Fallen Queen

~ C H A P T E R F I F T E E N ~

Reason died so long ago that most are zombies to some degree or other, all seeking "brains to consume" - hence social media. The hordes are whores for ideas and have no capacity to make sense of them. They will support nonsense with as much force as sense. They will ask for explanations they have no capacity to comprehend- and then blame you, ridicule you, set others against you.

Unless you become the horde master.

I stare. I just stare. My skin grows just the slightest bit moist with sweat, I presume. I stare, with an unfathomable expression at the article she shoves into my face. My voice has grown quiet- but I'm pleased that I'm not giving off a shocked, drama-queen worthy reaction.

"That's me," I voice out, sounding totally composed, but really, this is a tad bit surprising. Twice in a row? And they've managed to get their hands on some background intel on me as well, coming along with a few very old pictures.

"No, I totally thought you had a twin you lost in the Apple Carnivals," Melian snorts and then removes her legs from my coffee table and leans forward. "This could mean a whole scandal, Isa. Don't be so careless."

"Look, Melian," I reasoned with her, "It's as professional as it comes. Wolfe is my boss, I'm an economic analyst who works in the multinational company he owns and has founded. It's not like we're dating!" I put my arms up in the air, exasperated by the happenings that today has entailed. I lean back, my face towards the ceiling, "People are so exhausting."

"Don't you think I don't know about the first article either, Isa?"

I'm sure shocked but I eye her carelessly. "Do whatever you want to. This doesn't mean shit."

"That's what you know!" She argues, "Don't mess around with Wolfe Theodore, Achelois," she says in a serious warning, "He's not the boy you used to be friends with."

"Are you kidding me, Ian?" I laugh at her mirthlessly, "When were we even friends? Stop daydreaming, for Jesus's sake."

"You're still not taking me seriously, Achelois," she snaps, "Listen to me." She sighs and looks at the ceiling, and then out of the glass windows, her eyes trained hard behind me. "A lot has happened when you were in Montreal. Trust me, he's not the same. Wolfe Theodore isn't fucktard anymore- he's ascended to being the most wanted gazillionaire bachelor of the entire world, probably. He's way more popular and wanted than you think," she says it like it's a burden, "Stay away from him. He'll get away, he'll leave you to fix the rest of it. I don't want to-" she huffs, "You're cautious about stuff like this. I shouldn't be explaining this to you."

"Like you said right now, Melian," I grunt, "You know I'm not that type. And it's just called being old acquaintances. And this," I point at the photos of us fighting in the gym, "I had just gone to train with Elide. He showed up out of the blue and told me it was his gym and it was his offer to spar."

"Like I said, again, Isa!" she sort of scolds, "THAT'S SOMETHING YOU KNOW, NOT THE MEDIA! YOU'VE BEEN TARGETED TWICE NOW," her tone softens and she sighs, "Whatever you do isn't the concern of the media- they like to spice things up all the time. Considering how high the gym is situated," she closes her eyes and I see the tension in the crinking of her brows, "Whoever released this picture toiled quite a bit. That means they knew you were up there. It was like a set-up plan."

"What do you-" I stop abruptly in the midst of my snapping as her last analysis starts making more sense than it should. "There were only me, Elide and Wolfe-" I let my voice fade away as I tried to put broken jigsaw pieces together in my head, yet I just have a few pieces- a major part of the story is missing.

"I don't know who did it and why they did it, Isa," she says, her voice concerned and worried, "You need to be careful about your surroundings. Who they're associating you with isn't a mere guy. Nor is all of this a random accusation by Raven back at highschool about you and Wolfe in a dity relationship. This is," she stretches her arms sideways, "-a way bigger issue."