A couple of days had passed and what Audrey thought that it's what she needed and wanted right now is slowly bringing her such agony. She didn't think that it would be this hard not to cross paths with Aiden. She thought that it would be easy, easy to settle her thoughts and feelings but her heart just continuously break every time her eyes met his.
There seemed to have been an unknown connection whenever their eyes met. It's as if their communicating just by staring at each other. It's weird but whenever that happens something inside her begins to build up again making her feel terrified.
She needed space to sort out this confusion but it was too much. She was the one who asked for this but somehow she felt incomplete. Looking at him at a distance makes her think of the times when they were…closer.
He started to be someone in her life without her knowing it. She gets mad at him from time to time due to his teasing but she admits now that in some way it made her smile. But now something feels missing and it's making her feel lonely.
"Juju Bear, I can't take anymore of this silent treatment that you're doing with each other!" Kylie exclaimed as she sat at the chair in front of Audrey at the cafeteria. "When we're grouped earlier for our science project instead of just talking directly to each other and telling your ideas with the project you are both using me as a bridge to pass the message among yourselves!"
"Didn't you miss me? We seldom spent time together because you were busy with your Louie and I've been busy hanging out with…someone else." Audrey replied as she took a sip on her lemonade.
"Geez. You're not even going to name that 'someone else' of yours? Gosh this is excruciating! I'm even shipping the two of you."
"We're just friends."
"Oh please! Do friends hold each other's hands and hug each other and kiss each other?"
"We do that."
"But we don't kiss each other on the lips honey."
"It doesn't mean anything. And I'm sure to him it doesn't mean a thing too. It was simply like a greeting. Yeah, a greeting like in France."
"Really? You are using that as an excuse? We don't live in France. We don't do that especially you! Come on just admit that you have already fallen with him already."
"W-what?!" Audrey almost choked out of drink after hearing a statement that she least expected to hear from her.
"I never thought that smart people are this dumb." Kylie disseminated as she put a hand on her forehead looking defeated.
"Don't say such things casually. I haven't fallen for him or to anyone. I certainly am not or did not. I just started to get attached with him and keeping my distance like this with him is very new to me. Soon I'll be able to adjust to my new environment and be as happy as a bee again."
"So, you are not happy?"
"I didn't say that!" She averted her eyes into a different direction avoiding Kylie's gaze.
"Didn't you?" Kylie smiled teasingly then pouted at the direction where Aiden is sitting together with a couple of his friends. "Are you not wondering if he's also happy or not?"
Audrey became quiet as her gaze went towards his direction and saw that he's sitting together with a bunch of his friends. She's been thinking so much about how she feels and thinks that she didn't think what he would feel about this at all. She felt guilty.
"Do you know how many confessions he had turned down already?"
"No. What are you trying to say?"
"He always says that he's already preoccupied with somebody else. Some even ask who it was if he already had found out the girl that he's been looking for but he always give them a sweet smile at the end."
"That didn't even make me feel any better at all."
"What I'm trying to say is that, some people even think that it was you."
"You must be joking."
"You're always together and others thought that you're actually dating. His fan girls are even jealous of you. You even kept on stealing glances at each other and it's really obvious."
"They are mistaken. I'm just Audrey Gray and he's Aiden Wang. I'm just a simple rock while he, he's a shiny star floating up above being adored by many."
"A star is also a rock my dear. Don't belittle yourself too much."
Audrey went silent again. She's well aware about the fact that she and Aiden are way too different. He is simply out of her reach. And this distance that is currently going on between them is making her feel that he's definitely out of her league.
"Are you not missing him at all?"
"What?" She asked inattentive for she's not listening at all.
"Do you miss him?"
"I…" She paused for a moment thinking deeply before saying, "I do."
"See?"
"I'm just still adapting to my new environment like I told you."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Kylie dear, don't worry about me. I'm okay. No need to worry. Just think about how you should process your relationship with Louie."
"What you're saying is way different from what your expression is telling me. It pains me seeing you like this. As your friend, I want you to be happy and even if we seldom spent time together it's okay. I know that wherever you are you'll still be the same clumsy Audrey that I've known."
Audrey looked smiled back at her and said, "Thank you for being such a good friend."
"Of course. Now tell me what you are thinking because you never were a good liar."
Audrey sighed in defeat as she thinks deeply. She looked again towards Aiden's direction and met his eyes. It made her think that he looks sad though he's been surrounded by a lot of his friends. Their eyes were locked on to each other as they stare from afar.
She can't say it when he's near for she's afraid that he's going to reject her in an instant. So before her heart explodes from all this chaos she needed to say what is exactly on her mind right now.
"I'm afraid that I…" She said while looking at Aiden.
Aiden just kept on looking at her too. He saw her utter something so he looked at her intently as he tried to decipher what she is trying to say.
"…that I have fallen in love with you."