Distance

Knox has been acting really differently for a while now. He's been distant, detached, and even awkward. I don't like the space that has been put between us. It reminds me of when I was with Zack, and there was nothing good about that time. Though I don't get why he's so distant, Daniel is nothing like Zack. Daniel is sweet, caring, patient, and understanding. He understands that Knox and I are best friends and he's willing to think the best of our relationship in order to control any sort of jealousy that may arise.

"Hey, you doing okay?" Daniel asks as he hands me a hot chocolate. It seems that his work gave him a new apron, the campfire on this one has more detailed flames and the colours are a shade lighter as well. His expression is gentle and gaze caring and sincere.

I nod slightly, blowing on the hot cup. He takes a seat next to me, though he's not on break right now so he really shouldn't be. "Yeah, I'm alright, just a little worried about Knox."

He and I notice his coworker staring directly at him, their eyes are wide like a warning but they aren't glaring. "Wanna talk about it once I get on my break?"

I nod, and he holds my hand, smiling calmly into my eyes. "How much longer until Adelle should be here?"

I check my phone, she texted me about two minutes ago that she's just looking for a parking space. "Any second now, I doubt it'll take her that long to find a place to park."

Daniel smiles at me for a few more seconds, and the moment he stands up, the bells at the entrance ring and Adelle comes walking in, grinning and celebrating upon seeing me. "Alina!"

"Adelle!" I leap up and we wrap each other in a large hug, matching her energy, though it still feels unnatural to me.

I can feel Daniel laughing silently behind me as he heads back behind the counter, preparing to get quietly lectured by his co-worker. His co-worker has short black hair, shaved at the sides almost like a mohawk that you'd usually see on an eleven-year-old boy. He also has pale skin and his face is covered in acne. He's shorter than I am too, but he works hard from time-to-time as well, though he mainly only cares during rush hour.

"Come on, let's sit down so I can take my coat off before I melt," We break the hug and head back to the sofas by the fireplace. She sits down on one end of the couch and me the other, that way we have enough space to ourselves. "Medium mocha with whipped cream and cocoa powder," Adelle calls out to Daniel over her shoulder, he salutes and gets straight to making her drink. We've been hanging out here more and more often, even when Daniel isn't here or is on his day off. It's sort of became my happy place, and since this is the kind of place that Zack and his friends would never go to, it's sort of like a safe place or a retreat for her. Wish Knox would come here with me though, it's been nearly two weeks and Knox still hasn't come here with me. Hell Keita has even started coming here whenever he's looking for me, and most of the time he manages to find me here even when I don't say anything. I like it that way though, knowing that my friends know where they can find me at all times. It's a comforting thought.

"I see that things between you and Daniel are progressing well," She whispers, eyeing both me and Daniel over my shoulder.

I nod, holding my mug up to my lips to hide my huge smile, "Yeah, I'm loving every moment with him."

Her expression suddenly changes and her tone becomes serious, "How's Knox and Keita doing though?"

I sit up straight at the shocking shift in emotion, then gaze sadly down at my mug, "Keita is doing well, but Knox-" I stop myself, not really knowing how to put it into words. "He's been distant and I have no clue why, and it's been getting worse and worse with every passing day."

"Do you think that he might be-" She stops, glancing at Daniel, though I don't know if he's watching or not since he's just out of view. "Jealous?"

I tense at the words, there's no way, he was so fine with Daniel and I, hell he even told me how he thinks how good Daniel is for me. I shake my head, "I don't think so, he was so welcoming to Daniel and I being together-" I pause again, remembering something from the first time we grabbed lunch together. "Until something happened."

She sits up this time, staring at me with curiosity, "Well don't keep me waiting, what happened? Give me every little detail."

"Well-" I pause and she checks on Daniel for me, giving me a covert thumbs up. "We were going to be late for class, so Knox grabbed my hand and pulled me out of Timmys."

"Ooh," She squints, already knowing the error.

I nod, "And Daniel told him that he understands that he and I are best friends but he should work on not being hands on like he usually is."

She nods, "That makes sense."

"But the way Daniel said it to him was terrifyingly neutral and it's obvious that he scared Knox really badly," I continue, perfectly understanding Daniel's approach. "He and Keita also ended up getting into an argument and nearly a fight, but they're cool now."

She nods understandingly, "Well that parts obvious, as long as Daniel treats you nicely then Keita will be cool with him."

I pause, "I just don't get why it matters how others treat me. Like, why do they care so much? Surely Keita must have people in his life that mean so much more to him than I do."

"Eh," Her pitched raises and she looks at me with uncertainty. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, he was willing to potentially get expelled for you. Hell he even skips lunch with his friends just to grab lunch with you." I'm silent for a minute, contemplating that. It's true, I haven't even seen him talk to his friends since I dated Zack. "Hell I don't think I've even seen him talk to another girl in weeks."

I stare at her, straight in her eyes. Is she right? Has Keita seriously stopped talking to other girls since I started dating? "Are you serious?"

She nods, sitting back on the couch as Daniel places her drink on the table in front of her. She hands him her card and he disappears back to use it to pay. "Have you seriously not noticed the way he looks at you?"

Daniel hands her back her card, gives me a sweet smile and heads back behind the counter to work. I shake my head, "I always saw him as my best friend's brother."

She shrugs, taking a sip of her drink, a bit of whipped cream clings to her lips, "Well, I suggest you don't think about it too much. After all, you have something amazing with Daniel, and if I was in your shoes, I wouldn't give up a relationship like yours for anything in the world." He sets her drink back down on the table. "After all, Valentine's Day is tomorrow, so you better keep your mind on Daniel and not fret about anything else. It will be your guys' day, and I'll beat up anyone that even dares be a third wheel."