Chapter 11
Conceal, Don't Feel
Akko slammed the front door shut behind her and leaned her back against it. She breathed heavily in a panic as the tears continued to steadily stream down her cheeks. The other five occupants of the room stared at the distressed girl in silent shock, putting a hold on the joyous conversation and games they were previously focused on. The brunette sunk to the floor and brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them as if they were her only lifeline.
"Akko!" Amanda shouted as she jogged over to the broken girl and knelt down beside her. "What happened?"
"She's leaving." Akko whispered, voice raspy from the strain of trying to unsuccessfully hold back a flood of tears.
"She's leaving?" The redhead asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "What do you mean? Where is she going?"
Akko stood up suddenly and pushed her way past Amanda, walking quickly out of the room without any other explanation. Amanda looked around the room at the other girls, who were just as confused as she was, before throwing the front door open violently. She noticed the black BMW still parked by the curb and began making her way toward the vehicle. With every step, the figure in the car became more clear and she slowed her pace when she saw the blonde doubled over in the front seat as if in serious pain. 'What is going on?' she thought, now questioning whether this was a good idea, but she just wanted answers. She quickened her pace once more as she realized that Diana had noticed her presence and the car roared to life. The redhead began running as fast as she could to cut the blonde off but she wasn't quick enough. The car sped away, leaving a frustrated Amanda in it's wake.
"DAMN IT, CAVENDISH!" She screamed as she slowed to stop, punching her fist in the air for good measure. She watched as the black car disappear around a corner. "I just want to know what the fuck is going on." She mumbled to herself as she slowly made her way back to the house. "So much fucking drama. They're making out one minute and fighting the next. Just...fucking...fuck."
Ceasing her grumbling, she entered the house again. Her roommates, who were previously speaking in hushed whispers, fell silent and turned toward the fuming redhead expecting some answers. Amanda paused when she noticed everyone's eyes were on her. She shook her head and gave a sad shrug before jogging out of the room and up the stairs. The redhead stopped at Akko's door and listened for any kind of noise inside, but heard nothing. She slowly turned the knob and entered the room cautiously, instantly finding the brunette on her bed, sitting against the wall and hugging her knees while nursing some sort of alcoholic beverage in her hand. As if she was approaching a wounded animal, Amanda slowly moved toward the bed, giving Akko every chance to tell her to leave. When no objections came, the redhead climbed onto the bed and sat beside her friend. Akko hadn't moved, nor gave any indication that she even knew that the redhead was there. She had stopped crying, though her red puffy eyes now looked empty and lifeless.
"Akko, you have to tell me what happened." Amanda was finally able to get out after a few moments of silence.
"She's leaving." The brunette said flatly.
"Okay, yeah, I got that. And…?" The redhead asked, urging her friend to continue. When Akko didn't speak again, Amanda continued. "Where is she going?"
"She's moving to London."
"London." The redhead repeated, nodding her head. "And what did she say when you told her she should stay?"
For the first time, Akko turned to look at her friend sitting next to her with her eyebrows raised.
"I didn't." She whispered.
"What? You didn't even fight for her to stay? What wer-" Amanda began, raising her voice slightly.
"And what the hell was I supposed to say Amanda?" The brunette half shouted. "Stay here and forget about running your company? Stay here with your needy as fuck girlfriend that you've had for one week and throw away your future?"
"Akko, I think you're still a little drunk." The redhead tried to reach out to take the glass of alcohol, but her hand was slapped away.
"I am drunk, Amanda. But I'm not stupid. She came here to break up with me tonight. So I made it easier for her and told her to leave." The brunette scooted off her bed in frustration and began to pace, setting her drink down sloppily on her desk in the process.
"How do you know she was...Wait, you told her leave? Why? Why would you make it easier for her to-"
"Because I love her!" Akko turned toward Amanda and yelled, making the redhead jump a bit. The brunette wrapped her arms around her self and took a deep breath. "Because I love her." She repeated more softly this time, voice cracking slightly. "I told her to go so she wouldn't have to feel guilty about leaving me behind. I don't want to hold her back."
"Akko..." Amanda said quietly as she crawled to the edge of the bed to sit.
"This time it was my choice." Akko whispered to herself almost inaudibly, swaying slightly and catching herself on the desk before she fell.
"Ooookay." Amanda stood up quickly and took the brunette's arm before leading her to the bed. "I'm gonna go get you some water, okay?"
"Yeah, okay." The brunette said, eyes half lidded as she fell backward onto the mattress.
