Scarred Soul (Nemi)

Part 5

After the unexpected discovery, the drum lesson was forgotten. The atmosphere was too heavy to proceed with the fun. Even though it wasn't a scandalous exposé, they couldn't pretend nothing had happened. The atmosphere in the classroom was too heavy for either of them to speak. Nick suggested they talk somewhere else; somewhere open, knowing that they both needed some fresh air. But the shock was too much for Demi, so she politely declined the offer, stating that she needed time to process the situation. And with a heavy heart, he agreed.

For Nick, it probably wasn't a big deal, but he knew the disclosure had altered the connection he had with Demi. Frankly speaking, the silence coming from her bothered him. But, she had every reason to be upset. Nobody deserves to be lied to. Although Nick wasn't really lying, hiding the truth was a form of dishonesty.

For Demi, the discovery of Nick's identity was a slap in the face of reality. She couldn't put a finger on her own feelings. Was she disappointed? Yes. Was she upset at the fact that Nick was being so low-key about who he is? Not really. But she should be upset, right? But, come to think of it, it wasn't entirely Nick's fault. He shouldn't be blamed for not wanting to reveal his identity. Erghhh. Why did things turn complicated when she began falling for someone?

As she walked out of the classroom to her car, she couldn't help but wonder if her action was necessary. She could just let him explain instead of asking him to leave. She had to admit that she felt fooled and misled, but he must have a reason for it, right? She looked around the school's open parking space. There was no sign of Nick. He must've already left when she asked him. She stared at the mobile phone in her hand, pondering sending him a text, but she was also thinking about not doing it. So she decided to go home.

With so many thoughts in her head, she instinctively drove to Sirah's café. Sirah was the person she would always go to for advice or simply to rant, so it was only natural that her feet would lead her there. She sat in her car for a while, trying to figure out how to tell her best friend. She was certain that her expression would reveal whatever she was feeling at the time. When she entered the café, she saw Sirah serving coffee to a customer. Not wanting to bother her friend at work, she quietly slid into her usual booth.

The second Sirah laid eyes on Demi, she knew something had happened. Sirah walked up to one of her ne of her employees, passed the coffee pot, and said something to the employee. She then proceeded to the booth where Demi was seated. "I know that look on your face very well." She said as she slid in across Demi. She leaned forward toward the table, paying all her attention to Demi. "What's going on?"

Demi looked at Sirah with hesitancy. She didn't know how or where to start. So she started with a straightforward answer, "Nick."

Sirah's brow furrowed the moment that name left the brunette's mouth. "What's with him?" When Demi didn't answer, her mind wandered to any worse situation that could have happened. "Answer me. Did he do something to you?" Her tone changed.

Demi shook her head, her eyes falling to her lap. "I've figured out who he is. He's Nick Jonas."

Sirah's expression quickly changed from worried to relieve. "Isn't it a good thing that you finally know he's Nick Jonas?" Her tone was casual. She wasn't even surprised by the information.

Demi's eyes shot up, staring in awe at her best friend as her brain processed Sirah's less surprising tone of voice. "So, you knew?"

"Well, I've listened to some of his music and read about him online." Sirah shrugged innocently. "So yeah, I know him."

"What I mean is, you knew he was Nick Jonas all along, and you don't think you should tell me?" Demi leaned forward as she spoke. Her voice was low and frustrated.