'Curiosity is innate to the human nature. We all have this desire to learn about something or someone. But it's our choice to hide it or to let it lead our lives.

Curious people must be prepared to hear the naked truth, which might be something they wish they would have never asked for.

I've never been curious about people's lives, because I'm afraid of what I might discover. I know I'm not ready to hear the truth.

Most people will choose to believe a lie whether than the truth : a lie may be hurtful but the truth is devastating, and all of us are not ready to be broken.'

"You're sure you don't want my help?" Nathan asks me for the fourth time today.

We were walking towards the school's parking after our first day back to school.

"No, it's fine. I already asked her to pick me up anyway," I shrug.

"Yeah but you can still cancel. I'm sure she won't mind," he says and I nudge him.

"First, I won't cancel since I'm pretty sure she's already waiting for me. And second, you know exactly why I didn't ask for your help," I tell him and he laughs.

"Come on, I would have behaved! Plus I'm a great teacher, you will pass all your math tests with me," Nathan tries to convince me in vain.

"Who said that?" I ask, trying to refrain my laughter.

"Me!" He exclaims, and I burst out laughing.

"Then we both know it might not be true," I retort, my words making him pout and I just want to kiss him. "Nina graduated two years ago, I'm sure she can help me for tomorrow's math test. And she's the one who offered to help me, I couldn't turn her offer down."

"Okay..." he says and kisses me softly.

I immediately feel people's eyes on us. It has been like this the whole day. Each time Nathan would touch me, people - especially girls - would stare or even glare at us.

"People are-" I start and begin to pull away.

"I don't care," he retorts and takes my face to prolong our kiss.

His lips dismiss my anxiety and I'm lost in his arms. I love this, the fact he just has to touch me and I forget all my worries. He's the only one who's able to give me the peacefulness I need.

When we finally pull away, I notice a girl from the back of the parking staring at us.

"Twelve," I state, and Nathan follows my gaze.

Considering the amount of attention we received today, I sort of invented a little game. I counted the number of girl glaring at me for being Nathan's girlfriend, which only stirred up my jealousy. I know it's twisted but I can't help it.

"What? No, she isn't even looking at us," he tries to dismiss my insecurities.

"You said that for the eleven others," I say and he lifts up my chin until I'm lost in his light brown eyes.

"I don't care about any of those girls. The only one I want to look at is you," he says, and my heart melts for the hundredth time since I'm with him.

From the corner of my eyes, I see the girl walking toward the soccer field. Now that she's closer, I can tell that I already saw her somewhere. But I can't remember who she is or where I saw her.

She stops when she reaches a tall blond guy, that I recognize instantly. Aaron is facing her, but he keeps glancing at Nathan and me.

"Should I count guys as well?" I ask and Nathan turns to look at Aaron.

"No, you shouldn't count anybody," he kisses me quickly but tenderly. "I have to go, he's waiting for me," he says in a rush. "I'll pick you up once your shift at the coffee shop is over?"

"You don't have to, I already told you I could walk back home," I say.

"In the dark night and alone? No way, I'll drive you back home," he retorts and immediately puts a finger on my lips as I'm about to protest. "I'll be there at 10 PM."

He winks at me and turns away, walking towards Aaron. Nathan didn't tell me much about what they were doing, I could see he was feeling a little uncomfortable each time I was talking about Aaron. I guess it's still tense between the two of them, and I hate being the reason for this tension. The solution would be Nathan and I breaking up, but Nathan would never accept that and I'm way too selfish to even suggest it.

I walk up to Nina's car who's waiting patiently on the other side of the school's parking. When I reach her car, she opens her window.

"Hey! Ready for a little math session?" She says with a contagious smile that I could only return.

"Yep," I answer and climb in the car.
I accepted Nina's help for two reasons, one of which I'm not really proud of. I said yes because I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate if Nathan was around, but also because I want to learn more about Aaron. I want to know why he is so cold and hostile, although I feel like the truth might be something I wish I had never asked for.

* * *

We have been sitting on my bedroom floor for hours. I must say Nina is a great teacher, and she is also the greatest when it comes to focusing on work. Each time I asked questions about her, she told me we will have all the time to talk after the study session and she went back to work.

"Well, I think you're ready for tomorrow," she says, gathering her things in her small backpack. "So how is it going with Nathan ?"

This is the perfect opportunity if I want to learn more about Aaron. Closing my notebook, I sit on my bed and casually put my books back in my bag.

"Great! He's a bit overprotective sometimes but I can deal with it." I simply say, trying to lead the conversation so we can talk about Aaron without this being too obvious.

"I'm pretty sure he is acting that way because of how Aaron is with you," she shrugs.

