All My Heart

21st January 2002
Weybridge, Surrey

"Happy birthday Aria!"

Aria smiled shyly, blowing out the candles that were alit on the birthday cake that was presented to her. She'd only just blew the candles out when someone pounced on her back, making her topple forward and, ultimately, making her face-plant into the icing of the chocolate cake.

Laughing, she wiped off her face and turned around, facing the culprit that was already grinning cheekily over at her.

"You are so going to get it, Dan!" She exclaimed, making the other boy laugh as he started to run away, Aria chasing after him while the other guests watched them in amusement.

She had insisted on not needing a party but her mother planned a small get together with some relatives, anyway. It was only mandatory to invite the Flint's, as well.

Dan, at age thirteen, was still rather small-sized with boyish features. He enjoyed playing football with his mates from school but he'd pick a day with Aria over them, all the time. He supposed he was going through that awkward stage in which he started realising that girls were actually attractive, but with Aria, he only saw the dorky and adorable girl that he'd known since he was nine. He still teased her, and she still teased him. Him entering his teenage years while she was only ten made no difference to them.

'Best friends for life,' they'd promised. Pinky-promised.

Once the younger girl got tired of chasing him around, they retreated back into the house, Dan going to help with giving out the cakes while Aria went to wash herself off and change into a new set of clothes, since Dan got cake all over them.

She joined the guests of her little party not long after, fresh-faced and in clean clothes, gratefully accepting a piece of cake and joining Dan on the floor with some of her cousins - who she was not close with, at all - since the adults were taking up the seats at the dining table and on the couches. There were more adults than there were children and they were being so loud.

It was supposed to be Aria's birthday celebration, but it honestly felt like an excuse for the adults to gossip and boast about their kids to each other.

Dan tugged on her hand, pulling her to her feet the moment she finished her piece of cake. "Let's go to our tree."

Their tree. It wasn't technically theirs, but they hung out there so often that they just referred to it as theirs. It was a large tree in her backyard, with thick branches that one could sit on. It wasn't that difficult to reach, since the pair of them were much like monkeys - easily able to climb the tree easily. That was what made the place special to them, really. No one else that they mutually knew could climb the tree, thus never being able to hang out with them in their tree.

They climb up easily, resting their backs on the thick bark while they straddled the thick branches. Dan and Aria were opposite each other, so Dan could see when she frowned, playing with the hem of her t-shirt.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Dan shot her a flat look, nudging her foot lightly with his own. "Tell me." He whined.

She cracked a smile at that, sighing afterwards. "I don't like going to school." She spoke softly, making him frown.

"How come?" He asked. "I thought you haven't changed classmates or anything."

"They pick on me because I don't have a father. They say that Dad left because he wouldn't have wanted a kid like me." A tear dripped from the corner of her eye as she looked away from him, focusing on the view that she had from the higher level off of the ground.

"Hey," he coaxed gently, scooting closer, nudging her shoulder gently. "Look at me."

Aria complied after awhile, wiping at her eyes. Dan frowned. "Don't listen to them, okay?"

Aria shook her head. "What if they're right, Dan? What if Dad left because I'm not as pretty as the other girls in school?"

Ten years old. She was only ten years old. She shouldn't be thinking about stuff like that. She shouldn't have to even care about how she looked. But there she was, thinking that her bloody father left because of how she wasn't good enough. That was not okay.

"Ari, it's not true --"

"How do you know?" She interrupted him, another tear running down her cheek. "What if one day Mum realises the same and then she leaves and then you realise the same and leave, too, and I'll be all alone and I don't want that."

"Aria," Dan simply sighed, somehow managing to move her so that he could wrap his arms around her in a comforting hug. "Your dad left because he's stupid. It's not your fault, okay. I'm not leaving, either. You're my best friend in the whole entire world; I'm not going to ever leave."

"And hey," he grinned, poking her in her side so that she looked up at him. "you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen. Ever."

