Through the Dark

Chapter 26

There was no contact between any of us friends on Saturday which was peculiar because our group chat was always active. Since the night of the party, on Friday, none of us sent a message of any kind in there. I speculated that nobody was in contact with anyone else, personally, either.

I was getting anxious since the morning on Sunday, but did not do anything because it was not my part to solve what the others thought. Nevertheless, in the evening when Addison had come to visit me, I felt relief flood through me. She had gone out with Noah and after their outing both of them came to our house. Noah went off with Jason while Addison came inside my room alone.

"What's up?" I asked as she entered.
"It's not normal. Life's not normal when we all are not doing what we do all the time," she said at once, sounding frustrated. I knew exactly what she meant because I had been feeling the same way for a prolonged period.

"Did Finn say anything else to you?" I quizzed her.
"Nope," she answered.
"Did you try to get in touch with him?" I asked again.
"Nope," she replied looking down embarrassed.

"Addison you know that Finn cannot just read your mind right? If you don't tell him, he would continue to believe the rumors he had heard," I tried to explain.

"I know," she replied while letting out a huge sigh.

"So why didn't you tell him?" I inquired. Consequently, Addison looked up at me without answering.

"Call him right now. If he doesn't answer then leave a message. Or we can also go to his home if you want to talk face to face," I commanded.
"I'm calling," Addison stated before dialing his number.

At first Finn did not receive it but after multiple calls he was bound to answer. Addison put the phone on speaker for me to hear as she took a deep breath to begin.

"What now?" Finn practically growled.
"Finn you have to understand that it was not me who said anything about it to anyone," Addison said straightaway.

"Maybe it was not you. But it has to be someone from the group. Nobody else knew about any of it. You all had promised me to keep it a secret and all you could do is break that promise and tell none other than Margaret who is the B. B. C. of our class," Finn said in one go.

"Then why are you pointing fingers at me?" Addison said with indignation. I looked at her wide eyed and signaled her to remain calm because no fight could be curtailed if both the sides were burning with rage. At least one of them had to be logical and sangfroid. At that time, Addison was the one who needed to play that vital role.

She took a deep breath before beginning, "Finn both of us know that none of us from our group of friends will intentionally go against your back. I can assure you that we did not say anything about it to anyone. I can't tell how the news spread but it was certainly not by us. Moreover, there is no use in grieving over the fact that it's out. You can't change the reality by constantly thinking about it. Now get your shit together and focus on the real problems."

After a little persuasion, Finn was convinced that it was not done by Addison. Deep down even he knew that from the beginning but he was just forcing himself to believe what he had heard.

I looked at Addison with a smile as she cut the call.
"That's exactly the thing that I was talking about," I said which made her smile as well.
"I do fell less oppressed right now," Addison added with a noticeable smile.

"Now what about Nathan and Thea's problem?" she inquired with greater awareness.
"I can't think of any solution to that problem," I responded genuinely.
"Same," Addison said heaving yet another huge sigh.

Both Nathan and Thea were stubborn when it came to their choices and thoughts. We all knew that they would not do anything other than their mind's choice and will remain determined. 

"Do you think we should talk with them?" I asked catching Addison's attention.
"I don't know. Will they want us to talk with them?" she asked as I shrugged.

"Have you heard anything from those two?" I inquired again.
"Nope," she said at once.
"Let's wait until Monday and see if there's any progress or not," I suggested to which Addison agreed.

Addison and I spent another few minutes together until Noah had to leave. He was supposed to drop off Addison at her place for which she had to go too.

"So things are going great with you and Noah?" I queried as she was getting out of my room.
"Noah has been nothing but a sweetheart," she beamed looking at me.

"He said that you warned him that if he ever breaks my heart you will not plan out his murder," Addison said jokingly as she walked out of my room with me following behind.

"Of course! If he has the audacity to break my best friend's heart then he will have to cross me before he can live peacefully," I added which made Addison giggle.

"Hey Austin I almost did not see you there," Noah teased me as both the boys came outside Jason's room. Addison and I were already leaning against the wall in front of my room.

"Hey Noah. Didn't know you were losing your gift of sight by the day," I joked back which made the crowd crackle.

Jason and I bid Addison and Noah goodbye shortly after which Livia called us both to have dinner which she had prepared. 

"The food's delicious," I articulated as I took in another bite of the delectable spaghetti.
"Thank you darling," Livia smiled. As we finished having our food, Jason and I cleaned up the table and put the utensils in place insisting Livia to go and have rest. She was conscientious and her unflagging enthusiasm never ceased to amaze me. 

"Hey do you want to go though your mathematics right now?" Jason popped the question as I was keeping the last plate in place.
"Now?" I posed.
"Yeah why not? I mean if you're free that is. Or do you have other plans?" he interrogated.

"No what plans do you suppose I will have at this hour," I declared.
"I don't know, maybe sneaking out to meet your boyfriend," Jason said in a attempt to goad me.

"First of all, I don't have a boyfriend and secondly I have the courage to walk out of the main door and not sneak out to meet someone," I said netted which seemed to amuse Jason.
"It may always be a possibility," he said again and went upstairs. 

It was for my own avail for which I found myself going into Jason's room, imploring him to enlighten me with his wisdom in mathematics. 

"Nah! I don't want to. It's already late," Jason uttered.
"You just proposed that idea," I stated. "I know what I said," he replied before looking back at his phone.
"Fine!" I snapped and closed his door with a bang.
What an exasperating asshole!

I closed the door of my room and sat down on my chair purposelessly when I had to catch sight of Jason's face again.

"I was just pulling your legs," he said and laughed.
"Turns out it is very easy to annoy you Austin," he added.
"Can you be more irritating?" I said. Hearing my intonation, which was just like Chandler Bing from friends, I chuckled to myself. 

Jason kept on babbling and explaining about all the things from the newest topic from my course, half of which I understood while the other half just whooshed past my head.

"Austin, for someone so smart like you, you do act like a puny when it comes to mathematics," Jason mentioned once he was done with his incessant talking.

"I just need a bit of practice," I added confidently.
"Can we continue some  other time? Your chanter have successfully made me want to go to sleep," I mentioned while I looked at Jason with sleepy eyes. 

"Okay sleepyhead. We also have school tomorrow for which I'm ending today's session here," he said getting up from his chair and began to walk out.

"Jason," I called.
"What?"
"I just wanted to say thank you for doing this," I told him.
"Wow sleepy Vianna is brutally honest and appreciative," he said which making me giggle. He smiled looking at me before he went to his room and closed the door behind him. 

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What do you think will happen to Nathan and Thea? Stay tuned to find out about it in the next chapters.