Athena
"HOW DARE YOU TWO LEAVE ME ALONE WITH MAYA. Please, stop laughing and let me rot in peace. I'm dying a slow painful death and I don't want you both by my bedside when I die."
It was a hot Saturday and luckily, Owen finished up his schoolworks last night by hogging all the instant coffee there was in the dining hall. I think it's safe to say that he was pretty much awake throughout the day and surprisingly, he even had time to watch a movie on Netflix with me. Two movies even.
Owen and I were inside Fitz's room, both nearby his bedside. After going on a lowkey romantic window shopping kind of date last night, Owen and I checked up on Fitz's progress with Maya. Given his current state of being in a literal burrito by his blankets and sheets, it didn't go as well as planned.
And Owen and I were laughing.
"Sorry. It's just, why did you pretend you got lost? In the dining hall? Where we live?" I asked Fitz as I held in my laughter, holding it all in my stomach.
Owen was obviously trying his best to be there for Fitz but he was outed by his own fit of laughter. He hid it though but to be honest, it was still clear that he couldn't help but find the situation pure humorous.
"And you asked Maya for directions?" Owen asked as he stopped himself from laughing. The corners of his mouth were highly up and his slight dimples were showing as he smiled.
I was sitting beside a crumpled Fitz who was still cocooned in blankets as Owen stayed in his chair by the small table of cluttered game cartridges.
Owen was still smiling as he held in his laughter and it was not long before his eyes just as blue and icy as before locked into mine. And he winked.
I knew I shouldn't be feeling all so giddy about my boyfriend acting all cutesy because we are here for one thing and that is Fitz's problem with engaging in relationships.
It was not too soon before Fitz shuffled and squirmed until he let out a distressed groan.
"Please shut up. You two really are perfect for each other. Now get your entwined, lovesick asses out my room. I don't want to see any signs of love while I'm sulking." he muttered.
Owen shot me a look and it signalled me to go and give Fitz a good pat on he back. As much as I find him hilarious around girls, he really does need some backup.
"Fine. We'll stop laughing." I said with a tone of finality, sitting straighter on his frumpy bed.
"Thank you." Fitz replied with a sigh of relief as he sat up in his bed as he was still enveloped in his Mario blanket. If I'm not mistaken, I could've swore I saw a slight smile there.
"Not until you tell us how fast you sprinted away from Maya once she told you what country we're in." I quickly followed up as soon as I noticed that Fitz seemed fine.
"ATHENA." he said, slumping back down again.
Owen shot me a disappointed look and I shot him a weirded out on as a reply. He turned his eyes toward Fitz and he let out a sigh before turning back to me.
"Yes love, please quiet down. Fitz said he's sulking over how single he is. Let the man be." Owen dissed. I giggled as soon as Owen twitched the corner of his mouth into a smile aimed towards me leaving Fitz in a blank, expressionless face.
"You too, Professor X. Quit it with the weird, mushy endearments. It makes me sick. I hate love." Fitz declared as he pursed out his lips and slumped deeper into his blankets.
I scooched closer to Fitz on his bed and gently shook his shoulders in hopes that he still has some life left in him.
"Don't be like that. I sprinted away from Owen once too, didn't I?" I asked directed toward Owen who was busy looking over Fitz's random games on his small table right beside the bed.
"Yes indeed. She was quite a fast runner in a uniform and skirt." Owen answered with a sly smile plastered on his face. I shot him a warning look and he immediately raised his hands in smug surrender.
Noticing how Owen and I were acting, Fitz laid back down on his bed and wrapped himself tighter with his blankets. At this point, he was more of a pencil than a burrito.
"Please shut up." Fitz groaned.
"I would never. Owen might but I won't." I cheerily piped in as I forced Fitz to sit back down so we could discuss what happened between him and Maya.
Maya's a sweet girl. She's athletic, has these amazing thighs, and is not that clingy to caffeine as much as Owen was these past few days. Also, she's a plant mom who really has a knack for keeping them alive. The only thing I can probably keep alive is Maxie but she's all the way back home with my aunt.
