Far From The Truth

Chapter 27

I told James everything. I told him about my parents dying, I told him about my aunt and Maya, all the horrible things I went through, how I like Blaise, about the time in grade six when I cried in the bathroom.

And finally I got to where I was right then. It was scary to tell him but I had to.

“I’m depressed.” After those two words left my mouth, I dropped my head in my hands and started to cry. It wasn’t like the crying I usually did. It was more of a relieved but also sad crying. I felt so relieved that I could tell someone about it all and get it off my chest, but I was also sad because talking about all of it brought back memories, ones that I kept in the back of my mind where no one could find them.

I felt James sort of stiffen beside me. I guess he didn’t expect me to say something like that. I stayed sitting beside him as I wiped my tears away and turned to face him when they were mostly gone. To my surprise, he pulled me into a hug. Slowly, I hugged him back. “I don’t know what to say Av.” He mumbled.

I pulled away from him and looked down at my hands. “You don’t have to say anything.” I whispered, “I’ve gone through this before, I can do it again.”

“Shouldn’t you see a doctor if it’s this bad?” James asked softly.

My head snapped up to look at him. I had a ‘deer caught in headlights’ look on my face I bet. “Do you think I haven’t already tried? I went there, but all they did was bombard me with questions and I got really scared. I don’t want to be treated like I’m different, like I’m a freak.” I ended in a whisper.

James sighed, and I knew he really did care about me and wanted me to be better. It made me feel better and like there was something worth holding onto in life. I probably sound whiny, but I can’t help that for most of my life I was left alone, and no one really understood me and my life. “You’re not a freak Avril. And you are different, so what? Everyone’s different. Not everyone is captain of the cheerleading team, and is super smart and beautiful.” He paused then chuckled, “I didn’t mean it that way, you know, cause I’m with Jace, but that doesn’t make it not true.”

I looked down at my hands once more. Gosh they sure are interesting today… When I looked up again, I hugged James tightly, feeling tears coming and welling in my closed eyes. “Thank you James.” I mumbled thankfully, “I never had anyone who really understood or did anything to help. And I think you just did.” I pulled away from him and smiled, wiping my tears.

“You’re welcome Avril. You’re like a sister to me; I can’t just leave you all alone.” He said with a grin. I laughed slightly and stood up, grabbing his hand and pulling him up with me.

“Come on James, you want to go have some fun?” I smiled, trying my best to be happy now. Maybe life wasn’t so bad, I had amazing friends, and Blaise.

Blaise’s POV

I was sitting in my bedroom, thinking about when Avril was tutoring me in French. It seemed like so long ago, but in fact it was only about a week and a half earlier. I was laying on my back staring at the ceiling when I started thinking about what I said to Avril, how I told her to give me a week to prove my feelings for her.

What was I going to do? All I knew was that I needed to think of something original and…romantic in one week, at prom. I could stand on stage and make a speech about my feelings and all that sh!t, or I could sing to her because I knew she was worth it. The problems with those decisions were one: never going to happen, and two: never going to happen, plus I can’t sing.

I thought long and hard about it. My eyes squinted as I racked my brain for an original idea on how to do this. All of the ones I thought of were too cheesy and mainstream for me. If you know me, I don’t do mainstream stuff. But maybe she does…Avril seemed like the girl to be into pop music and other mainstream stuff like that.