Turning her friends against her, though? Not the easiest thing Ari would ever do.
She waited, bracing herself, as footsteps approached the door. The nurse thrust it open. “Your father has visitors, Ms. Johnson.”
“Okay.” The nurse nodded and departed. Rachel strode into the room, followed by Staci. Staci wore a somber expression.
“Oh, Ari,” she whispered, and then threw herself into her arms. Ari hugged her, bending down as she always had to when hugging Staci and Rachel. Staci pulled away only for Rachel to envelop her. Ari tightened her hold on her friend, knowing this was the last gesture of affection that would ever exist between them. Choking back the burning anger in her throat that life had come to this, Ari retreated and pushed Rachel gently away.
“What happened?” Rachel asked, her brows creased in concern. “Why didn’t you call? I found out from my aunt.”
Oh shoot. Of course. Ari had forgotten Rachel’s aunt was a nurse in the hospital. News traveled fast in Sandford Ridge.
“Yeah, and my dad found out from Mr. Wilshire that works with your dad,” Staci added. “They say he just collapsed at work?”
Ari nodded, unable to meet their eyes. She hated lying. “Yeah. They don’t know what’s wrong. Or if he’ll wake up.”
“Oh God, Ari, I’m so sorry,” Rachel said, tears shimmering in her clear baby blue gaze. “You should have called. You shouldn’t go through this alone.”
Okay, time to put my game face on.
She smoothed her features, attempting the same expressionless mask Jai wore most of the time. “I’m not. Charlie’s here, he’s getting coffee.”
“You told Charlie, but not us?” Rachel couldn’t hide her hurt. Even Staci looked upset and confused.
“He is my best friend.”
“Oh.”
“Well…” Staci shrugged. “We’re totally here now. What can we do?”
“Nothing.” Ari perfected her monotone. “There’s nothing anyone can do.”
Rachel offered her a watery smile. “We could take your mind off it. There’s nothing you can do, sweetie, but let the doctors figure this out. We're here at your disposal.” Her eyes lit up. “What if we took you across state to Penn? We could check it out together. Your dad would want you to.”
A part of Ari was genuinely angry at the suggestion. Did they really think she would leave Sandford Ridge while her dad lay dying in a hospital bed? Was college all Rachel ever thought about? Even though the rational side of her knew Rache was trying to comfort her and take her mind off the horrible situation, Ari drew on that anger. She shot her best friend a disgusted, disdainful look. “Is that all you think about? College? My dad is dying, Rache!”
“Ari, no, I didn’t mea—”
“And I’m not going to college. I never wanted to go to Penn.”
Rachel shook her head, perplexed. “Wait. No. Of course you want Penn. Ari, you can’t let this hurt your future. Your dad wouldn’t want that.”
Do it. Just do it.
She sneered. “You don’t know what he’d want. How could you when you don’t even know your supposed best friend? I’ve been freaking out for weeks about college, but I couldn’t talk to my best friend about it because she would have turned her back on me the second I said I didn’t want to go.”
Rachel flinched. “Ari, that is so not true. I would have been there if you’d just talked to me. You blame it on me, but you don’t confide in us. You didn’t even tell us your dad was in hospital. What is wrong with you?” Her lips trembled. Rachel was close to tears. Ari couldn’t stand to see anyone cry.
Yet somehow she forced herself to remain strong. “I just know who my real friends are, is all.”
“What? Charlie Creagh?” Rachel cried, tears spilling free. “Yeah, Ari, he’s such a good friend. He hasn’t been there for you for the last two years. He’s a loser. And if you keep going this way, you’ll end up just like him.” Her last words were caught on a sob as she fled the hospital room.
Staci stood frozen for a moment, staring at Ari as if she’d never seen her before. Finally, she cleared her throat. “I don’t know what that was about, but I know this isn’t you. So does Rache. She’ll realize when she stops crying that this… this isn’t you.” She gave Ari a soft, heartbreaking smile. “I want you to know that when you’re ready to deal with all of this, we’ll still be here, Ari. We’ll be waiting.”
Her promise almost broke Ari’s resolve. She wanted to fall into Staci’s arms and hug her friend and ask her to take away the last few weeks. She wanted to go back and have everything be how it once was. But she could never go back. There were no friends, no parties, no college in her future. There was good and evil, magic and danger. And Rachel and Staci were too important. She couldn't endanger their lives by involving them.