Hate Me Love Me

23| Flashlights 🔦

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

"We loved with a love that was more than love." --- Edgar Allan Poe.

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

Valerie Dornan

The aura is tense.

Very, very tense.

Madison raises an eyebrow at me, and, just to be sure, I turn to Alaric's lifeless figure for assurance. Normally, he's always angry or blank-faced, but today, people have noticed something odd about him.

Alaric's eyes have a sort of sadness in them. I don't know what caused it, but I'm not liking it. At all. I don't know whether it's from what I painted on his door or not, because I escaped in a taxi early in the morning before he could wake up.

I just knew I wouldn't be able to face him in the morning following that night, so I left.

Now, as I look at him from across he cafeteria, he looks back with an uneasiness I can't quite contemplate. Then, ever so slowly, he turns to look at Madison and gives her a distinct nod.

And that's all it takes for her to squeal and throw her arms around me.

֍҉֍҉♥҉֍҉֍

'One second one second one second!' I shout from my room, pressing the Hand In button on my Assignments folder on Teams, and smiling in relief and satisfaction as I see it turn into Handed In. Then I rush downstairs where the others are waiting and get into the car.

It's really hard to find a parking spot in front of the convention centre, so we park a few streets away and walk, me and Julian holding either of Dylan's hands and swinging him.

'Higher!' he shouts, and we swing him again, laughing at his playfulness.

'Oh look!' aunt Jo says, holding my uncle's hand. 'That boy who used to come and play with Julian!'

Julian and I snap our heads towards the Mercedes Maybach right in front of the doors. There's a huge crowd of reporters around someone walking into the convention centre.

Dean Aldrois and his only son, Alaric Aldrois.

Julian's watching me for a reaction, but I don't give him one.

What he doesn't know, is that my lips feel tingly whenever I see him.

I don't know why I let him kiss me.

I don't know why I liked it.

I was probably just high from lack of sleep.

'Oh, my god! MagBV is here! No fucking way man! Oh, and SimonDOG too! Holy shit! Holy fucking shit!' Julian jumps in excitement.

'Language, Julian!' uncle Roland shakes his head, laughing.

The place is absolutely crowded with gamers and Julian disappears in a few seconds. I wander around with Dylan while Jo and Roland go and get food.

The whole centre doesn't really make sense to me, and I barely know anyone, but I spot some people from school and a few of them even wave back.

And then it's time for the awards.

I pass a crowd of people dressed up as characters, but Dylan tugs me back so he can take a few photos with them. By the time we're done, Dean Aldrois has already handed out half of the awards.

'Here. Have some cashews,' my uncle puts a handful of cashews in my hand and I shove then all in my mouth just to make Dylan laugh, as Julian lifts him up and places him on his shoulders.