Finding Atlas

School was, more or less, harder to deal with when I didn't have Atlas around. He was avoiding me like a plague, and he had every reason to (but that still didn't make me feel less worse). In an effort to distract myself from him, I spent every waking moment doing something–hanging out with Delphine, throwing myself into homework, working on my theory and trying to compose a new song–anything to distract myself. But school was one of two places I couldn't avoid Atlas–Bardia's being the other–and going to school with him involved one beautiful, boy-crazy, loyal best friend.



I was turning the corner to head over to my locker when I overheard him–well, them.

"Uh, hey, Delphine!"

"Hey Atlas, what's up?"

"Do you, ah, wanna go to Bardia's later or something? I just, um–" I'm sure I felt something stabbing at my heart there. After an emotional confession, he asked out my best friend? What kind of person does that?

"Atlas," she said. "You don't have to do this, okay? I know. I know where your heart is and it isn't with me."

"Er, I'm not sure I follow..." he replied, but Delphine wouldn't let him have it.

"You have no idea how obvious you are, you know? I have eyes, you know, and I can see something special when it's in front of me, although I don't think I can say the same for you. Have you met Andromeda? She's not exactly open with her feelings, much less feelings for a boy, and here you are, basically throwing all of that out the window."

"Wait, how–how do you even know all of this?" Delphine looked offended enough, god bless her soul, to hit him over the head.

"Are you kidding me? She's my best friend, I know everything about her, even if she doesn't say it." Then he paled. He balked, then he walked away, just as easy as turning away from me had been.