Our Soul Connection

06| An Old Friend

The snow started coming down in thicker flurries and I can't feel my toes. I am an idiot. I pulled out my phone for the third time and tried to think of someone - anyone - to call to come and pick me up. I contemplated calling Lori again. I really didn't care for her, but maybe she would take pity on me. I just hated having to ask anyone for help.

As I kept trudging along, I noticed a Jeep slow next to me from the corner of my eye. I looked over to find a vehicle I'd not seen before, not that I could remember.

"Athena?" Someone called through the open passenger window. I tiptoed a bit to see who sat in the driver's seat of the too-tall vehicle.

"Stetson?" Niko's friend from high school. I had heard that he'd joined me in Oregon, but I didn't much believe he would have come all the way from Texas to come here. I had done it to get as far away as possible. I probably should have avoided him, but I was cold. So cold.

I walked toward his Jeep and leaned on the open window. "What are you doing here?" I asked. 

Stetson's blonde hair fell in waves over his forehead. His brown eyes were full of wonder as he peered at me from the driver's seat. He was much larger in physique than I remember, but he still looked like the same Stetson that I remembered from high school. My favorite part about him was always his Aussie accent. It took me a while to get used to being called 'mate'. His parents are full-on Australian and they moved here when Stetson was about 15 making his accent still as thick as the weeds in Australia.

"I was a late admission. I was supposed to start classes today, but apparently, they were canceled. Bummer." He paused. "Get in." He jerked his head to emphasize his demand. "It's fucking freezin'!"

I examined the situation and almost kept walking, but I was going to freeze to death at this rate. I wasn't used to this kind of cold.

I pulled the handle on his SUV and climbed into the passenger side. "Thank you," I mumbled as I blew into my hands.

He refocused on the road and put the truck in drive. "What are you doing out here?" He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Don't wanna talk about it," I clipped.

He raised one hand while he continued to drive. "Alright, don't go crook on me. How've your classes been? You like it here?"

"It's not Texas. So yes." I kept my answers short so that he wouldn't start getting ideas that we were friends. There was an awkward silence that I didn't care to fill.

"You look different... in a good way." I pretended to ignore his soft smile.

"Have you... talked to Niko?" He asked and I sighed loudly. It was so warm in the vehicle, but I really started to think walking wouldn't be so bad. "I'm sorry. He just... he disappeared after graduation and I haven't heard from him in a long time."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean he disappeared?" I asked. I didn't really care, but as popular and social as he was, it was weird for Niko's closest friend to have lost touch with him.

"I don't know. He's not on social anymore. He changed his phone number, and I haven't seen him." He paused in thought. "His mum hasn't either..." He trailed off quietly. He was worried about his friend.

"I haven't heard from him, pretty sure he hates me," I croaked.

"What happened?" It was almost a whisper from him. "I mean... if I can ask."

I sighed again. "Nothing, Stet." I used his old nickname I gave him in high school to appeal to him that I was telling the truth. "We just grew out of it, I guess. And he just got really possessive toward the end."

"Is that why you stopped talking to me?" He stared straight ahead, seemingly embarrassed to have asked. I was confused.

"What? I–" I tried to recall why I had stopped talking to Stetson. We used to be pretty close as friends. And then I remembered a huge argument that Niko and I had gotten into.

He'd seen me in the hall talking to some random guy that asked me about a homework assignment or something. I didn't even remember now. I was so close to graduation that I didn't really care to make new friends, and when I'd pointed that out he'd screamed something like, 'Is that why you are Stetson are so close all of a sudden?'

I remembered being so confused by his aggression. He'd asked me to give his friends a chance. I didn't really have friends. Although thinking back, that was mostly due to the relationship that I'd had with Niko.

I had continuously blown off the few friends I had to hang out with him. And when they'd confronted me and told me that they thought my relationship was unhealthy and I was becoming dependent, I'd blown up at them and given up on my friendships. God, why was I so stupid?

"Athena?" Stetson's soft voice pulled me from my absence.

"Yeah, I guess." I shook my head. "He seemed to think that we were getting too close." Stetson snorted.

"He was always such a bastard." I winced, "And for no reason. You were obsessed with him." A pang of anger hit me like a brick.

"Obsessed with him? I wasn't obsessed." I clenched my teeth and shut my mouth before I got kicked out into the cold again.

"I'm sorry, Athena. I didn't mean it like that. It's just... you didn't give any notice of attention from elsewhere. He had nothing to worry about." I seethed silently and he sighed. "I assume you live on campus? What building?"

We were pulling back onto campus and I was relieved that I was going to be alone in my dorm soon. I couldn't take any more people today. I helped him navigate to the front of my building as I begin to dread walking from here to the front door.

"This is me," I said as he pulled to the front of the dorm. "Thanks again." I pulled the door handle and began climbing out into the cold.

"Athena?" I looked back at Stetson and his eyes were almost pleading. "I hope to see you around, mate."

"Yeah," I replied as my feet touched the ground. I closed the heavy Jeep door and hugged myself as I walked for the door. 

A/N: This one was a bit shorter, but new character introductions are always my favorite. You never can tell why they've been introduced. What do you guys think?

* Stetson is actually one of my favorites and I can't wait for you all to get to know him.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate all comments and votes.