That was easier than I thought. I sort of feel bad for using Nina to know the reason why he acts like this, but I feel like I have to know what's wrong with him.

"Yes, maybe... I still don't get why he despises me so much," I casually say.

She stands up and comes sitting next to me. I keep my eyes on my hands and hear her take a deep breath.

"Aaron used to be compassionate, taking care of everybody. He was also funny, he always had a joke to cheer you up in your worst moment and you just couldn't help laughing along with him," Nina smiles as she recalls good memories.

I feel like she talking about someone else, about a foreigner that I would have loved to meet. But suddenly, her smile disappears and her mood seems darker.

"But he has changed, a lot. I don't even recognize my own brother anymore. I don't know what happened, and each time I tried to learn about it, he would just shut me out," she says with a shaky voice.

Her eyes are glossy and her breath heavy. I can tell she has never talked about her problems with Aaron. I'm kind of surprised she chose to open up to me, and I feel bad that my motive isn't without interest. I put my arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"There was this night, when he went back home with a new conquest. It was a friend of mine I knew from college and when she saw me, she left saying she couldn't date him because I was his sister. This night, Aaron lost it. He yelled at me, breaking everything he could grab. Never in my entire life, I saw Aaron like this. My father had to stop him and I was there, crying. Aaron was beyond angry but his eyes showed something else, and when I caught them I only saw pain. I saw how broken he is, everything inside of him seems dead. My brother has been replaced by a cold and emotionless man, and it hurts," Nina's voice breaks at the end.

I'm powerless, all I can do is hold her and wait for her to calm.

"Three weeks ago, I went home from work earlier. I was about to go take a shower when I heard that the water was already running in the bathroom," she stops in an attempt to calm down.

I can barely understand what she's saying, her sobs making it hard for her to talk.

"I remember my heart squeezing as I heard a sob. I was standing behind the bathroom door, powerless, incapable of doing something useful to help my brother feeling better. My heart squeezed a little more with each sob I heard. Aaron was crying in the shower, letting the water take away all the evidence of his sadness. I-," a violent sob prevent her from ending her sentence, and she bursts into tears.

I hold her, soothing her as much as I can. My hand is rubbing her back in a small attempt to take away a little of her sadness.

I can't even imagine Aaron crying. It just doesn't seem possible. He is so impassive, it is hard to picture any emotion on his face, let alone him shedding a tear.

I thought he was only cold with me, but now I know he gives the same treatment to everyone. And I obviously did something wrong which adds to his natural anger.

After a few minutes, Nina straightens up and sniffs loudly.

"I'm sorry," she whispers as I hand her a tissue box.

"It's fine, we all have to let go of our sadness at some point," I say with a reassuring smile.

She lets out a loud sigh and wipes the tears away.

"Okay, I think we should go now. Our shift starts in 15 minutes and we don't want you to be late on your first day," she winks at me.

"Thank you for suggesting my name for the job," I say and stand up, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

"I'm glad to have a friend to work with. Besides, there are so many customers, I can't work alone anymore," she answers as we both head out of my room.

* * *

"Okay I must admit this job is quite tiring," I say to Nina as I pour sugar in a cup of mocha.

"Imagine how it was working here alone. I couldn't stop for a second!" She laughs and heads to the counter.

I've been running for the past two hours. Past the first hour, my feet were hurting but by now, I can't even feel them.

Nina is the best coworker I could have dreamed of. I'm a quick learner so she didn't have to bother repeating which ingredients I have to put in each drink.

I go back to the counter and hands the customer his coffee as he pays it.

"Thank you! Have a nice evening," I politely say and I put the money in the cash register.

"Hello," a girl says with a chuckle, scorn filling her tone.

I snap my head up as I recognize a voice I'd have rather never hear again.

She's standing right in front of me, holding her head high and looking at me with so much hatred that I can barely hold her gaze. I can tell that if the counter weren't between the two of us, her hands would be around my neck... or maybe the contrary.

Her long black hair frames a face full of makeup, dark eye shadow circling her vicious green eyes and bright red lipstick defining her full lips.

She's the girl who was touching Nathan and shaking her cleavage at him. The girl that call him Nate, the one he told me she was no one.

"Hello, what can I get you?" I feign indifference, as if it was the first time I saw her.

She giggles again, louder this time but I pretend I didn't hear her.

"You know what, or I should say who, I want," she says with an unctuous voice and swings her hair behind her shoulder. "But for the moment, I'll take two coffee. One without sugar, I wouldn't want to look like you," she scoffs and I try my hardest not to jump over that counter.

I fight the urge to tear those hair extensions off of her head and turn around, grabbing two cups as I head for the coffee machines.

