Chapter 24 REFLECTIONS IN A BROKEN MIRROR

Chapter 24 REFLECTIONS IN A BROKEN MIRROR
Athena froze, her eyes turning to look at Xavier who looked worried. The man let go of the hand that was hugging him from behind, then turned around.

"What are you doing?" he asked, then looked at his three friends who were standing far behind the girl.

"They and I came to campus after Julian said that the student community group was in an uproar because you were hit—"

"I'm fine, Auree," Xavier interrupted.

She was Auree. The girl who was the center of Xavier, Julian, Asher, and Adrian's lives.

The girl smiled kindly and softly, almost too perfect. Her long, curly hair fell below her shoulders, reminding Athena of herself. The girl's eyes—bright, making anyone go crazy because they stared at her shining shade.

However, what made Athena's breath hitch was not only Auree, but the three men with her, walking beside her with changing expressions, but staring at Auree with full attention, sympathy, admiration, and... interest.

Athena swallowed, for a moment, she felt like she was watching herself.

Yes, she finally felt what it was like to be the college girls who snickered at her when she was with these four men.

Slowly, her instincts told her to leave immediately. But when she was about to turn around, Xavier's hand touched her hand gently, holding it as if this man knew she was about to run away.

"Don't go, Athena," Xavier said, spontaneously making Auree look behind his back.

Athena stiffened in place. Her hands clenched at her sides, trying hard to stay calm even though her heart was beating irregularly.

"Auree, you should know her. She's Athena," Xavier said, pulling Athena to stand beside him.

Auree smiled sweetly. "I know... she's the one who rejected you this morning, right?" Auree guessed.

Athena was pensive, watching Auree standing in front of her. It felt like she was looking in the mirror, looking at herself. Not only her physical form, even the girl's voice was very similar to hers.

The way Auree lifted her chin slightly when she spoke, the way she half-smiled, to the way she stared with a meaningful gaze… it all felt too familiar.

But this wasn't an honest mirror, this was an unintentional reflection, a different, bolder, or maybe more… dangerous version of herself.

The atmosphere became a little awkward, Athena couldn't reply to Auree's words, she was suddenly nervous. She could also feel Julian, Adrian, and Asher's gazes that never left Auree, as if they were all only interested in Auree and her almost similar personality.

Athena's breath hitched. For a moment she realized... why these four men approached her, even seemed to fight over her at unexpected times.

This hurt more than Johan's words that belittled her yesterday. More than that, it was like there was something suffocating in Athena's chest, stabbing her more sharply than she thought.

"Hey, Xavier, your friend is quiet. What's wrong with her?" Auree asked with a small smile, as if reading his mind.

Athena turned to Xavier then turned her gaze to Auree. "My name is Athena," she said while holding out her hand.

“Wow, Athena, do you like amber spicy too? We have the same taste!” Auree said, as she returned Athena’s outstretched hand, she inhaled the scent of the perfume on the girl’s hand.

“Our hair is also similar, you are very beautiful, Athena. No wonder Xavier likes you.”

Athena blinked, for some reason those words sounded offensive to her. As if Xavier liked her because she was similar to her.

Before she could say anything, Auree said again, “Don’t get me wrong, Athena, although my relationship with Xavier and his friends is more than just bestfriends.”

Athena remained silent, feeling confused, a little annoyed, a little angry, but not knowing what to do. She looked at Julian, Asher, and Adrian—three men who were just watching her interaction with Auree without doing anything.

“Xavier, let’s go home! You promised to accompany me to dinner, right? Don’t let me give this opportunity to others. They miss me too, not just you,” Auree said sulking.

“I have to take Athena home,” Xavier said.

“Good idea! We can drop her off together. Right?” Auree asked her three other friends for their opinions.

“If Auree says so, then it must be done,” Asher replied.

Crazy! What kind of scene is this, why does it feel so ridiculous. Athena was increasingly convinced... this was not the place. She pulled Xavier’s sleeve, staring at him a little sharply.

“Xavier, you don’t have to drop me off. You see, there’s a taxi over there, I can take that taxi. And you—“

“I’ll still take you, Athena!” Xavier argued.

Athena just smiled, then waved at a passing taxi. Before getting into the taxi, she said goodbye to everyone, although in the end she was ignored. Julian actually seemed to want to talk, but held himself back, his eyes only turned to Athena for a moment, as if he couldn’t stare for too long.

Shortness of breath.

“Am I just a replacement? Just a projection of an unfinished memory?”

Athena’s tears flowed right as the door closed. Annoyed for no reason, to the point of being reluctant to look back. She wasn’t jealous… she felt like she was being toyed with by a universe filled with jerks in it.

When the taxi arrived at the apartment building’s yard, she met Zara who had also just arrived. Zara was holding two glasses of ice cream and a chocolate cake, her facial expression changed to worry when she saw Athena crying.

Zara put her arm around Athena, taking her quickly from the lobby to their apartment unit. Once there, she served the chocolate cake and ice cream that she had deliberately bought for the two of them.

Reluctant to disturb Athena, and let her cry continuously. Zara also handed over a tissue box, slowly feeling sad seeing Athena's face turn red from an unknown grief.

"Athena, chocolate and ice cream might be able to restore your dopamine that had disappeared," Zara said.

"Th-Thank you, Zara," Athena replied while sobbing.

"No, no, no, don't thank me. Let's enjoy this snack together, then tell me what your problem is."

Athena took a deep breath, took a bite of ice cream and then said, "Whether I'm right or not, whether I'm too confident or not, whether I'm too emotional. I feel like... my life so far has been a shadow of someone in the past."

Zara was shocked.

"When that person in the past came, she covered my shadow, as if I was no longer there. The light that I once saw in their eyes slowly dimmed, and maybe it will disappear soon," Athena said, her chest still tight, she spoke with unstable emotions, but still while eating ice cream.

"What are you talking about, Athena? Who made you a shadow?" Zara asked.

“Xavier and his friends,” Athena answered loudly. “Xavier confessed his love to me, Julian made me his best friend, Asher admired me, and Adrian who almost molested me… they all did it because I looked like Auree!”

Zara glared, the ice cream in her throat almost making her choke. “Auree? She’s back?”

Athena was flabbergasted, then sighed. “Okay, well… so you know her too!”

“Of course, she used to come to Westbrook many times, and was the center of everyone’s attention even though she didn’t study there. I don’t know her, just a little bit…”

“… but, Athena, I don’t think… you look like her.”

“You’re saying that to comfort me, right, Zara?” Athena’s gaze was probing, as if she didn’t believe her own best friend.

“Why comfort you? People who are sincere friends and appreciate your existence will not treat you the same as other people,” Zara said, immediately making Athena silent.

“If you are disappointed with them, you better leave them,” Zara said again, her mouth full of ice cream. “I will accompany you if you feel doubtful and worried that one day they will approach you again.”

“That Auree will definitely leave again, and sooner or later they will fight over you again, without feeling guilty. You don’t need to worry, I can protect you from those insane men!” Zara spoke emotionally.

Athena sighed. “Zara… actually, there is a bigger problem.”

“Uh, what?”

Athena bit her lip, she knew Zara would be shocked if she heard her confession. “I regret saying this, but this is the stupidest thing I’ve felt since being too close to him…”

Zara frowned, confused and didn’t understand.

“Zara, actually… I’m starting to fall in love with Xavier…”