COUNTING STARS

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Ariel’s P.O.V
“I’m Harry’s pregnant wife…….I’m Harry’s pregnant wife……I’m Harry’s pregnant wife” I shot up out of my sleep “Calm down Ariel” Harry sat near me, tears streamed down my face, my chest was sore, my heart was broken. He grabbed onto my arm’s trying to calm me down. “Ariel! Ariel calm down” I know people who wake up unconscious is normally not supposed to remember anything that happened before they passed out but…..not me, I remembered everything like it was a movie replaying over and over in my head. I sat up gripping onto the bed staring at the floor; I assume I was in his bedroom due to the boy-ish colors. “Ariel…..look at me” I couldn’t bring myself to; I didn’t have enough strength to stare him in the eyes because all I’ll see is his pregnant wife’s eyes. “Harry……we can’t see each other anymore…..” The hardest part about letting somebody go, is watching them fall into the arms of somebody else better, prettier and just completely nicer than you, it hurts like a knife impaling your heart over and over again. But I think the most dying hurt deep inside is watching them be together in public, holding hands, kissing, hugging….something that was once yours is owned by somebody else. I was played, I felt humiliated, I wiped the tears from my eyes and got up

straightening out my clothes. “Where are you going?” I walked towards his bedroom door opening it I walked out into the hallway. “Ariel…..where are you going? I felt him sneak up behind me; he grabbed my arm stopping me from going on. “Harry…..you don’t have to pretend like you care now” I didn’t turn around; I didn’t want him to see the tears starting to stain my cheeks. They slid down rapidly at once, it took me a minute to hold back my shaky voice, I had to stay strong so he won’t see me weak. “You think this was for pretend?” I quickly wiped away my tears. “Harry let me go…..” He held on to me for a minute longer then let me go. I walked towards the stairs but of course I heard him following behind me, I darted towards the door and ran out. What the hell? The once sunny blue clouds were replaced by grey dark clouds and large balls of hail began falling from the sky. I hate when this happens, Texas is known for having huge balls of Hail fall from the sky. The only reason why I hated this was because this means I have to stay here till it calms down, and I just want to go home and wrap in my covers

and cry like there’s no tomorrow. Harry grabbed my arm pulling me back before one dropped over my head, he dragged me back into the house closing the door. Julianna and PhePhe were still sitting down at the table acting as if this Hail is nothing to faze them. I yanked my arm out of Harry’s hold. “You have to stay here till it calms down Ariel….” I still didn’t look at him. “Where’s your bathroom?” He pointed down the hall, I started my way there. He hesitated towards me “Don’t follow me” I quickly walked down the hall and into the bathroom, soon as I closed the door the tears ripped from inside. I slammed my head back against the door, I felt as if my world stopped, the clock broke and I was standing in the middle of isolation from the world. “Bobby” I whispered. I wished he was here to protect me from this.

*Flashback*
Bobby came busting into my room, my mascara running down my face onto my shirt. He jumped on my bed wrapping me into a hug “Oh Ariel, I’m so sorry” He held me tighter than before, I let the tears stain his shirt now as more came out. “Shusssshhh……its okay” He rubbed my arms comforting me. “I don’t understand Bobby, I thought he loved me?” I looked up at him, searching in his eyes for an answer; Bobby always had an answer to everything. “ You thought……you’re never supposed to base your instincts on thoughts, because they can ruin you Ariel, they make you believe what you want to feel. You felt like you loved him, but in reality that’s not how he felt back” I felt dumb, to think I gave myself to him “But he said “Love you too” Bobby chuckled lowly, I felt his chest vibrate. “Ariel, there’s a difference between I love you and love you…..and one day you’ll learn but for now be careful who you give your heart to. Because when you give your heart to someone, you also give them the power to hurt you” I didn’t understand.
*Flash Ends*

