Arabella headed towards her cabin, her arms folded across her chest. Ethan had gone off to his cabin and Arabella was taking her time, slowing moving and trying to process what had just happened. She felt shaken up and confused. What if Ethan was lying? Clearly, something was up and she didn't know what. But she needed to know. Arabella needed to know the truth.
What if he had been lying to her this whole time? Would she be able to accept that and move on? Probably not. Arabella has only opened herself up like this twice in her life. The first one, ended horribly and in major heart break. The second one was Ethan. She didn't think she could stand being hurt again.
Arabella bit her bottom lip, tugging her cardigan around her a bit tighter. She was about to open the door to her cabin so that she could collapse on her bed and sped the rest of the day wallowing in her own thoughts, when she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see Marina, with a little smile on her face, walking up to Arabella. "Marina...hi" She said, putting a smile on and letting her arms fall to her sides.
"Hey, Arabella" Marina greeted her, putting her hands in her pockets. Arabella knew that Marina was a really great girl. She was perfect for Hunter and they seemed to be really amazing together. That fact made it hard for Arabella to really, fully like Marina. Part of her would see them together and feel a horrible pang of jealousy. That was made even more powerful when she thought about the confusion that Ethan had stirred up in her brain. Arabella wanted to not like Marina. But that was difficult too. Marina was so kind to her all the time.
"How's uh, how's it going?" Arabella asked her, leaning against the side of the Aphrodite cabin.
"Good." Marina said and she took a little breath. It was pretty obvious that Marina wanted to ask Arabella something but she wasn't sure how to go about it. "How are you doing?" She finally asked her, a concerned look on her face. "I saw you walking out of the woods and...."
"I'm fine" Arabella said, cutting her off. "Great" She added but there was a look of doubt across Marina's face. "Really...I really am great" Arabella told her, trying to soften her voice and make her smile look a little more natural.
"Oh, good!" Marina gave her a little smile, swaying nervously in the grass a little bit. "I was kind of worried"
"Well, thanks, Marina...really. But you don't have to worry about me" Arabella told her with a little wave of her hand. "Look...I gotta get inside. Daniel is having some kind of...existential crisis" She lied easily with a little laugh. "I'll see you later" Arabella waved to Marina before sliding into her cabin and closing the door firmly behind her. She leaned against the door for a moment, with her eyes closed, then pushed away and stepped further into the cabin.
"Arabella?"
"Danny!" Arabella gasped when she saw him sitting on his bed, cutting into a piece of fabric. Daniel looked up at her with a bit of a smile and a little bit of a stunned look. "What are you doing here? I thought that you would be down at the lunch table with everyone else and having eye sex with your new boy toy from across the hall" She said as she walked towards her bed, pulling her cardigan off.
"I was bored. I wanted to practice my sewing. Thank the gods my teacher is here, now" Daniel teased, looking over at her with a grin. When he looked at her, however, his face fell a little bit. "What are you doing here?" He asked in a more serious voice.
"Oh, just....freaking out" Arabella sighed in a breathless voice and she looked over at him. They locked eyes for a moment then she pouted and walked over to his bed, flopping down with a groan.
"And what are we freaking out about, now?" Daniel asked, putting down the scissors and the fabric in his lap. He folded his hands and looked over at her with a concerned but thoughtful look on his face.
"I think that Ethan is keeping something from me" Arabella sighed. She rolled over so that she was lying on her back and she looked up at Daniel with big eyes.
"What would make you think that?"
"Well....he doesn't really remember anything important from the night that he saved me." Arabella huffed.
"Maybe he just has a bad memory?" Daniel suggested, leaning forward a little bit.
"See, that's what I don't get. He remembers parts of it, like...details of the guys that we fought. But he doesn't remember things like....the clearing that we were in. Or the fact that I kissed him" Arabella flopped her arms down over her eyes and let out a groan. "And when I mentioned that sort of stuff, he acted all flustered. Like I had thrown him off his game or something and he had to scramble to think up something to say to me"
"Ask him something else. Mention a couple of details from that night and see what happens" Daniel told her with a little nod. "I mean, maybe he's just trying to cover up the fact that he forgot because he feels bad or worried that you'll be really mad at him"
"Yeah, maybe.." Arabella sighed and turned so she was on her side. "But what if he doesn't just forget? What if he's lying to me in some way? Danny....I couldn't take that. I don't know what I would do if he broke my heart."
"The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else" Daniel said in a matter of fact voice.
"Ugh, you are so gross" Arabella said, rolling off of his bed and walking toward her own. But she smiled a little bit and gingerly folded up her cardigan. After a moment, she glanced over at Daniel with a bit more serious face. "Do you...do you think that I should be worried, though?" She asked him softly. Daniel looked back at her for a moment before he finally answered her.
"I think that you should give it a bit of time. See how things play out. It's still too early to jump to conclusions" Daniel said with a little nod. He smiled then stood up, pulling on his shoes again. "I think we might still be able to get a bit of lunch before it's over."
"You go on without me. I already ate a little bit earlier" Arabella told him with a nod. "Besides, I got a really crap sleep last night and I'm going to try and get a little nap in before we have to be anywhere else"
"Alright. Don't work yourself into a panic my dear!" Daniel called to her, waving as he walked out of the door. Arabella let out a huff and she plopped down on her bed. She pulled out her journal and a pen, wanting a few moments to herself to think this all through. She would not work herself into a panic. She would not work herself into a panic. She would not work herself into a panic.
She was in a panic.