Dear Diary, I Have A Mate

by Abbie Lynn

  “I'm not playing anything,” he growled.

  I froze. That sounded like the growl from my dream, but who was it that growled? I backed away and tried to get off the bed but my legs felt weird.

  “You can't walk Aria,” Ty said.

  I looked at him confused.

  “The gas mask.”

  I nodded but tried to anyways. Ty grabbed my hips and pulled me away from the edge of the bed. Well this is just perfect. I'm trapped!

  “Aria please, why can't you talk?” I looked down and started biting on my thumb.

  “Arrabella what happens when you talk?” 'I can't breathe!' I wrote.

  “That's not true. You make yourself think that.”

  'That's not true Ty.' I wrote.

  “It is. You have a panic attack.”

  'Sorry I can't control it.' I wrote.

  He scooted closer to me and I flinched back.

  “I can prove it to you, say something.” He encouraged.

  'I'm tired.' I wrote.

  “Fine, sleep.” He sighed, helping me lie down.

  I closed my eyes and Ty turned out the lights and lay next to me.

  * * *

  “Come on you can do it.” Ty encouraged.

  I laughed at his eagerness.

  “It's just like laughing,” he bribed.

  I nodded.

  “What should I say?”

  He laughed.

  “I like you Aria.”

  “I like you Ty.”

  * * *

  “What?” A voice from the outside said.

  I squeezed my eyes and let myself fade into the blackness. I then opened my eyes to see Ty looking at me in awe. I looked at him questioningly.

  “Hold on nurse!” Ty shouted.

  Yeah right, like the nurse has nothing better to do than come and observe me. The nurse came in, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Aria you just said Ty,” he announced.

  I blushed. He heard me again? Why didn't I say the rest of the sentence? Oh my goodness what if it's not safe to talk in my dreams anymore?

  Why do I keep talking out loud? I started coughing.

  “You're fine, it's fine.” Ty soothed, holding me.

  I took some deep breaths and snuggled into him.

  “Thank you, you can leave,” Ty ordered and I assume she left.

  “See you talked and it was okay.”

  I took a deep breath again, Ty's scent is amazing, and then pulled away to meet his eyes.

  “I'm proud of you.”

  I grinned and his face mirrored mine. Maybe it is okay to talk.

  Chapter 10

  Dear Diary,

  I'm working up the courage to talk to Ty. Today is Sunday and he hasn't really pushed me to talk since yesterday.

  We have watched movies for most of the day.

  I'm supposed to be in the bathroom right now, but you know me always thinking about you.

  ~Aria

  I walked back into the living room where Ty was taking the Hunger Games DVD out of the player.

  He smiled at me and without warning pushed me on the couch and started tickling me, being careful not to touch my bruises. I can't believe he remembers where they are!

  I laughed and pushed at his hands.

  “Nope I like it when you laugh.” He laughed in evilness.

  I glared at him. He stopped and I let out a breath in relief. He smirked and then moved his hands closer again. I squirmed under him and then pushed at him so I was straddling his stomach. I then took my hands and started tickling him. I got to this one spot on his neck where he cringed and pleaded for me to stop. I laughed and then jumped off him and the couch.

  “Don't start something you can't finish,” he challenged.

  I giggled and then ran to the stairs. It was too late because he was already caught up to me.

  “Do you give up?” he asked.

  I nodded. He let me go and I punched him in the arm.

  “Oh yeah?” He challenged, pinning me to the wall.

  I laughed until my arm started hurting.

  “What's wrong?” he instantly asked.

  I sucked in a breath and then held my cast-covered arm.

  “Oh shit,” he muttered, scooping me up in his arms and taking me to the couch.

  “Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I forgot, how could I be so stupid?” He went on.

  I scanned the room for my notepad but I must have left it upstairs.

  “Are you mad? How much does it hurt? Does it still hurt?”

  I put my hand on his arm to stop him but he kept going. I need something more! I cleared my throat but nothing came out.

  TALK! I screamed in my head. I tried but nothing came out. Ty was now going on about how he needs to be more careful.

  “Ty,” I whispered. I didn't think he heard it.

  His head snapped up.

  “Ty, stop.” I silently commanded.

  I froze and my stomach flipped.

  “Aria,” he beamed.

  I started to breathe heavily.

  “Shh, breathe.”

  I nodded but I couldn't. I groaned and felt my throat closing up. Ty swung me into him and ran to the nurse. I fought with her as she put the mask on me, I can do this! She held my hands and forced it on me and once again I drifted away.

  “She talked!” Ty exclaimed I could tell he was beaming.

  “At least we know she wants to,” the nurse, Sherry, added.

  “Of course she wants to. My baby talked,” he repeated.

  I groaned.

  “Aria?”

  I opened my eyes and saw him. He reached down and hugged me. I was back in his room. I smiled at him.

  “You did it babe.”

  I grabbed my notepad.

  'Babe?' I wrote.

  “It's a nickname.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “I love your voice.”

  I faked a glare.

  I sat up.

  'Help please.' I wrote.

  “Come on Ar say it.”

  “Help,” I whispered.

  He grinned and then picked me up.

  “Where to?” I pointed to my notepad.

