Dancing With The Devil

Chapter 7

-Eleanors POV-

We walked down the street side by side with our hands deep in our pockets. A sight I would have never imagined happening.

'Let's play a game' Freddie smiled looking at me. When Freddie genuinely smiled, there was almost a twinkle in his grey eyes

'OK' I replied, wearily. A game?

'I ask you a question and then you ask me one, seem fair enough?' He asked gesturing his hands towards me.

'OK, you first' I looked down at the ground waiting for his question.

'OK, an embarrassing story?' He smirked.

I had so may embarrassing stories, I had plenty of options. I felt the heat fill my cheeks remembering the time I fell in to the school well or the time I stood in dog poo at a pool party with no shoes on. That was pretty embarrassing. Everyone seen and I had no way to hide it.

I let out a light laugh before I answered his question. 'I was on a date, I was about 19 at the time and he invited me to dinner. The morning of the date I wasn't feeling great but I didn't want to blow him off. So he picked me up and brought me to a fancy restaurant. The waiter came over to take our order and I puked everywhere.'

My cheeks were burning, but I didn't care. Yes it was embarrassing but I look back at it and laugh.

Freddie burst in to a hysterical laugh. It wasn't his usual "chainsaw" deep laugh. This laugh was lighter. He threw his head back when he laughed and reminded me of a little kid.

'Yeah, as you can imagine I haven't heard from him since'

We continued to walk down the street and into the nearby park.

It was my turn to ask a question. I had so many to ask but I didn't want to ask him something that would make him angry or upset. But I still wanted to know something important to him,

'Favourite childhood memory?' I finally asked. His eyes slightly squinted when he was thinking and he moved his pursed lips from side to side, considering his options.

'It not that great, but I always remember my dad pushing me on the swing during the summer. Mum sat on a blanket, playing with a doll, while Effy laughed. It was a time when everything in my family seemed normal'

He realised he was leading off topic and quickly snapped back to reality. He cleared his throat and looked away.

'And now it isn't?' I asked before thinking it through. I looked away expecting him to get angry or snap at me and tell me to mind my own business. But he didn't.

'Isn't the rule one question?' He smirked.

'But no it isn't' he sat down on a bench and I sat down next to him. 'My dad was an abusive scumbag, who drank himself to the grave, mums doing the exact same.'

'I'm sorry' I was going to ask if that was why he harmed himself but I've asked enough for now.

He shook his head, his eyebrows creased. 'Don't feel sorry for me'

There was an awkward silence between us. I sat looking out to the park. It was dark. The stars were twinkling above us.

'Your go' I declared sitting up on the bench.

'OK' he cleared his throat again and turned to me. 'Does everyone think I'm crazy?'  

'Yes' I nodded. 'But aren't we all' I smiled.

'I don't like people labeling me before the even know me.' My mind went back to Naomi and Tanya talking about how crazy Freddie was over dinner.

'I understand'