The Secrets We Share

THIRTEEN

Dawn

It would've been better if Aria had just chased me from the lake all the way back home, with me running for my life, and Kat behind with a shovel to dig my grave- or perhaps whack me with her precious beach ball.

Instead, I was forced to watch her expression turn into utter betrayal, which was somehow much worse.

"You didn't," she whispered, her first words since I had accidentally exposed myself.

"I..." Swallowing, I adverted my eyes, and stared at the floor of the bridge. The tension was vibrating through the air, so for me it was a wonder that the water rippling below was so calm and serene.

Kat shifted her feet, looking uncomfortable. "I'll... leave you to it."

I didn't try to stop her as she left us stranded in the middle of the bridge, her footsteps vibrating on the wooden planks. It wasn't her fault that she knew as well- after all, I had been the one to ask her if we could eat out... though if I was being completely honest with myself, it wasn't really my fault either- I had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time- how was I meant to know that Aria and Jason had ditched the city and decided to go eat at a chocolate café?

Clearing my throat, I dared a glance up at Aria.

She was looking towards Noah and Jason who were laughing as they splashed each other with water.

"Um... Aria?"

She turned back to glare at me.

"Care to share?"

"Share... what?" Trust myself to be confused in the times I shouldn't be.

"Your... interesting story which included stalking your best friend out to her first date?"

"I'm really sorry Aria," I muttered, forcing myself to make eye-contact. "Kat and I wanted to go out to eat- well, I asked her, and we had been at that chocolate café a while before you came."

"Oh..." Aria looked at me sceptically. "Kat too, huh? You all know? And then?"

"Well, once you came, I considered leaving, but Kat and I realised that you probably would cause a scene at the café, and also ruin your date with Jason too because you'd be too angry... so we stayed."

Aria watched me silently. "You must've been very close to our table if you heard everything," she finally commented.

I nodded. "We got the table right next to yours."

With a frown on her face, I watched her lean against the metal sides of the bridge, seemingly deep in thought. She was probably going over everything that she had said, and everything I must've heard.

A new expression dawned on her face. It was called anger.

"That means you already knew Noah liked you before I told you... which means you were lying. All of it! The phone call, the chat before roll call! You knew everything, and you lied to me. Me! Your best friend! Is this how you treat your best friends?"

She was coming at me now. A bee with her stinger poised, never mind the fact that it could potentially kill our friendship. Just like when a bee stung something, it lost its life- the thing that would die here today was our friendship bond.

"I- no, this time was different, I promise you! I didn't want to make you angry that I had overheard everything, especially since you were so happy after your date, and I didn't want to dampen your excitement. At the time, I was trying to do what was best for you, but now I see that I was wrong- and it's not like I wanted to see you and Jason kiss and stuff, but-"