Once Upon A Lie

Eleven:

Eleven

Aleksander was waiting for her after class that day when school ended. He leaned against the wall, looking effortlessly handsome in a way that made Alina hate him even more than she already did.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He grinned. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm taking you home. Like I always do."

"Don't you have football practice or something?"

"Coach canceled it. Anyway, you normally wait in the art room for me when I have football practice. Any reason it should be different?"

Alina shook her head. "Nope. I just was planning on walking home, is all."

"I know you were. But it's raining out."

"I have an umbrella."

"Come on, Lina. I'm trying here."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not trying anything. You're just upset that your favorite toy has the attention of someone else."

Aleksander ran his hands through his dark hair. "Yeah well, I'm an only child. I don't share. Anyway, I was supposed to invite you over to family dinner tonight and I forgot. So, you're coming."

"It's Thursday."

"So?" Aleksander said.

"You normally have family dinner on Sundays. Why are you having family dinner on a Thursday? And why do they want me there?" Alina asked.

"My cousin Wylan is coming to stay with us. He's transferring schools. He'll be enrolling here. His father hasn't been able to take care of him since his mother's been ill, and they're fighting all of the time. Came to blows last month. The neighbors called the cops. And I know you can't say no to seeing Wylan."

Alina sighed. It was true. For someone who was related to the Morozova's, Wylan Van Eck was decidedly not like them at all. Wylan was seventeen, like her, and he had red gold hair and blue eyes. He played the flute and had already had concerts around the world at prestigious concert halls and would have his pick of orchestras to choose from.

"Is Jan drinking again?" Alina asked.

Aleksander shrugged. "When isn't he?"

"Fine. I guess I'll come. Do I have enough time to change at home?"

"You can change in your room with us."

Alina sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

Baghra had insisted on Alina having her own room in the Morozova mansion. She didn't stay there often, except sometimes on holidays or when her parents went on vacation. But she had a full closet there full of clothes and anything that Alina might need.

The two of them headed out of Ravka Academy. When they got to Aleksander's car, he opened the door for her and Alina slid in. They left school, and Aleksander turned on the radio. He started humming softly to himself.

Alina glanced over at him. "You haven't done that in a while."

"What?" he asked.

"Hum. Or anything musical, really. Not since you stopped playing piano."

He shrugged. "Yeah, well. Football, debate, student council----something had to go. And playing Chopin isn't exactly a skill that a CEO needs."

"And playing football is?"

"No, but football is how you have the best colleges fighting over you."

"Wylan still plays the flute. And he's considered a genius for it. Do you really have to do what your parents want you to?"

Aleksander ran a hand through his hair again. "There are two types of people in this world, Alina. Those that have Genius and those that pay geniuses to work for them. All things considered; I'd rather be the second. I'm not becoming CEO because my parents are making me. I'm becoming CEO because I want to. Closest a man will ever get to playing God."

Alina couldn't help but stare at him. Sometimes, Aleksander seemed like a stranger. Other times, he was the most familiar person in the world to her. At that moment, he was a complete stranger to her.

"You're staring," Aleksander said, "what's going through your head, Lina?"

"I just wish the boy I used to know was still here."

He shrugged. "What do you mean? I'm right next to you."

"A Morozova's right next to me. But Aleks...he's a million miles away."

Aleksander frowned at her. "You are the strangest girl, Alina Starkov."

"And you are the saddest boy, Aleksander Morozova."