Hate Me Love Me

9| I love You 💌

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

"The splendid thing about falling apart silently... is that you can start over as many times as you like." --- Sanober Khan.

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

'It's weird. We play, no talking at all, and then he leaves. And he's never done it before. To anyone. I'm not even the best gamer at school. But he said he's sick of the game so he isn't going to come again. Fine by me!' Julian explains to his mom as we eat breakfast.

I'm feeling really fresh from the jog this morning.

Jo sighs and shakes her head with a smirk on her face.

'You children are so dumb,' she says. 'Isn't it obvious why he's doing what he's doing?'

Julian and I shrug and look at Jo for her theory.

'Alaric's only started coming here because of Valerie. I mean, come on. Have you seen the way he looks at her?' she tries to get her point through, but she doesn't understand reality.

'Yeah. Like he wants to shove a fork in my eye,' I reply, and Julian nods while Jo shakes her head.

'Mom, you don't get it. He hates her. He tries to make her life hell. He's absolutely horrible. We told you about the classroom and cafeteria incident, didn't we?' Julian says, and I nod vigorously, confirming his point.

From the lounge room, we all hear the TV start, proving that Dylan's awake.

'You guys are more stupid than I thought,' Jo chuckles and rubs her forehead with the tips of her fingers. 'You'll understand later. I know what he's doing isn't right... I can't explain right now. Hurry up, you're going to be late for school.'

Julian and I rush to school after helping Aunt Jo clean up the egg she dropped in the kitchen. In the hallway in front of our first class, people have gathered around and I hear a bunch of shouting coming from the centre.

Squeezing through the people, because I'm curious, I get to the centre and see Alaric, Vincent and Sebastian standing there with bored expressions on their faces. In front of them is a very dismantled, very ragged, Clementine. She's on her knees and tears pour down her red, now-inflamed cheeks. Her eyelids are puffy and strands of hair cling to her face. She's not in her uniform. She's in an open silk robe, a t-shirt and cotton shorts.

Her pyjamas.

'You're the biggest asshole ever, Alaric!' she screams. Her hands are on the tiled floor in front of Alaric, her head bowed down in defeat. He looks ahead into nothingness, not bothering to acknowledge her at all.

'You can't do this to me! Y-you can't!' she's sobbing loud and I notice that Quentin is making a video on the side. Like some other students.

People these days disgust me. Instead of helping, they watch and post and do nothing else. I don't know why, but my heart aches seeing her like this. I look around and see that a few people look sympathetic, like they want to help her. But I know they're afraid.

They're afraid of Alaric Aldrois.

Because he's not a person.

Alaric Aldrois is a Deity.

And nobody dares to go against him.

'I can make you happier! I'll do anything you want! Anything!' she continues to sob in grief, her words a slurred mess. 'Please! I love you!'

Then there's deafening silence.

She called him an asshole, and then declared her love. It's understandable. Alaric Aldrois does things to you. He damages your brain functions.

Alaric finally looks down at her shaking, emotional mess. She tilts her head up from the floor and they make eye-contact.

'I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I'm telling you, I can make you happier than any other girl here. I'll do anything, Alaric. But please, please at least give me a chance! I love you,' Clementine says, tears clinging to her lashes. Even like this, she still manages to look beautiful.

Did she go over to his house last night?

Everyone looks at Alaric to see what he's going to say. After all, Clementine is the prettiest girl at school. The most popular. One of the richest. She's the kind of girl Alaric would stereotypically date.

But Alaric Aldrois doesn't date. In fact, I don't even think he's kissed anyone.

'How sad for you, then,' he starts.' Because I don't like you at all,' and with that, he steers himself around her shocked frame, and walks away with his friends, a blank expression on his face.

People part and make way for them to pass, and before I can help it, I rush forward and wrap my arms around Clementine.

Without looking at my face, she instantly bursts into sobs again and rests her face on my chest, letting me stroke her hair.

'I can't believe it! How could he?' she cries onto my chest, her entire body heaving in mental pain. Seeing her like this, it hurts. Even though she wasn't very friendly to me, she's a human. And love isn't easy. I get why she's in so much pain. Nobody deserves someone like Alaric Aldrois. It'd be torture.

'He didn't even let me show him what I can do! He didn't even give me a chance!'

I don't tell her to be quiet. Or to stop crying. I'm not going to tell her that it's all going to be OK. Because the truth is, I don't know. And it'd be cruel, because false hope will destroy her all over again.

So I sit there with my arms around her till everyone goes to class. Till the hallways are devoid of people and their gossip. Till the only sound that can be heard is her soft sobs.

And when she finally calms down, I help her get up. She stumbles weakly on her feet before straightening her back and wiping her tears with the back of her palms. Then she turns around and walks out of school before I can say anything of comfort.

Shrugging with one shoulder, I turn around and see Alaric leaning against a pillar, looking at me. I can't discern the expression on his face because he's too far away for that.

Seeing him makes anger boil in the pit of my stomach. I turn around on one heel and walk to my next class.

At breaktime, I put on my earphones and exchange some books in the library. A girl sits alone on a beanbag in the corner, so, being the nice person I am, I smile at her.

She points her middle finger at me.

And looks away.

So much for being friendly.

I search for books the rest of breaktime without anyone disturbing me.

A whole day gone without speaking to Alaric Aldrois.

Finally.

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