Traces of Your Touch (An AU Fanfiction)
Chapter 33
A/N: Double update! I'm so sorry! :( I accidentally deleted it!
The beautiful hues of the morning sun managed to sneak its way in streaks through the tiny spaces between the leaves, peeking in between the curtains of the window and eventually falling on Aria's face as dawn arrived. She had been up for half an hour now, having dreamt about the same thing again for the third consecutive day.
Why? Why was it that she only kept thinking about him when there was someone else who liked her better? Someone who respected her? Why couldn't she get over someone who thought she could be used like an object?
What had gotten into her anyway? In the space of a week, she had not just kissed but had a full on make-out session with two of the hottest guys in her school. To be honest, as much as it sounded like a fairytale coming true; Aria hated herself for acting so promiscuous.
It wasn't like her to go around kissing men like a bloody serial kisser and yet when she was in close proximity with either man, her judgment clouded up. She hadn't had the guts to tell her friends about all of this either; scared that they would be quick to judge her and tell her how much she had changed.
Two days had passed since the gym incident. Two days of pure bliss and hell for Aria. On one side, there was Louis who would come up to her every morning and talk to Aria and her group till the bell rang. He hadn't asked her on a date and hadn’t kissed her again since that day, leaving a bittersweet longing within Aria. However, due to his friendliness towards her and the group, other people were giving her a hard time.
And on the other hand, there was Harry, who, it seemed, had completely forgotten about Aria. He didn't talk to Aria or even look at her as though he had lost all interest in her. In fact, he was getting cozier with Amy, leaving Aria burning up with jealousy. Rumor had it, that they were doing the deed in an empty room whenever they got time off.
It had taken all of Aria's will power not to sneak around and check each and every room of Richmond High School to catch the two. And even if she caught them, what would she say? It wasn't as though Harry was hers or anything. He had just wanted to have a fling with her and she had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.
But what bothered her most was when the two of them served detention together. They would be alone in an empty room; just a couple of seats apart and neither would acknowledge the other's presence. Aria would glimpse at him once in a while but Harry; he would ignore her completely.
Even on the first day of detention, when he had dropped her off at home, he had been completely silent throughout the ride. He had only given her a nod of acknowledgement when she had thanked him.
Had he lost even the slightest interest in her? Had it been all that was to it? Sex? Is that the only thing he had wanted from her?
Aria turned to her side, pulling the duvet up to her chest in a protective gesture as she watched the wind chime gently sway against the morning breeze. Winter was coming and for some odd reason Aria wasn't looking forward to it this time around.
"Are you sure this is appropriate for school, Carol?"
"A hundred and ten percent sure, Ari! You look spectacular!"
"But you can see so much cleavage!" Aria protested, trying to pull the blouse up a little to cover up her chest. Carol slapped her hand away before complaining.
"Ari! Just stop! I wear these all the freaking time! Besides, Louis is gonna be drooling all over you when he sees you like this!"
"But, Carol, I don't want him to make a move based on what I can display!"
"He won't, Ari! Guys can be stupid sometimes! You need to give them a nudge on the right direction once in a while."
Aria looked at her reflection on Carol's floor length mirror and regretted coming to her place. She had been feeling so blue that she needed someone to talk to, before facing another day of unpredictable events at school. Aria had decided calling Carol up instead of Liana, knowing that the former would be easier to talk to. Carol never poked around for details, beyond what you told her; nor did she ever give philosophical lectures like Liana did.
So, Aria had convinced her parents to let her go to school with Carol and had walked her way to the Gates'. She had let it all out in front of her dearest friend, leaving some of the more graphic details. Carol being as affectionate and caring as she was had hugged Aria and had come up with a crazy plan.
Being her usual hyper self, Carol had grabbed all her makeup and clothes to give Aria a temporary make over, claiming that this would be the solution to Aria's problems. Half an hour of being experimented on, Aria felt a bit ridiculous wearing a low-cut blouse and knee-length skirt, tagged with a fish-tail braid.
There was no way, her new look would cause her anything but trouble.
"No, really! You look gorgeous today!" Nikhil complimented Aria for the millionth time, making her blush as she closed her locker.
"She gets it, nerd boy! Now back off before you scare her!" Liana sobered Nikhil up with a playful slap on his arm, smiling at Aria the entire time. Thankfully, nobody had called her out for exposing so much skin. On the contrary, she had managed to get some compliments from not just her friends but also some random strangers in her year, with whom she had never even spoke to before.
She heard the familiar voices and laughter of the populars as they made their way through the corridor. Aria quickly hid herself behind Carol and Liana as the cackling drew closer.
