The Secrets We Share

TEN

Dawn

"Really?" Jason's voice filled my ears like a drug. I needed to hear more. 

"Yeah. You know that day when she bumped into Noah?" Aria. 

"Yep. They were standing right outside my house."

"Well, as soon as that  was all over, she went straight to me and though I won't tell you what she said because that's just mean, she was... very confused over Noah."

"You know what's so weird as well?" 

"What?"

"Noah seemed similarly confused over Dawn as well."

"But Dawn said that Noah didn't like her; it was a one-way thing."

"Noah thought that Dawn couldn't possibly like him because she had such a different personality to him... and that day she bumped into him was just some random accident that would never happen again."

Silence.

Tilting her head around the side of the bag that was hiding me, Kat gave me an evil smirk. 

I mouthed, 'Would you shut up' at her, then let my hair fall over my ears to block out Aria and Jason's chatter.

"Do you think they both like each other?" Aria and Jason said at the same time. 

Clearly my ears had super-hearing skills. 

It so wasn't my fault. 

Hearing them laugh, I breathed a sigh of relief, desperately hoping that they'd move on-

"Should we tell them?" Jason asked. 

Kat sat up a bit straighter, placing a finger to her lips- though I wasn't even talking.

"Yeah. Dawn has a right to know. I'm so happy for her."

"So does Noah."

"Well, that's a problem solved!" Aria's voice sounded at ease, and indeed, the next few minutes were nothing but easygoing between the two. 

As for me, my brain was whirling, and I was quite sure I wouldn't be able to forget this conversation. Ever. 

Noah. Liked. Me. As in, liked liked. Me.

My problems had just started.

How was this ever going to work out? 

At the beginning of hearing this, my heart had been racing, a smile threatening to break across my face, my eyes wide with shock.

Now, my heart was racing with anxiety, the smile had long disappeared, and my eyes were wide with fear. 

Even if we liked each other, we were so different that nothing could work between us anyway. Hell, we wouldn't even be able to try. 

Why was life so cruel?

It would be a toxic relationship. I knew it.

So why was I still drawn to Noah? 

"I'm so happy for her." Aria's voice played in my mind, over and over and over again. 

"I'm so happy for her."

"I'm so happy for her."

"Dawn?" 

"Huh?" 

"Shush!" 

Kat slowly came into focus- I hadn't even known I had zoned out until Kat nudged me.