Untouchable (A Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Story)

Chapter 19 🦔

Horace's POV:

This is bad! This is really, really bad! There are no words that can describe how bad this is! What am I freaking out about? My dreams, that's what!

Ever since Olive's near-death experience, I've feared when the other part of that dream will come true: The part where Roxanne was talking to the unknown individual. Worse than that, I recently had another nightmare.

In my nightmare, I saw Enoch and Victor fighting. They never fight. I'm not talking about a small fight. I'm talking about a fight that could potentially end their friendship. At first, I thought this was never going to happen. After all, Victor would've had to have done something very bad to upset Enoch that much. However, I'm not so sure about that anymore.

Victor's POV:

Today was turning out to be a great day! I was looking for Roxanne because I like just being around her. Though she hasn't given me an answer about how she feels, that doesn't mean I don't want to hang out with her anymore. The very thought of that made me die a bit inside.

I had searched the house for her, but I couldn't find her anywhere. As I was doing a double check, I thought I heard someone clearing their throat. From the looks of it, the sound had come from my room. Out of instinct, I followed it.

Once I was inside, the door closed behind me, revealing a figure standing in the shadows. "Come out!" I shouted at the figure. The shadows hiding them cleared as they stepped forward, revealing the figure to be... Enoch. He looked horrible! His hair was messier and his dark circles looked darker ( if that's even possible). The overalls he was wearing looked less loose than usual. That can only mean one thing: his stress eating habit is back. I thought I had cured him of that habit. The point is that he looked awful.

What could have happened to make him let himself go like this? He hasn't looked this awful since Charlotte left. Whatever it is that's wrong, it's serious. "Hey, Enoch," I said, trying to start things off good. Enoch ran his fingers through his blond hair. The mischievous glint in his eyes was missing, as if he had actually given up. "Ai wan' ta talk ta you," he said in a monotone.

"That's it? No 'Hey Victor, how was your day'?"

He rolled his eyes at the comment. " 'Ey, Victor. 'Ow was yer day?"

I pressed on as if he wasn't being rude just now. "My day was great. Do you know where Roxanne is?"

A long silence followed, as if Enoch wanted to hold me in suspense. "Actually, tha's whot Ai wanted ta talk ta you abou'."

"Roxanne?"

"Yup."

"She's great, right?"

"Ai know she seems laike it, but -"

"I like how independent she is. I expect that spirit from Bronwyn, but it's so refreshing coming from Roxanne."

"Ai thin' she's takin' you away from mei!"

It took me a moment to register what he had just told me, but when I finally got it, I started laughing. Honestly, I thought he was joking and I was expecting him to start laughing along with me. However, his expression told me that this was no joke.

"Oh my God, you're serious."

"Woi wouldn' Ai be. Ever sinc' she showed up, you've been wantin' ta spend mor taime wi' er."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothin'. Ai'm just - "

"You're jealous of Roxanne!"

"Ai am no'!"

"I can't believe you! Friends are supposed to support each other. That's especially true with best friends!"

"When 'ave Ai not been supportive of you?"

"You're not being supportive of me now."

Before I could say anything else, I felt a sharp pain in the left side of my gut. The shock from it was so horrible that it caused me to double over in pain. When I looked up to find the source, I saw Enoch standing over me, his fist raised. It dawned on me quickly; he had punched me.

"Yer really annoyin' sometimes," he stated, dully.

I stood back up despite the sharp pain and glared at the smaller boy. I brushed my fist against my mouth as if I had been bopped there. "I feel like I should punch you back, but we both know that I'm a lot stronger than you, so I'm not going to do that."

He deepened his glare for a moment, but then it softened. "Ai'm sorry," he said, lowering his fist. "Ai'm jus' afraid of losin' you to tha' 'ussy."

In that moment, a questioning look appeared on my face. "Do you like me? As more than a friend?"

Enoch shook his head almost in a violent manner. "Ai don'," he confessed in a doubtful tone. "Ai'm jus' possessive, okay? Ai tol' you before tha' I can' luv anyone."

"I know. 'Love is dangerous for your tiny heart.'"

"Tha's right."

I flopped down on my bed, running my fingers aggressively through my dark hair. "Wow, so you don't feel that way about me?"

"Even if Ai did, Ai wouldn' admit it ta anyone, not even myself."

"That's deep."

"Ai know. Ai also know tha' if you really luv Roxanne, Ai shouldn' stand in yer way."

"Wow, E. That's a really mature thing for you to say."

He sat down on the side of the bed. "She's outside."

"Hmm?"

"You were askin' mei if Ai had seen Roxanne. She's outside. She looked laike somethin' was buggin' her."

"Really?"

As a response to the new information, I sprung up from my bed and ran down the stairs. My heart was beating just as fast as my legs were running. All of it would be worth it when I finally saw the porcupine girl again. The moment I finally saw her, I would feel like I was walking on air.

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A/N: Hello, my dreamers. Thank you for over 500 reads. What did you think of this chapter. Don't forget to comment on the story because I need the feedback. Until next time, this is Aislynn, Queen of Dreams, signing out.