Crystallized Truth

Chapter 7 - Stirring Hearts

"On move, guys" Ashley ordered, taking the charge of the situation.

Archie watched as Ashley and Amelia silently moved to their side of forest. His head turned to Ava and he found her talking to Ethan once again, as they made their way to their side of forest without paying attention to him.

Archie sighed painfully. His shoulders slumped and pain cried in his eyes. He was always aware of his emotions but this time, he wasn't able to understand what was happening with him and why was it happening.

No girl ever effected him the way Ava did and he never wished to be with any girl like he wanted to be with Ava. But no girl avoided him the way Ava was ignoring him.

He turned his head to the device and gazed the dot showing her movement. He whispered, "Why is Ava avoiding me?"

The first time they met, they had so much of fun. So much they talked with so much of understanding. Then what went wrong.

"What wrong I did?" Archie questioned as if Ava was listening to him through that device.

Ethan, the name crossed his mind with thunderbolt.

How could he forget it. It was after Ethan. That everything went down the hill. Even Ethan seemed to be different after meeting Ava. He was even standing against Ashley for Ava even when he never stood up for himself against Ash.

Both were acting different and distant. All lost into each other.

Bewildered by the realisation, Archie stuttered, "Do they... Feel something for eachother?"

The night was silent and there was no voice other than their feet crushing the leaves and branches. The flashlight in Ava's hand was forming the circle ahead them. Their eyes moved around the forest in search of anything useful or something that attracts.

Ethan was walking beside Ava, but they didn't talk. Their laughter of all time were muted. Their whisperings of usual, were dead. And their chattering, forgotten.

Situation was mixing in a complex manner, and she was aware of it. She was regretting, she met Archie. She shouldn't have got close to him. She shouldn't have got so free with him. There were so many lines that she crossed for Archie. Talking with him, being foremost of them.

Nothing would've happen if she had kept the distance, she usually kept with men. Things wouldn't have gone this far.

Moving her eyes, she stole a glance of Ethan and took a deep breath. She was glad he was by her side. Talking and laughing with him, made her feel better and might push Archie away too.

But then why isn't Ethan questioning anything, Ava wondered. They always fell in silent hole after separating from Archie and she would always start conversing with Ethan when they would be near Archie's earshot. But Ethan never showed any confusion, never questioned her about her this behaviour. He would simply follow her lead, in silence and in words, without questions and without objections.

But why?

Is he too....

Sighing, Ava shook her head. She was overthinking, it seemed. Grateful, was what she should be. That Ethan wasn't judging her for anything and was there by her side.

.

Their breath came faster and shallower. Their grip tightened on tree bark, turning all white, and the anxiety ran with fear on their faces.

Wolves, howled at distance and a roaring followed. The leaves rustled somewhere closer. Under the hovering trees, darkness was blinding but a pair of glittering eyes, beyond the bushes, were visible.