The redhead stood and watched over her friend for a few minutes as Akko quickly fell asleep. With a long sigh, Amanda gently pulled the covers out from under the brunette and placed them on top, tucking her in. With her mind running wild, she left the room and walked down the stairs to update the rest of the girls, who were no doubt as concerned as she had been. When she walked into the living room, she found Sucy and Constanze playing a game together on the XBOX One, Lotte reading a book from her favorite series, and Jasminka snacking on some sweets a little faster than usual as she watched the TV screen. No one had heard her come in so she loudly cleared her throat, effectively grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.
"So what happened?" Lotte was the first to ask, immediately dropping her book.
"Well, Diana is moving to London." Amanda said with a sigh.
"What? Why?" The orange haired girl was now sitting on the edge of her seat.
"I'm...assuming she is taking over her family's business? Akko wasn't very clear with me. She was still pretty messed up." The redhead rubbed the back of her neck.
"Did Diana break up with her?" Sucy finally chimed in. "Because I can put together a pretty basic poison-"
"Sucy!" Lotte looked at purple haired girl in horror, to which she snickered evilly.
"I don't know if they...broke up." Amanda walked to the couch and plopped down next to Lotte. "Akko was pretty convinced that's what was going to happen, but it sounded like she may have jumped the gun a little bit." She let out a long sigh and looked around the room. "We need to talk to Diana."
"Do you really think we should be getting into the middle of this?" Sucy deadpanned.
"Do you want to live with Akko after what happened tonight? It's gonna be a nightmare just being around her." The redhead looked at the purple haired girl was raised eyebrows.
"Oh. Fair." Sucy nodded her head and turned on the game that had been paused and focused her attention on the TV once more.
Amanda took out her phone and found Diana's number. After pressing the call button, she put the phone to her ear and waited. It rang once, and then twice before immediately ending and going to voice mail. The redhead pursed her lips and lowered the phone so she could end the call.
"She declined my call. Shouldn't be surprised with the way she drove off earlier." She mumbled, irritated.
"Maybe Barbara or Hannah can help?" Lotte asked after a few moments of contemplation.
"They're at some...place with Hannah's music friends. Or something." Amanda mumbled again, still staring at her phone, eyes narrowed. "I'll send her a text and let her know what happened. I don't want to bother her with a call."
Lotte watched curiously as the redhead began moving her thumb around the screen of her phone, pressing a little harder than she needed to. The orange haired girl had never seen Amanda so worked up over a girl, and it wasn't a good kind of worked up. Lotte opened her mouth to ask what was going on between them, but closed it quickly. One problem at a time. She looked to the other girls in the room who had their attention on the TV once more, distracting themselves from the sudden problematic situation that they had no answers for at the moment. Following their lead, Lotte picked up her book and delved back into the world of Nightfall, leaving reality behind once again before Amanda finally spoke once more.
"I'm gonna take some water up to Akko for when she wakes up." The redhead stood up and walked to the kitchen leaving her orange haired friend silently nodding in response.
Hannah and Barbara walked tipsily behind a small group of girls down a lively street to the hotel they were calling home for the night. A short getaway in celebration of the end of the school year, and also a break from their blonde friend who had adopted her all too familiar icy persona once again. Diana had completely shut them out during the stressful week, and although they both understood why, the change was an unwelcome one, making their interactions with the blonde uncomfortable and awkward. They hadn't realized how much they enjoyed the fun and carefree attitude that Diana had adopted over the past month. Hannah's phone buzzed in her pocket when they reached the front doors to their hotel. She reached in and clumsily pulled it out, pausing when she saw Amanda's name on the screen.
"Who is it?" Barbara asked, leaning over Hannah's shoulder to get a better look.
"Amanda." The auburn haired girl responded simply before swiping the screen and reading the message. "Damn it." She whispered before holding the phone up, showing her friend.
"A problem..." She mumbled as she read the message. "Diana's not answering her phone..." She continued as her eyes flitted back and forth before finishing. "So I'm assuming their talk didn't go well. You don't think she broke up with Akko, do you?"
"I don't know, Barbs. She hasn't been herself this week. It's possible." Hannah replied, stuffing her phone back inside her pocket. "Call her."
"Why don't you call her?" Barbara whined before getting pleading look from her friend. "Fine." The black haired girl sighed and pulled her own phone out. She found Diana's number and pushed the call button but was met with her voicemail immediately. "She turned her phone off." She said sadly as she lowered her phone and turned to look back at Hannah. "What do we do now?"
The auburn haired girl began to pace, running her hand through her hair a few times as she mulled over the options in her head. After a few moments she stopped and glanced at the doors their friends disappeared through.
"I think she wants to be alone. I doubt she'll even talk to us if we went home now." Hannah winced at hearing her own words, but believed them fully. "I think we just need to enjoy our night and we'll head back first thing in the morning."
Barbara reluctantly agreed, nodding her head silently before following her friend through the hotel doors.
