Chapter 33: The Drama

Aurora

I watched Kiara in disbelief, while she shifted her gaze towards the floor, playing with her fingers in nervousness.

"When?" I managed to ask.

"This morning before breakfast... He came to pick up your breakfast today as you guys didn't come to the restaurant for it. I met him and saw he was alone, so I decided to use that opportunity."

"Why, all of a sudden, Kiara?" I couldn't understand why she did that so abruptly without any plans.

She finally met my gaze. "I had to. I had no reason to bottle up what I felt for him anymore. The rivalry was over, and everything was going smoothly. I didn't want to regret why I never asked him out. So I just did it."

I nodded slowly, understanding her situation now. She had to let out what she felt, after all. Otherwise, her crush on Declan would be more visible, which was what happened in my case with Davian.

"What did Dee reply?"

She sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Obviously, he said no."

I felt a little bit of relief hearing that. I didn't know whether Declan liked anyone or not since he pretty much kept his mouth shut about himself, but it was obvious he didn't like Kiara.

However, what if Declan told this to Jaxon, unaware of Jaxon's feelings? Jaxon would be so heartbroken.

No, I had to tell the truth to Jaxon. I couldn't let him stay in his imaginary world for much longer. Before telling him the truth, I should have a talk with Declan. Was Kiara the reason Declan didn't come to submit the assignment today? Because he felt bad for rejecting her?

"It's okay, Kiara." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now that you know he doesn't feel the same, you can easily move on."

Kiara smiled at me. "Yes. At least, I feel better after expressing what I felt for him to him. If that made any sense?"

I laughed at her confusion and said, "Okay, I will go and submit my assignment. You go and attend the next class."

"Sometimes, I am jealous of you. Even if you don't have to shoot, if you don't come to the school, they won't care. Argh," she whined.

I pulled my imaginary collar and said, "Perks of being in the LM series."

She rolled her eyes playfully and walked away.

###

As soon as I submitted my assignment, I returned to the dorm, and now, I was standing in front of Declan's room, trying to gather some courage to talk to him.

"I got this," I mumbled to myself and knocked on Declan's room.

"Come in," said Declan.

I got into his room.

Declan was sitting on his study table as he solved maths on his note copy. He paused the online class lecture video LM recorded for us, then he looked at me and gave a faint smile. "Hey, Aura. Come and have a seat."

"Hey, Dee," I said and sat on the bean bag near his table.

He closed his copy and put his pen lid on before spinning on his chair to directly face me. "What brings you here?" His voice told me he already had a sense that I wanted to discuss something serious. I really loved that observant part of him.

"I just wanted to have a chat with you, unless you are busy, and I—" I was interrupted by him.

"No, no, I am not that busy. I got a lot done in the time you were gone. Plus, I could use some break," he said, stretching his arms over his head.

"Okay, so Dee, I will be very straightforward." He patiently waited for me to continue, so I sucked in a deep breath and asked, "Why did you say no to Kiara?"

He calmly replied, "Because I don't see her in that way."

"Then, do you like anyone else?"

He twitched his lips, thinking for a while before replying, "Not yet. Though I could've liked you, then I realized you were more suitable for Davian, so I didn't push on that much."

I was dumbstruck hearing his reply. He answered so bluntly.

"You could've liked me?" I managed to ask, my eyes wide.

He looked at my facial expression and chuckled. "Don't worry, Aura. I don't like you more than as a friend. I said I could, but I found you and Davian cuter together. So frankly speaking, now I see you as my younger sister."

I felt a gush of relief on my chest. It would've been hella awkward if Declan liked me in a different way. We had a unique friendship, and I wouldn't want anything to risk that. Besides, now that he has mentioned it, I did see him more as a brother—the reliable brother I could always count on.

"Well, what kind of girl do you want in your life?" I asked curiously.

He raised his brows. "Are you planning to set me up with someone?" When I shook my head immediately, he said, "Okay, let me think then."

"Sure."

Declan thought for a while and started speaking, "I want someone who is fun-loving, understanding—understanding, as in, she understands me thoroughly. As you know, I'm a very hard person to crack, and I never open up to someone who wouldn't understand me."

"Am I one of those people?" I couldn't help but ask.

He chuckled. "If you weren't, would I be telling all this right now?" I shook my head, and he continued, "As I was saying, I want someone who is willing to try everything in life without any fear. Someone whose actions will always bring a smile to my face, no matter how my mood is. And last but not the least, someone who knows what she feels and stays affirmed with it. Otherwise, imagine I date a person, and all of a sudden she feels like she doesn't like me."

I chuckled at the last statement. "I will pray that you find that girl soon, Dee. You really deserve to have someone like that." I really wished he found the one he wanted. He was such a loving and caring guy, and I was sure that the girl meant for him would be equally loving and caring like him.

