Chapter 28 Noelle

It's 5PM already and I'm panicking. It's not a necessity for me to go there. I can't decide whether or not I wanna face Audum once again.

This man is so weird. What if he has ulterior motives? At first he was a complete jerk to me but from past few days, he's been a polite, normal person. Why does it feel like rocket science dealing with this guy? I can simply ghost him and he'll be out of my life. Yes, that's what I'll do.

I'm kinda scared? Of him?

"You have been sitting with that invite in your hands for past like hour or so" breaks in Zeroni.

I look up at her. "What's up?" She sits beside me on the edge of my messy bed.

Should I tell her? Should I tell her everything from the start? Bertha and Feebles just pass their comments and they're done with the business. I might not like Zeroni for her extra personality and well, more because of her rather well-off relationship with Audum. Who am I lying to? But nonetheless, she's been harmless to me.

"Are you up for a big and naive rant?" I proceed with a disclaimer.

Zeroni pauses for a moment and raises her eye brows.

"Sure", she says with every nerve of hers interested and looking forward to my follow up.

I adjust myself so she can sit in a better and more comfortable way cause boy, a long rant isn't this one gonna be.

I take a breath. "You know Audum?" I start off.

"Uh-huh" she follows.

"He's been acting wildly naive around me", I speak and Zeroni's eyes narrow as I can sense her curiosity growing.

"It happened when I had my chemistry class a few weeks back", I take a pause.

"I knew he existed. I had heard his name before but I didn't know who he was. So it was rather a peculiar, you can say an 'unusual' interaction in which he was being a total... bitch?"

This comment led Zeroni's serious face to break and her to chuckle a little. And I went on with the story, telling her everything from the chemistry class comments, to him coming to the dorm to the frat kiss, to his chess night here, to right now- the invite thing.

I skipped the mansion thing though because I felt as if it weren't right to share to Zeroni? Because she talks to both of these brothers and clearly they were covering up something that night so I don't think I should be spilling it with someone rather influential and not harmless like Bertha and Feebs. Those two will literally forget this and I mean they are not someone who can potentially turn into a threat. So having shared the mansion thing with them is not gonna wreck anything.

I'm just tryna be a little saintly here, okay?

Why make someone's life hard when you can do better than that?

"Well Well Well", Zeroni rises up.

"Honestly though, I didn't think it'd be 'this'- she circles with her palm in the air- dramatic."

"What did you do about it though?", she raises the question and well ha ha what even? Should I be embarrassed that I actually didn't do anything about it? Other than unhealthily overthinking all of the Audum-ness?

"Nothing, as you can tell", I wanna fight myself. What the hell Noelle? You really a dumb bitch. Smh.

"No, sweetie. That's not how it's done, you've to have your answers. He owes you an explanation for his overly dramatic, cenematic behaviour. Don't you think so?"

"I'd say, yes"

"You still doubt that?"

"No? No, I don't. I don't. I don't doubt it. He does owe me a proper explanation."

"Great. All odds are in the favour today. You need to get dressed up for the ball and there you will go, get your answers."

"Come on now, it's 6PM already" Zeroni gets up.

"One thing though" I mumble and she looks at me.

"Are you two, like Audum and you, dating?"

"What? Holy shit! Honey, where did you get that from?" She starts laughing.

"I.... was just asking... It seems like you two are dating...." I utter and she continues to laugh like a maniac all over me.