"Who's she?" Martha said as she and Athenaïs peeped at Keith and the other girl through the window trying to read their lips to figure out what they were talking about.

Athenaïs' mood turned sour.

"Someone's jealous..." Martha said.

Athenaïs shrugged; "pfft! Yeah right!"

"Hmmm so you're not jealous, not even a little bit," Martha teased.

"Of course not!" Athenaïs said.

"Your flaring nostrils say different though,"

"Oh please... Whatever!"

On the porch, Keith and this lady kept talking. She— Anne was his summer holiday buddy, they spent every summer of their childhood together, till Keith went off to college and then they drifted apart.

"It's so great seeing you again after so many years," she said.

"Yeah...you've not changed a bit," Keith said.

Anne blushed and tucked her hair behind her ears.

Athenaïs scoffed at the sight of it.
"Oh my God, she's flirting with him... what a bitch!"

"I heard what happened to your dad, I'm so sorry about that," Anne said rubbing on Keith's balled fist.

Keith nods and smiles. "Do come in..." he ushers Anne inside the house.

"They're coming! Act natural!" Athenaïs and Martha scurried away from the window as Keith and Anne approached the door.

"Hello everyone," Anne said as she stepped in. Athenaïs gave a nonchalant expression.

"Hi..." Athenaïs said.

Martha waved her hand with an awkward grin. Keith did a brief introduction to ease the nuanced atmosphere and awkwardness.

"Anne meet Athenaïs and Martha... Athenaïs, Martha, meet Anne,"

Athenaïs kept a straight face. "Yeah nice to meet you," she said. Anne smiled and took a seat. Keith went upstairs and Anne follows him.

"You can at least try to be nice to her," Martha whispered to Athenaïs, immediately Anne left the room. Athenaïs played coy.

"What do you mean? I said hi..."

"Yeah... if looks could kill, Anne will be 6ft under by now," Martha said.

"Why's she so clingy with him?" Athenaïs said and rolled her eyes, Martha shook her head.

Keith and Anne laugh together as they came back downstairs, Athenaïs feigns a smile.

"I'll show you to your rooms..." Keith said.

Martha and Athenaïs settle in their rooms as they watched Keith and Anne catch up on old times. Athenaïs pretends to forget something in the living room.

"Ah! Athenaïs, I'm having a mixer at my place this evening, you and Martha should come through with Keith," Anne said as she saw Athenaïs walk by.

Athenaïs gave a crooked smile; "Sure why not?"

"Great! See you at 7!" Anne said and perked Keith on the cheek and he rubbed on her shoulder.

"It was good seeing you again, Keith," she said and left, Keith saw her off to the door.

Without uttering a word, Athenaïs went upstairs with a cold gaze. Keith followed her.

"You were being rude today, Athenaïs," he said. Athenaïs turned around to face Keith.

"I beg your pardon?" she said.

"Yes you were being rude to Anne, even a blind man could see it," Keith retorted.

"Was I supposed to kiss her feet or lay roses for her to trample on... I said hi, what more do you want from me?" Athenaïs said and walked away without saying another word or waiting for a response.

Martha overheard their argument and went to comfort Athenaïs.

"Maybe Keith has a point, there is no reason to be mean to her," Martha said while patting Athenaïs on her shoulder.

Athenaïs glared at her; "You're supposed to have my back,"

"I do have your back, that's why I'm telling you to be a little nicer to her, so you don't come off as petty and bitter," Martha said and Athenaïs grumbled.

"Maybe you're right... I was a little mean to her, I'll be right back." Athenaïs exits her room to meet with Keith, he was laying on the bed; staring at the ceiling as she walked in.

"I want to apologize for my poor behavior towards Anne, I don't know why I did that," Athenaïs said abruptly as she walked in.

Keith stayed in the same position, not saying a word.

"I thought I'd apologize." As she was about to leave, Keith calls her back.

"Come, sit," he said. She sat at the edge of his bed.

