Leviathan

Chapter 17: Sharing is Caring

Chapter 17:

Emerald

I was over at Aaron’s house early.

In truth, I just wanted his comforting presence beside me. Whenever I was with him, he made the world, and everything else that was happening fade away, like the mists of a bad dream. I sat down beside him and leaned my head onto his shoulder.

This could actually give me time to think about everything that had happened recently. The bomb that was my brother, Kristopher, for instance. I made a mental note to ask Diare about everything that had happened when she was in school. I wonder if Asher and Beverly and she still kept in touch. More importantly, who would I tell? Aaron? Maybe at a better time. Elexia? Oh yeah, that reminded me, I wanted my memories back. Maybe Lexie could reverse the spell on me.

My mind swirled restlessly as I thought about everything. Then, all of a sudden Aaron stopped zoning out and turned to face me abruptly, dislodging me from his shoulder. "Alright, spill. What's going on, Em? You're not usually this distracted. Or still. Or quiet. So talk,"

I sighed. Sometimes I think he can see what I'm thinking. "My parents hid something from me again."

His eyes grew wider and wider as I recounted the entire story. "Whoa," he breathed. "That's what's got you feeling out of sorts, huh."

"Yeah. I can't seem to stop thinking about it."

I sighed again as we lapsed into a comfortable silence, Aaron tracing circles on the back of my hand.

"I doubt whether you'll ever see your brother again though, even if you get your memories back. It'd be like rubbing salt in a wound."

"I spent the better part of my life thinking I was an only child. I'm curious."

"Okay, then, but don't say I didn't warn you. What about your parents? Have you spoken to them since the vision?"

I frowned. "No. And I don't plan on doing so for a while."

"You're going to have to face them eventually, you know."

"Will you just drop it!" I snapped. "I don't want to deal with this right now. I came here to spend time with you, not rant and rage and be bitchy. I came to get away from all that," I gestured around us.

Aaron squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Okay then, we'll talk when you feel like it.”

And this was what I liked about Aaron—he wouldn’t bug you when you didn’t want to talk.

I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder. The comfort of his presence was soothing, and I gave in to the tiredness of a restless night, falling asleep in the dim afternoon sun.

Aaron

“Em?”

There was no reply.

I looked down into Emerald’s sleeping face. I know this seems stalkerish, but I liked it. She looked very childlike in slumber. It was something like a pout and a smile at the same time. Yeah, I know that’s hard to imagine. But it was cute on her. Innocent. Gazing down at her sleeping face, I realized I would protect her from everything. I loved her, even.

Now how did I know that? I wondered. It was a core thing. Just like that Bruno Mars song… I’d catch a grenade for ya… That’s it. There’s no limit to what I would do for Emerald Grace. She practically held my heart in her hands.

I remember the first time I ever saw her. She walked confidently into the classroom, her brown hair swinging waist- length behind her back as she headed towards the back of the classroom. I saw everything that happened with Hunter and I laughed out loud when she chucked the bag back at him. Then, she turned and looked at me. In that split second, it was like I could see into her soul. There was an air of happiness around her that attracted me like a moth to an open flame. Add that to those stunning eyes of hers that had me hooked from that moment on. It was totally pure luck that I managed to score a seat beside her in class and be in the same group of o-day students. I actually caught several guys whispering to each other as she walked past them. Obviously she didn’t know what effect she had on people.