Misery loves company

ARIA POV

Just 'thanks'?" I whispered aloud to the dark ceiling of my bedroom.

I stared down at the single, freezing word sitting on my screen. My chest felt hollow and heavy. Just two days ago, we were exchanging late-night messages, sending bold pictures, and sharing deep, intense secrets. He had been so protective, so eager to talk to me. Now, he sounded like a stranger who couldn't be bothered to type a full sentence.

I swallowed the lump of anxiety in my throat, refusing to give up that easily. Maybe he was just tired after hockey practice. Maybe he had a rough day.

[Secret Girl]: How was school for you today, Captain? Did you have a good day?

I held my breath, watching the screen. A full minute passed before the text bubble popped up.

[phone]: Just fine.

Two words. Cold, short, and completely plain.

I bit my lip, forcing my fingers to keep typing. I wanted that spark back. I wanted the funny, charming, protective boy who made my heart race in the middle of the night. If he wasn't going to start the conversation, I would just have to entertain him myself.

[Secret Girl]: Well, my day at school was an absolute nightmare! You won't believe what happened. I got assigned a major term project, and the professor paired me with the most annoying, unbearable guy on this entire campus.

I paused, tapping my chin thoughtfully before my fingers flew across the keypad.

[Secret Girl]: Seriously, he is so unbelievably ugly! Inside and out!

I hovered over the send button for a second before clicking it. Almost instantly, a notification popped up on the screen.

A huge, foolish grin spread across my face. I let out a loud sigh of relief, hugging my pillow. It worked! I had finally broken his cold mood.

Eager to keep him laughing, I sat up against my headboard, typing furiously.

[Secret Girl]: I’m not even kidding! I was already upset about the project, but seeing that my partner is ugly with the absolute worst mouth made me want to throw up right there in the lecture hall.

[Secret Girl]: Sometimes I honestly wish he would just wake up tomorrow morning completely unable to talk. Like, his vocal cords just vanish overnight! That way nobody has to listen to him saying trash things to people or looking down on everyone like he’s a god.

I hit send and waited, my heart beating with happy anticipation. Seconds later, the response lit up my screen.

[phone]: Damn. And here I thought I was the only one who hated being paired up in class today.

My eyes widened in surprise.

[Secret Girl]: Wait, you got stuck with a bad partner too?

[phone]: The absolute worst. I also wish my partner would wake up tomorrow unable to speak a single word. I am so sick and tired of looking at her miserable, cheap, petty face all day.

A loud, sudden burst of laughter escaped my lips. I covered my mouth with both hands so I wouldn't wake up the entire house. It was insane how similar our lives were! Here I was, complaining about my terrible stepbrother, while Crestwood's star hockey captain was dealing with his own annoying, cheap partner in class.

[Secret Girl]: Haha! No way! We really are two suffering souls, aren't we? 😂

[phone]: Tell me about it. It’s like a punishment.

[Secret Girl]: Right?! Why do professors insist on forcing us to stand next to trash?

[phone]: Because they hate us. Honestly, whenever we feel stressed or down again, we should just use this chat to hurl insults at our terrible partners together.

My heart did a happy flip in my chest.

[Secret Girl]: Oh, I can definitely do that right now! I have a whole list ready!

[phone]: Go ahead. Let it out, Secret Girl. I'm listening.

I kicked my legs under the blanket, giggling like a madwoman as I started typing out every single insult I had wanted to throw at Jaxon all day.

[Secret Girl]: Okay, first of all, he dresses like he owns the universe, but his personality is as cold and dark as a refrigerator! He walks around with his messy hair and sharp gray eyes, sneering at everyone like we're dirt on his expensive shoes!

[phone]: Lol! My turn! She wears giant, ridiculous clothes that look like oversized trash bags, hiding away because she knows she doesn't belong in polite society!

I giggled at his response, totally oblivious to the description, completely focused on venting about my stepbrother.

[Secret Girl]: He is a spoiled, arrogant billionaire brat who thinks money can buy him a heart! He acts like a big, tough king, but deep down, he’s just a moody, dramatic baby who throws temper tantrums over dinner tables and breaks glasses!

[phone]: LOL! She’s a loud, defensive, mouthy parasite who thinks she can talk back when she's literally living off charity!

[Secret Girl]: He’s a cold-hearted bully who trips people in hallways because his own soul is hollow and empty!

[phone]: She’s a clumsy, dramatic crybaby who makes a scene over a few scattered books!

[Secret Girl]: Haha! Exactly! They both deserve to be thrown into a trash can together!

[phone]: Agreed. Sealed shut and dropped in the ocean. LOL!

I collapsed back onto my pillows, rolling over on my stomach as tears of pure laughter leaked from the corners of my eyes. It felt so amazingly good to vent. For the first time all day, the heavy stress of Jaxon's bullying and my mother's harsh words completely disappeared.

Blake and I were so relatable. We understood each other on a level nobody else did.

I lay there in the quiet dark, kicking my feet happily, clutching my phone close to my chest as I waited for his next message. The cold, distant stranger from thirty minutes ago was completely gone, replaced by the intimate, playful connection we shared.

The phone vibrated softly in my palm.

I turned it over, expecting another funny joke or a laughing emoji. But when I read the text sitting on the screen, my breath caught in my throat, and my heart skipped a heavy, sudden beat.

[phone]: You know, we've been talking for days now, but you're still holding back. Tell me something real, Secret Girl. Tell me something you've never told anyone else before.