｡𖦹°‧ 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧' 𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐥 ⭑°‧꩜ .ᐟ

( 022. 'last night in LA' )

THE LAST NIGHT in la felt surreal. the city so beautiful, its neon lights casting a soft glow against the skyscrapers, reflecting off the glass windows like something out of a dream. people filled the streets below, but for ariella all her excitement was gone, because without walker, the birthday she had been looking forward to for so long had lost all its meaning.

she had spent the past few hours getting ready for the celebration, trying her best to ignore the heaviness in her chest. standing in front of the bathroom mirror, ariella adjusted her dress one last time, straightening the strap and brushing a few stray hairs from her face. her reflection stared back at her—she looked good as hell, her makeup?? TEA ASF, her hair??? TEA ASF. ( fine shyt all the wayyyyy!!!)

her phone buzzed on the counter, snapping her out of her thoughts. it was a text from leah:

"ari ik you look so gooddd, forget about everything boo tn is your bdayyyy!!!"

ariella smiled faintly at the words, her fingers lingering over the screen for a moment longer than necessary. she appreciated her friends, truly. they were everything she could ask for. but that nagging ache in her chest wouldn't go away. it was like a heavy weight pulling her down, making it impossible to focus on anything but the conversation—or, the lack of conversation—that she and walker hadn't had. the silence between them was suffocating, and no amount of glitter or confetti could cover up the cracks that had formed.

ariella sighed, slipping the phone into her bag before turning to leave the room. she wasn't going to allow herself to ruin the night. she couldn't. not on her birthday. but it wasn't easy.

the hotel lobby was bustling with activity when ariella stepped out, but it felt like she was moving in slow motion. she scanned the room, her eyes instinctively searching for walker. she found him standing by the elevators, his figure stiff and awkward. his hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and he was staring at the ground.

ariella's stomach twisted at the sight of him. she wanted to say something, to ask how he was or what he was thinking, but every word felt like it would break the wall she had built around herself. the last thing she wanted was to fall apart in front of him, not tonight.

she did her best to keep her expression neutral as she walked past him, the air between them thick with unspoken words. she wasn't ready to talk. not yet. maybe not ever.

the rest of the group was already in the lobby, talking about the night ahead. blake was talking about which restaurant would make the best backdrop for photos, leah and dior were deep in laughter over some inside joke, and charlie and aryan were in the middle of a heated debate over who had the best outfit for the night, but it was all noise to ariella. it was all just background static.

ariella forced a smile and joined them at the front, but her eyes kept drifting back to walker. he was still standing there, looking as uncomfortable as ever. she could feel the weight of his gaze on her, but she refused to acknowledge it. she wasn't going to let herself be dragged back into the mess he had made. not tonight.

"hey," she said, her voice deliberately light as she turned toward him. she wasn't sure what she expected—maybe an apology, or an explanation, or just a sign that he cared. but when their eyes met, there was nothing but confusion in his, a helplessness that made her feel even more alone.

"ready for dinner?" she asked, trying to keep things casual.

walker blinked as if snapping out of a daze, and he nodded quickly, his eyes shifting uncomfortably. "yeah," he muttered. "ariella, i'm sorry."

the words hit her, and she felt her throat tighten. she wanted to say something—anything—but the words didn't come. instead, she shook her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. "it's fine," she said, the words coming out colder than she intended. "let's just go."

the drive to the restaurant felt like an eternity. the group was in high spirits, laughing and talking, but ariella couldn't join in. she was sitting next to leah and dior, but her mind was elsewhere, stuck on the same thought over and over again. why didn't he just tell me? why had he kept secrets from me? it wasn't even about the kiss with kayla anymore. it was about the lies,  the way he had let her fall for him without being honest.

leah and dior kept glancing at her, their concern evident, but neither of them said anything. they both knew that when ariella was ready to talk, she would. until then, they respected her silence. but the silence felt suffocating. it was like she was drowning in her own thoughts, unable to come up for air.

she glanced at walker, who was sitting in the front seat, his profile illuminated by the dim light of the passing streetlamps. his blue eyes were focused on the road, but there was an air of defeat about him, like he knew he had messed up, and now there was no going back. she hated the way he made her feel, but at the same time, a part of her missed him. she missed the way they used to be, before everything had gotten so complicated.

when they finally arrived at the restaurant, (help, im still at the resturant 😅) ariella forced herself to step out of the van with a smile plastered on her face. she wanted to feel the warmth of the evening, wanted to be excited for the celebration, but it all felt so distant, like she was watching someone else's life unfold. the restaurant was cozy and intimate, the atmosphere warm with low lighting and laughter filling the air. but as ariella walked through the door, it felt like she was entering a different world. she wasn't part of it. not anymore.

the group was seated at a large table in the back, and they quickly began to order. ariella didn't feel hungry. in fact, she felt nauseous, but she picked something—something light, something that wouldn't make her stand out.

leah and dior did their best to keep her engaged, but ariella was distant. her mind was elsewhere, her thoughts circling around the same thing over and over again. why did you keep things from me, walker? she couldn't understand it. they had been so good together, so open. and then this... this mess.

