Chapter 61 Aria
It was Thursday when Sienna walked back into Silverpine High like nothing had happened. Like she hadn’t disappeared without a word for nearly a week leaving everyone in a spiral of worry and speculation.
I saw her first in the hallway. She was leaning casually against the lockers by the entrance, hoodie pulled over her head, and backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. Her hair was messy, a little tangled, and there was a bruise peeking from under the sleeve at her wrist. It wasn’t noticeable unless you looked.
“Aria.” Her voice was cautious but she still managed that smile that seemed designed to disarm anyone brave enough to ask questions.
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Sienna?”
She blinked, startled as if she hadn’t expected me to be standing there, or maybe she hadn’t expected to see anyone at all. Then she straightened and offered the perfect smile again.
“Oh my gosh, hey! I’m back,” she said. “Crazy week, huh?”
I crossed my arms unsure if I wanted to shake her, yell at her, or just throw my backpack at her for being alive and lying all at once.
“Yeah. Your week,” I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “What happened to you? Where were you?”
Her eyes flicked down the hallways then back to me darting like she was measuring escape routes. “Family stuff,” she said quickly. “You know hectic. Totally last-minute. It was just chaotic.”
I raised an eyebrow. Her mom? She hadn’t been in her life for years. She’d joked about her constantly. Called her the “birther of children” more than once.
“Family stuff,” I repeated slowly. “Your mom’s side?”
She laughed a little too fast. “Yeah! Um yeah, something like that. It was totally unexpected.”
I could feel every lie in her body. The way her shoulders stiffened, the way her hands gripped her backpack strap even the faint tremor in her voice screamed that something was off.
“Late last night, huh?” I asked carefully.
She hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, I got back really late. My phone was dead so no way to text.”
I wanted to roll my eyes so badly it hurt. “Your phone was dead for one week?”
“Yep.” Her voice clipped. “Totally dead.”
I blinked. “You forgot your charger for one week?”
“Yes.” She smiled again, and I swear it was supposed to look innocent. “It happens.”
Sure it does.
I wanted to grab her by the hoodie and shake her. I wanted answers. I wanted the real story not whatever version she had memorized for a casual hallway drop-in instead, I stayed still, watching her like she might disappear again if I blinked.
Her eyes flicked to the doors and back to me. That made me realized she wasn’t just hiding from me, she was hiding from something else.
“Aria,” she said, voice soft now. “I really can’t—”
“No,” I cut in, voice firmer than I meant. “We’re talking now! You disappeared, vanished for a week. People were worried sick and don’t try to pull the ‘I’m fine’ act. I see when something’s wrong.”
Her lips parted like she was about to argue, then closed again. She glanced down the hall, swallowed, and shook her head. “I can’t, not here. There are too many eyes.”
“Too many eyes to do the right thing?” I asked, my voice quiet but harsg. “Because whatever happened, you can’t just vanish and expect everyone to forget.”
She flinched, which confirmed what I already suspected: she wasn’t fine. Not even close. “I said I’ll explain later!” she snapped, finally. “I’ll find you later, okay?”
“Later? Sienna, you’re not giving me much choice here!” I called after her as she weaved through the crowd like she was evading someone or something.
People whispered as she passed, some staring, others gasping, and a few snickering. None of it mattered. All I could focus on was the unease crawling under my skin. Something about her return was wrong. I pressed a hand to my chest trying to steady my breath.
I made my way to my locker, trying to process what I’d just witnessed. The Sienna I knew—the one who cried at the end of movies, who stole fries from my plate, and who hid in my room during thunderstorms—was there but so was someone else. Someone I didn’t recognize. Someone guarded and almost feral in subtle ways.
What happened to you, Sienna? I whispered to the empty air but the answer didn’t return.
The rest of the day blurred and classes went by in a haze. Every time I caught a glimpse of her in the hallway, my stomach twisted and group of students whispering felt like a ticking clock counting down until she either fell apart or disappeared again. By the end of school, I couldn’t take it anymore so I texted her.
Me: Where are you?
I got no response but I texted again and still got nothing. My thumbs hovered over my phone, willing it to buzz and give me even a fragment of truth. Finally, I grabbed my bag and headed for the forest edge. I needed space to think. The air was crisp carrying the scent of pine and wet earth and the shadows between the trees stretched long and silent. I imagined Sienna there, hiding among them, and listening.
I sat on a fallen log, closed my eyes, and tried to breathe. But every time I did, I heard her voice in my head, light and rehearsed, hiding things that screamed danger. I couldn’t shake it and I didn’t want to. Something had changed while she was gone and I knew deep down, I just couldn’t trust just her words anymore.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Y’all, SIENNA IS BACK and of course, she’s lying. Did she really just waltz back into school and expect us to clap for her return? I can’t. I’m living for the suspense and the “what the heck is she hiding?” vibes. Who else is feeling that mix of worry and pure wtf right now? Drop your thoughts below because I need to know if you trust her or if we’re all screaming inside like me😭💜.