For the rest of the night, both girls attempted to forget their worries about their blonde friend, but unfortunately, they weren't very successful. After messaging Amanda a few more times about the situation at hand, they ended up turning in early in order to wake up earlier the next day, wanting to get home and get the story of what went on the night before. Barbara could hardly stand being left in the dark, always being the one for some good gossip, but as the two people involved were not talking, the suspense was killing her.
They drove the long distance home in sleepy silence, Hannah having been asleep most of the way. Barbara woke her up when they had arrived to the parking garage before gathering their overnight bags and making their way up to the apartment. After making the slow trek up to the top floor, they saw that the apartment door was open. Curiously, the two girls stuck their heads in, but before they got a good look at anything, they were almost knocked down by a man making his way out of the apartment carrying a box. After a short apology, he turned and began walking down the hallway toward the elevator. Hannah and Barbara gave each other worried looks before quickly entering the apartment, slipping past another man carrying a box. After unloading their bags onto the floor, they quickly walked through the living area and into the hallway where all three bedrooms resided. They stopped at Diana's door and found that her room was nearly empty, save for a few boxes that the blonde was kneeling down next to with her back turned to the doorway.
"Diana?" Hannah asked as she walked in hesitantly. "What's going on?"
Diana twisted her body around to see the two girls who were now standing close behind her.
"Oh, hello girls. I'm just doing some last minute packing." The blonde said, expressionless, before turning back to the boxes she was organizing.
"You're moving out today?!" Barbara shrieked. "I thought you said you weren't leaving for a few more days!"
"Yes, well, unfortunately some unforeseen circumstances require me to be there sooner than I had anticipated." Diana deadpanned, not looking at her friends.
Hannah narrowed her eyes at the back of the blonde's head, pursing her lips in a tight line and balling her fists. Barbara looked at her in a panic, almost able to see steam coming from the fuming auburn haired girl. But before she could make a gesture for her to stop, Hannah came undone, letting go of a week's worth of pent up frustration.
"That's bullshit!"
"Excuse me?" Diana quickly turned around and stood up, raising her eyebrows at the angry girl now standing in front of her.
"You want us to believe that these 'unforeseen circumstances'..." Hannah made air quotes with her fingers as she said the words. "have nothing to do with your fight with Akko last night?" The auburn haired girl took a step forward, raising her hand and using her pointer finger to jab the blonde's chest. "Or the fact that you turned your phone off and cut communication with your best friends who were worried sick about you all night long?" Hannah was shouting now, but if it had any effect on Diana, she had not showed it.
The blonde stood her ground, and although she looked more tired than usual, she showed no other signs of distress or guilt. Her jaw tensed as if she was holding back a retort and narrowed her own eyes before she broke her silence.
"I'm fine. You have no reason to worry, I assure you." Diana said through grit teeth.
"Well that would have been nice to know last night!" The auburn haired girl continued shouting. "After getting a messages from Amanda that Akko drank herself to sleep and you drove away crying, we didn't know what the hell to thi-"
"Enough!" The blonde finally yelled, successfully cutting Hannah's shouting off and showing some emotion for the first time since they'd arrived.
The two girls glared icily at each other before Barbara moved to stand between them and gently pushed the auburn haired girl backward a few steps.
"Let's all just...calm down for a moment." The black haired girl said hesitantly before turning to Diana, meeting her still icy gaze. "What happened last night, Diana?"
The blondes eyes softened ever so slightly, and after a moment she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. But instead of replying, she just shook her head and turned around, kneeling down and focusing her attention again on the boxes. The room fell silent once more. Hannah huffed as she turned around and quickly exited the room, leaving Barbara alone with Diana. The black haired girl moved closer to the blonde and knelt down beside her, forcing her fidgeting hands to lay in her lap.
"Did you break up with her?" Barbara asked softly.
"No." Diana answered simply, not looking up before she closed one of the boxes and turned to the next one.
"Did she...break up with you?"
"Barbara, please." The blonde roughly shoved a few more things into the remaining boxed and began to close it. "I'd rather not t-"
"Miss Cavendish?" One of the moving men poked his head into the room, cutting the conversation short. "Are those boxes ready to go?"
"Yes, thank you." Diana stated as she stood up and straightened out her clothes, allowing the man to stack the boxes and pick them up.
"Oh, and a car is waiting for you in the garage, miss." The man said as he exited the room, leaving the two girls alone once again.
Diana glanced around the now empty room that she'd be leaving behind. The pit in her stomach only grew when her eyes met those of her friend standing awkwardly next to her, shuffling her feet. The blonde's demeanor softened at the sight. She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around an unsuspecting Barbara, who reciprocated almost immediately.
"I'm going to miss you, Barbara." Diana whispered sadly.
"I'll miss you too, Diana." The black haired girl replied, voice now cracking. "But London isn't that far away. We can come and visit right?"
