Chapter Seven
1699 Words
BLAKE
Elena really was a goody-good shoe. Lucian would love her. But I was really worried about the rest of Paegeia when this sort of news would be made public. They were going to force Paegeia down her throat. That was for sure.
"What is your favorite color?" I asked.
"Green," she said and looked around.
"Green?"
"Yes, forest green."
"Are you saying that because you are surrounded by it, or is that really your favorite color?"
"No," she chuckled. "It's really my favorite color. Yours?"
"Depends on the day and mood. I love colors." I smiled as I said it but telling her now that forest green was my favorite too, well, I doubt that she would buy it.
"Okay, what is it today?"
"Forest green."
She laughed and shook her head.
She was still nervous, and I cannot believe that she never did this before, skipping class. It was fun.
"Favorite holiday?" She asked.
"Christmas," I answered.
"Why?"
"Because it's the one day that is peaceful."
She nodded her head slowly, thinking about my answer. "So, I take it that your life isn't peaceful?"
"I'm a bit of a mess."
"No, you don't say." Her sarcasm came through, and I chuckled.
"Not in the way that you think. I'm more in a rebellion stage, and I guess that is the main reason why my dad asked me to come with him? Make me feel a bit useful."
"Useful. You are eighteen, Blake. What responsibilities do you have to make you feel useless at this age."
"Good question, but I'm afraid you are not ready yet for that answer."
"Urgh, now you sound like my father?"
I squinted. "What do you mean?"
She shook her head and huffed. "Nothing, forget I said it."
It was a slip-up. Did she know about dragons?
"Please, I'm going to die of curiosity if you do not tell me."
She laughed. "You won't. It's just his job. Sometimes I feel that he is not totally honest with me, and when I ask him straight out, he gives me that answer. That I'm not ready yet."
Shit, Jako didn't tell her? My father was not going to love this.
"So, what does your father do?"
"I told you he has a high-security job that needs him in other places from time to time."
"Three months?"
"Yes, three months." She smiled. She was lying. Her body and facial features changed when she lied. She didn't look at me at all.
"You lying to me now?"
"No," she smiled. "Why do you want to know?"
"I'm curious."
She took a deep breath and shook her head.
"You can trust me."
"I don't know you that well, Blake, and from what I'm seeing, I'm not completely sure that I can trust you."
My lips curved. "What because I smoke and drink?"
"Yes, those are not good qualities."
"It's just a habit, Elena, says nothing about my character."
"I beg the differ."
"So, you going to ask me to stop drinking and smoking now?"
"You would do that?"
"I might. It depends."
"Depends on what?"
I chuckled again, and she growled in frustration.
"Fine, don't tell me."
"So, what is it going to take for you to trust me, saving your life?"
She laughed. "You think my life needs saving?"
"I don't know. You seem like a damsel in distress. Maybe you don't even know it. Maybe that is why your father doesn't want to tell you the truth?"
She stared at me. I hit a nerve.
I just stared at her. "Did I say something wrong?" I squinted softly.
"No, you might have just said something right, for once," she mumbled the last part and went immediately in thought.
"You think that is why your father moves every three months?"
"I told you my father is in a high-security defense job, Blake. No, it's not why we move every three months." She was lying again. The high-security job was just a cover story. She has no idea why they were moving. This was making this situation twenty times worse.
"Then why did you zone out on me?"
She laughed. "Can we please change the subject? You are way too observant than I thought."
I shrugged. "I'm great when it comes to reading people."
"Mm, I can tell."
I chuckled. "Okay fine, the subject changed. Favorite music?"
"Everything. I love music. Yours?"
"Mine," I said.
She gasped. "You write music?"
"I'm in a band, or was. We had a bit of a fall out before I left."
"Can you play an instrument?"
"A few."
"Oh, man," she chuckled, and I laughed too. "You are the ultimate rocker, aren't you?"
"I don't know about the ultimate rocker, but yes, I love to perform."
"Are you any good?"
"I guess you will have to see. You haven't answered a question, what is your favorite holiday?"
"Halloween. My dad used to take me trick or treating. It was some of the best memories I had, and I guess it's why Halloween is my favorite. Christmas is a bit somber in our house, and we really do not celebrate the rest." She sighed.
Jako, what are you doing? I couldn't help but wonder why he was doing this. Was it because of this colony that was chasing them? Why he never told Elena? Now that was the question of the century.