"I understand why you were cold to her but she's just a friend, nothing more,"

"No, no you have no reason to explain to me, I was just being silly," Athenaïs responded; Keith smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You should rest, the party is in less than two hours."

They arrived at the mixer, and Anne lets them in.

"So glad you could make it," she said as they came in and got comfortable.

"So what will you like? There's an open bar,"

"I'll have a glass of water... for now," Athenaïs said.

"A mimosa for me," Martha said.

"Alright coming up! Keith, you're no stranger here, you can get your drink," Anne said sarcastically.

"Not even if I ask nicely," Keith retorted.

"Haha very funny! Come, I told Ellen you were in town and she didn't believe me."

Keith left with Anne to mingle. Minutes later, Anne came with their drinks.

"If you need anything else, it's an open bar, help yourselves," Anne said to Athenaïs and Martha; she nodded and smiled.

Anne left to join Keith, Athenaïs was getting bored. Keith was engrossed with Anne and her cohorts.

Anne hoarded Keith but Athenaïs hid her irritation. Martha on the other hand was flirting with a guy from across the room.

She turned to look at Athenaïs with furrowed brows.

"Go ahead! I'll be fine..." Athenaïs said.

"You're sure?"

Athenaïs nodded and chuckled.

"Thank you! I won't be long I promise,"

Martha scurried off to approach the guy and they began talking. Athenaïs decided to take a look around then she saw Keith and Anne alone in the kitchen area looking cozy with one another; she leaned against the wall to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Keith leaned his back against the kitchen counter while Anne faced him.

"What happened Keith?" Anne asked.

He frowns a little; "What do you mean?"

Anne turns away from him to hide her subtle sobs. She wipes underneath her eyes with her hand; Keith moves closer to her, and she backed him still.

"Summer 2005, we promised to be there for one another, we made a time capsule! We had promise rings!"

Keith rubs her shoulders from behind; "We were 17 Anne... a lot has changed since then,"

Anne shrugs her shoulders off his grip.

"No Keith! It was Flynn, she was the change, summer 2006; she showed up and I didn't exist to you anymore,"

"That's not true Anne, you'll always be my friend,"

Anne turns to face him.

"Friend? Just a friend? I never stopped feeling the way felt about you, Keith!"

Keith kept mute.

"you show up out of the blue and all those years came rushing back like it was just yesterday,"

Keith brushes his palm across his face.

"Anne... I don't know what to say honestly, it's been 15 years and I feel terrible my actions affected you that way,"

Anne leaned closer to him, Keith froze and she kissed him.

Athenaïs saw and heard everything, Keith didn't pull away or stop.

Athenaïs held back her tears and walked away; Keith saw her, a little voice in his head said she saw what happened between him and Anne. He followed her; Athenaïs kept walking.

"Athenaïs, wait!" Keith called out.

Athenaïs wandered off till she was out of sight. Keith notified Martha that her friend disappeared, Martha began to call Athenaïs on her cell but declined every call and then turned off her phone.

Anne is confused by the situation as she doesn't understand why Athenaïs will be affected by her kissing Keith. Then she got to understand that Athenaïs and Keith had a thing going on and she felt bad for what she did.

"Maybe she's at home..." Anne said.

They all went home and Athenaïs was on the porch, sitting by herself. Anne asked that she speaks to Athenaïs alone. She approached Athenaïs and sat next to her.

"I want to apologize for what you saw this evening, I didn't know you and Keith were -"

Athenaïs cuts her off.

"We're nothing! He's my boss, we do not have a relationship, so you're mistaken!" She said in a harsh tone.

"I can tell you have feelings for him and... by what I saw this evening, do not mention this to Keith but I think he likes you too"

Athenaïs countenance softens but remained assertive.

"Exactly! that's why he kissed you earlier, I can tell he likes me very much,"

"That's my fault... I kissed him not the other way around..."

"And this is supposed to make me feel better?"

"Between us girls, I've known Keith for years... I'll kill for him to run after me like the way he did for you,"

Athenaïs turned to look at Anne.