"Umm- Ari, what are you doing?" Liana asked, moving away.
"No! Stay there! Li, please!" Aria protested, trying to convince Liana not to move and blow her cover. But it looked like her two best friends had other plans.
"Hey, Louis! Liam! Over here!" Carol shouted towards the group.
"Carol! No!" Aria exclaimed in a whisper.
"Hey, guys!"
"How's it hanging?"
She heard Liam and Louis greet as two pairs of footsteps approached them. Liana grabbed Aria by the arm, and pulled her up beside herself, giving the two boys an eagle eyed view of her. Louis stopped in his tracks as his gaze fell on Aria. Their eyes connected and Aria saw a hint of something new in Louis' eyes.
Liam greeted the group including Aria as Louis stood there drinking in the sight of her. She looked marvelous in that skirt and blouse, leaving Louis speechless for the first time in his life. The thought of having kissed this beautiful girl in front of him just a couple of days ago gave him a sense of pride.
For some odd reason, he felt a sense of possessiveness take over him as he watched Liam appreciating Aria's new look and making her blush. Louis walked up to Aria and leaned against the locker beside her with a smile on his face. He decided to save his compliments for later.
"So umm- which one of you guys are staying over at school for the carving?" Louis asked in general, leaving Aria a bit disappointed that he had not even bothered to acknowledge the effort she had put over her makeup and outfit.
"What about you, babe?" Liam asked Aria, having heard everyone's decision.
"Oh umm- I'm not sure. I have the detention and I actually have to go look for a part time job."
Aria's non-committed answer drew a round of scowls from her friends.
"A job? Why?" Liana asked, surprised Aria hadn't mentioned anything about it before.
"Oh, you know! I just want to save up for a new car and all!" Aria lied, not daring to tell her friends that had her parents had decided to stop giving her allowances until they felt she had gotten over her recent outrageous behavior.
"In that case, why don't you apply for Camilla's Cafe?" Liam suggested, making her recall her last visit there.
"Yeah!" Alan agreed with Liam. "I hear the pay is pretty well there!"
"I don't know. I'll think about it, you guys." Aria wasn't quite sure whether waiting tables would be helpful with her reputation at school; not that she was considering herself too good to work there. Any job she'd get, she'd welcome with open arms.
Everyone began conversing about the pumpkin carving competition that the school was holding after lunch. Aria joined in, but her eyes kept darting to the direction of the popular group, seeking out the boy with the messy curls and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. But he was nowhere to be seen. Aria's thoughts were suddenly broken by Louis whispering something to her.
"Huh?" Aria looked at him as he leaned a bit towards her, so that only she could hear him.
"I said I think you should take the job at Camilla's." He whispered against her ear, pretending to be paying attention to the group conversation. "And also come to the carving competition."
"Why?" Aria asked in a low voice, not sure why they were whispering and pretending to be busy listening to the others.
"Because both ways I get to spend more time with you." Aria couldn't help but turn to look at Louis this time, with a blush adorning her cheeks and a smile adorning her lips. Their eyes met and Aria quickly looked away when she noticed the way he was looking at her.
"Besides!" Louis whispered against her ear again, making goose bumps rise on her arms. "I leave big tips, if the girl waiting my table looks as gorgeous as the girl next to me does today."
Aria felt her whole face turn scarlet as satisfaction sank in by the fact that he had noticed her efforts after all.
"Yup! Liana sure looks hot! What? You didn't think I was talking about you. Did you?" Louis whispered as a joke against Aria's ear, making her gasp and slap his chest playfully. As Aria chuckled, her eyes suddenly met the sight of the person she had been searching for the entire morning.
The smile slipped from her face as she watched Harry look her up for the first time in two days. He looked beautiful as usual and even more beautiful with that scowl on his face. She didn't know who was more in awe of the other as they drank each other in.
Aria suddenly felt a light touch against the smallest finger of her right palm. She looked down and watched as Louis nervously brushed his own knuckles against hers as if seeking permission.
Aria couldn't stop the fluttering of her chest at the small gesture. She intertwined her pinky finger with his, making him look down at her with a warm smile. Aria smiled back at him and turned to look back at the reason of her sleepless nights.
But he was gone; nowhere to be seen. It's like he had magically disappeared; leaving Aria feel as though she had conjured him up in her mind.
The beautiful hues of the morning sun managed to sneak its way in streaks through the tiny spaces between the leaves, peeking in between the curtains of the window and eventually falling on Aria's face as dawn arrived. She had been up for half an hour now, having dreamt about the same thing again for the third consecutive day.
Why? Why was it that she only kept thinking about him when there was someone else who liked her better? Someone who respected her? Why couldn't she get over someone who thought she could be used like an object?
