Mr. Hollingsworth.

Ch. 31 Moonlight.

Alexander's P.O.V.

Alice didn't say she loved me back, she went completely silent, and has been avoiding the topic, and despite my best efforts it stung.

I don't what compelled me to read Alice's journal, but I found myself opening it once again. Alice walked in as I opened it, and I looked up. "It's okay." She whispered, before I could apologize. "I gave it you for a reason. I could never tell you about my past, but I can use my past to explain it to you." She said, then she went off to brush her teeth. She couldn't tell me, because she can't think about it without crying, or going into her extremely reserved mode. Slowly I started reading.

Today, I learned what life support was. It was a demon that possessed dead people and kept them alive. When I visited my mother after school, she was corpse with a beating heart. Her skin was starch white, and her dark blue veins webbed her arms, and her whole body. My hand slowly rested on her's, she was in a coma. People say when people are in comas they can hear what's going on around them, and I hoped my mother couldn't. Because I broke my promise, and I cried. My tears splattered against her sickly skin, and I felt sadness poison my heart. I begged for her to wake, but she didn't move an inch. I don't know what happened to me, but something in my mind snapped. Slowly I stood up, stroking her face, I planted a kiss on her cheek, and left the hospital.

I walked all the way to the home improvement store and bought a brush and two cans of white paint. Then I carried it back to my house and to my room. Dad was at work. I still don't know what he'll do when he sees. But I started ripping my posters off of the walls, taking away everything that made my room look happy. I threw it all away, everything but the bare essentials, and I put things I loved in the closet where I'm writing this now. Then I painted my walls. My walls were bright pink, and orange. But I painted them white. I just kept painting over them until not one streak of color was left. Then I threw away the brush and remaining paint.

What's wrong with me?

Sighing, I closed the journal and looked around. As I put the journal down, Alice walked back in, except she wasn't in her pajamas any more. She was in ripped up jeans and a flannel. Alice wore a crazy grin. "Come on Alex, I have something to show you." Slowly I got up, and she dragged me outside.

"Where are we going?" She surprised me by shushing me. Then she burst out running, and I even struggled to keep up. She had my hand laced through her's and she was dragging me with her. We reached a field, and the stars illuminated the sky, she stared up at the sky, and closed her eyes with a smile on her face. "I've never taken anyone here before." She murmured. I paused in surprise. "My dad was the one who showed me this place. He told me that if you stayed here long enough the stars would take away your pain. I know it's childish but I always come here." She explained. I stared her in surprise.

She tightened her grip on my hand before I could pull back. Turning to me, she gave me a small smile. "My whole life, I've been able to deal with mean people because nothing could make me more sad than I already was," She started, I stared at her in surprise, speechless, "I was wrong, but I pretended like I wasn't. For some reason I was punishing myself. Self destructive. I intentionally put myself in situations that hurt me, over and over. Then I met you," She took my other hand, and held our hands in between us. "I thought you were so hot, and really scary. Terrifying, but when I developed feelings for you, it just terrified me more." She has feelings for me? I was still unable to muster words, "I was so scared to get attached to you, because I felt like I was cursed. My mother died, then when my father. I felt like everyone I loved was doomed to die, and I internalized that pain. You were the first person I've ever met who got worked up over me so fast. It was terrifying, and I didn't want to get hurt. I didn't want to hurt you. Because I'm scared to feel. I hate myself so much," she admitted, "I just didn't understand how someone could like me. Love me." She looked up at me.

"When I invited you to come here with me, I convinced myself it was because we were friends," She pulled me close, and looked into my eyes. "But it's so much more than that." Alice whispered, my heart stopped for a few seconds in surprise. "I don't know what it's like to love someone. I distanced myself from everyone when they got close, but you, I never got away from. You were so persistent. You've shown me Alexander." She said, "Shown you what?" I asked slowly.

"What love is."

She kissed my lips lightly, and I realized we were in a position to slow dance.

The star and moonlight illuminated us.

Slowly she started singing, a hauntingly beautiful voice that rang out through the fields, and she started swaying. We started slow dancing. She was still singing as she leaned her head against my chest, and we stayed out there until sunrise.
    Alice loved me back. It was the whole reason I was here.