  “You don't need it.”

  I sighed and cleared my throat.

  “Downstairs.” I couldn't get my voice above a whisper but at least I can whisper without the memories coming back. He sat me at the bar and then he headed to the fridge.

  “Do you want some chicken nuggets?” I nodded.

  “Aria,” he sang.

  I smiled, shaking my head.

  “Come on you have to get used to it.” I sighed.

  “Yes,” I whispered. Ty grinned and then put the nuggets in the oven.

  Carter walked in smiling.

  “Do I smell chicken nuggets?” he asked.

  I raised my eyebrows at him. They have been in the oven for a minute how could he have smelled them?

  “Make your own dip shit.” Ty laughed, sitting next to me.

  “Hey Aria!” he greeted.

  I smiled and waved and then ducked my head into Ty. Ty chuckled and I pushed my face deeper into him. After we had lunch we went back upstairs and sat on Ty's bed.

  “Aria?”

  I looked up at him.

  “What's your middle name?” he asked, smiling.

  I shook my head.

  “Can I guess?”

  I shrugged.

  “J, right?”

  I nodded. This is so embarrassing!

  “Jessica?” He asked.

  I shook my head.

  “Hey if we are going to play you have to say yes or no.” “No,” I whispered.

  “Jaylee?” He smiled.

  “No.”

  “Um Joyce?”

  “No.” I laughed.

  “Joy?” he shot out.

  “No.”

  “Jackie?”

  “Nope.” I smiled.

  “Jason?”

  “No.” I laughed.

  “Hey it could
be a middle name for a girl.”

  I felt my face heat up.

  “Wait, is it a boy middle name?”

  “Maybe,” I teased.

  “Jackson?”

  “No.” I sighed.

  “Jacob?”

  “No.”

  “John, Jude, Jack, Jeremiah, James?”

  “Yes.” I smiled.

  “Which one?”

  “James,” I replied, blushing.

  “Arrabella James Middleton?”

  I sighed.

  “That's not even embarrassing.” He chuckled.

  'Yes, it is,' I wrote on my pad of paper. I don't think I'm ready for sentences yet.

  “Oh sure.” He snorted.

  'What's yours?' I wrote.

  “My full name?”

  I nodded.

  “Guess,” he teased.

  'At least tell me your last name.' I wrote.

  “Benson.”

  'First initial of middle name?' I wrote.

  “D.”

  'Danny?' I wrote.

  “No.” He smirked.

  I rolled my eyes.

  'David?' I wrote.

  “Nope.”

  'Denis?' I wrote.

  “No.” He repeated.

  'Drew?' I wrote.

  “No.” He smiled.

  'Dalton?' I wrote.

  “Bingo and we have winner,” he teased.

  'Tyson Dalton Benson.’

  “Yep, that's my name.” He laughed.

  'When am I going back?' I slowly wrote.

  “Back, you mean to your old house?” he growled.

  I looked down and nodded.

  “Why are you still thinking about going back?” 'It's not like I can stay here forever.' I wrote.

  “Why not?” he asked, mad and hurt at the same time.

  I looked up and gave him in an “are you serious” look.

  “You can live here.”

  'I know Ty but eventually I have to face it.' I wrote.

  “You will never face him, not alone.”

  'Stop.' I wrote.

  “You stop, Aria I don't even know what this is about.” He sighed.

  I looked down again and sighed.

  “Look at me.”

  I shook my head, keeping it down.

  “Aria.”

  “Arrabella.”

  “Arrabella James.”

  He then put his hand under my chin and held my head up. I pushed him away but kept my head up.

  “What is it?”

  I looked back at him and was at a loss for words.

  What could I say? I mean I like Ty a lot but I don't want him trapped in my problems. He just told me to live here with him but what about after high school? Won't he go to college or something?

  'This is my problem.' I wrote.

  “Well I'm making it mine.” He shrugged.

  'Why?' I wrote.

  “I care about you.”

  'Why?' I rewrote.

  “Because I see something in you that not even you see in yourself.”

  'Thanks Ty.’ I wrote.

  “Anytime.” He grinned.

  * * *

  I woke up and heard talking from outside the door.

  I looked over at the clock and saw that it is only 11:30.

  “Hey man that's what I heard,” I heard a voice say.

  “Then whose left?” another one said, and I know that was Carter.

  “Um, I don't know Aiden found his mate yesterday,” The first voice declared.

  Mate?

  “Yeah I heard that so that leaves me and you man.” Carter laughed.

  “Yeah who would have thought Tyson would have found his mate before us?” the first voice asked.

  “Yeah but hey she's going to be great.” Carter defended.

  “Yeah I hear she's really doing well. I wonder when Tyson will tell her,” the voice

  wondered.

  “Same here. I hear he's going to tell her soon too, well man I'm going to bed.” Carter yawned.

  “Yea night man,” the other voice called.

  I thought about Tyson with another girl and it made my heart clench. Why is Carter always here anyways? I mean does he live here too? Just then Ty grabbed me and pulled me into him. I snuggled into him and he mumbled something in his sleep. I then let my eyes close and I slowly drifted away.