The blonde let go and stepped back, putting her hands on the distraught girl's shoulders and looking her in the eyes.
"Of course. When I get settled in, you both are welcome there any time." Diana tried to smile reassuringly, but the smile only reflected the sadness she felt in her heart. She turned and walked toward the door but paused before walking through. "Take care of each other." She said softly before disappearing into the hallway.
Amanda laid on the couch, throwing a hockey ball up in the air and catching it to stave off the boredom she was currently experiencing. With school out and having a week long break from hockey practice after a grueling finals week, she had nothing to do. Usually this wouldn't be a problem for the redhead, as her and Akko would usually find something to do together, no doubt something dumb or dangerous, but it at least it would have been something. But her best friend was still locked in her room. It had been a week since Akko and Diana had their...falling out? Amanda was still fuzzy on the details as no one really knew what happened outside the front door that night besides the brunette and the blonde. But the week had felt like an eternity to the redhead. Seeing Akko in the state that she was was killing Amanda, and the worst part about it was the feeling that she could do nothing to help her friend. The brunette was finally talking to the other occupants of the house, but there was no life in her words. She was like a robot on auto pilot. She barely ate, picking at whatever food Jasminka would decide to make for dinner at night, and having to be reminded by Lotte or Amanda to eat at breakfast or lunch. When she wasn't eating with the girls, she was in her room, doing god knows what.
The redhead let out a sigh and sat up, abandoning the game of catch that she was playing with herself. She looked around at the quiet house, knowing the only other person there was Akko. She stood up and walked to the stairs, ascending them lazily before arriving at the brunettes door and knocked twice.
"Hey, it's me. Can I come in?" Amanda asked with a raised voice at the door before turning her head and leaning her ear closer, straining to hear any noise coming from within the room.
"Sure." Akko's voice sounded softly on the other side.
The redhead opened the door and walked in to find her friend laying on her bed and looking at her phone.
"You want to go do something?" Amanda asked as she approached the brunette's bed. "I'm dying of boredom here."
"Nah, I'm fine. I'm just going to relax." Akko said flatly, not looking up from her phone.
"You've been relaxing for a whole week Akko." The redhead grumbled. "Come on, some fresh air will do you good."
No answer came from the brunette besides a quiet hum. Amanda sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose while she thought of anything else she could say or do. It didn't seem right to just leave and allow the moping to continue on.
"Why don't you talk to Diana? Maybe you two can work things out." The redhead sat down on the bed before continuing. "This could all just be a misun-"
"No." The cold tone of Akko's voice stopped Amanda's words in their tracks.
"Why?" The redhead's voice was strained with desperation to understand her friend better.
"Because she doesn't need me." Akko's head shot up and her eyes went wide at the words that came out of her mouth. "I mean, she doesn't need...any distractions."
"Why can't you be straight with me, Akko? I know you don't bel-"
"Amanda I don't want to talk about Diana." The brunette's voice raised and there was a tone of finality to her words.
Amanda knew there was no arguing with Akko. She was easily the most stubborn person the redhead had ever met. Without another word, Amanda stood up and walked quickly out of the room, shutting the door behind her a little harder than she probably should have. It was all so frustrating. She wanted answers for god's sake! And she wasn't going to get them from Akko. The brunette was immune to any weapons Amanda might have in an interrogation. Talking to her now was like beating a dead horse, pointless. So that leaves one person. The only other person who can give her the answers she needs. The redhead pulled out her phone and looked up some details on the internet before scrolling to a familiar number in her contact list and pushed the call button as she walked into her own room. She lifted the phone to her ear and waited a few seconds before the call was picked up on the other end.
"Hello, Amanda."
"Hey, Hannah. Pack your bags babe, we're going to London." Amanda said as she grabbed a duffel bag from her closet.
"Babe?" Hannah asked, clearly annoyed at the pet name. "Wait, London?! Why?" She asked in a higher pitched voice.
"I'm going to talk to Diana. And since she won't answer her phone, I have no other choice." She mumbled while she threw various items of clothing into her bag, smelling a few of the shirts just to be sure they were clean. "These idiots don't know what the hell they're doing. Honestly."
"Amanda..." The auburn haired girl began.
"And you and I can have like, a nice little vacation out of it. Since you know..." The redhead paused as she rubbed the back of her neck and shut her eyes tight. "Since we haven't seen each other very much. I'd like to...you know...hang out...with you." Amanda slapped her forehead softly when there was only silence on the other end. But before she could say anything more, Hannah broke the silence with a sigh.
"Okay, when are we going?"
Amanda smiled wide for the first time that week and pumped her fist into the air.
"How soon can you be ready? There's a flight in three hours."
"What?! Three…" Hannah trailed off and took a deep breath. "Unbelievable. Fine, justcall before you pick me up."