"i can't believe you're 15 now!" blake exclaimed, leaning in with a bright smile. "feels like we were just planning your 14th birthday."

ariella smiled, her voice barely above a whisper. "yeah. time flies, right?"

the conversation moved on, but ariella couldn't keep up. her mind kept drifting back to walker, to that kiss, to the broken trust. it was like a constant hum in the back of her mind, impossible to ignore.

then, just as she was starting to lose herself in her thoughts, the waiter brought out a small birthday cake. the group erupted into song, singing "happy birthday" with enthusiasm, but ariella didn't really hear them. she couldn't. her mind was too far gone, lost in the distance between her and walker.

she smiled as they finished, but it didn't reach her eyes. the cake was beautiful, chocolate and rich, with delicate decorations. the candles flickered in front of her, casting a soft glow on her face. but even as she stared at the cake, she couldn't think of a single thing to wish for. what did she want? she should have known. it should have been easy. but all she could think about was how everything had fallen apart.

the group waited expectantly, looking at her for a moment. leah, her eyes wide with excitement, nudged her gently. "make a wish!"

i wish me and walker could go back to eating ice cream, just us, and he would get his favorite, vanilla.  

ariella closed her eyes, her breath catching in her chest, but when she blew out the candles, she felt a quiet sense of defeat.

when she opened her eyes, the chatter around her seemed distant. the room was full of people, but ariella felt alone. she didn't want to be here anymore. she didn't want to pretend that everything was fine.

the evening continued, but the longer it dragged on, the more ariella felt like an outsider in her own celebration. walker hadn't said much since dinner, hadn't even looked at her, and she was oddly relieved, though a part of her wanted for him to do something—anything—to show that he cared.

 ARIELLAMADISON   POSTED 30 SECONDS AGO

[ariellamadison]

[leah, dior, and ariella]

ariellamadison hey guys im 15 

liked by: leahsavajeffries, diorgoodjohn, blakemadisonn, and 187k others

comments:

user35: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIELLAAAA

user33: oomggg shes 155555

user32: YOU LOOK SO GOOD!!! 

diorgoodjohn: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIELLAAAA! i love you so much im so glad we met. 

↳ ariellamadison: ughhh stop i love you

leahsavajeffries: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIELLAAAA! i literally love you you are my life. 

↳ ariellamadison: leah my queen

happy birthdays from the whole entire group, i just dont feel like writing all of that. 

kaylastevensons: happy bday girl

↳ diorgoodjohn: ew get out 

↳ leahsavajeffries: whyyy are you here???

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the elevator ride back to their floor was silent, and ariella couldn't even bring herself to look at the others. when they reached their room, the group said their goodbyes, heading to their respective rooms. ariella stood at the door of her shared room with walker, her hand hovering over the handle.

but before she could open the door, it swung inward, and there stood walker. he looked like he wanted to say something, his mouth opening and closing, as if he was struggling to find the right words. his eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, ariella saw the guilt there. it was so clear, so raw, and it made her want to break down all over again.

"ariella," he began, his voice low, almost pleading. but ariella didn't give him the chance.

without saying a word, she walked past him, her pace quickening as she headed straight for the bed. she turned her back to him before he could say anything else. she wasn't ready. she wasn't sure when she would be.

walker sighed, the sound heavy and full of regret, but he didn't push. he simply walked over to the couch and sank into it, the silence between them thick and suffocating. hours passed, but ariella didn't speak. the tension in the room grew with every minute that ticked by.

finally, as the clock crept past midnight, ariella turned off the light and pulled the covers around her, shutting everything out. she could feel walker's presence across the room, but she didn't acknowledge it. she couldn't. not yet. not after everything.

she heard him mumble something under his breath, but it didn't matter. nothing mattered anymore. all she wanted was space. distance. time to figure things out.

she curled up into herself, blocking out everything but the soft rhythm of her breath.

and in that moment, ariella realized one thing: it wasn't even about the birthday anymore. it wasn't about the cake or the party or the friends around her. it was about the fact that nothing felt right anymore. not even her own heart. she really just missed her boy, she was tired of being mad at him.

and that, above all else, felt like a loss.