The Reason!

"You … want me to go out with you tonight?" asked Castelia after spending a few minutes in silence, making sure her ears picked up Joshua's voice correctly.

Joshua didn't answer but nodded once in response. Castelia gulped in anxiety, having a few guesses in her mind as she caught a glimpse of the eager look in Joshua's eyes. Hesitantly she asked, "Where?"

No answer. Even Castelia shouldn't have to ask because the answer in her brain couldn't possibly be wrong.

Home. Maddie just got home slamming the door, she opened it again and slammed it several times to calm her anger. Unfortunately, Maddie wasn't feeling any better. On the other hand, her anger was so high that it made her scream in annoyance.

One more time the door slams before Maddie drags her right foot into the living room, she sits roughly on the sofa and stares at the clock on the wall above the television. Maddie took several deep breaths to calm herself but her breath wouldn't stop blowing like a dragon's nose about to burst into flames.

"Akh!" Maddie whimpered, her attention caught for a moment by a throbbing pain in her ankle.

Its midnight and Castelia is still nowhere to be seen. "After leaving me, she just disappeared without being able to be contacted!" Maddie called Castelia for a hundred times but the calls still couldn't come in because Castelia's phone was off.

Maddie was ready to squeeze her phone until it cracked but luckily the sound of the front door stopped her. Maddie turned her head and finally, who she had been waiting for arrived.

Castelia noticed Maddie's presence, she looked surprised but tried to remain calm. As Castelia closed the door, Maddie rushed over to her impatiently, she asked, "Where are you from?"

Maddie's angry tone easily dominated, making Castelia even more hesitant to confess. She didn't answer, instead changing the subject. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Sorry for what?!" Maddie shouted, making it clear that any excuse was unacceptable. "I lived with you since we were little. I know all your activities even how you live your daily life. What excuse can you use after leaving me like that? You didn't even say anything, even called me!"

"I-"

"You have no excuses, Cas," Maddie interrupted again, it was the look on Castelia's face that she was going to make up excuses to settle things. "You are thinking of lying even after what you did?"

Don't ask Maddie to understand, Maddie has no reason to because who is at fault here is Castelia and that fact is absolute!

"I wasn't thinking of lying to you," Castelia argued when that was what she was trying to do, Maddie reading her moves well. Because of that, Castelia had to be more careful not to mention Joshua's name accidentally.

If making up excuses wasn't allowed, then what Castelia could do was avoid her friend. She put on a tired expression, saying, "I'm tired, Maddie. I want to rest, please. We can talk tomorrow."

The cold sentence made Maddie stare in disbelief, hard to say that her friend was trying to escape the trouble she had caused. Castelia didn't even wait for a response, she just left her. "Don't leave me while I'm talking!" scolded the woman angrily but Castelia would not listen.

Castelia walked briskly down the stairs, leaving Maddie struggling to catch up. "Castelia!" Maddie yelled, growing furious, she had to stop following because she didn't want to face the pain that would torment her ankle. "Cas, I'm talking to you! Castelia!"

It wasn't an answer but the sound of a door slamming that Maddie received. There was silence within two seconds of Castelia's door closing, there was no sound and even Maddie's head was blank because she didn't know what to think.

Meanwhile, Castelia was still stuck behind the door. She pursed her lips, worried at the thought of how angry Maddie would be after her attitude. It wasn't that Castelia meant to act like that, she just felt that she had no other choice.

After a few moments of waiting, Castelia finally dared to breathe because she was sure Maddie wasn't following. However, guilt comes when Castelia remembers Maddie walking with a limp. It was certain that she got into a fight after being left and that wasn't all.

If only Castelia knew what Maddie had to deal with after lunging at Robert. Not only fighting and becoming a spectacle but also being taken to the police station. She and Robert were sentenced to clean the streets all day until they were finally allowed to go home.

While Maddie was working, she had been waiting for news from Castelia, who had gone somewhere but Castelia seemed as if she had never been on this earth. Maddie wasn't angry that she was hurt or punished, she was mad that Castelia had just left her.

Doesn't being friends for so many years prove they can understand each other? If that was the case, what reason did Castelia have for being annoying and not daring to tell the truth?

Maddie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm herself because she couldn't deal with a head that was about to explode with anger. "Hold yourself, Maddie," she whispered to herself. "Hold yourself. Breathe, Maddie, breath."

****

The night goes and the day comes. Castelia and Maddie both skipped breakfast and woke up late because they had nothing to do today but Castelia had an additional reason to avoid Maddie until her mood improved.

Castelia had to do better than dodge because her attitude wouldn't change anything. When she entered the kitchen, Maddie was already there. Precisely the dining table and was enjoying the lunch she ordered alone.

When they accidentally looked at each other, Maddie looked away and focused back on her food. Such an attitude already told that she was still angry and also reluctant to speak.

An uneasy feeling made Castelia also not dare to speak. He walked over to the fridge to get a bottle of water. Castelia took a sip and put it back before staring at Maddie's back.

There was no sound other than spoons and forks clashing for a few moments. When Maddie was about to get up after finishing her meal, Castelia called, "Maddie." Castelia didn't want this matter to drag on, so she ventured to speak first. She said, "I'm truly sorry I left you yesterday. I made a mistake, I'm sorry, Maddie."

Maddie took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth before turning to look at Castelia.