If Only You Knew

CHAPTER FIVE

(Athena's POV)

The class was almost about to begin when I returned. Faye welcomed me back but remained silent without any conversation. And Kegan who was always silent, was staring into space while deeply lost in his thoughts. Something must have happened between them while I was gone. And from the looks of it, it didn't seem like something favorable.

During the little time I have known Faye, I have developed an interest in observing her. She was very different from anyone I have ever become close with. Due to my open personality, I always tend to make friends wherever I went. So, I never really had to reach out to someone and work on becoming close with them. People just naturally came to me like they were drawn to outgoing people like myself.

Missing the first day of orientation didn't really scare or upset me at all. I was confident that I could go back the next day and make a bunch of friends.

But when I returned the next day and met eyes with the girl whose eyes screamed for help, I knew I couldn't ignore her. It was really hard the first couple of days since she barely opened up to me about herself. She was completely closed off and didn't seem to believe in the bond of an everlasting friendship. She didn't really say it in words, but I knew from the look in her eyes that she never saw me as a permanent figure in her life.

The only way I could prove to her that she was wrong, was to be a bit pushier with her while also being myself around her. I talked and talked, about anything and everything, while hoping she would see that I had no intention of leaving just because she didn't talk to me or open up to me. And before I knew it, she slowly started coming out of her shell. She slowly started talking more and open up about the little things in her life.

Though silent, I found her interesting. She had so much more personality in herself than what she showed to other people. Inside the shy and innocent girl was also a kind and sweet girl who just wanted to be less lonely.

Since then, we spent more time together in our houses and by going out together. Though I knew her mother rarely spent time home, I didn't know about the deeper story to it until the first day she visited my house and met my mother. She looked broken as she watched me and my mother interact with each other. It was that night, when she first told me about her father's death and how it changed her mother. And since then, I invited her to my house even more, knowing my mother adored having her around just as much as she adored my mother.

Faye had started to look a lot happier and livelier, but there was one thing that kept making me curious. And that was Kegan. I was hundred percent sure there was something between the two of them. They have been acting so weird around each other from day one. I often caught Kegan stealing glances at her while Faye tried her best to stay oblivious to it.

What happened that morning was way too suspicious. Kegan had never once spoken in class, but directly questioned Faye who seemed pretty uncomfortable around him. She even went far enough to leave the class for a while before Kegan followed her. But when they returned, their expressions were way worse than when they first left.

Though it took a longer than I expected, Faye was now my best friend and I really cared about her. And I genuinely wanted to give them some more time alone to settle things between them, which was why I lied and left the classroom for a while.

But seeing the new expressions on their faces when I returned, I'm not so sure I did the right thing. Whatever happened while I was away, seemed to bother both of them even more. I really wanted to ask Faye about it, but I knew she would tell me when she is ready and I didn't want to force her into it.

So, all I could do was wait, patiently.

***

(Kegan's POV)