The line went dead and Amanda tossed her phone onto her bed before she continued packing, more enthusiastically than before of course. When she was done packing, she picked her phone up once more and bought two plane tickets for the next flight to London. The redhead walked quickly out of her room and knock on the door across the way, to which Jasminka opened after a moment.
"Hey Jas, can you give me and Hannah a ride to the airport today?"
"The airport?" Jasminka raised her eyebrows as she placed a potato chip into her mouth. "Where are you going?"
"London." Amanda said confidently. She knew she didn't have to tell the pink haired girl why.
"Oooh. Okay." Jasminka smiled warmly as she always does. "I'd be happy to."
"Great! Thanks Jas. I'll let you know when I'm ready to go."
Jasminka only gave a happy nod in response and closed the door as Amanda began to walk down the hall, pausing at Akko's door. Should she tell her where she's going? No, she would most likely try to stop her. Or worse, not care at all. The Akko that doesn't care about anything is the worst Akko. Amanda could deal with an angry Akko, or even an emotional wreck Akko, but when she simply stopped caring, that's when you knew things were bad. With a shake of her head, the redhead continued walking down the hallway and then down the stairs to get a few more things ready for her upcoming trip.
Later that day, Amanda and Hannah found themselves on the airplane heading to London. They sat quietly next to each other as they took off into the skies, the buildings and houses growing smaller and smaller with every passing second.
"So have you thought about what you're going to say to Diana?" Hannah asked absentmindedly as she stared out the window.
"No, not really." Amanda answered, turning to the girl beside her. "I figured I'd just wing it." She flashed a goofy grin at the auburn haired girl.
"You're going to wing it. With Diana." Hannah arched an eyebrow. "I'm looking forward to seeing that."
"Ye of little faith." The redhead brought her hand up to her chest and faked a hurt expression.
Hannah lightly nudged Amanda's ribs with her elbow and giggled softly, making the redhead chuckle before falling silent once more, furrowing her eyebrows as she contemplated her next words.
"Akko's hurting." The redhead said solemnly. "I just need to…help somehow."
"I doubt Diana is fairing much better. She just does a damn good job of concealing her feelings." Hannah mumbles and sighs before looking out of the window again. Amanda let out a snort, making the auburn haired girl look at her in confusion. "What?"
"Conceal, don't feel." The redhead raised her eyebrows and smiled expectantly. When she was met with a confused stare, she continued. "Frozen? Ya know, the movie?"
"The children's movie?" Hannah asked flatly.
"You don't see the resemblance? Between Diana and El-"
"Please stop." The auburn haired girl brought her hands up and rubbed her temples in annoyance. Amanda shut her mouth immediately, knowing this probably wasn't the time for jokes. Hannah stared back sadly out of the window again. "I just want my friend back."
Amanda hesitantly reached out and took Hannah's hand, squeezing it gently. The gesture made the auburn haired girl turn her head quickly to look at their now intertwined fingers before looking up at the redhead who was now looking straight forward to the front of the plane, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. The corners of Hannah's lips twitched before she looked away, not being able to hold back a her smile any longer. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over and kissed Amanda on the cheek before laying her head on the redhead's shoulder, making Amanda tense up slightly for a moment.
"We'll figure this out together, Amanda." Hannah said as she closed her eyes and nuzzled a little closer to Amanda's neck.
"Y-yeah. Of c-course we will." The redhead stuttered out as she silently pleaded with her heart to stop racing. Amanda was as still as could be, not knowing what exactly to do in this moment. This had been the first time that Hannah had shown this side of herself. After the drunken night they had spent together, and the awkward morning after, they hadn't talked much, which scared the redhead if she was being honest. Amanda wasn't sure if Hannah would ever want anything more, but she secretly hoped she might, and that was an entirely new thing for her. Sure, the auburn haired girl was beautiful, but she was also strong, and stubborn. And for some reason, Amanda was attracted to this girl who wouldn't take any of her shit. And the sex was… 'Oh my god stop thinking about that!' She screamed internally as she closed her eyes tightly. Her body tensed up so much that Hannah lifted her head from the redhead's shoulder and looked at her quizzically.
"Are you okay?" The auburn haired girl asked, concerned.
"Yeah. Fine. Totally okay." Amanda said, her voice raising an octave.
Hannah narrowed her eyes, obviously not believing a word the redhead had said. There it was. The girl who was not having any of Amanda's shit. The redhead swallowed thickly before leaning over suddenly, capturing the auburn haired girl's lip in a soft, lingering kiss. Hannah's eyes widened significantly at the action, but her moment of hesitation didn't last long as she closed her eyes and melted into the kiss, cupping Amanda's cheek. They were lost in the moment, forgetting that anyone else in the world existed. That is until they heard someone clear their throat from the seat behind them, letting them know that they were, in fact, not alone. Hannah immediately pulled away and covered her now bright red face with her free hand while Amanda sported a goofy love struck grin and laughed quietly as her shoulders were bobbing up and down.
