"HE DOES NOT EVEN KNOW..."

"Let go of me..."

She said, not wanting to be in his presence anymore.

"I know...I should have told you before..."

It stopped all her movements, making her look up at his evergreen forest eyes, staring back at her.

"...that I and Emily got together...it happened in the summer break."

So many things she had to ask him...how and when did it happen? Why did it happen?

But nothing came out of her mouth as she remained static under his hold. There were just no words that her mind could think of and utter.

"I..."

"Babe?"

They both were broken out of each other go of her wrist, making her look at it and then back at him.

"I have been looking for you everywhere..."

Emily said, wrapping her arm around his, eyeing Della with contempt.

"I was just..."

"Let's go...coach Drake is looking for you."

Before Shawn could even complete his statement, she pulled him towards the other way.

Della continued to stay immobile watching them walk away. How did it come to that?

Until she felt someone knocking at her from behind, she would have resumed to gaze at them, moving away further, till they had disappeared.

"They both are a thing now."

It was Maples, clutching her books to her chest. It seemed like she had seen it all.

Della did not say anything and started walking towards her locker. Maples followed after her much to her annoyance.

"Don't you have class?"

She asked opening her locker. Maples did not say anything to that.

"So you guys talked about the kiss or not?"

Maples questioned her instead of answering Della, totally disregarding her notion.

She had known about the love Della had for her brother for years then and thought even Shawn felt the same because of the way he behaved around her until the party last night when she found him locking lips with Emily.

"How come he is with Emily and we did not even come to know?"

"Will you stop now Maples?"

Della eyed her, getting irritated. She was in no mood to interact with anyone at that moment.

With reminiscing about the events last night, not one pinch of sleep on her eyes and in the daytime, she had to deal with this.

"He does not know that he is into you and not that Emily...at least I thought he knew that much..."

That made Della turn to look back at Maples right away.

"What did you say?"

She implored, making Maples halt her movements of following her.

"That Shawn is with Emily?"

"No no...after that part."

Della corrected her making Maples wonder what she let out that made Adella ask her to repeat.

"That how we did not come to know until last night?"

Della shook her head, getting disappointed. It made Maples think hard.

"He does not know he is into you?"

"Yes yes...this...yes..."

Della pointed her fingers to that making Maples happy that she finally got it. But it was short-lived.

"What is it?"

Maples could see that something was up. Della's composure changed.

"What is the use? He confirmed that he is with that witch now."

She mumbled under her breath, looking down at the floor.

If she had any doubts before that it could be a rumour or a moment of falsified news but the words from his mouth had confirmed it altogether.

"What do you mean? What did he say? Did he....?"

Maples stopped midway realizing that her brother must have told Della that he was indeed with Emily then.

"How could this happen?"

She thought to herself. The boy did not even want to have any other friends than Della and now he had a girlfriend that was not her.

"I should have just gone with him..."

Della felt dejected. Something she would regret forever then that she never bothered to know more about his game and get close.

"You do know my brother is also a dumbhead?"

Maples tried to ease her best friend up. She knew how much Della loved Shawn.

"He is having a moment and will soon be over with it...trust me bestie."

Maples nudged her right arm softly making Della breathe in thinking it to be true.

The bell went off signalling to their next class. They had to part their ways now. But at least she would get to see Shawn there.

He had taken one senior English course and she was looking forward to this class they would do together but at that moment, she had no idea what to expect.

As Maples walked the other way, she dragged herself in the direction of the class, clutching her books against her chest.

The moment she stepped inside the class, she felt the eyes on her and gossips directed in her way.

She felt self-conscious. It had to be about last night. People surely did not forget about things easily. She thought to herself.

Taking a seat, she tried to mind her own business, occasionally looking around and at the door to see if he was there or not already.

After the encounter in the corridor, she had no desire to see him yet but her stupid heart... always craved his presence regardless of anything

"She surely has no shame..."

"I saw her with him in the corridor..."

The gossip continued, making her want to confront them by herself but she controlled herself not wanting to create a scene when so many things were happening at the same time. It was just too much to deal with.

"If I was her, I would not even bother showing up, to be honest..."

Della clutched onto her pouch as she heard them talk about her as if she was not present there in the same room as them.

"More so...I heard she is Randall's charity case."

And that was it...she could no longer take it anymore and stood up from her seat to deal with those snobby bitches until she heard.

"Look Emily and Shawn are here..."

________________________________________Note: This chapter goes back and forth five years...hopefully you guys could understand.

I will try to be as regular as I can so please support the book with ps, comments and motivate me more...do drop a review...