I just don't see why Fitz and Maya wouldn't fit.
"Let's say you didn't run off to god knows where and actually had dinner with Maya," I started slowly.
Fitz turned a lazy eye towards my direction and looked at me judgingly.
"If you're gonna give me a talk about how I should just become a priest or a hobo, I ain't listening." Fitz said bluntly.
I shook my hands and shot Fitz a
"Really? You'd think I would tell you to do that?"
"He's right, Athena. Given the past conversations you two had, the chances are rather high." Owen piped in as he bent his head down letting his luscious waves fall over his forehead yet again. Someone must've texted him. He had this gruntled look all over his face.
"See? Get where I coming from?" Fitz said, his voice getting clearer.
"Kinda. But Fitz, about that possibility of you and Maya being alone," I started yet again but this time, slower.
"Fine. What about it?"
I inhaled a little and looked at Fitz seriously.
"Owen and I can't always be around. It'll be too weird. What are we in, a polygamous relationship? A foursome? Dude, that's just weird."
"Yeah, I think I'm getting it." Fitz said noddingly.
"Be friendly. The girl would be weirded out if you asked her on a date without even having a single good conversation together."
"So uh, I can't send her a telegram asking her to coffee six feet apart and in different tables?" he asked hopefully.
"Fitz, that's not a date. And it's weird. It's better to start off as friends before dating. How about you Owen? Have anything to say?" I said, turning from Fitz to Owen who still looked really worked up on something from his phone.
It was not soon before Owen shot his head up, pushed back some strands of hair and sighed.
"I have a project to do with Maya for Dr. Anderson's class. He had just announced it through our group." he said unenthusiastically as he shoved his phone back into his pocket.
I pouted my lips toward Owen and cocked my head to the side. I felt a sinking feeling right around my chest and I felt I was gonna miss having him most of the time around me and Fitz but specifically, between Owen and I.
"Hurry back, okay? And please don't stuff your nose under too many books, you'll love them more than me." I said as Owen shoved his books and miscellaneous things inside his bag and swung it over the handles of his chair.
"Nothing can top you, Athena. You do know that." Owen replied with a soft smile directed toward me. From the side, I swear I saw Fitz roll his eyes and gag.
"I guess I needed some reminding, then. See you. Don't let backpacks hit you on your way out! " I replied back as Owen started to push his chair away from where Fitz and I were at.
"Thanks for the tip. Love you." Owen said with a cheeky grin on his face. Even his left dimple popped out and god, I wish I was kidding when I tell you I literally feel like it's the first time he smiled at me all over again. All cutesy and adorable with his pinkish lips that always taste like mint.
"Love you too!" I said loudly as soon as Owen waved goodbye once he rolled out of Fitz's dorm room.
Soon, Fitz and I were the two, lonely musketeers left by the third. He groaned again and looked at me blankly.
"Please shut it with the mushy, romantic conversation with Owen. I'm still wallowing here." he said monotonously.
"Shoot, sorry about that." I said as I erased the wide grin I had plastered on my face for the sake of Fitz.
"It's fine. It's just, you're with him and I'm probably just third wheeling you guys." he said glumly as he avoided my eye.
I slung an arm over Fitz's slumped body and looked at him sadly. He seemed really desperate for having that special someone to just be there for you and from what I see, he's obviously not taking it well.
"Don't think that. We're fine having you around. Shakes things up a bit, you know?" I said trying to cheer him up as I playfully punched his arm lightly.
Fitz turned to me with his round brown eyes hidden behind his chunky glasses. Aside from having a depressing aura, he had a worried look on his face.
"But Owen took off. Again. That leaves the two of us. We can't be a trio if we're only a duo."
I sat straighter on Fitz's bed and shrugged nonchalantly.
"So? He said he left for chem lab. He has a project to do."
Fitz had a concerned look in his eye and I was starting to feel mixed about whatever situation was at hand.
"Maya told him. I don't think she'll even acknowledge me if it weren't for you guys most especially, Owen." he emphasized.
