Chapter 2: Packing up

Aria strolled around the farm, arms crossed tightly, the cool breeze brushing against her skin.

"You've been absent-minded these days," Mr. Andrew's words replayed in her mind.

"Is it a personal issue? Family trouble? Something you want to talk about?"

Aria's lips thinned at the memory. She hadn't said anything to him, just shook her head in response, causing Mr. Andrew to sigh. He was only showing concern.

Aria who was running down the memory lane of her discussion earlier with Mr. Andrew couldn't help but also sigh.

"Aria," he'd continued, "you're one of my best students. I don't want to lose someone like you. Your grades are slipping, and you've been losing out on extracurricular activities."

As her mind drifted, the soft wind blew past her, lifting strands of her hair, softly caressing her cheek, it was a wave of relief washing through her. She felt a bit elated taking in the scenery before her, it was just too beautiful to ignore; the sky above her was painted in shades of orange and pink, the sun sinking lower toward the horizon. She watched it, a beautiful sight, as the light softened the rough edges of the fields around her. The sunset casting a soft glow over the fields, making everything seem distant and untouched. She felt as though the earth was breathing with her, as if the land understood her pain.

The day itself was taking a deep breath before giving way to night. The rolling hills and quiet barns seemed to pulse with life in a way that was both comforting and isolating, the wind carrying a fresh scent of grass and earth. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. It felt good—the breeze.

She had come to the countryside with her classmates for a school trip, thinking it might be the break she needed. But the schedule had been so packed, leaving her no time to truly escape the stress of school and life. By the time night came, everyone was too tired to do anything but sleep, coupled with their strict curfew. She actually felt staying back would be a lot better, but on the other hand, she objected to the idea.

She didn't really have much fun around here, but it was better preferred than her apartment, a different kind of burden. It was cold, dark, and empty—just like the hollow space inside her. Here, at least, the farm had people, and the peacefulness of it all helped her focus. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that staying here was just another way of running from something she didn't want to face.

"Ria, what is wrong with you lately?" she muttered to herself as tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision, her voice barely audible against the rustling leaves. She didn't know what prompted the tears, but for some reason, she just felt like letting out the emotion bottled within her out.

Her father had been murdered when she was barely eight years old. He had only stepped out to get a birthday present for his wife, who knew it would be the last time they would see each other again? The memories of his bloodied body left behind in their backyard haunted her, with no trace of what had happened.

The incident had scarred her mother that day, leaving her a shell of the woman she once was. Being the only child, Aria had been forced to grow up quickly, taking on the responsibility of not just herself, but also caring for a broken mother. It was hard, still, she had to face it, taking part time jobs, studying hard to excel in school and getting scholarships by any means possible. They gave her no time to squeeze in anything else into her life, and somehow, she still didn't feel ready.

"Dad... I'm tired," she whispered as if he could hear her. Reminiscing about her past caused her eyes to well up, tears flowed endlessly and she didn't even try to stop them.

There was no one to hold her, no one to tell her it would be okay. She wiped her eyes roughly with the back of her hand, trying to pull herself together. Crying won't change anything, she thought. She just has to keep moving forward, just keep going. Tough times never last, she repeated, still the words felt hollow as they left her mind. It just didn't feel that simple—it was easier said than done. The grief still stung like it was yesterday.

The thunder rumbled in the distance, a low warning of rain. The sky darkened, and the cool breeze turned into something more ominous, carrying the weight of an impending storm. It reminded her that the day was coming to an end—today, their last day on the trip. She had to pack up and prepare for their return to the city, back to reality.

As she walked back toward the quarters, lost in her thoughts, she saw Daphne and Jared holding hands together. A slight pang of something sharp and unpleasant twisted inside her. She tried not to look, but it was hard not to see them. Daphne had her arm around Jared as if to stake a claim, and Aria couldn't ignore the twinge of jealousy that flared in her chest.

Daphne, on seeing Aria immediately pulled Jared much closer towards her, her possessiveness obvious in the way she held onto him. She knew Aria saw Jared as more than just a friend, a girl's instinct hardly lies.

"Aria, are you okay?" Daphne called out, her voice dripping with fake concern as she came closer. "What happened back there in class? Nothing new going on in your sorry life, I guess?"

Aria clenched her jaw, the irritation rising in her chest. She didn't answer right away. She didn't need to. She was just trying to get under her skin, Aria thought. And unfortunately, it was working.

"Anything I can help with?" Daphne pressed, not minding how uncomfortable Aria felt, her voice so sweet it was almost sickening, which earned a look of concern from Jared, his gaze lingering on Aria. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a classmate calling out for his help.

"Jared, over here! I need help with these!" The boy was struggling with an armful of equipment from their field trip.

Jared, eager to escape the tension, shot Aria a look and mumbled, "Be right back." He felt freed from Daphne, who had been possessively clinging unto him throughout the whole trip.

The moment he was gone, Daphne's pleasant smile immediately melted away, replaced by a cold, calculating look. It was like watching a mask fall off, revealing the real face underneath.

"Before I forget, Aria," Daphne said, her voice taking on a sly edge, "Mr. Andrew said to go to the cottage near the horse stables. His tent is there. He needs you to pick it up."

Aria furrowed her brows, puzzled. "His tent? But Mr. Andrew didn't bring any tents. He said the workers' quarters were big enough to contain everyone, remember?"

The cottage was located at the far end of the farm, near the edge of the property, a place no one had been paying much attention to and everyone were almost done packing up.

But Daphne shrugged with a casual air, clearly enjoying the confusion she was stirring. "Well…ask him yourself. Oops, I forgot, he's not here right now." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned to leave, her smirk almost too wide to be sincere. "Ciao."

Aria stood frozen for a moment, doubt gnawing at her. Why would Mr. Andrew leave a tent in that cottage? she wondered and why did he bring it in the first place?

Her curiosity wore out, and after a moment of hesitation, she decided to go check it out. At least she had extra time to escape for a while, away from the tension and the uncomfortable presence of Daphne. She had also heard "interesting" stories about the cottage, and by interesting the good and bad side of it, so checking it out was going to kill her curiosity. Besides she was with her phone, in case anything happens and Daphne didn't hate her as much to leave her behind, hopefully.

The clouds were thickening rapidly, and the thunder rumbled again, louder this time. It was clear a storm was coming. A slight unease nestled in her chest. Maybe it was just the storm approaching, still, something about the situation didn't sit right with her. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but she decided to press on anyway.