"Thanks, Aura." Declan further spoke, "By the way, Jax likes Kiara, doesn't he? It's so visible nowadays."

"Why are you asking me this question?" I promised Jaxon that I wouldn't tell anyone, so I had to keep it.

"Obviously, he would tell only you among us because you won't tease him as much as we do. And Kiara is your friend," he stated.

He wasn't even asking me anymore, as if he was sure I knew it. I wanted to leave his room before he could ask me more about it.

As if God listened to me, someone knocked on Declan's room and got inside.

A smile automatically formed on my lips at the sight of my knight in shining armor.

"What are you guys talking about? Mind if I join?" Davian asked.

"Obviously, you can join us," Declan and I said in unison.

Davian sat with us, and I asked, "Where is Jax? Only he's missing now."

"I don't know. When I was entering the apartment, he was going somewhere in a hurry, and when I asked him, he said he would be back in the evening and tell us everything," Davian replied.

I felt a little bit weird at the response Jaxon gave; however, I stopped thinking about all these for once, and the three of us started talking about random things.

###

It was evening already.

I was in the kitchen, making some Peppermint tea for all of us.

"Whatcha making?"

My heart almost leaped out of my chest at the sudden voice. I turned my back and glared at the owner of the voice.

"Why did you scare me like that? I almost had a heart attack!" I let out dramatically.

"Now you know how I feel every time you scare me by standing outside my classroom during your free period. Why does your teacher even leave the class early just before your free period?" Davian complained.

I shrugged my shoulders and answered innocently, "I don't know. Maybe the teacher wants me to keep scaring you like that."

Davian scanned my facial expression and narrowed his eyes at me. "You do know that you aren't as innocent as you portray yourself, don't you?"

I placed my hands over my cheek and continued being dramatic, "How can you say I am not innocent? Look at this face." I pointed my index finger at my face. "Doesn't it look innocent?"

Instead of replying, Davian leaned in closer to me, making my breath hitch.

"What... what are you doing?" I breathed out, my heartbeat fastening than usual.

He gathered my open hair over my right shoulder, his cold fingers lightly scraping against my neck, and whispered into my left ear, "Looks can be deceiving, and you are the perfect example of that." Then, he took a step away from me, putting the gap between us again and letting go of my hair, while I tried to control my irregular heartbeats.

Davian kept his intense gaze on me. I could feel my cheeks warming up. To avoid his gaze, I went to the refrigerator and opened it, even though I had no work here.

When my eyes scanned the insides of the refrigerator, they fell on a soda can in one corner. I remembered one of the initial days when I came into this apartment and was about to drink some soda, Davian had stopped me saying it was illegal in LM. He even threw it away in the trash. Then, how could a new soda land up here?

I picked up the can in my hand and said, "Davian, look."

Davian's eyes widened seeing the soda can in my hand. "Where did you find it, Aura? Was it in the refrigerator?" he asked, walking closer to me to inspect it.

"It can't land up here coincidentally, Davian. It means that someone from the four of us drinks this, and I don't, so count me out," I explained myself at that instant.

"My voice is everything here, so even I never drink it." Davian kept his right hand over his chest and added, "I swear."

I smiled seeing him follow the way I used to say, 'I swear.'

"Then, that leaves us with Dee and Jax," I said, feeling scared at the thought that one of them was ruining their voices. Even though they had awesome vocals, they preferred to sing the chorus.

"We will find it out and solve it together," Davian said, placing his hand over my shoulders. "Don't worry." He smiled at me, making me return the gesture.

We would figure it all out together, and I hoped we weren't too late.

"What's wrong, Jax?" The two of us heard Declan yell.

Davian and I exchanged a look and rushed to the living room.

Jaxon was standing in the living room with an angry look on his face. It was the first time I saw Jaxon with this much anger, and it was honestly scary. I grabbed Davian's sleeve, and he placed a hand over mine.

"Jax, why are you looking at me like that? Will you please say something for God's sake? You are freaking me out here!" Declan let out.

"Jax, you don't seem okay. Did something happen?" Davian tried as well.

Jaxon just glared at the three of us and stormed off into his room without saying anything.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked Declan.

"I don't know. He just got home, and he seems so mad at me, and I have no fucking idea what I did," he answered and plopped down on the couch, pressing his face into his hands, probably trying to replay the events he might have somewhere hurt Jaxon.

"Hey, he probably was mad at something else and just took it out on you unintentionally," Davian said, placing a hand on Declan's shoulder.

I was about to comfort Declan as well when my phone chimed.

I looked at the screen, only to find it was a text from Kiara.

I opened up her chat, and the next thing I saw shocked me to the core.

Kiara: Jaxon asked me out and I told him that I liked Declan instead. He seemed angry. Just thought to let you know.