The rest of the flight was mostly spent in silence after the embarrassing scene. They landed in London without any further incident and they walked slowly through the airport, all the while never letting go of each other's hands. After collecting their luggage, Hannah called for a car and they made their way out to meet the black town car that waited for them. The driver took their bags from them before they slide into the back seat of the car. The drive to the Cavendish Medical headquarters was short as the traffic wasn't terrible and before they knew it, they arrived. They got out of the car and thanked the driver, who would be there to pick them up when they were done with their business, before he drove away. The two girls stood outside of the building, summoning the courage they needed to confront their blonde friend. If Diana Cavendish wasn't intimidating enough before, add CEO to her title. Amanda had no idea what she was going to encounter.
They finally walked in and looked around the vast space of the first floor to the fancy office building. They made their way to the large desk settled in the middle of the large room and the older woman who sat there greeted them with a warm surprised smile.
"Miss Hannah. What a surprise!" Anna stood up from her desk as the girls stopped in front of her.
"Anna. It's been a long time. Good to see you." Hannah bowed her head slightly and smiled.
"Diana didn't tell me she would be having visitors today." The older woman said, raising her eyebrows and shuffled some papers on her desk, finding a small notebook. Her eyes moved back and forth as she frantically read what was no doubt the blonde's schedule.
"Oh. No, this is somewhat of a surprise visit. We were hoping to talk to Diana for a moment." The auburn haired girl said, sparing a quick glance at the girl beside her.
"I see." Anna furrowed her brows before continuing. "I'm afraid Diana is booked all day today. She's in a meeting with the board currently. Unfortunately you'll have to wait, although I don't believe she'll be out of her office until late tonight." She said apologetically. "Would you like me to let her know that you came by?"
Hannah and Amanda turned to look at each other, defeated.
"No, Anna. Thank you. We'll get a hold of her later." The auburn haired girl smiled sadly at the older woman before taking the redhead's hand and pulling her to one side of the room, which resembled a waiting area with chairs and tables. They sat down and sunk into their chairs tiredly.
"Well, do you have a plan B, genius?" Hannah asked sarcastically, looking over at Amanda sitting next to her.
"Winging it, ginger." The redhead rolled her eyes as she looked around the room. Her eyes landed on the lone elevator at the back of the room and an imaginary light bulb lit up above her head. "Hey, do you know what floor Diana's office is on?"
"I assume the top floor." Hannah raised an eyebrow at Amanda. "Why?"
Amanda looked over to the desk where Anna sat, holding the phone to her ear and typing something quickly on the computer. The redhead then looked back to the elevator before grabbing Hannah's hand and yanking her out of the chair.
"Hey!" The auburn haired girl protested as she was being dragged along.
"Shh...come on." Amanda whispered loudly as she led Hannah to the elevator, all the while keeping an eye on the secretary, making sure they weren't seen. She pushed the button which lit up green and the doors opened immediately. The two girls stepped inside and the doors closed behind them a moment later. The redhead reached out and pushed the button for the top floor, which flashed red but nothing else happened. She pushed it one more time, but the result was the same. "What the hell?" She grumbled, now pushing it over and over again quickly.
"Stop!" Hannah slapped Amanda's hand away from the buttons. "You're going to lock us in here or something!"
Suddenly the elevator doors began to slowly open, making the girls step back flush against the wall at the back of the elevator in fear. But the person standing there in boredom was the last person they thought they'd see here. The young man began to walk into the elevator, but stopped immediately, looking on in shock, when he saw who was currently occupying said elevator.
"Andrew?" Hannah gasped in disbelief.
Andrew cleared his throat as his shock wore off, and took the last few steps forward in to the elevator, finally allowing the doors to closed.
"Hello, ladies. Fancy meeting you here." Andrew finally said. "Visiting Diana?"
"Uh..." Amanda hesitated. "I guess you could say that."
The young man raised his eyebrows at the comment, looking from one girl to the other skeptically, and then to the buttons on the wall of the elevator.
"Does she know that you're here right now?"
"Nope." The redhead said immediately.
"And I'm assuming you don't have a visitors badge to allow you access to the executive floors?" Andrew holds up his own badge as he spoke.
"Nope." Amanda repeated.
"Hmm." Andrew replied with a smirk.
"We just needed to talk to her about Akko." Hannah added desperately.
Andrews smirk disappeared as he turned to the auburn haired girl in confusion.
"What about Akko?"