"What do you mean?" I said, feeling my voice go small.
"It's just,--really weird. You're the girlfriend here and he's out with, --her. And Maya never was the studious type of girl either back in high school. She always wings things." Fitz said with a hint of admiration in his tone as soon as he got to the part where Maya was involved.
"Maybe she's changed. I mean, Owen would never lie to me. He tells me everything. And he said that professor of his announced it through their group chat. Maya didn't do anything."
Fitz looked calmed down for a second before leaning back into the bedframe which was under tons of Pokemon posters he hung up on his walls. I sat back too right beside him and just stayed put.
"Yeah, maybe." he muttered under his breath.
"Owen's got nothing to do with Maya. He'll help you get the girl too, remember? Trust him on this." I encouraged and pleaded. Despite my strong sentiments that Owen knows better than entertaining Maya, my gut was all grumbly and uncomfortable, it twisted and turned in all the wrong places.
Fitz looked undecided and confused as well. He plainly shrugged and sighed. He obviously was as scared of that small probability that something we both would not like happen.
"I trust Owen but I don't know if I even trust the girl I like around him. Something's different about this whole facade Maya put up and I am not liking it." he huffed. Fitz was avoiding my eye and this was one of the things he does when he's placed in an uncomfortable situation.
"Fitz," I started.
Surprisingly, Fitz stood up as he threw his blanket over to the side and just exploded.
"I've known her for years and she almost never acts all perky and bubbly around people she's just met for a few months. Look at how she treated me back in high school. Didn't even said 'hi' once." he explained as he blabbered quickly.
"And get this--, Maya, was out of my league. Very, out of my league. She was one of those popular girls who rode in one of her friends' convertibles and went shopping for whatever but we all know she buys plants, for god's sake." he expounded.
"Fitz, calm down," I started.
"She even had the AUDACITY to call me by my full first name! Only my mother can call me that when she's angry or something but not her. AND SHE JUST ACKNOWLEDGED ME JUST THIS YEAR! WOW. Congrats Fitz, the most gorgeous girl in your high school class NOTICED you. And I think it's all because of that boyfriend of yours."Fitz spat.
I was shaken. Fitz obviously didn't do anything wrong and neither did Owen. Owen was just mixed up into whatever small problem this was but actually, I never realized what big of a problem this would be. Maya, on the other hand, was innocent as well.
She was just being herself and so were Fitz and Owen. I wouldn't blame anyone for admiring Owen for his natural charm yet Fitz was pretty awesome too. He's smart, witty and very goal-oriented and driven. He just wants something good to happen to him for once yet fate seems to differ.
"But you still like her, right?" I muttered softly.
Fitz scoffed and threw his hands lowly.
"Like her? Of course I do. She's brave, determined, and always knows what she wants. That's pretty rare these days. I don't even know what pizza I want to order."
Fitz and I were both in his room, now sitting quite far apart in silence. Everything had just been a little clearer now and the thought of losing Owen to someone else bothered me. A lot.
The air in the room now felt tight. It was suffocating me and it's like my post-Elliot days again right when Owen happened to stumble upon me. My chest felt as if it were a balloon just waiting to explode and my breathing was paced.
I can't think straight.
In silence, I closed my eyes for a quick second. My aunt used to tell me to try to breathe normally again with my eyes closed when things get out of hand and I loved her for that.
Eventually, I opened my eyes back up and turned to Fitz who was looking down shamefully over his scattered laundry on his floor.
"Go for pepperoni. It's like a crowd favorite." I said as soon as I felt a little bit better.
Fitz slowly turned to me and smiled slightly. He eventually nodded and picked up his phone.
"Okay. I'll call this time. It could be nice to practice talking to other people if I uhm, --want to get Maya off Owen's radius." he said with a stiff chuckle as he dialled in whatever pizza place there was and started to call.
I attempted to smile as well over to Fitz but my chest felt heavy anyway. Still, I managed to hide this deep, sinking feeling and laughed it off.
"You'd better. I don't want to lose him yet."