The True Beginning (18)
Shirley was befuddled: she didn't know what was currently happening, but she was hesitant to ask. She looked at the people around her, but they seemed just as puzzled as herself.
The only one who could solve her puzzlement was the person in front of her. However, judging by how the person behaved, getting any answer from her seemed pretty impossible.
The person in question, Iliana, was sitting on the other side of the carriage while tuning out the rest of the world. How could she ask that Iliana something, and expect an answer?
This way, Shirley kept her silence.
Minutes passed, and none of them spoke to each other. It was as if they had made a prior agreement to not bother Iliana with their chatting noise.
Basil had always done the same thing whenever he didn't want to be bothered; they couldn't help the unconscious reaction. The two's habit was uncannily similar.