"They had a fight...or broke up...or something. Akko is taking it really hard and none of us can get a hold of Diana so we came here." Amanda said quickly while Hannah nodded vehemently beside her.
"Of course they did." Andrew mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "And you're here to get them back together?"
"Um...sure. Sounds about right." The redhead nodded.
Andrew let out a sigh and scanned his badge before pushing the button to the top floor. This time the button turned green and the elevator began to rise. The three occupants stood in silence at first, glancing awkwardly at each other before Hannah furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Andrew.
"Wait, why are you here?"
"My father is on the board of directors. He asked me to meet him here for a late lunch, and to no doubt meet some of his business partners." Andrew said as he rolled his eyes hard. "I'm not looking forward to it."
The girls nodded before the elevator stopped and a 'ding' sounded throughout the small silent space. The doors opened and the three stepped out into a large bright room. Andrew, having no doubt been there before, immediately turned and walked to a waiting area placed in front of another secretary desk which was abandoned at the moment. Amanda and Hannah stood in place, looking around at the ornate decorations and expensive looking furniture. Behind the desk and to the left were two large double doors with a gold plaque reading 'Diana Cavendish, CEO'. The redhead nudged the auburn haired girl and pointed toward the doors.
"That's her office" Amanda whispered.
They walked into the room a bit farther, abandoning their spot in front of the elevator. Hannah continued to look around the room now that they had a better view. To their left was a room with walls of glass and a large table occupied by men and women in expensive looking dresses and suits. It seemed that two of the men were engaged in a heated discussion as the rest of the occupants of the table looked on. All except for one person. That one person was looking directly at Hannah. Cold blue eyes watched her from the other side of the glass, her seat being at the head of the table opposite of the glass doors so she could see everything going on in the next room. Diana crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, her narrowed eyes never leaving Hannah's.
"Oh shit." The auburn haired girl whispered loud enough for Amanda to hear.
"What?" The redhead whispered back.
Hannah pointed and Amanda followed with her eyes until she saw Diana sitting in the next room, watching them.
"Shit." She whispered before spinning around quickly, Hannah following her action immediately so their backs were now turned to the bored room. "Well there goes our element of surprise."
"Oh I'm sure she's surprised." The auburn haired girl whispered back in distress.
"Okay, let's calm down. No reason to get all worked up." The redhead responded.
"This is a perfect reason to get worked up, Amanda!"
"Look, it's fine. We'll just-"
'Click...click...click...click'
Amanda was cut off by the sound of sharp heels slowly clicking clacking on the tiled floor behind them. The two girls froze in terror as the clicks became louder, indicating that the person was coming closer and closer until they stopped. The redhead could almost feel the glare being sent her way at that moment. Amanda and Hannah slowly turned around, finally facing the person they were there to see. Diana stood there, folding her arms, and waiting for some sort of explanation as to why the girls were there. Amanda looked her up and down with her eyes wide and slack jawed. The blonde's hair was in a loose ponytail and wore a dark gray suit jacket over a light gray vest covering a white button up shirt. A black tie was loose around her neck and tucked neatly beneath her vest. Down further, she wore tighter fitting black pants leading down to tall black heels.
"Damn, Cavendish." Amanda exclaimed as she looked back up into unamused azure eyes.
"While I do appreciate the sentiment, Amanda, I am rather busy at the moment. May I ask you two why you are here?" Diana asked, arching her eyebrow at the two nervous girls.
"Do we need a reason to simply visit our good friend and CEO, Diana Cavendish?" Amanda winked at the blonde, trying not to let her nerves get the best of her.
Diana let out a long sigh and turned to Hannah, silently repeating the same question.
"We just need a couple of minutes, Diana. Just hear us out." Hannah pleaded quietly.
The blonde's cold eyes softened slightly at her friend's tone. She looked back at the boardroom, biting her lip nervously before turning back to the two girls.
"Very well. Follow me please." Diana turned around and began walking quickly toward her office, Hannah and Amanda following closely.
They all entered the large immaculate office and the blonde closed the doors behind them. She walked to her chair at the large desk toward the back of the room and gestured for the girls to sit in the two chairs on the opposite side of the desk, which they did immediately.
"Alright, please explain yourselves. Quickly."
Amanda and Hannah looked at each other with the question of who should start. The redhead figured, as this was her idea, she should go first.
"Okay, short and sweet." Amanda shifted uncomfortably in her seat under the blonde's gaze. "I want to know if you intended to break up with Akko that night. Is that why you were there?"
Diana's eyebrows shot up at the question. Sitting back in her chair, her gaze flicked from Amanda to Hannah, and then back.
"You came all this way to ask that question?"
"That's just the first question." Amanda stated, unperturbed. "So? What's the answer?"
"Honestly..." The blonde paused, thinking about her words carefully. "No. I wasn't intending for that to happen."
