"So, uh..." Seth muttered as he picked at the bread on his plate. "You gonna tell the rest of them what's going on?"
"I don't see what that will accomplish," Via stated matter-of-factly.
"Wait, you told him?" Owen asked in an undertone.
"He knows? Why did you tell him?"
"Wait, tell me what?"
"Enough," Via said, putting a hand up to silence the two of them.
"You three okay over there?" Tia asked, smirking to herself.
"I think Via has something she'd like to say," Owen snapped back, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Yeah, just tell 'em, it'll be easier that way," Seth encouraged.
Via rolled her eyes back and groaned. "Fine. Owen kissed me. Happy now?" She quickly looked back down at her plate and stabbed at her corned beef with her fork.
"...wait, what?"
Keely and Phil looked at each other, then over at Via. Seth frowned in confusion. Tia was the only one that looked genuinely shocked by the news.
"Did she just..." Tia started, turning to Keely. The blonde smirked and nodded. "Huh."
"Oh, that's not what you meant, was it?" Via coyly asked Seth.
"Well, not... really."
"Right. I'm moving back to England at the end of summer."
Keely nearly dropped her glass of lemonade. "Wait, what? No! I just got Tia back! You can't leave now!"
"You just 'got me back'? What is that supposed to mean?"
Keely ignored Tia's question. "Why?"
"I've got to make some changes. Certain aspects of my life have become less than desirable recently." She snuck a glance at Owen before glancing down at her lap.
Tia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that this is something I've got to do for myself," she answered after a brief pause. "Look, I don't want to make a big issue of this whole thing, so can we just drop it now? This is what I'm doing and there's not a thing you can do that'll change it."
"Veeeeyuh!" Keely whined. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"
"Right, that's not making a big deal of things..."
"You - you can't leave though!"
Via rolled her eyes. "Actually. I can." She stood up from her chair and started to head out.
"Is something wrong?" Owen asked as she got to her feet.
Via paused and looked down at Owen. "I'm amazed. Your perceptive faculties really are unequalled, Owen."
"...thanks?"
She shook her head and walked out. Keely bit her lip as she watched her friend leave.
"Why are you the only one of my closest friends that hasn't left?" she asked Phil, exasperatedly.
"'Friends'?" he shot back, smirking.
"Ugh. Shut up. You know what I mean." Keely turned to say something to Tia, but she had already left, after taking a good, long look at Owen.
- - -
The door to Via's room was slightly ajar, so Tia pushed it open and slowly walked in.
"...no, that's right.... yes, at the end of August... I—" Via stuttered as she saw Tia come in. She held a finger up. "Can I call you back? ...Brilliant. Okay, bye."
She disconnected the call and tossed her phone onto the bed.
"Alright, if you're here to hit me for Owen kissing me, let's just get it over with." Via shut her eyes and winced slightly.
Tia raised her eyebrows. "Uh... nnnnno. I mean, it's about that, but, um, I'm not going to hit you."
"Again," Via added.
Tia slumped her shoulders. "Again. Look, um, so how did that happen? With Owen...."
"Oh. Um. Simple, really. He found me on the roof, we talked for a bit, then out of nowhere, he just swoops in and kisses me."
"Should've figured."
"Hmm?" Via looked unnerved.
"No, I mean I should've figured he was the one that instigated it. Ugh, he's such a... a..."
"Sodding idiot?"
Tia let out a short laugh, then nodded.
"Now, see, that's what I've been telling you this whole time. You just didn't listen to me, for some reason."
"Well...." Tia paused as she tried to think of a reasonable way to finish her sentence.
"But, I suppose better late than never. Look, Tia, I'm sure you'll find someone that's right for you, but trust me, that someone is not Owen."
"Right..."
"I mean the boy's clearly..."
"Right," Tia said with more conviction as Via rambled on.
"...as if he could even– Hmm?"
"You're so right! You've always been right!"
Via shrugged and slowly nodded. "You could save yourself a lot of trouble next time if you just remember that from the start."
"How did you get to be so smart?"
"People are... predictable. Especially people like Owen. He likes to take action first and then think about consequences later."
"He's the reason you're moving away, isn't he?" Tia asked, her pinball-like attention span jumping once again.
"I- a bit, I suppose. He told me he likes me, and that's obviously not happening, so—"
"That is so typical of him. From one to the next, it's like he's got no...." She trailed off, searching for the right word.
"Refractory period?" Via offered.
"Brain," Tia finished with a snap of her fingers. "Or... that thing you said. It's funny... ever since I met you, I've felt like we don't have anything in common. Now I know better!"
Via offered a small smirk.
"....too bad you're moving away," she added, putting her right hand on her hip and letting out a small sigh. Via's smile faltered as she looked uncomfortably at the ground.