Lovely Little Liar

{ 38. Dinner }

Kathlyn just finished with their after-school cheer practice and was in the lockers room. 

"I'm late already, OMG!!" Alice exclaimed while hurriedly fixing her things. 

"Late  for?" Kathlyn asked. 

Alice slung her bag on her shoulder, "Date. A date with Mark.''

Alice then immediately took off but not before bidding her brunette friend goodbye. After organizing her things, Kathlyn headed out while holding her phone. 

"Hey." 

Kathlyn got surprised by the sudden voice. 

"Oh. Hi." Kathlyn greeted Ethan back. 

"What's up? You seem so occupied." Ethan told the girl. 

"Aria— she and I got into a misunderstanding." Kathlyn said, "And I know that I'm the one at fault but I don't know what to do." 

Kathlyn and Ethan continued to talk with walking to Ethan's car. 

"I'm not close to Aria, but I know you." Ethan said, "And I know that you are sincere."

"Aria will soon see how sincere you are." The guy continued. 

"Question." Kathlyn said as Ethan opened the door to the passenger seat, "Let's just say 'A' did something to 'B', and you know about it, you wanna tell 'B' about what 'A' did so bad but you just... cannot bring yourself to." 

"Why can't you tell 'B'?" Ethan asked as he sat down the driver's side. 

"Because... because it can ruin 'A' and 'B's relationship." Kathlyn answered. 

"Secrets don't stay as secrets forever. Sooner or later, it will be revealed." Ethan seriously said.

"I know. I know. When that happens, what would you do?" Kathlyn asked. 

"Explain my side. That's the only thing I could do." Ethan answered back, "Explain your side to Aria, Kath. I'm sure she will see that you don't mean any harm." 

"I wasn't talking about us. I was—"

Kathlyn sighed. 

"She doesn't wanna hear my side." Kathlyn explained. 

"You know, you don't have to be with me right now. I can just walk to my car and drive back home." Kathlyn diverted the topic.

"Kath. A dinner with me is enough as payment." Ethan jokingly said. 

"A dinner, then." Kathlyn grinned back. It's also going to be a good diversion from all the 'A' stuff she has experienced today. 

———————————

"This place really is so comforting." Kathlyn pointed out as she and Ethan both sat down. They went to the Apple Rose Grille to have dinner. 

"I brought you to the right place, then." Ethan cheekily said. And the brunette just smiled. Indeed, this is a good diversion from her problems. 

"You know, I once saw you here with Ali. Before." Kathlyn told the young man which took the latter by surprise. 

"Ali's not the type to have dinner or even lunch with someone she... doesn't like." Kathlyn continued. 

"That's why we all thought you two were dating. You know, maybe after all the stalking, she finally gave up and gave you a chance." Kathlyn still continued, without waiting for Ethan to say anything. 

"That was... we were just talking about something else." Ethan reasoned and Kathlyn just nodded. The food they ordered arrived and things went quiet as they both focused themselves to the food in front of them. 

"By the way, have you heard?" Ethan asked out of nowhere. 

"Heard of what?" Kathlyn inquired. 

"Mrs. Wilkins' pregnant!" Ethan gossiped. 

"Oh?" Kathlyn said, uninterested of what she just heard, "So who's gonna sub for her then?" 

"Professor Duncan. I think it was the one Alice mentioned before." Ethan answered. 

Kathlyn choked on the drink she was drinking, "What?" 

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, concerned, as he handed a napkin to the girl. 

"Isn't he teaching in UPenn? I mean, why would you go back to a small town's high school from a big shot university?" Kathlyn frantically asked. 

Ethan shrugged at the girl, weirded out by her reaction, "Maybe because he misses his hometown?" 

Cannot find words to say, Kathlyn just continued with her food, while Ethan found the girl's silence weird, he didn't pry for anything. 

Ethan's phone then beeped, "Look, Mark sent a photo of him and Alice." Ethan directed his phone's screen to Kathlyn for her to see the photo when all of a sudden, Kathlyn's phone beeped also. 

"Who's that?" Ethan inquired. Kathlyn looked at Ethan and lied, "Alice. She sent a photo too, same photo." 

Kathlyn didn't receive a photo from Alice but she received a message from 'A'.

"Biology class. It used to be your favorite subject. Was it the subject or..."
— A