"Oh thank god." The redhead let out a sigh of relief. "So like, you should call Akko and tell her that."
Diana looked at Amanda with an emotionless expression, tapping her fingers on the arm of her chair.
"What are your other questions?" The blonde asked curiously.
"Okay, why don't you want to call Akko and tell her that?" The redhead asked, beginning to feel frustrated.
"Akko told me to leave, and when someone tells you to leave, that's what you do." Diana tried her best to keep her voice even and calm. "It would be impolite to contact someone who clearly doesn't want you around."
"Oh my god! Just stop." The redhead whined before standing up. "You two are just...are just...so..." she balled her hands into fists. "So oblivious! You two are literally ignoring each other because you think that's what the other wants!" Amanda was raising her voice higher with every word it seemed. "She didn'twant you to leave because she didn't want you, she told you to leave because she thinks she'll only be a burden on you!" She took a few long deep breaths, calming herself down before continuing. "She let you go because she loves you, Diana, and she thought that's what you needed." The last sentence came out quiet and uncharacteristically emotional for the redhead.
The two other girls looked at her, both speechless at the rantings of the redhead, and both somewhat afraid to say anything to elicit another outburst.
"So tell me, Diana, do you love her? Do you really love her?" Amanda asked.
"Yes, of course I do." The blonde said immediately.
"Then why did you leave? And don't tell me it's because she told you to, because you already played that card and I know it's complete bullshit." The redhead pointed a warning finger at Diana.
"Amanda, I don't kno-" The blonde started.
"Just answer the damn question, Diana!"
"It's because she deserves more!" Diana replied, raising her own voice and standing up to face a now stunned Amanda. "She deserves someone who can be there for her, someone who's attention she doesn't have to compete for!"
"Then be there for her, Diana. You're the damn CEO for crying out loud. Figure something out!" Amanda was now leaning over the desk, voice desperate. "I'll be damned if I watch her destroy herself again, when this time, I can do something about it." She leaned back to stand straight up again and let out a sigh. "Be that person she deserves Diana, because you're the only one she wants." The redhead turned around and walked toward the door and exited the room without another word.
Diana watched her go, feeling the moisture building up behind her eyes again at the emotional outburst of her friend, although her practiced neutral expression masked her distress well.
"She's right you know." Hannah spoke for the first time since entering the office, making the blonde look at her curiously. "You need her as much as she needs you. Even if those people out there can't see through that mask of yours, I can." The auburn haired girl stood up before continuing. "I know you're broken up inside, Diana, but you don't have to play the victim here. Be the girl she deserves. I know you'll figure it out." With a parting smile, Hannah turned and walked out to meet up with Amanda, shutting the door behind her and leaving Diana alone in the silent office.
The blonde sat unmoving in her chair, the words of her friends playing over and over again in her head. Phrases like 'She let you go because she loves you' and 'I'll be damned if I watch her destroy herself again' stood out among the many. Akko was destroying herself because of Diana. Had she really been so blind that she took Akko's words at face value? Or was she in selfish denial? Believing that maybe it was all for the better for both of them? The hole in her heart since that night said otherwise, but Diana had adamantly ignored the ache coming from it. She had been so busy that it was easy to push the hurt to the back of her mind, but at night when she laid in bed, there was nothing to distract her from the pain as she cried herself to sleep more than once.
Diana groaned and brought her hands to her face. Why did everything to be so complicated? Why couldn't her aunt have given her more time? No, she couldn't blame this on Daryl. It was going to happen sooner or later. What she needed to do was focus on what she was going to do now. She needed to focus on how she was going to fix this, if it was even possible. For once, she needed to stop thinking about herself, and focus on the one person in this world that she would do absolutely anything for. The one she will do anything for.
"Be the person she deserves." She whispered to herself.
"Ms. Cavendish?"
Diana was jolted back to reality by the quiet female voice of her personal assistant, who had opened the door without the blonde noticing. She cleared her throat before she spoke.
"My apologies, Chloe. What is it?"
"The board members are growing a little impatient." Chloe stated meekly.
Diana had forgotten that she had been in the middle of a meeting when her friends arrived. She quickly stood up and tugged on her suit, getting any wrinkles out.
"Right, thank you." She said as she walked toward the door. Her assistant nodded and turned around to walk away. "Oh, and Chloe? Please get a hold of my lawyer and make an appointment for me. I'm going to need her help going over a few things in my contract."
"Of course Ms. Cavendish." Chloe nodded once more and exited the room, retreating to her desk.
Diana followed her assistant out and shut the door behind her. She took a few deep breathes to compose herself before she sauntered to the glass doors of the boardroom. All eyes were on her as she walked in, and took her seat once more. Once settled, she looked around expectantly.
"Shall we continue?"