I understand now, it took me this long. I really wish I could run home and tell him, but all I’ll be running to is dad who’s always preaching or reading the Bible and mom who’s always busy. I crawled over to the toilet; queasiness in my stomach was upsetting me. I lift up the toilet leaning over the hole I waited……and waited, nothing came out. I closed the lid and got up, my body was sore from grieve, from sorrow and hurting. I saw my reflection in the mirror and I couldn’t recognize myself. What am I supposed to do now? Crawl back to Jesse? Find another guy? I pulled my hair out of its hair tie and scrambled back the loose hair and put it up into a quick messy bun. I grabbed some toilet paper and swiped underneath my eyes, I was back to my old self again. I walked over to the door “Hhahhahahaha” Ringing of laughter came echoing towards the bathroom, of course. I’m in here miserable, while their in there probably laughing at me or having fun memories that I never existed in. I opened the bathroom door to see the sight of a beautiful mistake looking back at me; I was so caught in awe that it was hard for me to move. “Were…..you here the whole time?” My throat was hoarse.

“…..Yes love….” His accent just made things harder for me. “Why….um aren’t you in the living room with…uh….your uh…..” “Wife?” He was calm, like he knew something I didn’t, and he wasn’t sincere or sad or even felt bad…..he actually was acting the same way he acted when I met him, civil. “Yeah….that…..I mean her” He lift up his foot kicking himself off the wall. “Because she’s not the one I care about” I folded my hands over my chest and walked pass him, I couldn’t bear to hear anymore. I rounded the corner and went upstairs at least I would be able to escape some part of that annoying sound. “Ariel….I’m not leaving you alone” As I reached the top of the stairs Harry came grabbing my arm. “Stop! Stop running from me, from this!” I turned around with my mouth partly open “Really? A girl shows up here, and she’s your wife? And she’s pregnant? She’s giving you more than I can, and how old are you really? Because you couldn’t have gotten married when you were 16” He walked

closer to me, enclosing the space between us. “I-I’m…..I Just…..I don’t want to lose you when I just got you. I want somebody to say I love you every night and prove it every day, I’m not on Julianna’s side but…..we’ve been through so much, I had a life before here…..I can’t just forget about her”
We stood there staring into each other’s eyes; I folded my arms over my chest protecting me, my heart, myself from getting hurt. “Do you hear that?” I took a step back. “No” He said not caring about what I heard. “The hail stopped, which means I can leave…..and once I walk out that door I want you do me a favor and forget. Forget about everything, I want you to be happy and take care of

Julianna…..we should go separate ways” I turned around and walked down the steps “I don’t want to lose you Ariel…” I turned around just halfway down the stairs. “Harry……just let me go! If you love me….or don’t” “I do” He took a step down the stairs. “I-I….don’t care, just let me go!” I finished the flight of stairs and stride across the floor to my shoes sliding them on; I walked outside slamming the door behind me. The night already settled into the sky and I came here riding in Harry’s car, great! I have to walk home now; I began walking down the sidewalk. I can’t believe this! What have I gotten myself into? I can’t be with Harry now, and I can’t go back to Jesse, what am I supposed to do? That’s the question I ask myself every day. The dark quiet street was interrupted by glowing headlights that broke the dark down the street, I looked back quickly it was nothing but a Cadillac I think.

The car started slowing down behind me, my heart sped up and my walking picked up speed. Soon my walking turned in running, I ran down the street and took a turn the car sped up as well following behind me “Help!” I yelled through the neighborhood but no one seems to even hear me. “Please somebody help me!” I turned down this dirt road that leads towards the Woodland Park. I ran faster and faster the adrenaline didn’t let me think a minute about stopping. The car drove faster, the sidewalk I was on ended causing me to run into the street “Please help!” Who were these people?

And why are they chasing after me, what’s so special about me? My feet were starting to scream stop, I couldn’t carry myself any further my speed was slowing down. Scrrrrrr, smack. “Uuuhhhh” my body flew somewhere; I hit the ground harder than ever, I couldn’t feel anything in my body. My eyes were starting to close “…..He-help….” My voice seems to have been smacked out my throat. I was in pain, indescribable pain. I tried to move a finger and that even throbbed. I was stuck, stuck in a spot I didn’t want to be in and nobody was here to safe me. Close your eyes Ariel…..My eyes fell shut, sleep everything will be better tomorrow.

Notes