***

Aria drew in a shaky breath as she glanced over her shoulder for the fifth time in three minutes. She pushed her key into the keyhole, turning the doorknob, rushing into the safe confinements of her flat and then breathing out a sigh of semi-relief.

You know that feeling you get when someone has been staring at you for so long that you feel like there's an invincible presence hanging onto your back? Aria had felt that ever since she left her University.

She'd called Dan to pick her up after her classes, as per his orders - he'd done so much for her, it was only fair that she didn't worry him even more by going home herself or hitching a ride from one of her classmates. He'd dropped her off and said he was going to meet up with Oli again since the pair realised that they had so much to catch up on that couldn't be covered in the two hours that Aria had classes.

Dan offered to bring her along, saying that the tattooed male missed her, but she declined; figuring that they could use some quality man gossip time, or whatever.

But honestly, Aria was starting to regret her choice of response.

She didn't want to be alone in her flat, due to how she'd gotten paranoid over the fact that James was going to find her, like he said he would. Combine that with the feeling of being watched, Aria was a right mess.

Aria was tempted to pick up her cell, giving Dan a quick ring and begging him to come over, but she didn't want to. She knew how much of his time had been dedicated to her over the time period of when she'd been attacked up to the current day. He had just gotten back from tour. He was supposed to be in pubs and/or clubs picking up birds, for goodness' sake! He wasn't supposed to be babysitting his best friend. He didn't need to waste his time on her, she decided.

A sharp knock on her front door made her head snap up from where she'd been mindlessly reading her lecture notes.

She kept her eyes locked on the door. It wasn't Dan because Dan had a key. It wouldn't be any of the guys, or their girlfriends, because she'd overheard Georgie, Chris' girlfriend, telling them that they didn't need to worry about Aria and check on her so much like she was a little kid - to which Aria was immensely grateful for.

Swallowing a bit, she slowly headed towards the door. Another series of gentle knocks. She'd grabbed a hardcover Harry Potter book - it was the only thing within reach that could cause damage if needed - and pulled open the door.

"Hey." The blond by the doorway grinned handsomely, making her internally let out a giant sigh of relief.

"Hey Ben. What're you doing here?"

Her lecture-mate looked sheepish then, bringing a hand to the back of his neck. "I kinda need the notes from just now. I might have fallen asleep."

She chuckled, pulling the door open further as she ushered him. Ben was a nice lad; he'd only ever been kind to her. They lived in the same complex, him living two storeys above her, and sometimes when either of them seemed to be running late, they'd call each other till they woke up and speed to school together. It was a weird friendship between the two, but it worked and it was convenient.

She pulled out the stack of papers that were in binds, handing it over to him. They were already in Uni, yes, but sometimes their lecturer took pity on them and printed out notes for them. Sometimes. Like, once in two semesters. And he'd make them pay for the papers.

"You're a life-saver." Ben laughed, taking it from her hands and pulling her in for a loose one-armed hug.

Aria tensed for a bit, but Ben seemed to not notice. "As always." Aria laughed, sounding more forced than she expected.

"You okay?" He frowned.

"Yeah..." she nodded, smiling. "Yeah, just, you know, tired."

He laughed, nodding. "You and me both, babe. You should get some rest. You looked absolutely knackered."

Aria nodded, laughing a little as she agreed with him. She walked him to the door, smiling at him as he walked out the door; thanking her again for the notes. She'd just gone about shutting the door when Ben called out her name, waving an envelope at her.

"I almost forgot about this. I saw it in front of your door when I came 'round." He smiled.

"Oh, thank you." She smiled back, though confused as to what the envelope could contain.

"See you at school!" Ben called over his shoulder, making a move towards the stairs.

Aria pulled open the envelope once she'd shut the door. A little white note dropped out of the envelope, making her frown deeper. As her eyes skimmed across the words printed on the note, she could've sworn her heart stopped.

Who is going to love you now that you've left me?
No one.
You're not good enough for anyone else, you're not pretty enough for anyone else, you're not smart enough for anyone else. You're just not enough for anyone.
You are mine, my dear.

And I will find you.