Flutter by, Butterfly

Chapter5

I didn't know what to do. To see him crying there, I felt like my heart was breaking with him. I touched his shoulder. Once again, I could feel something change. He recoiled from my touch.

"Who are you?" he demanded. He sounded so stern. He almost looked angry, but more guarded than anything. Cold. Distant.

"My name is Jani," I replied. I looked at him carefully. "I remember you," I said. "I saw you at the late-night show. It was only a moment, when you said, 'Ah memories,' but you were there."

He looked reserved. "How much do you know?"

I thought a moment. "I'm too polite to say out loud the things that I wonder of, but don't really have any concrete proof; but I am aware enough to know that there are things that you would wish to remain private and hidden from the public eye."

"How much do you want?"

"What?"

"How much do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on now. You don't think we managed to keep people quiet without some form of bribery, do you? So what do you want? A new car? A wardrobe? Your own chance at stardom? Cash?"

I was stunned. "I just want to be your friend."

"WHAT!" he practically roared. "How can you even ask that? You are just a child!"

"Exactly," I said. "And therefore, friendship is the more logical thing to ask, rather than a date or a one night stand."

"You can't expect this from me," he said with sheer disgust. "There has to be something else we can offer."

We. He said "we."

"I come from a very well-off family. I can already afford any material possession I want. It means nothing."

He changed again. This time something dark and malevolent. He gave me a smile that wasn't all that friendly. He gave a weird giggle. He reminded me of that jerk on stage, though it felt slightly different. "Well, that does change things a bit. You see, we don't actually deal very often with situations like this. It makes things very.....complicated. Are you sure there isn't something that we can offer you?"

I looked back at the headstone, and back at him. "Can you give me back her?" My voice sounded so lost, even to my own ears.

Alejandro's eyes softened. He was the friendly one again. "Not even we can ask for that, little one."

I bowed my head. "I don't really know what to say." I sighed. "Money can never buy friendship, and friendship is the one thing I don't have." I got up and dusted my pants. "It's getting late. I should be going now, and you clearly have better things to do."

"Jani-"

"Don't worry, I won't say anything. It's not like I have anyone to share it with, and I don't have anything to gain from exposing you, seeing how I can already get anything I want, so......" I turned to leave.

"Don't go."

Was that longing in his tone? I looked back. His eyes were so sincere.

"I understand what it is like to feel alone," he said. "But this attraction....." he sighed.

"Unsettling, isn't it," I said. "I understand my age doesn't make this any easier for you. But I said that all I want is to be your friend, and I meant it. I have no intentions to ask anything more than that. To ask for more would be scandalous for both of us, at least until I am eighteen or twenty-one; but by then, we would have been together for three to six years. "

He smiled at me, with that stunning smile. He was the flirt again. "If you are by my side after all that time, I am marrying you."

I said nothing. I just smiled.

There was a pause between us. I knew I should leave, but I didn't want to.

He made the decision for me.

"You should go now," he said softly.

"Will I see you again?"

"Count on it."

I believed him.