Complicated

Chapter 25

Paton, Lucas, Dalliance, Rosette, Arianna and I all stood around while Marne, 'Pop', Charles, Marley, Ollie, Tristan and Frank sat at the table. The Boys fought off the headaches while 'Pop' sat at the head of the table reading over the letter that had just arrived. "What is it? What does it say?" Rosie said leaning in across the table towards her grandfather "Please, the suspense is killing me!"

"If I am reading this correctly." He said scanning the paper with a smile that slowly dropped to a frown "I'm sorry but it is negative. It is negative, there are only two blue dots on the lines, we need only seven red dots, it is very confusing to you all I know but it is far off" Pop said lowering his glasses. The whole room seemed to lose the fun charm it had when everyone gathered together. But out of everyone Charlie's face dropped. Half drunk and still slightly high, and he could never look so sad.

Charlie stood up slamming his fists against the table which woke up his mates who had rested their eyes for a second and fell asleep; they rubbed their eyes and yawned. Charlie kicked his chair away and yelled "This is bull sh*t" he stepped away from the table, the look on his face immediately changed to anger, hate and confusion "This test is complete bull sh*t! WHAT?! I know you are all thinking the same thing!"

Everyone looked at him in shock, Paton stood up and walked out followed by Dalliance, I knew that I was no longer wanted by anyone but Charlie "I should go pack, I'm no longer needed" I said as I watched Marne push her chair from under the mahogany table and make her way out of the room.

Charlie looked at me in the eyes, he stood across the table near the end, and he pushed a chair over on the attempt of running towards me. I thought he was going to hit me, I thought he would hurt me or yell at me, so I closed my eyes preparing for the worst pain to come. But when I felt two arms around my chest and two hands on my back pulling me closer to him, he was hugging me, and, crying? "You can't leave, screw the tests you are the best person to walk through those doors in years! Everything feels proper again, like a part of everyone's heart is back together." I wrapped my arms around his neck hugging him softly,

I opened my mouth and let out a small creak to speak before I stopped as Charlie began again "Don't speak, Just listen" he said pulling me forward so he could look me in the eye "I have never seen Luke smile at a stranger and mean it. I have never seen Destiny warm up to anyone but family. Pop smiles at you like you are one of us. Everyone here loves you, there is life here again. Please. Screw the results and stay. You can live with us, be a member of both yours and our family. This can work. Please!" By this point he was crying harder and everyone except for Arianna and Charlie's sleeping friends had left.

"I can't" I said softly as my eyes began to water "I have to go home, no-one knows what happened to me, I have a party to plan, I have friends, Josh. I need to go back. If I had a choice I would stay but I can't, I can't do any of this. I'm not cut out for it. This was just a mistake". I tore away from him and raised my hand to my now soaking cheeks, I walked out of the Gala and headed up the grand stairs heading for the bedroom I once called my own.

"Avalon wait!" Aria called out as she chased me to the bottom of the stairs

"My name is not Avalon, stop making this harder for everyone and realise I am not who you think I am. You don't understand. Please just let this go!" I said stopping at the top