it all ends with us: ruins

032

Chapter Thirty-Two:

"It was a selfless sacrifice."

Theo had been acting weird all morning. Atlas noticed at breakfast that he could barely look at her as well as the fact he had barely muttered a word to her at all. If anyone else had noticed they didn't mention it at all because they acted like they couldn't feel the awkward tension between the two. Atlas sipped on her coffee slowly as she tried to rack up the reasons on why Theo would be angry with her but none of them were sufficient enough for him to be pretending like she didn't exist. It was only when walking to class she was able to pull him aside and get his attention.

"Theo what's wrong?" She asks with furrowed eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" He mutters not looking at her.

"Have I done something to upset you?" She questions.

"Why, do you think you have?" He rebuts.

"No, you've been acting off with me all morning." She tells him.

"I haven't." He denies.

"Yes you have, why are you lying?" Atlas argues.

"Look I don't think it's working out between us." He admits and it was like he was physically shattering Atlas' heart.

"What do you mean?" She whispers.

"I don't think we'll work out. Leave it at that." He saunters off before Atlas could even say anything.

She stood in shock for at least five minutes before she started walking to class. She couldn't believe what he had said. It was as if his mind had changed overnight. It was crazy to believe that yesterday he was asking her for a kiss and today admitting that it wouldn't work out between them. Atlas was sad yes, but she was madder at herself for even allowing him to have a chance. Relationships always ended with her being the one heartbroken.

Atlas walked away from where she was previously standing and to her next class. Her face stayed void of any emotion throughout her classes and until lunch. Instead of hiding away and eating lunch with Kaia, she decided that she wasn't going to let him be the reason she missed out on time with her friends. She walked over to the table and his seat was empty.

"Atlas." Ren whispered with a sombre look on her face.

"Yeah." Atlas replied.

"I don't want you to panic but Theo is sitting over there looking very cosy with Daphne Greengrass." Ren informs her.

Atlas looks down the Slytherin table to see Theo and Daphne laughing away. The two looked closer than ever and Atlas had felt the pang in her chest from just the sight. She forces a smile and looks back at her friends.

"Yeah, he called it off this morning." Atlas replies with sadness.

"Do you want me to." Apollo starts before getting shut down.

"No." Atlas scolds. "I don't want anyone to do anything."

"We're all still friends aren't we?" She forces a laugh.

"If you're not going to let Apollo do anything, I sure as hell am." Pansy mutters and before anyone could stop her she had marched to Theo with a cup of ice water in her hand.

The group watches in amusement as Pansy takes charge. She taps Theo on the shoulder and as he turns around she pours the contents of the cup onto his head and then the cup into his chest before strutting away. Pansy arrives back at the table and is cheered on by everyone including Lorenzo and Eli who happened to be Theo's best friends.