Chapter SEVENTY ONE.

' It's so hot in here." Aurora said aloud and fanned herself with her skinny right hand. ' I thought so too." Arianna responded then let out an exasperated sigh. ' Let's go swim then." Paul suggested. He is a lover of water after all. ' Yea we should." Aurora responded and got up from where she had sat. ' I'm going to go get my swimsuit upstairs." She added and stormed out before anyone could stop her. It was as though the heat has really messed up with her brain. ' I will go get mine too. Meet you out on the pool." Paul informed and walked away too. She wouldn't need swimsuit. That she knew well. Arianna clasped her lips together in a firm manner, wondering if she was to stay here and wait for them or go stay at the pool side. She watched as Mrs Salvatore walked in with three groceries bags in her arms and she quickly stood up and met her halfway to help with it. They weren't out of groceries yet but Mrs Salvatore's best hobby was to pile up the house with food, lots of it. ' Thank you dear." Mrs Salvatore said the minute Arianna placed the bag down on the table. ' Where are the others?." She asked, her eyes wandered the unusually quiet house. ' Out. I mean Brandon is out for his horse training and I have absolutely zero idea of where Damon is." She explained. Mrs Salvatore nodded in response then started to sort the groceries, placing each where they belong. ' The kids?." She asked briefly, her eyes still on the bag of oranges. ' They will be down soon. We are going for a swim." Arianna responded. ' Okay. I will be making beef soup for dinner so you guys should be done by then." Mrs Salvatore said and turned around. Arianna watched her pack up her hair into the hair bonnet and my eyes landed on the scar under her chin, a little mark on her neck. A clear reminder of what Mr Salvatore used to do to her, a reminder of his beast like behavior. She felt her blood boiling and squeezed her eyes shut gently then let out a shaky breathe before she opened them again. Mrs Salvatore was like a Mother to her. ' I will be heading out now." Arianna informed and stepped away before she could get a response. Anything to get away from this anger. Arianna headed out to the pool. The sun was still sitting sexily in the sky, the hotness enough to fry the earth, the heat even more than before. She took off her shirt, leaving the White singlet and sat at the edge of the pool, her legs played with the water. ' Oh, you are here." She heard a familiar voice say from behind and turned around to see Selina. ' Hi." Arianna responded, raising her head up to see Selina's face clearly while shading her face with her left palm. ' Is he home?." Selina asked and Arianna looked at her weirdly. ' Is who home?." She questioned. ' My man." Selina responded and bent down to meet Arianna's face length. ' Oh Damon!. No, he isn't and I have no idea where he is." She responded. She didn't want to talk about him or anyone right now. She had her own things to deal with. ' Any idea when he will be back?." Selina went on to ask. ' Nope." Arianna responded and kicked the water with her feet. ' Okay." Selina responded and went quiet for a while. ' Can I ask you something?." She added. ' Of course. Feel free to." Arianna responded and tilted a little to pay more attention to her. ' Damon…Does he like anyone else?." Selina said, picking her words carefully. ' Hmmm. That I don't know." Aurora responded. ' Does Paul or Aurora know?." Selina asked and Arianna raised a brow while staring at her. ' I doubt that." Arianna responded. ' Do you feel like he hates me?." Selina continued. Arianna let out a ‘ here we go again' sigh while pretending to listen. She didn't understand what was so special about Damon that made Selina love him so much. She had always believed Selina deserved more than that cruel Damon can give. ' I don't know, Selina. I can't read mind after all but what I do know is that Damon isn't right for you." Arianna replied. ' Why?." She questioned, her eyes wide. ' I just feel….ummm it's nothing Selina." Arianna responded. For what ever reason, she didn't want to be the one held responsible for any misfortune in this house. Not now that she knew she didn't belong here or among them. ' You sure, Arianna?. Feel free to talk." Selina replied. Yea, just good. Using her own words on her. Arianna thought. ' It's nothing Selina." Arianna responded and sent her a fake smile, one that meant she wanted her space and peace now. As though Selina got the message, she stood up and dragged her shirt lower. ' It was fun talking to you. I will leave now." Selina informed and smiled. Yea, leave now please. Arianna whispered in her head and watched her walk away. She kicked the water with her feet again as she waited for her friends to come, wondering what took them so long. Suddenly her eyes landed on it, she sighted it from afar. The hair band she had lost days ago was floating above the water. It wasn't really that far and definitely within arms reach. If she could just….pull…it over…and… She thought as she stretched her right hand out to catch it and drag it near. Almost there! Almost there!. She thought and tried again. Almost there!. She muttered and with a loud splash, she landed in the water. The very cold, very ice like water. Just what she needed after the heat, only that…. she couldn't swim. ' Help!!." She tried yelling and kept gulping down the water. Her hands moving the air as she drowned. ' Help!." She said weakly and it ended up sounding like a bubble before everything went all blank.