeches loudly into her cell phone.

At that news, my face falls and I drop my head onto the newspaper scattered tabletop. Five thousand dollars for a three-month inpatient rehabilitation program. There's no way I can make that kind of money anytime soon.

Sidney hangs up the phone and slams it onto the table, angrily crossing her arms. "Those bitches have bumped their fucking heads. Who the hell can afford that?"

"Someone with insurance," Savannah chirps from beside me, noisily slurping on a milkshake.

I lift my head and snatch the open newspapers and phone books haphazardly strewn across the table before shooting her a pointed look. "Which none of us have," I remind her.

"This was stupid anyway," I mumble dejectedly, clambering from the booth. Feeling defeated, I toss the newspapers in the trash behind the counter, throw the phone books on the shelf underneath it, and brush my fingers through my messy hair.

I quickly scan the diner, making sure the few customers seated in my section are content and don't need anything. My shift ends in two hours, and then I have to scramble home, eat, shower, and clean, but if I'm lucky, I'll be able to squeeze in a decent nap before my shift at Vice.

"Maybe I could take out a loan or something?" I mumble as Sidney stands and rounds the corner, disappearing into the kitchen.

"But how would you pay it off?" Savannah pipes up again.

I lean against the counter and shoot her a glare, "Do you have a better idea, then? Or are we going to continue to live under the same roof as an alcoholic and potential junkie and risk CPS storming the block to take you away?"

Savannah shrinks under my harsh glare and looks away.

"Stop scaring her! Savannah," Sidney snaps, rounding the corner with a crate of clean glasses, "No one's taking you away. Aria is just under a lot of stress right now."

"I'm sorry," I groan. "I just want her gone. I've been cleaning out her room every night and somehow she's still getting her hands on booze. Dina hasn't even been around lately so I don't know how the fuck she's getting it."

"Maybe she has a new man," Savannah says.

Sidney smirks mischievously and says, "She wouldn't be the only one."

I roll my eyes and move around the counter to clear a now vacant booth as my sister and co-worker snicker and giggle like children.

"I want to officially meet him," Sid announces, "maybe Lincoln and I should check out Vice tonight, see what all the hype is about."

I frown. "That'd be weird. He's my boss, there's no reason to meet him."

Savannah snorts. "For now, maybe."

I swear to God, I'm not telling them anything anymore. Annoyed, I turn my back and wipe down the stained countertop, determined to distract myself from thoughts of Austin and his nice car and how it smells like cinnamon and... ugh.