Chapter 5 Aria
I could blame the strange feeling in my chest on the long day or on the way Silverpine smells different at night, like pine and cold air mixed together. But honestly, I just couldn't sleep. I keep shifting around, fluffing my pillow, then tossing it away, and pulling it back again. The room was way too quiet. I flipped my pillow, punched it, fluffed it, then gave up and stared at the ceiling. My brain refused to shut off. It kept replaying the day in slow motion: the endless hallways, teachers who talked like they were on fast-forward, Avery’s perfectly timed smirk, Sienna’s quick laugh that somehow made everything feel less suffocating and Luca.
Luca Hale.
The name alone made my skin prickle. Not in the cute, movie-crush way. In the “why is he staring like he’s trying to read my thoughts” way. I hated how my pulse jumped every time our eyes met. Hated more how I couldn’t stop thinking about it. About the way he’d leaned in during class, voice low and teasing, like he knew exactly how much he was getting under my skin.
I checked my phone. 11:52 p.m. Twenty minutes since the last time I looked. Fantastic.
I rolled onto my side, pulled the blanket up to my chin, and tried counting sheep. One sheep. Two sheep. Three sheep with Luca’s stupid grey stormy eyes staring at me—
Nope.
I grabbed my phone again and opened imessages. Sienna’s name was already at the top. She’d insisted on swapping numbers earlier with a dramatic “in case Avery tries to sabotage your locker or something.”
Me: You awake?
Dots appeared almost instantly.
Sienna: Duh. What’s the crisis, new girl? Can’t sleep in our luxurious pine-scented prison?
Me: Something like that. Also, this town smells like a Christmas tree factory exploded.
Sienna: 😂 You’ll get used to it or you’ll start smelling like it and we’ll adopt you.
Me: Hard pass.
Sienna: So what’s really keeping you up? First-day trauma? Avery’s eyeliner game? Or… 👀
Me: …
Sienna: Spill! I can feel the hesitation from here.
I bit my lip, typed, deleted and typed again.
Me: Fine, Luca.
Sienna: CALLED IT.
Me: Shut up😂. He’s my neighbour and literally next door.
Sienna: WAIT! The Hale estate is RIGHT next to your house???
Me: Yep. He was staring at me from his porch the day we moved in. Creepy? Hot? I don't know.
Sienna: Holy shit! 100% both. Luca Hale is the definition of “dangerous pretty.” Basketball captain, bad-boy vibes, and doesn’t talk to anyone unless he feels like it but he spoke to you today!
Me: He was annoying. Kept asking questions like I owed him conversation.
Sienna: And you gave him attitude right back?😳
Me: Obviously🙄.
Sienna: Iconic! He’s not used to girls who don’t melt and you’re already living rent-free in his head.
Me: Gross! I’m not trying to live anywhere near his head.
Sienna: Too late. He stared at you across the cafeteria like you stole his last fry and he wanted revenge. Or wanted to share it. Idk, the vibes were intense.
Me: You’re the worst😂.
Sienna: And yet you’re texting me at midnight. 😏
I groaned into my pillow, my cheeks warm.
Me: Whatever. He’s just weird like he knows something I don't.
Sienna: Welcome to Silverpine. Everyone knows something you don’t. But seriously, be careful with the Hales. They’re reclusive for a reason.
Me: Huh?
Sienna: Just avoid him
Me: Noted! But he’s literally next door. Hard to avoid.
Sienna: Then avoid eye contact or don’t, your funeral. Either way, I’m here for the drama.
Me: Gee, thanks.
Sienna: Now go to sleep before you turn into a zombie tomorrow. We’ve got English first period and Mr. Turner hates yawns.
Me: Yes, Mom.
Sienna: Night, Trouble and don’t dream about brooding neighbors.
Me: 😂😂
I set my phone down and the quiet rushed back in, heavier now. I pulled the blanket higher and closed my eyes. A long, low howl distant but unmistakable rolled through the trees. My body tensed and I sat up slowly. I crept to the window, easing the curtain back. Moonlight silvered the grass and branches swayed gently. And at the edge of the woods, a large shape, fluid and dark, wasslipping between trees. Bigger than any stray dog. Wolf?
It paused and I swear it looked straight at my window. I stepped back, heart slamming against my ribs. When I peeked again, it was gone. I stood there a long minute, barely breathing then I turned and padded downstairs, flip-flops soft on the steps. A faint light spilled from the living room. Mom was on the couch, laptop balanced on her knees, and scrolling through emails. She worked night shifts at the Silverpine Hospital.
“Hey, honey. Couldn’t sleep?”
I nodded, heading for the fridge and poured milk into a glass. The cold helped a little. Mom patted the cushion beside her. “Come here.”
I settled next to her, legs tucked under me. The couch was warm from her body heat. She closed the laptop halfway and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“Work?” I asked, glancing at the screen.
“Just emails.” She studied my face. “You okay?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. First day was a lot. And this place feels weird at night. Quiet in a way that’s too loud, you know?”
She nodded slowly. “I know. It’s different from the city and takes time to adjust.”
I leaned into her. “Any word from Dad?”
Her smile was small and sad. “None today.”
“I miss him,” I whispered.
She pulled me closer, chin resting on my head. “I know, baby. I miss the way things were too.”
We sat like that for a while, her stroking my hair, and me breathing in the familiar scent of her lavender shampoo. The divorce still felt raw like a bruise that hadn’t quite turned purple yet.
“I don’t like this place, Mom,” I said quietly. “And there are wolves or something in the woods. Dunno, I heard howling.”
She tensed slightly, then relaxed. “Wolves are normal here. The woods are full of them and they usually stay away from houses.”
“Yeah, but this one didn’t feel normal.”
She kissed my forehead. “You’ll be fine, honey. We both will.”
I wanted to believe her. The clock on the wall read 2:18 a.m. when I finally dragged myself back upstairs. I crawled under the covers, eyes flicking to the window. But as I drifted into uneasy sleep, the dreams came anyway—dark shapes slipping through trees, golden eyes watching from the dark, and Luca’s voice low and teasing, echoing somewhere just out of reach.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Midnight texts, wolves, and a quiet mom moment—the emotional layers are stacking up. Aria’s opening up to Sienna, spilling about the neighbour boy, and that howl at the window has her (and us, lol) on edge. What do you think she really saw? A normal wolf or something more? How long before Aria starts asking Luca point-blank about the weirdness next door? See ya, guys💋.