You're the one who's an outsider

Aria did not say anything and continued to glare at Jacob. Jacob was a little scared as he asked again, "What's wrong?"

Aria: "What was that?"

Jacob did not understand her question. But he was scared of Aria at this moment, she looked really angry. He said in a small voice, "What was what? He was being a jerk."

Aria: "I'm not talking about Joseph. In what way were you talking to Harper?"

Jacob: "Joseph.....So that's his name."

Aria's eyes dimmed as she said, "Do not try to avoid the question."

Jacob: "What? What about Harper? She's annoying."

Aria: "She was worried about you."

Jacob: "She's really annoying. I don't like being around her."

Aria: "That you never did. But you were still at least nice to her."

Jacob: "She's not worth being nice."

Aria: "Jacob. What happened to you?"

Jacob was surprised as he looked up to meet Aria's eyes. They were so grave and full of disappointment that he could not bear to look into them and lowered his face.

Aria: "Jacob, look at me."

Jacob reluctantly looked back at Aria, after which she continued, "I realise she was being annoying, but she was not trying to be. That's just her personality. And yours is, or was till a few hours ago, to be polite to her."

Jacob wanted to say something but Aria put up her hand. She said, "Let me finish. Even if she was irritating you, you should not have put her down in front of an outsider like Joseph. After all, we are from the same village, we need to look out for each other."

Aria stopped and Jacob asked, "Finished?"

Aria nodded her head.

Now it was Jacob's turn.

He began, "First of all, I can behave any way I like, you don't judge my personality. I will say whatever I want. Secondly, I was only polite to her because her father and brothers are strong and I would be asking for trouble if I said anything rude to her back at the village. But here, there's no one to shield her, so I'll talk any way I want, in front of anyone I want."

Jacob finished in a yell, to which Aria said, her voice emotionless, "That is not the Jacob I know."

Hearing this, Jacob was agitated. He began shouting again, "Not the Jacob you know? What do you know anyway? Talking about being from the same village, you're not from our village. You're the one who's an outsider. The one who was picked up from the river. And you're the one that has been lying all this time. You remember your past right? You remember everything. You just never thought that anyone was clever enough or strong enough to know about you. Talking about being polite, you're the one who looks down on all the others. You don't have any right to say anything."

Jacob was panting when he finished.

Aria gave no reply and just sat there like a statue. After Jacob had calmed down, he realised what he had said. He began, "Aria...."

But that seemed to break Aria's trance. She suddenly looked around, blinked her eyes and then got up from the bed.

She began to head towards the door when the head nurse came to stop her.