Chapter 3 BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Aria blinked awake to the soft morning light slipping through the hospital blinds. Her head was still throbbing, but it was dull and annoying; at least the room wasn't spinning anymore. A nurse came in, checked her blood pressure, and gave her dad a small nod.

"Good news. She's cleared to go home," The nurse said with a kind smile.

"Thanks a lot, nurse," Her dad said as he stood up and adjusted his shirt.

Aria glanced at him and noticed how tired his eyes were and how wrinkled his shirt looked, which made her feel even guiltier.

As they walked out of the hospital together, he didn't say a word, no yelling or shouting. Just silence, and that made Aria feel uneasy, she knew she deserved it.

Aria sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window, as her dad made a phone call and eventually started driving. The entire ride was awkwardly silent.

No music. No words

Trying to break the tension, she decided to apologize one more time, maybe it might change his mind. "Dad, I'm really sorry," she said quietly.

"We'll talk when we get home," He replied quietly, hands gripping the steering wheel a little bit too tightly.

The car pulled into the driveway, and Aria felt her stomach twist. The house looked the same as always, but something felt different now, like she was coming back to somewhere she no longer belonged.

Her dad stepped out first, grabbed the keys, and walked straight to the front door. Still silent. Aria followed behind him, fingers nervously tugging at the sleeve of her hoodie.

Inside, her suitcase was already waiting by the staircase.

Her heart dropped.

This is it.

He had really done it.

He had really packed for her.

Her dad cleared his throat.

"I didn't touch everything", he said quietly.

"Just put the basics together. You can add the rest yourself."

Aria looked down at the half-filled suitcase. Clothes folded too neatly, toothbrush tucked into thepocket, her favorite jacket placed carefully on top. All done by him, all done because she was leaving.

"They've arranged the Jet, it leaves by nine. We need to be at the airstrip by eight-thirty".

Nine.

It was really happening today.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The anger she expected wasn't there anymore. Just a sinking feeling in her chest, heavy and empty at the same time.

Her dad rubbed his forehead, exhausted.

"Listen, Aria, I'm not doing this to get rid of you. I'm doing it because I don't know how else to help you. Maybe... maybe being somewhere new will change things."

Aria swallowed hard.

"I promised you I was going to change", she whispered.

"I know"

The words were soft. Sad.

"But sometimes wanting to change isn't enough."

Aria picked up her suitcase and headed upstairs to finish packing. Her hands trembled as she folded her underwear and packed a few books and pictures. Every item she packed made everything feel more real.

She realized she hadn't checked her phone in hours, and she didn't even feel the urge to.

Between Brooklyn and Paris, between her dad and a mum she barely knew anymore...

She was really between two worlds now.

A few minutes later, Aria dragged her suitcase down the stairs, and her dad was already at the door, keys in hand. He wanted to speak, tell her how much he loved her and how much he wanted her to stay, but he couldn't find the right words.

They walked out together and got into the car.

The city was barely awake, the trees were quiet, and the sunlight was still early. Aria plugged in her AirPods in one ear just in case her dad decided to speak to her, which she doubted. The whole ride had been filled with silence, and she stared at the window, letting her thoughts take absolute control of her.

"Please...just try to make the best of it". Her dad said quietly as he fixed the rear mirror of his car.

Aria didn't answer. She just nodded, letting the words wash over her without really hearing them. The city passed by in a blur of early morning grey and gold sunlight, buildings she knew so well now feeling distant and strange.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack, and she tried to keep her breathing steady. She wasn't ready to cry. She wasn't ready to speak. She wasn't ready for any of this.

They pulled up to a small, gated airstrip. The sight of the sleek private jet sitting on the runway made her stomach twist. Everything about it screamed luxury she had never known, and people she had never met. Staff in crisp uniforms stepped forward as soon as they saw her, politely guiding her towards the jet.

Her dad parked and stepped out, keeping his eyes on the ground for a moment before looking up at her. He tried to smile, but it faltered.

"Call me when you land", he said simply. "I'll be waiting for your message".

Aria swallowed the lump in her throat. She nodded, her hands trembling slightly as she picked up her suitcase. Words didn't come. She didn't want to say goodbye. Not yet, not like this.

As she stepped onto the jet, she glanced back. Her dad was standing by his car, silent, the early morning sunlight catching the tired lines on his face. He lifted a small, tentative wave. Aria pressed her palm on the window instinctively, as if she could hold onto him through the glass.

The engines started with a soft roar, and the jet began to fly. The city beneath them slowly shrank, and she felt the weight of leaving everything behind pressing down on her chest.

Her old life was disappearing.

And ahead of her stretched a new world, cold, unfamiliar, and completely unknown.