WRITER IN THE DARK , neil perry

08

"you're back." todd said, placing his book down on his lap.

"yeah. is it okay if you don't tell charlie and them i'm back yet?" neil sighed, getting ready to go to bed.

"i won't." todd said, studying the expression on his roommate's face.

"are you okay?" he asked quietly.

neil hesitated before nodding. he was so embarrassed he got rejected like that. he didn't want to rush things, but he was starting to really like amélie. everytime they hung out he couldn't keep himself from smiling.

amélie had never felt that sick in her entire life. she went to bed with what felt like a pit in her stomach. it was guilt, but it still ached so badly. it hurt so much knowing that she had hurt neil. she had misread the whole situation, and maybe that was her fault for being so oblivious. after she woke up, she was still super tired. she hadn't gotten any sleep. her stomach hurt so badly she just couldn't fall asleep.

"hey." marianne frowned, startling amélie.

"oh, hi." she replied groggily, struggling to pull herself to sit up on her bed.

"i told the headmistress you weren't feeling well. she's agreed to let you stay in our dorm for the rest of the day, and get some rest."

amé smiled. "thank you, marianne."

marianne's goofy smile faded. "are you upset?" those words snapped amélie back into reality. she had totally forgotten what she had done for a moment there. everything felt okay, and then not again.

"i don't know." she pressed her lips together nervously, letting her shoulders drop down.

"sorry if i pressured you last night. i just want you to be happy, and not regret anything."

amé hesitated before replying. "it's fine. i still can't figure out what i'm feeling."

"okay. i hope you're-" mari started, before getting cut off by another voice.

"amélie! phone call." a girl knocked, calling from behind the door.

"shit." marianne frowned.

amélie gazed at mari one more time, before getting up and answering the phone.

"hello?" she gulped, barely whispering into the phone.

"hi?" a familiar voice replied, confused.

"hello?" she coughed, raising her voice.

"amélie?" the boy on the phone asked, making amé's lips curl into a smile.

"hi. is this knox overstreet?" she asked, brushing her fingers through her hair. she could tell.

"the one and only." knox replied, making amélie slightly giggle into the phone.

"so i was just calling wondering if you want to go out for dinner tonight? my treat." he asked, twirling the phone cord around his finger as he spoke.

amélie shouldn't be doing this. i mean, she'd already rejected one of his best friends by accident and now she's agreeing to go to dinner with him which could possibly be a date. she didn't want to misread the offer and have what happened with neil happen again, but before she could protest a response slipped out of her mouth. "that'd be lovely. i have been having a shitty day."

knox chuckled. "great. i'll be there at 8pm."

"okay. see you then." amélie mumbled into the phone, hanging it up immediately after.

"was that neil?" marianne asked, startling amé.

"no. knox." she said, turning around to face her friend.

"what?" mari asked, her eyes widening.

"i've agreed to go out to dinner with him." amé shrugged, watching marianne's facial expression change.

"you're kidding." she gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.

amélie's cheeks burned up. "i need something to take my mind off this, that's all."

marianne stared at her for a second. it wasn't her normal stare, it looked more judgmental then usual. "well, okay. i hope you're feeling better."

"thank you." amé forced a smile, walking past mari.

——————

amélie pulled her dress down, shivering. she stuffed her hands into her pockets and waited, swaying back and forth in the darkness. she watched knox approach her from far away, and was overthinking all of this. maybe this wasn't right, and maybe she should just go inside and go back to bed.

"hey." he waved, amé walking towards him.

"hi." she nodded. the air was silent, until knox spoke again.

"should we go?"

amélie chuckled. "oh, yeah. of course."

the walk to the restaurant was actually very nice. amélie enjoyed laughing at all of knox's little jokes and such. when they got there, it was beautiful. amé had never been to a restaurant like this.

"this is kind of fancy." she giggled, sitting down at her seat across from knox's.

"i know. that's why i brought you here." he shrugged, a grin on his face.

"well, thank you. it's great to be away from marianne and her friends." amélie smiled, her cheeks growing rosy.

"is she still friends with cindy simon?" knox asked, beginning to read the menu.

"yeah, why?"

"neil and her were kind of a thing." he shrugged, making amélie freeze. her stomach dropped as he spoke.

knox noticed the look on amé's face, and quickly tried to save what he said. "a long time ago, but she's still really protective of him."

"you can tell." amélie muttered, grabbing a menu off the table and beginning to read it.

"how long were they together?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the fancy menu.

"about a year." knox replied, only making amé feel worse.

"oh." she managed to utter, her voice low. that's why he went pale when he saw her face again. it hurt amé. it made her want to throw up.

before knox could say anything, the waiter came and took their order.

"i thought your club was at this time." amélie titled her head, looking at a clock that was hung on the wall behind knox.

"yeah, normally. neil's been really upset about something and didn't really want to meet up tonight." he replied, making amé's stomach drop again.

"fuck." she groaned, planting her face in her hands.

"all the boys think it's because of you." knox chuckled.

"it is."

"i figured. what'd you do?"

"he tried kissing me and i pulled away." amé muttered, lifting her head.

"that's why he didn't say anything after he got home." knox nodded, making amé feel even worse.

"i feel really bad, but i thought we were just friends. the conversation got heated, and i had a lot on my mind. it just- caught me off guard. i think he's nice, charming, handsome." she trailed off, making knox raise an eyebrow.

"but we don't have to talk about neil." amé quickly added, making knox laugh.

amélie ate some of the best food she'd ever had in her life, and had a lot of fun with knox. she completely forgot about their conversation before and was happy about it. that night knox walked her home, and amé was relieved it hadn't turned into anything romantic. she was glad just to have someone to joke around with.