Whispers of the Past

Chapter Twelve - Bitter Truth

TIMOTHEE'S POV:

Throughout the whole plane ride, Atiye seemed unusually quiet. I've met a lot of girls after Amaya, but none of them felt quite like her. I couldn't explain it, but whenever I looked at Atiye, I felt a strange connection to her, almost like an echo of Amaya. Maybe my brain was just trying to make sense of it all.

As the flight attendant approached us with a smile,

"Sir, Mam, would you like anything to eat or drink?" she asked.

I glanced at Atiye. She shook her head politely.

"I'll have a hamburger with extra sauce, please," I said.

"Of course, sir," the flight attendant replied. "And sir, if you don't mind, may I get a picture with you?"

Dread flooded through me. Of course! I hadn't considered the fact that there would be people on the plane who recognized me, and Atiye would be right there beside me.

I looked at Atiye, who was now staring at me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"Uh, sure," I stammered.

The flight attendant became visibly excited and snapped a picture of us both. As soon as she walked away, Atiye turned to me, her eyes narrowed.

"You lied to me?" she asked sharply.

"Lied about what?" I feigned innocence.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"What do you mean? I'm Tim. Timothee Chalamet," I replied, hoping she wouldn't pick up on the tremor in my voice.

"I know your name very well," she said, her voice laced with anger. "Tell me, are you some kind of celebrity?"

"No, I'm not," I lied again.

"Then how come that flight attendant recognized you and wanted to take a picture?" she countered. "And not just her, you were trying to avoid people at the airport with that disguise."

"What are you getting at?" I asked defensively.

"The baseball cap, the sunglasses, the mask! You never wear those things! And I saw the way people were looking at you strangely. Who are you, Timothee?"

I sighed, defeated. There was no point in trying to deny it any longer.

"I am an artist," I admitted. "An actor. That's my job."

"An actor!" she exclaimed. "You said you weren't a celebrity! You lied to me again!"

"No, Atiye, I didn't lie," I said placatingly. "I just don't see myself as a celebrity. It doesn't feel right. I don't even want to be one, if that's what you're thinking."

"That's not the point!" she shot back. "You never even told me about your job. Remember when I asked you about it, and you just changed the subject? You lied to me, Timothee! I thought we were friends, but friends don't lie to each other."

"Friends?" I echoed, confused. "Atiye, have you ever even Googled my name? Do you have Instagram, Twitter, or any social media at all? Have you ever watched any movies? No, of course not. So why would you expect me to announce myself everywhere I go? Don't you think it would be a little awkward?"

I paused, but Atiye just stared at me, her expression unreadable. I took a bite of my hamburger, trying to buy some time and figure out what to say next. The trip was already off to a disastrous start, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

Suddenly, Atiye spoke, her voice surprisingly calm.

"Wasn't it you who was avoiding me?" she asked pointedly.

The burger nearly choked me. How had she noticed that? I had been careful to maintain a certain distance, a professional formality in our interactions. How had she seen through it?

"I don't need your answer, Timothee," she continued. "Just think about it for a moment. Who's the real friend here? And for your information, I've seen : Little Women, Lady Bird, Interstellar, A Rainy Day in New York, Beautiful Boy, Dune. I wouldn't have agreed to come on this trip with some random stranger, Timothee Hal Chalamet."

I was speechless. She knew everything. And judging by the way her eyes welled up with tears, she wasn't happy about it.

I was shocked. I lost every word to utter. She continued, "Do you really think Jen can hide anything from me Tim? She's my sister. You yourself also has a sister. Don't you know? I was just waiting to see, when and how will you tell me the reality."

I looked at her eyes, They seemed teary. "Should I comfort her?" My thoughts got cut by her sharp voice,

"Timothee Chalamet," she said, her voice laced with both hurt and anger, "It's you who always said we were friends from the very beginning, and then again it's always you who behaved like a stranger."

"I...I'm sorry if you felt that way," I mumbled, the apology sounding hollow even to my own ears. "I was just..." But Atiye wasn't interested in excuses.

"No, it's not like that I felt that way, Timothee," she corrected, her voice laced with both hurt and anger. "It's the truth."

That's it. That was the last thing she said to me at the whole journey. Even I couldn't find anything to talk. I was feelling very restless through out the whole time.
The journey seemed like a never ending torture to me.

"What have you done Timothee Chalamet! "