"You don't celebrate the others?"
"No," she smiled. "Please don't ask me why? My dad is a bit paranoid because of his job."
"The high-security job."
"Yes," she spoke slowly. She must pick up that I didn't believe that at all.
"It's fine. You will tell me the truth when you are ready."
"Why do you think that I'm not telling you the truth now."
"I'm great at reading people, Elena. I already know your quirk when you are not completely honest."
"Shut up."
"It's okay. I get that you do not trust me yet, but you will. Soon, with your life."
She chuckled again. "My life does not need saving."
"I beg the differ."
"Why do I get a feeling you know more than what you are supposed to. Who are you exactly, Blake?" She asked.
I chuckled. "I don't think you would believe me if I do tell you. Maybe your father is right about that one thing."
"Try me."
"Oh, so now you want me to trust you, but you can't give me the same courtesy."
"It's not the same."
"It's exactly the same, Elena."
"Okay, fine. Whatever. You are freaking me out just a little."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm just f*****g around a bit," I smiled.
"That is not nice, Blake. That says a lot about your character. Taking my insecurities and mess around with me."
"Oh, so your dad and what you feel that he is hiding something from you are insecurities now?"
She grunted again. "Why do you do that?"
I chuckled. "I told you, I want to know you, Elena, but you are so closed up."
"And there is a reason for that, I told you, opening up to people only leaves me with heartache when I had to move again, Blake."
"Heartache is part of life, Elena."
"That it is, but too much heartache is not good," she sighed.
"So, his moving around has taken a toll on you? You spoke to him about it?"
"Yeah, many times, and he just keeps telling me that he has no choice."
"Why did your mother left?" Was it Tanya?
"I would love to know that too. Maybe she was tired of the moving around the part."
"Then why didn't she take her with you?"
"That is a question I would love an answer to as well."
"Sorry I didn't know."
"It's okay. You couldn't have known."
"You think it's because of what your father does?"
She nodded. "It could. He didn't want to tell me, so she might have figured it out."
"And yet she didn't take you with her? That doesn't make any sense."
"Maybe she didn't want me then."
"That is just ridiculous." I tried to make her feel less unwanted. She was really complexed. I get why Jako was doing this, but I didn't understand why he was so paranoid that they didn't even celebrate other holidays.
"So, you have any friends here? Taking that you move around, you must be a newbie too?"
She nodded. "No, I learn the hard way that I'm not privileged enough to have friends."
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Elena. It's your choice."
"It hurts when I have to leave, and I told you my father is paranoid. Telling him about you are not going to happen?"
"Why not?"
"Because he would dig up everything he can about you and make you feel uncomfortable."
I laughed. "Let him. He might actually be surprised by what he finds."
She smiled again. She looked so much like her father. She had his smile and eyes, but there are definitely parts of queen Catherine in her too. Her chin for ones, and her cheekbones.
They would've been great parents.
"You are not afraid of anything, are you?" She asked.
"Nope?"
"We are so not compatible, Blake."
"Why do you say that?"
"I'm afraid of everything. The things I know, the things I don't know."
"Tell me what terrifies you. The things you know."
She took a deep breath. "You?" she spoke softly.
My lips curve. "I terrify you," well, she wasn't wrong. She had no idea the beast that was lingering inside of me.
"Yes, you. I know you for about three days, and I can't seem to escape you, whether you are with me or not." She shut her eyes, and I laughed. She slipped up a lot.
"You think a lot about me?"
"C'mon Blake, all the girls think about you. The last time I checked, I am a girl. What terrifies me is that I seem to be the focal point of your attention, and that terrifies me."
"Why?"
"Because in two months, I won't be here, and I'm never going to see you again."
"You really believe that?"
"It's been my life for the past fifteen years. Yes, I do believe that."
"So, you don't think that I would keep in touch?"
"It's not the same, and you know that."
I chuckled, remembering what my dad told me about my looks.
"And that is what terrifies you?"
"Yes, it does. I'm not good at saying goodbye. It's one of the reasons I do not make friends. It's hard. On me even harder."
Silence lingered.
"So as much as I enjoyed this, please, just stop, okay. Because I do not think it's easy to say goodbye to someone like you."
She got up and put her backpack over her shoulder.
I couldn't get up or follow her. I couldn't even tell her to stop. It was as if an invisible force were holding me in place.
No, this cannot be happening.
- Writer
