Chosen (Damiano David & Victoria DeAngelis)

Chapter 18

The atmosphere was extremely awkward the next morning. Victoria instantly felt that when she walked into the breakfast room. The fight from the night before was definitely lingering between them and this time it wasn't something that would just pass after two days. But she wouldn't go and apologize to him...it was his fault. He had pushed her and he had told her to leave...not the other way around. She didn't even look at him when she sat down next to Thomas. He didn't deserve to be looked at. But it was hard. How was she supposed to just ignore everything she knew about him? After all, she couldn't just erase the memories and feelings she had for him...they had been friends for about six years... that didn't just disappear within a day or two. Absent-minded she sipped on her hot chocolate. Who would take care of him now? Who would be there for him? "Stop it, Vic...get over it. He disrespected you and he's not your problem anymore.", she thought to herself. Of course, that was easier said than done and she really had to restrain herself from looking at him. But was that fight really worth losing this friendship? She didn't want to lose him but she couldn't just let him treat her like that...and maybe it was for the best. That way she didn't have to worry about him anymore and he quite obviously didn't want her help anyway. She tried to make herself believe that but she just couldn't get rid of the feeling that everything he had said and done the night before had something to do with his mysterious phone calls.

"Hey, Vic...can I talk to you for a second?" She looked up a little annoyed. Couldn't they at least leave her alone during their break? "Sure...what is it?", she asked, getting up. What could he possibly have to talk about with her? "Let's go for a cigarette, yeah?", he suggested and lead the way outside. Victoria just followed him onto the small smoking area in the back alley. "What did you want to talk about?", she asked while Ethan handed her a cigarette. "What's going on with you and Damiano? Did you have a fight...like a real fight?", he asked, looking quite concerned. She exhaled some smoke, shrugging her shoulders...she couldn't tell him the truth: "I would rather not talk about it and I would appreciate if you wouldn't ask again. All I will say is that the relationship between me and him is purely for business purposes now and has nothing to do with a friendship whatsoever." His eyes widened in disbelief: "You can't mean that. You two never fight...you are like...I don't know...two peas in a pot. What the hell did he do to you to make you say that?" She sighed, shutting out her emotions because she didn't want him to see that all of that was actually bothering her a lot: "Nothing. We just have too many differences and it is better that way." Ethan shook his head, speaking in a serious voice, reminding her of a mother speaking to a child: "Good for you that you can shut your friends out so easily but it is definitely not better that way. I don't care what he did to you, he doesn't deserve to be stabbed in the back by you like that. I mean, have you looked at him today? I've never seen him looking so sad...I know he would never admit it but I bet you, he was crying." She felt her heart sinking, a heavy feeling in her chest...she didn't want to hear that. It would only make it harder for her to stick with her decision. She looked at him, not showing a single emotion while on the inside her feelings were all over the place: "You have no idea what you're talking about. It is my decision who I want to be friends with and if I choose to leave the friendship with Damiano in the past, you gotta accept that." "Yeah, well...I have to accept it but I will not agree with it. There is no such thing as respect for someone who is selfish enough to ignore the pain of others." With that, he went back inside, leaving her feeling extremely guilty. If he knew what had happened, would he be on her side? Was she the bad guy after all, because she hadn't stayed with him after the incident? I mean, she could have tried to sort it out with him but she did have enough self respect to know when it was time to walk away from someone. But was it really worth losing him like that?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hey ;)

I will try to post at least two more chapters today, so stay tuned ;)

Do you think Ethan's reaction was justified? Is Victoria in the wrong or do you think her decision is understandable? Tell me what you think in the comments :)

Thanks for reading

- Thalia