See The Light 💜✨

xiii.

"So," Melody suddenly materialized in front of me a couple days later as I sat at a picnic bench eating a banana,"are you going to the Floating Lanterns Day event?"

"The what?" I asked with my mouth full, not noticing until Alex sat next to her.

I wasn't expecting him to just show up so I choked on my food, causing me to go into a coughing fit.

Melody raised an eyebrow,"You okay?"

"Uh, yeah, just...explain what this lantern thing is."

"It's a day inspired by my parents and their story..they're gonna be here and it's actually a really fun thing, we all get a friend or partner or whatever and get into a boat and float a lantern inspired by our heritage at exactly midnight. It sounds more fun than it actually is," Alex explained it so even if he explained it as a boring seminar type of thing, I'd still want to go.

"Uh huh.." I contemplated,"And who would be in a boat with me?"

Melody shrugged,"Who do you want to be with you is the question. I mean, it's still a few months away and before Cotillion so you don't have to worry about it now."

I glanced at Alex but I don't think he saw me as he was picking at the table with his fingernails,"Who were you guys planning on going with?"

"Well, I was going with Laddie but since he still hasn't apologized.." Melody crossed her arms and I furrowed my eyebrows.

Considering how upset Laddie had been about upsetting her, I would've thought he would've at least mumbled "sorry" to her while passing her or something.

"What about you, Alex?" I asked.

He looked up from the table,"Oh, I hadn't really thought of it yet."

""Alex"?" Melody scrunched her nose,"That's one I've never heard of before."

"Why haven't you thought about it? I mean, it's your family's event."

Alex shrugged and sighed deeply,"I actually never really go on a boat, I usually just stay on the shore and release a lantern by myself so.."

"I'm sorry if I'm being repetitive but why?" I have no idea where this attitude of pushiness came from but I couldn't help it. He was too cute to be by himself for awhile.

"I guess I feel so much pressure about the event. Melody's always with Laddie and I have other friends but they usually have someone else."

"You know, if you asked Laddie, he'd do it with you," Melody brought a peanut butter sandwich out of her backpack, she took a bite,"He's been talking about it nonstop. Said it was a place to talk about big things this year."

Considering how Laddie looked at Alex the other day, how he was pleading in his eyes to touch him, I could see why it would be bad for me if he did.

"Uh," Alex looked at me, blinking with hope shimmering in his eyes,"how about you do it with me?"

"Really?" He sounded hopeful,"You'd be willing to?"

"Yeah, what about Carlos? Or Evie? Or Mal?" Melody said as she continued to stuff her face, sounding almost disinterested in the conversation.

"I love them but I think they'd rather beach out with their new friends, ya know? Maybe you should ask Carlos to go with you," I pointed out, making Melody stop eating and look up in wonder.

"You know..that's not a bad idea, he's a great guy," she then continued to chomp down on her sandwich.

I looked back at Alex,"What do you say?"

He stared off into space for a minute, his face portraying a few different images before he eventually looked up at me and smiled,"Yeah, I don't see why not."

•

I hadn't seen Laddie since that day and I honestly didn't even want to. He made me so stressed out that I wanted to cry every time he made a confrontation.

But I guess fate had other plans as I was walking down an empty hallway to head to tourney practice when he turned the corner.

He grimaced as he stopped in the hallway,"You know, I'm getting tired of seeing your ugly face."

"Really? I could say the same about you," I turned to get past him but he planted a hand on my shoulder

Here we go..

"Listen," he whispered harshly,"I see the way you look at him," my heart dropped to my feet,"and I know what you're doing. Trying to get closer to him, getting closer to Melody."

He leaned in closer,"Just know that you won't get closer with me. There's no way to get to him through me. I won't fight you anymore like before but, just know, I will be your living nightmare because I will protect him and Melody with my life," his lips nearly touched my ear as he rasped out,"Got it?"

I looked into his eyes, copying the amount of anger and resentment that he showed to me in that moment,"Got it..but there's something you also need to know."

He cocked his head slightly as I leaned in to counteract his confidence,"I know your secret about him."

I watched his face go slack as I backed up, bringing my bag closer to my shoulder before I walked down the hallway and out the big set of double doors that lead to the outside.

Smiling to myself knowing that I made the one thing keeping me from Alex quake in his shoes.