New Friends

Diana was eating breakfast with Barry and two of his friends, talking about their next plan. A plan to escape this hell hole.

“but Arianna, what if it doesn’t work? We’ll be stuck here forever.” Aaron asked

“there’s no way it can fail. These guards are too afraid to face Rava anyway.” She chided.

“let’s not get too cocky Arianna. What if they try to cage or put her in a separate cell or something?” Barry inquired.

“then she’ll break it” she was really calm about this.

“Arianna, you know, we are really grateful for this. If not for you, we would die here.” Keith thanked. She turned her gaze to him,

“How did you get here? Was your offense so bad that it couldn’t be pardoned?” they all went quiet. She looked at all of them,

“Why are you guys quiet? Tell me, no matter what it, we’ll still be friends. No matter what!” Barry sighed,

“we’re here because of you.” she didn’t believe what she was hearing. How was that possible?

“yeah, Arian. It’s a long story.” Keith spoke up. They were looking at their plates. She blinked, obviously confused.

“Arianna no need to think about it. As long as we’re getting out of here, then leave it alone. Story of the past.” Aaron placed a hand on her shoulder.

“tell me! Or else, no one’s leaving this hell hole!” they cringed at her demanding tone. They looked at each other nervously, unsure of what to say next. She smirked, men love their freedom and would do anything to keep it.

“it all started after you got thrown out. We villagers thought it was unfair and unjust that you were exiled without giving a reason, so we decided to protest. On the third day of our protest, princess Eleanor came and told us to stop the march or there will be dire consequences. In fewer words, she threatened us. Some left while some carried on. Six months later, we all found ourselves here. We were convicted of crimes that none of us even dreamt of doing.” Barry sighed, sad story of their lives.

“so everyone from the march is here?” her tone more curious than ever.

“yes Arian. All of us. In fact, this place was specially built for us.” Keith took a spoonful of food and shoved it into his mouth.

“oh my God, guys I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get you all in this trouble.” she felt like stabbing herself in the gut. It was so painful to her. it’s painful to anyone with a heart.

“that’s the reason why we didn’t want to tell you in the first place. You’ll go out thinking it’s your fault when it’s not.” Aaron gave a genuine smile. Even after everything that has happened, he still smiled.

“wait, don’t you guys have families? Friends? Loved ones?? No one came to testify against such accusations??!” she began to tear. She was angry, but why was she crying?

“Arian, you had loved ones right?” Keith asked and she simply nodded. “did anyone come to stand by you?” her being timid after she heard that.

“Keith stop! Don’t let her have wrong impressions about those she cares about.” Barry glared at him,

“yeah Keith, plus, she was exiled that same day and we didn’t get to know about it until a week later.” Aaron scored another. Keith scoffed,

“it doesn’t matter. Even if the entire village were watching I bet no one would have put their skin out for her. They don’t love her or us, they just used us to get what they wanted.” he was really upset. She had never seen him like this before.

“Arianna, don’t mind him. He’s still upset his fiancée left him” Barry chided. Keith gave an ‘I don’t care face and continued eating.

“Why did she leave him?” her question so innocent and naïve, just as her voice.

“apparently no one believed Keith could get an expensive ring just to propose to a girl. So she believed he committed theft and murder.” Aaron said it with a smug grin, making Keith heat up. Barry stiffed his laugh, it was really funny. Arianna forced her laughter into a smile, that could make anyone laugh.

“worst of all is that I really worked hard for it!” he threw his hands in the air and pouted like a baby. She giggled at his sudden change in emotion, he always knew how to make fun of a bad situation.

“yeah Arianna, you should’ve seen the way he was running around for three months!” they all laughed at Keith. A smirk crept up his lips,

“you know what they say, love makes you do crazy things.” he laughed at his situation. She smiled at him, his fiancée made the wrong decision to leave him.

“so what got you here Aaron?” she wanted to know. He smirked,

“well, I’m here because I was convicted of selling cocaine. And the funniest part is that I’m allergic to cocaine! And I'm also asthmatic!” the three men laughed so hard, their guts started to hurt. Arianna couldn’t stop laughing either,

“so you’re telling me that you’re allergic to the hard stuff and people still believed you sold it??!” she cried in her seat, it was too hilarious.

Keith got up from his seat,

“Hi I’m Aaron, a handsome dude that sells cocaine and I’m also allergic to it. I have a secret warehouse filled with cocaine behind my house. Please ask me how I haven’t died yet?” he impersonated Aaron. Barry was dying and Arianna was on the floor, laughing. She grabbed the table and used it as support, she pulled herself to her seat,

“what about you big man?” she honestly wanted to know why he was here.

“Rape and murder!” Keith blurted out before he could even say it. Barry cast him a sideways glance.

“you? This fuzzy teddy bear??!” she pointed at his chest, not believing what Keith said,

“you better believe it, Arianna. Do you know how many girlfriends he had when he was seventeen?!” she burst into uncontrollable laughter when she heard Aaron’s question. Aaron gave him a pat on the back,

“This guy is the bomb!” Keith laughed,

“Arian, did you hear once a rumor where many women were after a man?” she thought for a while and remembered.

“Yeah, my mom told me.”

“well good, that wasn’t a rumor it was true!” they laughed and Barry felt blood rush to his cheeks,

“give me a break guys, it wasn’t my fault. They were just over me.” he chuckled.

“you should’ve seen the prince’s face when he saw you and Barry smooching. He was like.” Keith copied Rob’s face then. They laughed harder, it was so funny. She wiped her face,

“he was really upset.”

“exactly!! That’s what Barry dude does to the chicks. He makes them go nuts for him.” Keith was on fire today.

“you guys stop!! You’re going to kill me!! I can’t believe this happened to you guys. Anyone who believed Aaron’s charge must have no brain.” they all agreed, then Barry pooped out a cigarette. He lit it up and blew some smoke into the air,

“are those allowed in here?” she asked.

“I have someone I get it from,” he smirked.

“hey, Arian. Do you know where Aaron is?” Keith stiffed his laugh. Arianna looked at Aaron’s space and saw it was empty. She looked a bit further and saw him at least ten feet away with his chair. He gave her two thumbs up, making her laugh.

“Barry stop! You made him run away!” she collected his cigarette and threw it away. She manipulated air with her hands to clear away the smoke, and after a few seconds, he came back to his original spot.

“Thanks, Arianna. If not for you, Barry would’ve killed me, again.” Keith put his arm around his shoulder,

“no one wants this guy going anytime soon.” they laughed.

“I apologize for my inconsiderate action.” Barry grinned,

“Nah it’s okay. This is the forty-seventh time you’re doing this so I’m used to it.” Aaron smiled. Arianna gave him a surprised expression.

“don’t give me that face Arianna, I need to smoke.” she pulled his ear and he begged like a baby.

Soon they heard a bell ring,

“argh!! I feel like I’m in school again!!” Keith whined.

“let’s endure for a while, we’ll be out of here soon.” Arianna stood up. It was time to go back to the cell. She pooped a few bones and turned to leave. As she left, the guys bent a little to catch a little of that stuff. Keith let out a whistle,

“man that is an ass” Barry and Aaron nodded, hypnotized.

“Are you guys coming or what?!” they scrambled to their feet and ran to meet her.