Scream

Aero King

Allister's dad and stepdad were just as torn apart as any parents would've been. Tear-streaked faces, bloodshot eyes, uncontainable crying and screams of "my baby!" I took on the burden of telling them about our last moments – we were together during the fireworks and she was shot. I excluded the kiss. There's no reason to include it, so I left it out. That was my business and it felt wrong to explain that to her parents. 

I stopped in and relaxed with Makai in his room...4512. How shittily coincidental. But the seemed okay, other than his physical conditions. He was okay – just not so...Makai-y. He's less bubbly than I heard he was; more sombre. Nevertheless, he's alive and that is what matters.

 I went to bed in a nearby vacant room. The doctors and nurses heard all about Makai'sdisappearance – he's made the news. They let Adelina stay in the bed next to mine.

"Why haven't you said hi to him yet?" I asked her.

She shrugs. "Not ready yet."

"Fair enough," I say, not really into using my way with words.

"It's weird, you know?" she continues. "I've been waiting for this for a long, long time.

Now he's here and I'm just next door, and I can't bring myself to walk in. Why is that?"

"You're nervous," I supply. "That's normal." I turn over, hoping to end the conversation and get some rest. 

 "I don't get nervous, Aero," Della counters. I turn to see her sitting up and shakily fixing her hair. "That's the thing. I never get nervous, so what is it that I'm experiencing now?"

"I noticed you changed your phone lock screen to a picture of you two," I begin. "Maybe you like him?" 

Della sighs. "It's complicated."

"Do explain. Tell me the bedtime story."

"It's been out in the open between the two of us that we kind of had a thing for each other, but..." she shakes her head. "We were both always playing games. I'd lead on my string of men and he'd lead on his string of girls. Maybe he liked me more than them, maybe he didn't..."

"Go on..." I egg on. 

"We tried to be a thing a couple of times, but it never lasted long. When he was taken, every piece of me felt broken and weighed down. Now he's here and I feel like the weight is ready to come off of my chest if I just walk in there but here I am."

 I sit up and swing my feet off the bed. "You don't exactly know it, but in your conscience, maybe you want yourself to hurt because you feel bad...feel bad for what:that's not my problem."

Adelina contemplates me with her green eyes while twirling around her dark brown hair. "You're pretty wise, Aero. A lot of the world needs more people like you." 

"Thanks," I gratify, giving her a grin. 

 "But Reyna doesn't," she suddenly adds. "She doesn't need someone independent and smart and resourceful because that's already here. Let her go, Aero." 

"We clicked," I protest, going back to the night at the party. 

 Del shakes her head. "She didn't quite know who she was. Now that she knows she can handle herself, she doesn't need another one of her own types. Sometimes similarities attract but not Reyna."

"Okay, eHarmony.com," I render. "Then what kind of person does she need."

"Rey's gone through major shit," she starts to say before shaking her head and sighing.

 "She needs someone who can balance her out. While she's off trying to save this crappy town of Solaris, she's destroying herself in the process. Aero, she doesn't need someone who can keep up and destroy themselves right along with her." Della leans forwards and wrings her hands together. "She needs someone to bring her back down to earth; someone she can just not worry about everything with, but someone who can beat her at her own game to help her."

 I snort, juggling all of this information in my head. "Sounds like a tough application to fill out. How do you know all of this?" 

Della cracks her knuckles and stands, stretching and popping her bones. She shakes out her hair and satisfyingly grins. "I'm the love master, Aero. I know everything." 

She walks to the door. "Where are you going?"

"I promised Reyna I'd slay my demons," she justifies. "I thought it was just moving past my mom's death, but it's...it's something more."

"...okay?"

She opens the door and darts out before peeking her head back in. "And Aero?"

"Yes?"

"You're a good guy. Allister really liked you." A wave of guilt and depression washes over me and I feel like vomiting and fainting and crying all at once. "I've got to move on. So do you." 

"Slay your demons and I'll slay mine," I respond.

"Now you sound like me," she says with a wink, disappearing out the door and down the hall, undoubtedly to Makai.

"Slay my demons..." I whisper to myself, pulling out my phone. I go to the contacts list and find Enzo. My thumb lingers over the CALL button but I find myself hesitating. I should mend things with my brother. Make everything right. "Tomorrow," I tell myself,laying back down and shutting my eyes, eager to sleep. "Tomorrow." 

For now, I mourn over Allister and figure out how to proceed for the next few days. Figure out how to sleep. Figure out how to cope with all of this over the weekend, because my friends are going to need me on Monday at school. 

 Yawning, I put my hands behind my head, cross my feet at the ankles, and pretend to sleep. My brain is processing too much to actually fall into slumber. So for now, I act like sleep is an option.