CHAPTER THREE – TRUTH

Well, things didn't go as Stella planned. She wanted to talk to Musa but somehow she was always one step ahead and running away from her, like Stella would really kill her. She might. But not in front of everyone, god damn it! Stella was sitting outside, frustrated and tired after everything that happened. 'Why is she running away from me? Is this R guy really a deep pain for her? And how could she hide this from us? And how didn't we even take notice?' What was really bothering Stella is that Musa hadn't told her. They went to school together every day since they became close. Winx means the world to her; there's no difference between the girls. Stella loves them equally but Musa was like the little sister of the group. Stella always had a feeling to protect her no matter what. That's why she was so mad at her in the first place!

While Stella was thinking, Musa sat next to her without saying anything. She knew she had to talk to her eventually, and running away from her is a childish thing to do. Besides, Stella didn't say anything to the girls about Riven. Maybe because she knows nothing, but she didn't mention even the little thing she knew.

"You're mad at me."

Was this a question or a statement? Stella didn't know. She just looked at her and sighed.

"I'm not mad, just worried."

"You don't have to worry, Stell. I'm good. Nothing happened to me that night. I had to go there, was forced to go there." The last thing Musa said woke something in Stella. "Forced to?" She turned herself completely to Musa, and now they were facing each other. Well, Musa wasn't really looking at her, but anyway.

"Someone forced you to do something? First, you tell me who it is, and second, how come someone forces you to do something? You're a badass yourself."

Musa smiled at that. "There's this girl Fiona. She's from Gardenia High. Anyway, I was waiting on Aisha while she was in the gym. Fiona was bullying a girl maybe two or three years younger than us? I don't know. You know me, I saw it and couldn't just stand there watching."

Stella was listening to the story while frowning. 'I hate bullies. I hate them.' She was thinking. Long story short, Musa protected the girl and this Fiona girl just laughed at her, and then the fight started. Of course, Musa won the fight; she fights for fun with every guy in our class. It's a hobby for her. But what happened next shocked and angered Stella the most. This girl had the courage to steal Musa's Vespa. She stole it and left a note behind the parking lot where Musa could find it. Now to be clear, she was playing with Musa. This was a game. In Fiona's vision, this was revenge. Stella didn't understand why Musa, without saying anything to Aisha, went there. Aisha was a fighter as well. In fact, Winx is a group of fighters. Even Flora, who doesn't like violence at all, knows self-defense techniques. The reason behind this is that Alfea High teaches its students self-defense as a compulsory subject. There's no passing the class if you don't know how to defend yourself.

"Why didn't you tell Aisha? She would've helped you no matter what. You know that. You didn't have to go wherever that Fiona girl called you to, all alone."

Musa looked at Stella for a while, then answered, "Stell, I went to the race. She called me there."

Stella, with no shock on her face, was just staring at Musa. Her phone was buzzing, but without looking, she silenced it and said, "That's why."

Aisha was in love with one of the racers. Dangerously in love with him. Even though there were always fights and injuries, Stella, Musa, and Aisha still went there. But after the incident of Aisha seeing him with a girl, they promised to each other to never go there again. They were teenagers and they still are, so their problems might seem small, but they still are problems. Their friend's health is beyond everything and they did what they had to do. That decision was probably for the best, thinking that hanging out there would just bring bad friendships and would have a bad influence on each of the girls. The love Aisha had didn't fade though. She still was stalking him and everything, but seeing him was just not that often because he was also a student of Gardenia High. That high school was too far for them. Well again, it's a small town it couldn't be that far but the town already was separated in two like good and bad. The bad being really bad.

"So you went there. Alone. And then what happened?"

Musa waited, but waiting was not bringing anything to her at all. So she told her the rest of the story, "I went there. It was full of people as always. I saw my Vespa, she was standing on it," she clenched her fists at that, and this caused Stella to smile. She knew how much Musa loved that Vespa. It was everything for her. Like a baby.

"I went straight to her, and you know what, she just started laughing! That made me so mad! I was going to beat the shit out of her. But someone stopped me."

Musa gulped, and Stella noticed the shift in her. Was she nervous?

"Who stopped you?"

"Riven."

"Riven?"

"Riven."

"The helmet R?"

"The helmet R, yes."

Stella leaned back. Now what? The past stays in the past, Vespa is with Musa and she probably has more to tell, but what about the shift in Musa? She saw this shift in one of her friends too, and that was the reason they stayed away from the races. From the Red Fountain races. She was falling for him. Or… was she already? Stella's eyes widened, and she looked at Musa, asking with her silence.

"I am not. No. I'm not in love with him, Stella! What the hell!"

Oh shit.

She's in love with him.

"Why on earth were you hiding this shit from us, Musa? Aren't we friends? Don't you trust us?"

Musa's mood changed so fast, even Stella calmed herself a bit so she wouldn't push her too much. Now she was looking at Stella with puppy eyes, "Of course I trust you! All of you! But that day when he stopped me with Fiona and I felt just rage was not the only reason! Stella, I broke the first taboo which was to not go there,"

"We would've understood you for that. You wanted your Vespa back!"

"Yes, but," she stopped, but then thought to herself that telling it like taking off the wax is better than taking so long to tell, "He stopped me and cornered me, I thought I was going to scream but when he looked at me, I just knew I couldn't even open my mouth. He was handsome. And it wasn't the first time I saw him. Every time we went there I saw him. Every time I got drinks for us I saw him. And even the day I got my Vespa, he helped me Stella. He told me to calm down and helped me to calm down! He was nice to me. He was so nice to me while he was so shit to the others. I felt different."

The moment Musa stopped talking, Stella's phone started to buzz again. Again Stella, without looking, snoozed it and put her hand on Musa's shoulder.

"So you have a crush on him. That's okay, just like Aisha."

Musa shook her head no. "No, not like Aisha. He talked to me for days. We were talking and sending each other car and bike photos. Our conversation was literally a conversation of two good friends. Yes I had a crush on him but now I hate him. He played me Stella, the day they took my Vespa was the day he and Fiona decided to play good cop bad cop game with me. Fiona already did her part and then Riven did his. He hurt me in a way Fiona couldn't. Fiona took my Vespa but Riven took my heart and broke it. Millions of times."

Stella was listening to her in awe. What?

"How… how did you manage to hide those feelings?"

"It doesn't matter. I didn't fall for him. I had a crush, as I said. But he made me feel like I lost the love of my life without even having it. He never gave that feeling to me but he knew how to take it."

Stella hugged Musa so tight that Musa started to laugh, forgetting all of her sadness. She was lucky to have her.

"You knew his helmet."

"Yes of course. He was sleeping with his bike and helmet. We were always talking about these stuff. Most of the time I mean," there was a reddish color on Musa's cheeks. She looked adorable.

"I'm sure he's fine, Muse." After everything, Stella of course was mad at this Riven guy but she saw her friend's reaction to a helmet too! Can't imagine what she would do if she saw a part of his body or something. Stella rolled her eyes to herself. She would've freak out if she saw a body part too.

"Wish I could make sure he's doing fine."

Stella bit on her lip. Well…

"Do you really care so much?"

Musa just nodded. Okay, thought Stella. She cares. And I care for her safety and health so…

"Fine. After school then. We are going to the races."