The door closes and he looks up. "Why'd you leave?" I ask and he smiles cruely. "You don't get it," he says and turns away, moving towards the wall. "Don't get what?" I ask. "You just don't," he says. "Alaric, you have to tell me or I won't know and I can't help." I say and he shakes his head. I step directly in front of him and he stops. His gray eyes are wild, the color before the storm turns into a hurricane. "They don't want you, they wanted someone quiet who'd never dream of more than gray. They wanted someone who was the exact opposite of you," he says. "Why does that matter? Why does what they think matter?" "Because it just does. Things with me, with them, will never be easy. They'll always be trying to find ways to get rid of you." He says. My back hits the wall and Alaric is right in front of me. "I don't care," I say. Alaric's parents don't matter, they can't force him to do anything and they won't have any power once Alaric becomes the Military Commander. Alaric's eyes close and his forehead rests against mine. He turns away and starts pacing again. Adabelle Dirani lives a world she knows is nowhere near perfect. With a new and mysterious Military Commander coming into power, Adabelle feels her odds of being chosen as his wife are slim. However, Alaric sees something unique in Adabelle, that he's drawn to. With Alaric often busy as the next Military Commander, Adabelle finds herself spending time in the company of his Advisor, Sebastian. She can't deny the attraction she feels for Sebastian with his boyish good looks and charm. Adabelle can't help but be intrigued by Alaric Reed with his intense gray gaze and quiet brooding. His guarded demeanor only adds to the alluring desire she feels with him. As Adabelle struggles with her the feelings, an Epidemic rages relentlessly through the world. Adabelle is determined to uncover the cause behind them and it might destroy their love. With a world corrupted, can she find love and live in the gray?

❝Hello, this is the Starb-❞ ❝HEEELP ME!! PLEASE! THERE'S A MURDERER IN MY HOUSE!❞ ❝OH SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!! WHAT DO I DO?! THIS IS STARBUCKS, NOT FREAKING 911. WAIT, HOLD ON. TRY TO KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE, I'LL CALL 911!! STAY CALM. IT'S GOING TO BE O- ❞ ❝Wait...did you just say Starbucks?❞ ❝Um...yeah?❞ ❝They have a hotline?❞ ---- fun conversations between two Potterheads over the Starbucks hotline. [highest rank: #6 in short story] [highest rank: #2 in short story 5/6/17]