Never Knew You

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long, golden rays across the cityscape. Aria sat on the balcony, her back to the room, legs dangling over the edge, lost in thought. Her mother's scolding still echoed in her ears, the sting of it making her chest tight. The distant sounds of traffic and children playing served only to amplify her isolation.

It's not that she didn't understand where her nother was coming from , she was right , Aria needed to understand her responsibilities in the house , ever since her older sister left to persue her career in a foreign country her mother was always on the toes , her mpther isn't the one to let go of her Childeren away from her for one bit and now she had to see her first and not to mention Favorite child go so far away from her , now Aria being the eldest sibling around the house had more to do , she had to be more mature , more responsible, more understanding, more of everything she didn't even understand. But she wasn't oblivious to it, it did hurt when her mother yelled at her almost everyday despite the efforts that she's been putting in ..

She was lost in her thoughts , she didn't realized a pair of brown eyes were observing her from a distance , as she gazed out, a voice broke the silence, a warm baritone calling her name. Startled, Aria turned to see James leaning over the edge of his balcony, his eyes filled with concern. "Aria , come here ," he urged, a reassuring smile on his lips , waving his hand.

So James, she's known james her whole life , but not like a best friend or a crush or even a friend , he has always been the guy who lives on the other side of the wall , she sees him at his school , they don't even smile at each other not because they don't like each other , there's no tention of any kind , to Aria he's just there , she cannot remember the last time they had a proper conversation, may be never , they'd greet each other with their families at best , because James's Mother is Aria's Mother's best friend , James's mother is one of those wise ladies , who are so easy to talk to and Aria's mom is someone whose the hardest to understand to be honest , but all teenagers think the same about their mothers so what does she know , so she's always visited their house and she's even friends with Sarah , his sister , Sarah's older than Aria , she was her sister's best friend so they took Aria with them Whenever they went out , and she'd see James hanging around .

So she was hesitant at first to even understand that he was talking to her , she stood and made her way to the adjoining balcony. James looked at her with his soft eyes "what's on your mind ?" He said as he stood close to the railing .

She was taken back , because why was he suddenly so intrested , but she shrugged it off , smiling to wipe off the frown on her face "nothing , i was just clearing my head " she replied , looked down to hold her emotions for a second

He paused studying her , and smiled softly "Let's get out of here,i know a great way to clear your head" he suggested, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Aria's heart quickened as she looked up at him "what are you upto?" She chuckled slightly , finding this whole situation amusing , "come on , you know you can trust me , right?" He said raising his eyebrow , and he was right even though she'd not consider him as a friend but she still trusts him , growing up infront of each other does that may be .

"You're extremely confident?" She said holding her ground , although she trusts him , she doesn't wanna come off desperate.

She smirked "come on, i know you are bored out of your mind , and you want to" he grinned , she laughed at his antics and turned around

"I'll be outside in 5" she said before going in her room .

She walked out if the house oy to find him leaning back on his sleek motorbike , she smiled looking at him , it was a new sigh to see for Aria, she walked towards him , and he stood straight ,

"Ready?" He asked getting on his bike and she followed , even the thought of riding a bike felt cathartic to her , the engine roared As they rode through the city, the wind whipped through Aria's hair, and the troubles of the day seemed to fade away , may be that's what she needed to feel light .

"You know ,you can hold me if your scared " he grinned "you'd like that wouldn't you ?" She spat back wth her smirk , he laughed at her response,

They stopped at a quaint little ice cream parlor "so this is your idea to clear my head , i think i like it " she said getting off the bike and standing folding her arms to her chest , "nothing screams freedom as ice cream in a cold evening " he got off and took a deep dramatic breath

She laughed "okay , captain " she said saluting to him to which he just grinned and they went inside indulging in scoops of sweet, comforting flavors. The playful banter flowed easily between them, each word a balm to Aria's wounded spirits. There was a subtle dance in the air, a magnetic pull that drew them closer

"So , what got you sulking ?" He asked suddenly, she was not expecting it to come like this , she cleared her throat , "I wasn't sulking " she defended herself

He just smiled "is it because of your mom?" He asjed raising his eyebrow "what? Why would you ? How?". She low key panicked

"Well to be fair , the walls of our houses are not very sound proof!" He said taking a spoon of his ice cream

Aria sighed , taking a spoon full of her ice cream trying to num her brain "She's just been very upset since sarah left , you know how dependant she was on her " she said pouting a little

He looked at her cutely "don't pout , you look too cute " he said flicking her chin , surprising her

He cleared his throat "she'll be alright , you shouldn't take all that to heart , i know how much you love your family, just stick to that and everything eles will fall into place " he said like it was the most natural thing to fall into conversations like that with him

She wasn't expecting, James to be like this , but then again may be it comes from his mother , she was expecting a little teasing , mockery may be , but this was reassuring..

Aria really believed that when you really need to hear something to clear your heart , the universe finds ways to communicate that to you , may be it's universe's way of sooting Aria , that's what this is .. she thought.

"Yeah i hope so" she smiled.

Back on the bike, they navigated through narrow alleys, the city's hidden gems known only to James. Laughter bubbled up from deep within them, carried away by the wind. This time as the sky started to get darker Aria held on to his jacket both for stability and for the comfort of his presence, as they navigated the winding streets.

Suddenly, a raucous barking filled the air. A pack of strays appeared from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with mischief "Oh My GOD" Aria almost screamed lookung at the dog wo started running behind their bike varking , and almost reached to her foot , James revved the engine , shaking with laughter , but also very focused onthe road as he sped away the bike leaping forward. Aria clung to him this time her heart pounding, a mixture of fear and exhilaration coursing through her veins , "are you scared?" She yelled so that she could hear him,

Aria's eyes widened , as she kept looking at the dogs running after them "YOU THINK ???" She yelled back , she laughed again "hold on tight " he said as he took a sharp turn and their bike entered a narrow alleyway

As they sped away, Aria found herself pressed tightly against James's back. The world blurred around them, a whirlwind of sensations and laughter. "I can't believe that just happened!" Aria exclaimed, her voice barely audible over the roar of the engine , as she glanced back at the road and found no dogs following them .

When he realized the barking stopped he slowed down the bike , and turned his head, his eyes meeting hers with a mischievous glint. "Life's full of surprises, isn't it?" he replied, his voice tinged with exhilaration , she turned his head away "focus on the road " she said smiling to herself , hr heart still beating fast .

They finally reached Aria's doorstep, their laughter echoing through the quiet street. James cut the engine, and they sat in the stillness for a moment, catching their breath. Aria looked at him, a mixture of gratitude and something else she couldn't quite name filling her gaze , they got off the bike and stood in front of her house , she turned to him .

"Thank you, James," she said, her voice soft. "This was exactly what I needed even of I didn't knew it"

He smirked "even the part where we almost got killed b stray dogs ?"

She chuckled "specially that"

He smiled, his eyes warm and sincere. "Anytime, Aria. Remember, you're never alone. Just don't keep things to yourself "

Aria nodded , she didn't know what she was waiting for , or what was he waiting for , With a lingering glance, Aria turned and ascended the steps to her door , She turned to close the door as she watched James disappear into the fading light, his mom probably screaming at him because he left unannounced, she giggled "so the walls really are pretty thin " she smiled as she shaked her head and walked inside ..

Not realizing that today marked and important event in her life , a day when James Sullivan entered her life and boy will it be an adventure knowing him .