What had gotten into her anyway? In the space of a week, she had not just kissed but had a full on make-out session with two of the hottest guys in her school. To be honest, as much as it sounded like a fairytale coming true; Aria hated herself for acting so promiscuous.
It wasn't like her to go around kissing men like a bloody serial kisser and yet when she was in close proximity with either man, her judgment clouded up. She hadn't had the guts to tell her friends about all of this either; scared that they would be quick to judge her and tell her how much she had changed.
Two days had passed since the gym incident. Two days of pure bliss and hell for Aria. On one side, there was Louis who would come up to her every morning and talk to Aria and her group till the bell rang. He hadn't asked her on a date and hadn’t kissed her again since that day, leaving a bittersweet longing within Aria. However, due to his friendliness towards her and the group, other people were giving her a hard time.
And on the other hand, there was Harry, who, it seemed, had completely forgotten about Aria. He didn't talk to Aria or even look at her as though he had lost all interest in her. In fact, he was getting cozier with Amy, leaving Aria burning up with jealousy. Rumor had it, that they were doing the deed in an empty room whenever they got time off.
It had taken all of Aria's will power not to sneak around and check each and every room of Richmond High School to catch the two. And even if she caught them, what would she say? It wasn't as though Harry was hers or anything. He had just wanted to have a fling with her and she had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.
But what bothered her most was when the two of them served detention together. They would be alone in an empty room; just a couple of seats apart and neither would acknowledge the other's presence. Aria would glimpse at him once in a while but Harry; he would ignore her completely.
Even on the first day of detention, when he had dropped her off at home, he had been completely silent throughout the ride. He had only given her a nod of acknowledgement when she had thanked him.
Had he lost even the slightest interest in her? Had it been all that was to it? Sex? Is that the only thing he had wanted from her?
Aria turned to her side, pulling the duvet up to her chest in a protective gesture as she watched the wind chime gently sway against the morning breeze. Winter was coming and for some odd reason Aria wasn't looking forward to it this time around.
"Are you sure this is appropriate for school, Carol?"
"A hundred and ten percent sure, Ari! You look spectacular!"
"But you can see so much cleavage!" Aria protested, trying to pull the blouse up a little to cover up her chest. Carol slapped her hand away before complaining.
"Ari! Just stop! I wear these all the freaking time! Besides, Louis is gonna be drooling all over you when he sees you like this!"
"But, Carol, I don't want him to make a move based on what I can display!"
"He won't, Ari! Guys can be stupid sometimes! You need to give them a nudge on the right direction once in a while."
Aria looked at her reflection on Carol's floor length mirror and regretted coming to her place. She had been feeling so blue that she needed someone to talk to, before facing another day of unpredictable events at school. Aria had decided calling Carol up instead of Liana, knowing that the former would be easier to talk to. Carol never poked around for details, beyond what you told her; nor did she ever give philosophical lectures like Liana did.
So, Aria had convinced her parents to let her go to school with Carol and had walked her way to the Gates'. She had let it all out in front of her dearest friend, leaving some of the more graphic details. Carol being as affectionate and caring as she was had hugged Aria and had come up with a crazy plan.
Being her usual hyper self, Carol had grabbed all her makeup and clothes to give Aria a temporary make over, claiming that this would be the solution to Aria's problems. Half an hour of being experimented on, Aria felt a bit ridiculous wearing a low-cut blouse and knee-length skirt, tagged with a fish-tail braid.
There was no way, her new look would cause her anything but trouble.
"No, really! You look gorgeous today!" Nikhil complimented Aria for the millionth time, making her blush as she closed her locker.
"She gets it, nerd boy! Now back off before you scare her!" Liana sobered Nikhil up with a playful slap on his arm, smiling at Aria the entire time. Thankfully, nobody had called her out for exposing so much skin. On the contrary, she had managed to get some compliments from not just her friends but also some random strangers in her year, with whom she had never even spoke to before.
She heard the familiar voices and laughter of the populars as they made their way through the corridor. Aria quickly hid herself behind Carol and Liana as the cackling drew closer.
"Umm- Ari, what are you doing?" Liana asked, moving away.
"No! Stay there! Li, please!" Aria protested, trying to convince Liana not to move and blow her cover. But it looked like her two best friends had other plans.
"Hey, Louis! Liam! Over here!" Carol shouted towards the group.
"Carol! No!" Aria exclaimed in a whisper.
"Hey, guys!"
"How's it hanging?"
She heard Liam and Louis greet as two pairs of footsteps approached them. Liana grabbed Aria by the arm, and pulled her up beside herself, giving the two boys an eagle eyed view of her. Louis stopped in his tracks as his gaze fell on Aria. Their eyes connected and Aria saw a hint of something new in Louis' eyes.
