Thoughts That Count

Episode 1 Part 1

Aria

I sat alone at the bar, thankful that there weren't many people ther so no one would ask me if I was of legal age. Coming back from Iceland felt awkward. Being there I could forget everything. All the wrong my father had done, the whole mess with Allison. Iceland was like iving in a snowglobe. A sfae small environment, separate from the world.

"Can I get a cheeseburger, please?" I called out to the man behind the bar.

"You got it," He replied.

I looked up from the counter to see the bullitin board on the wall, and a oster of Allison confronted me. Had anyone ever considered that some people didn't want to remember? That it would hurt to much. Memopries came flooding into my mind and I quickly looked back down.

'You alright down there/" I heard a male voice ask. I looked to my right to see a man, maybe a few years older than me siting two chairs down at the bar.

I plastered on a small smile and replied, "I'm a bit jet lagged. I just got back from europe," of course that was only part of the problem, but I wasn't going spill to some guy in a bar.

"Where in Europe?" He asked, turning his gaze on me.

I nodded. I wasn't really in the mood for conversation, but he seemed nice enough, Iceland."

" I spent some time in Rynkiviok before I went to Amsterdam. Its a great city," He said cheerily. His atmosphere began to pull me in. I was enjoying the conversation. It actually felt good to speak to someone who wasn't one of my three family members.

"So do you go to Hollis?' I asked turning in my chair to face him.

He did the same, "Just graduated," He nodded, "I'm gonna start my first teaching job."

"Yeah, I – I think I'd like to teach," I said, my mood lightening. There was moment of silence as the song playing in the bar changed. I sighed, "i love this song."

He bit his lip, "B-26?" I looked over at him, but didn't offer an answer. What did he mean? What was E-26? I wondered if it was something that a Hollis english major should know, and if i seamed stupid for not answering. He waited for an awkward moment, then asked a new question, "What's you're major?"

I smiled and took a breath, turning my whole body back towards him as I answered, "Ah, well I'm leaning towards english," I shrugged a little.

"That's what I'm teaching," He said with a smile.

I laughed a little and smiled back. This conversation felt good. Just talking to him made me feel amazing. Itmade me feel something I hadn't felt in a long time if ever, "And I write too, but soo far its mostly personal, just for me," I replied.

"I'm impressed."

"Why?' I asked, shaking my head infinitesimally.

"I tried writing," He said, getting up and moving into the stool next to mine, "I didn't get very far. You're lucky. If you're writing for yourself its true passion," He paused swirling the liquid in his glass around, then looked back up meeting my eyes, "Maybe you'd let me read some of yours?

I smiled at the thought of anyone wanting to kow what I wrote, "Yeah? You really want to?"

"Yeah, you're smart, you've traveled, great taste in music," I found my self trapped in his eyes, laughing like a schoolgirl who'd never flirted with a guy before, "I'd like to know more about you."

"Yeah," I sighed, "I'd like to know more about you too." I was trapped in his eyes as he leaned in to kiss me. Our lips met softly, and when we pulled apart, his eyes shone. His dove into the kiss this time, kissing me hungrily. I pushed him away after a moment, "We shouldn't do this... here."

He bit his lip and got up, pulling my hand and led me into the girls restroom. I smiled hugely and he kissed me agin pressing me up against the counter. I smiled when we parted and pu hoisted me up onto the counter and we kissed again and again. I'd never felt this way with anyonew. I pulled away at one point and shook my head, teasing him, then leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips, then pulled him to me, loving the way this felt...