A Bet With The Devils

Chapter 14: In A Moment Of Distress Cover It Up With Your Girly Mess

"So Elliana," Victor looks at me. "Tell us about how you're doing."

"I'm doing fine," I answer.

"Have you talked to someone about your sister?" He asks. "Someone outside this group?"

Fuck.

"No," I shake my head.

"Why not?" Victor asks and I gulp.

I don't want the sad puppy eyes or the i-feel-sorry-for-you look.

"People will feel sorry for me," I tell him "and I don't want that.

"I think you don't want to face her death," Victor says and I look down at my hands.

No, that's not true. I did face her death.

"You don't want to tell anyone," he continues "because it makes it real. You left your home which is where it all happened and you got away from the aftermath. So you don't talk about it and you don't tell people because you'd have to face what you ran away from."

I didn't run. I was sent.

"You have to talk to someone," Victor gives me a stern look. "By the end of day and then you'll share how it made you feel. Okay?"

"Okay," I nod feeling a heavy lump in my stomach.

***

"What's wrong?" Alex asks leaning against his locker.

"Nothing," I fake a smile as I shove my history book into my bag.

I'm just trying to find someone to talk to about my dead sister.

Yup, nothing is wrong.

"For a moment I thought I had died and gone to heaven," Alex says moving closer towards me, a smirk on his face. " Now I see that I am very much alive, and heaven has been brought to me."

"Shut up," I say successfully holding back a smile.

Not in the mood.

"You're so beautiful that you made me forget my other pickup line," he smiles moving slightly closer.

"Stop," I shake my head, still being able to hold back a smile.

Okay that was good, but I'm still not in the mood.

"If I had a star for every time you brightened my day," Alex smirks. "I'd have a galaxy in my hand."

This time, I break a smile not being able to hold it back anymore.

Damn it.

Well, what can I say? The guy is good with words.

"You're an idiot," I smile and he smiles back.

"But I managed to make you smile," he says. "So I'm a successful idiot. . . . who you dream of at night."

"Okay," I roll my eyes.

Should I tell him?

"I hate seeing you sad," Alex wraps his arm around my shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Should I?

"Yeah," I lie.

"Good," he smiles. "Now let's get off this gloomy mood. I hate sad stuff."

Right.

***

"I found one more source," Vinny says as I take my seat in our history class.

"That's good," I take a hold of the folder he has on his hand before opening it.

It's an essay written by a historian on the long term effects of the War of 1812.