  Chapter 11

  Dear Diary,

  I'm on a mission today. It's about mates.

  I'll report back when I find out more.

  ~Aria

  Ty stepped out of the bathroom and smiled.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked.

  I blushed, looking away.

  “I'm serious.” I followed him down to the kitchen where we ate breakfast and then drove to school together.

  “Are you in deep thought or something?” he asked, snapping me out of the internal debate going on in my head.

  I nodded. He looked over and then shrugged.

  “Fair enough.” During school I couldn't keep my mind off of the whole mate thing!

  I mean seriously why is Ty wasting his time with me when there's another girl in the picture who is probably normal. I finally came to the conclusion that it had to be Claire. I mean who else could it be?

  “Aria please you're killing me.” We were currently watching some movie that he had put in. Well I'm not watching, I'm thinking. We have been home from school for about two hours now. We are in Ty's room and he is about to give himself a heart attack. I took my notebook and started to write.

  'What is a mate?' I wrote.

  He read it and then looked shocked.

  “Where is this coming from?” 'I heard Carter talking about it.' I wrote.

  “What do you think it is?”

  'I don't know Ty, but he said you have one.’ I wrote.

  “When was this?” 'Last night.' I wrote.

  “Is that what you've been thinking about all day?” 'Yes, who is your mate?' I wrote.

  He looked shocked and then amused.

  “Who do think it is?”

  'Claire.” I wrote.

  He laughed at that. I hit him with the notebook.

  “Listen we will stay home from school tomorrow. I've got a lot of explaining to do,” he said. I could tell he was enjoying himself.

  'Wipe that smile off your face.' I wrote, which made him smile even more.

  “Why? I like smiling,” he mocked.

  I raised my eyebrows at him and then got off the bed.

  “Where are you going?”

  I grabbed my notepad.

  'Away from you.' I smirked.

  He frowned and put his hand over his heart.

  “Who would ever want to be away from me?”

  'Me.' I wrote, smiling.

  “You know it's been a while.”

  I gave him a questioning look.

  “Since you've talked.”

  I shrugged. It hasn't been that long.

  “Yes, it has.”

  I rolled my eyes and then left the room. Carter was in the hallway about to walk down

  the stairs.

  “I'm going to get you.” I heard Ty shout from behind me.

  I ran over to Carter and stood behind him. He looked back at me confused, until Ty ran out.

  “Great hiding spot.” Ty laughed.

  “Oh sure Aria, use me as a shield,” Carter teased.

  “Step away from the girl,” Ty mocked.

  “Only if the girl wants to go with you.” Carter played along.

  “Aria, tell him.” I shook my head.

  “The girl will stay,” Carter chuckled.

  “Not unless I hear her say it.”

  Carter turned to me, raising his eyebrows.

  I giggled.

  “She says she doesn't want to go with you.” He smiled.

  “No she didn't.” Ty pouted.

  I nodded.

  “Arrabella,” he sang.

  “Come with me.” />
  “No stay with me,” Carter mock begged.

  “Well who do you choose?” Ty smirked.

  I narrowed my eyes at him and then hugged Carter's waist.

  “Carter,” I replied.

  Carter laughed and I buried my head into him so Ty wouldn't see my face. I heard a low growl, which made Carter laugh harder. I let go of him however because after hugging Carter, I wanted to be back in Ty's arms. I ran over to him and hugged him.

  “Just kidding,” I whispered.

  “You better be.”

  I nodded.

  “Whom do you choose?” he teased.

  “You.” I smiled.

  Carter rolled his eyes at us and then walked downstairs.

  “You should talk more. Your voice is adorable,” Carter called after reaching the bottom.

  I wanted to shout to him to shut up, but my voice wasn't above a whisper yet. So I rolled my eyes and followed Tyson into the game room.

  After I beat him in Mario Cart three times in a row he decided that we should play some tank game, which he creamed me in.

  “Come on shoot.”

  I shot, but it hit him instead and he died. I laughed and then aimed at the enemy.

  “You shot me!” He yelled in horror. I shot the rest of the tanks charging towards me and then looked over at him.

  “Arrabella James,” he scolded.

  I shrugged.

  “You cannot shoot your partner in tanks and just simply get away with it,” he teased.

  I shot up out of the beanbag and ran towards the door. After sprinting down the hallway I found the stairs and ran down them. Carter and some other guy I didn't know were talking in the kitchen.

  “What did you do this time?” Carter teased.

  I smiled and ducked down behind the bar.

  “I know she's in here,” Ty sang.

  “We don't know what you are talking about,” Carter replied.

  I crawled over to the side.

  “Aria you might as well surrender,” Ty sang.

  I stayed put and tried to make my breathing quiet. All of a sudden, a grinning Ty was in front of me. I squealed in shock as he picked me up and carried me out behind the bar and up the stairs. I squirmed a little bit, but then stopped because the last thing I needed was for him to drop me. I held on to him a little tighter at that thought.

  “I'm not going to drop you,” he said confidently, making it up the last step. He set me down on his bed. I yawned and he smiled.

  “Why don't you take a shower?” I nodded and then he grabbed my arm.

  “Not until you say you're sorry for shooting me.”