Chapter Three.

Ariana

"No mom, I'm not gonna have dinner with you and dad. All you two do is judge me on everything I do. I'm sick of it. But I'm going into the gym. Bye." Ariana walked into the Fletcher Fitness Center and headed straight toward the exercising bike. Looking around she noticed a young guy who was helping most of the people at the fitness center. She looked back down, already sweating as she pedaled as fast as she could. "Whoa you may need to slow down a bit." He said with a slight British accent. "I'm –­­­­­­­­trying to work all this off." Ariana replied. The trainer looked at her funny. "Work what off? Staying in shape I see but you have no meat on your bones." Ariana gave a little laugh of sarcasm. "Are you kidding me? Look at me." The trainer's face expression became more sad. “Yes, look at you.” Ariana scoffed. "I'm Jamison. I'll help you with whatever you need but trust me, you are not big or masculine what so ever. Stay here and don't push yourself so hard." Ariana nodded but passed over his suggestion. Still pedaling as fast as possible, she became dizzy. Her phone rang but she could barely see what the caller I.D said - everything was getting blurry. Pressing the green answer button she said "Hello?" She was breathing pretty heavy and could barely keep the phone up to her ear. "Hey girl! Meet me at the mall today around 6. I have some major news to tell you." Ariana huffed, still breathing heavy. "Can't." She said. "Got other plans, but I have to go now, text me tonight to tell me what it is." She hung up the phone then dropped it on the floor from her shaking hands. After only 10 minutes of pedaling, she slowed down, coming to a stop. She put her head on the front of the machine. Slowly making her way up, she toppled over, falling to the floor. Jamison ran over to Ariana to help her up. "Ariana, I told you not to push yourself. Are you alright?" She opened her eyes and said "How do you know my name?" He laughed, "It's on your membership card. That's what I was looking for when I left you here. Let's get you up now." He said pulling her up to her feet. She was still shaking and her knees wouldn't lock in place. Another instructor came along and picked up her phone. She went over to Ariana's information papers to call the first emergency number, her mom. "Hello Mrs. Delfinko, your daughter has passed out at the gym. We are taking care of it but maybe you should consider coming down to see her. It says she's on medication but nothing for health care."
"I will be down there right away, thank you." After almost 15 minutes, Ariana's mom showed up. Ariana was sitting in a chair in the back room. "What are you doing here?" She asked her mom. "I got a call you passed out. I'm coming to check on you." Ariana rolled her eyes. "Well I'm fine. You can leave now." Jamison stood up to greet her mom. "Hi I'm Jamison. Ariana is fine but stay as long as you'd like."
"Thank you Jamison. I'm Cheryl Delfinko. Ariana's mom." Ariana stood up to face her mom. "Mom. I am fine. I don't want nor need you here right now. Please just go." Ariana's mom walked out of the back room and out of the fitness center. Ariana turned around to get her purse and started walking out of the room. Jamison grabbed her arm and asked "Where are you going?" Ariana shrugged. "I don't know. I'm supposed to be going to my grandmother's house but my parents will be there for dinner so any place but there."

"If you really don't feel comfortable with going home, how about you come to my apartment for the night?" Ariana gave Jamison a confused look "Your apartment? Like stay the night over at your house or something?" Jamison nodded slowly "Well - Yeah I mean you say you don't want to go home or be around your parents so maybe you can crash at my place for the night." Ariana nodded and smiled. "Okay. If you won't mind, but just one problem. I have no other clothes." Jamison took Ariana's arm, "It's okay. I have something you could sleep in. I'll be done with my shift in 20 minutes so how about you go shopping or something. My treat." Jamison said as he handed Ariana $250. "No I couldn't spend your-"
"Don't worry about it." Ariana shook her head "I can't."
"Go." He said. "Okay. Thank you." Ariana took off to shop at her favorite store, Chic Boutique, which is expensive but she could pick up at least one small outfit. She chose a tiny, mini, black skirt with a grey tank top and a bigger-see-through zebra print tank top to go over that, with black leather ankle high boots. Walking up to the counter, she reached into her purse to get out her money. "That'll be 651." The cashier said when she rang up the items. "Ahh shit I'm $400 short." Ariana said as she tried figuring out what she could put back. "Actually, just put the rest on my card." She said as she handed her credit card to the cashier. She took the black shopping bag out and headed back for the fitness center. When she got back she saw Jamison getting into his car. "Oh Ariana! I was thinking of getting something quick to eat before dinner. I'm a little hungry."
"Okay well I'll follow you to wherever then to your place." They both got into their own cars and drove off to Caffeine, a coffee shop. They went in and found a booth on the side wall beside the dark stones and the mini waterfall. A couple minutes after they sat down a waiter came to take their order. "Hi, I'm Jacob and I'll be taking your order this evening. Already know what you two want to start off with?" Jamison looked at Ariana with a questioning nod to see if she was ready. "Uhh sure. I'll have the iced caramel cappuccino." Ariana said.

"And I will just get the all black large coffee." After the waiter left Jamison looked at Ariana, smiled, and grabbed her hand across the table. "So-" he started. "So you know this isn't going any further than us two just spending a casual day as just being friends right?" Ariana butted in. "Right." He said as he let go of her hand and pulled them back to his chest. "But what were you saying?" She stuck her head up with her huge brown eyes staring down Jamison. "I was going to ask you why you were so mad at your mum earlier?" She let her head down and sighed. "My parents are these huge Christian freaks and they always expect too much from me. They push me so hard I always feel like I'm not good enough. They're always nagging me about every damn thing but I just can't live up to their standards. They get mad and yell at me for one little thing so I'm just always angry at them. I can't find a way to fully forgive them." Jamison nodded, understanding what she meant. "Why don't you tell them that?" Ariana laughed "Oh trust me- I have before. They don't get it. They say I'm too young to understand anything."
"Well if you don't mind, How old are you actually?" It took a minute for her to answer. "I'm 17." She said. "And you?" his eyes got wide in amazement. Ariana looks older for her age. Her short brown hair made her thin face look more mature, her slim figure made her look like she took extra good care of herself, which she did. And her make-up was done just right. Not too much- not too little. "I'm 23 actually."
"Oh. Wow." Ariana said as Jamison butt it "But age is just a number." He said. After a couple silent minutes Ariana broke it with "So this cinnamon roll looks good. But I don't need it." The waiter then came by the table, "Ok here are the drinks. Ready to order food?" Jamison put down his menu and said "Get me the chocolate drizzle cheesecake." He said as he was handing the waiter his menu. "And I'll have a salad." Ariana said putting the menu into the waiters hand. About to turn around to leave the table, Jamison grabbed the waiters wrist. "She'll have the large cinnamon roll instead." Ariana started to shake her head while Jamison just smiled.

After they were done eating, Jamison paid up front then took Ariana by the waist and walked out to the parking lot. “You know, if you keep doing those things, people are gonna think we’re dating or something.” Ariana stated. “Well it wouldn’t matter what people think, now would it?” Jamison added. “Just show me to your house my tough-British-flirty guy.”

“I’m not flirting. I don’t see how being polite is called flirting now-a-days.” Ariana rolled her eyes and got into her car. She followed Jamison around town for 25 minutes before she came across some apartment buildings. Turns out, that’s where Jamison’s “place” was. Ariana was used to having money, and big houses, and almost everything she could dream of having.