Liam greeted the group including Aria as Louis stood there drinking in the sight of her. She looked marvelous in that skirt and blouse, leaving Louis speechless for the first time in his life. The thought of having kissed this beautiful girl in front of him just a couple of days ago gave him a sense of pride.
For some odd reason, he felt a sense of possessiveness take over him as he watched Liam appreciating Aria's new look and making her blush. Louis walked up to Aria and leaned against the locker beside her with a smile on his face. He decided to save his compliments for later.
"So umm- which one of you guys are staying over at school for the carving?" Louis asked in general, leaving Aria a bit disappointed that he had not even bothered to acknowledge the effort she had put over her makeup and outfit.
"What about you, babe?" Liam asked Aria, having heard everyone's decision.
"Oh umm- I'm not sure. I have the detention and I actually have to go look for a part time job."
Aria's non-committed answer drew a round of scowls from her friends.
"A job? Why?" Liana asked, surprised Aria hadn't mentioned anything about it before.
"Oh, you know! I just want to save up for a new car and all!" Aria lied, not daring to tell her friends that had her parents had decided to stop giving her allowances until they felt she had gotten over her recent outrageous behavior.
"In that case, why don't you apply for Camilla's Cafe?" Liam suggested, making her recall her last visit there.
"Yeah!" Alan agreed with Liam. "I hear the pay is pretty well there!"
"I don't know. I'll think about it, you guys." Aria wasn't quite sure whether waiting tables would be helpful with her reputation at school; not that she was considering herself too good to work there. Any job she'd get, she'd welcome with open arms.
Everyone began conversing about the pumpkin carving competition that the school was holding after lunch. Aria joined in, but her eyes kept darting to the direction of the popular group, seeking out the boy with the messy curls and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. But he was nowhere to be seen. Aria's thoughts were suddenly broken by Louis whispering something to her.
"Huh?" Aria looked at him as he leaned a bit towards her, so that only she could hear him.
"I said I think you should take the job at Camilla's." He whispered against her ear, pretending to be paying attention to the group conversation. "And also come to the carving competition."
"Why?" Aria asked in a low voice, not sure why they were whispering and pretending to be busy listening to the others.
"Because both ways I get to spend more time with you." Aria couldn't help but turn to look at Louis this time, with a blush adorning her cheeks and a smile adorning her lips. Their eyes met and Aria quickly looked away when she noticed the way he was looking at her.
"Besides!" Louis whispered against her ear again, making goose bumps rise on her arms. "I leave big tips, if the girl waiting my table looks as gorgeous as the girl next to me does today."
Aria felt her whole face turn scarlet as satisfaction sank in by the fact that he had noticed her efforts after all.
"Yup! Liana sure looks hot! What? You didn't think I was talking about you. Did you?" Louis whispered as a joke against Aria's ear, making her gasp and slap his chest playfully. As Aria chuckled, her eyes suddenly met the sight of the person she had been searching for the entire morning.
The smile slipped from her face as she watched Harry look her up for the first time in two days. He looked beautiful as usual and even more beautiful with that scowl on his face. She didn't know who was more in awe of the other as they drank each other in.
Aria suddenly felt a light touch against the smallest finger of her right palm. She looked down and watched as Louis nervously brushed his own knuckles against hers as if seeking permission.
Aria couldn't stop the fluttering of her chest at the small gesture. She intertwined her pinky finger with his, making him look down at her with a warm smile. Aria smiled back at him and turned to look back at the reason of her sleepless nights.
But he was gone; nowhere to be seen. It's like he had magically disappeared; leaving Aria feel as though she had conjured him up in her mind.
Notes
I apologize for the double update but I accidentally deleted chapter 33 while editing the notes since I'm on my phone! :( I'm so sorry!
Aria's Outfit
Louis' Outfit
Harry's Outfit
A/N: Hiyaaaa, beauties! So, as you know we weren't supposed to update this story but the chapter for our other story got deleted while we were about to upload and we have to write it all over again! Grrrr! So, I'm not gonna say much since I'm on my phone and I hate typing with it. But we just wanted to let you know that the next chapter will have a dirty scene, the pumpkin carving competition and more haria scenes so please let us know your opinions as to which scenes you look more forward to. Also, in the next chapter we'll go through all the comments given to us by our readers and the ones who have supported the story throughout will be given shout outs! :D love you guys to the moon and back! <3 x
Hey I have read your stories and subscribed to them and. Ang wait until they are updated. Hope everything is okay thanks
10/23/16