"Everything is alright?" Nina asks, frowning.

"Yeah, everything is great," I answer ironically, pouring loads of sugar in both cups.

Nina eyes me suspiciously and I flash a smile before taking the two cups and going back to the counter. I set the two coffee on the counter without a word and wait for her to pay them. She stares at me, defying me to stand up against her. But I'm not that kind of girl, I won't play her game.

"Six dollars, please," I say through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I don't have money on me. He'll pay," she chuckles, turning towards the door as a boy enters.

As if the day couldn't get any worst, Aaron walks up to us and stops next to the girl. He throws six dollars on the counter and turns away, not even glancing at me and I'm thankful for this. The girl is about to take the coffees and to follow him, but she stops in her track.

"Nathan is a great kisser, isn't he?" She says in a low voice, a smile tugging at her lips. "He learned from the best."

Before my mind registers what I'm doing, I grab a cup of coffee and throw it at her. She gasps and curses at me. Hot coffee is dripping from her hair, her clothes, all over the floor. Luckily, there wasn't any customer waiting to be served behind her so nobody else was sprayed with coffee. I instantly regret my gesture, but the look on her face is priceless, a mix of hatred and shock which is totally worth it.

"Go chock yourself with our coffee, bi-" I start, but Nina, who heard the customers' surprise, cut me off.

"Okay Jade, maybe you should get some air," she pushes me away from the counter and starts apologizing for my behaviour.

I hastily take off my apron and throw it on the floor. I open the storehouse door and close it behind me, resting my back against it. My heart is beating so loud, I can't hear anything else but my pulse.

I take a few deep breaths and my heart finally calms down. I try not to make any noise so I can hear what Nina is saying.

"What the heck is wrong with you!" She hisses, and I can tell she took the girl in the kitchen so nobody would notice the scene.

"I did nothing wrong! This girl has serious issues," the girl says and I can only detect aversion in her tone.

"Amber, I heard you! I thought Aaron and you agreed in leaving her alone," Nina says.

What?

"Aaron can do whatever he wants, but I'm not giving up so fast," Amber spits.

There is short silence and I hear footsteps coming. Nina sighs loudly and I press my ear against the door.

"Nathan told me you both agreed. If he ever learns what happened, and I'm pretty sure he will in a few hours, he'll probably never speak to you again," Nina says.

"He tried to convince us not to tell her anything the whole afternoon. And we did both agree we would leave him some time to tell her. Now, Amber, we're leaving before she comes back," a man's voice say and I recognize Aaron's.

I assume they're talking about me, but what I don't get is what they are talking about. Nathan told me he would work out with Aaron, he never said there was any girl involved. My mind is fuzzy, my thoughts are running in order to understand what's happening.

And everything takes place. He lied. Nathan lied to me, he broke my trust by keeping things away from me. Now I remember the girl glaring at us on the school's parking, the girl that talked to Aaron before disappearing. It was her, it was that Amber, the girl Nathan told me she was nobody. I feel like I'm back to the day I saw Nathan hanging out with Aaron. But this time, the hurt is ten times stronger because of my feelings for Nathan, which have grown a little more every day.

"Well he better hurry telling her because he might be her boyfriend for now, but he was mine before and I intend to get him back," Amber says, and Aaron and her leave the kitchen.

I feel like all the air has left my lungs. Of course, I knew he already had relationships in the past although we never talked about it. I mean how could a guy as handsome as him stays single?

I'm a bit jealous of those girls, but I'm his present, I'm the girl he is dating now. They are his past.

What hurts me the most is that he lied to me about Amber and that she's still part of his present. I accept that she's one of his exes, but I don't know if I can deal with the fact that he still hangs out with her, that he still talks to her.

Nina sighs and I hear the back door opens. She's probably looking out for me, but I don't care. All of them betrayed me, but I won't tell them that I know. Not yet. I must clarify things with Nathan first.

I open the storehouse door and head back to the counter. Twenty more minutes and my shift will be over. I grab a mop and clean up the mess I made.

There are no more customers in the coffee shop and Nina will probably come back soon, so I grab a piece of paper and a pencil, and I start to write.

'Sorry for the mess, I cleaned up.
I don't feel well and there are no more customers so I'm going to head back home. Sorry.
Jade.'

I grab my bag and throw it over my shoulder. I want to leave before Nathan gets here, I don't want to talk about what happened tonight and I don't want to act as if everything was alright.

I push the door open and the cold air freezes my whole body. The night is dark, but I would rather walk back home alone than wait for Nathan.

All I can think about are Nathan words when I ask her who the girl was. Nobody, I can't even recall her name.

I guess she's somebody after all.