Dark Depth

Chapter 14

Aleks ~

I saw Fallon a couple of times during school and she smirked at me, which was her way of waving or saying 'Hello'.

So in the end I began smirking back to her and exaggerating a wave. She would laugh softly and walk away until I saw her again and we would repeat the process.

"Dude," Jesse laughed. "What the hell is going on between you two?"

"What? She's just my friend, come on." I said, partial truth.

"Whatever man," Jesse said as Troye showed up.

"Would you like me to bring up Fern?" I grinned.

"Oh yeah," Troye smirked. "Where did you two go yesterday?"

"Eff off," Jesse said angrily.

"Oh my god he swore," Troye joked. "Oh good lord Aleks! What do we do now? Should we run? Should we hide?"

"All of the above," I laughed.

We passed Fern and she was giggling with a friend of hers, waving at Jesse as she did so. He waved back smiling. She was really very pretty, wearing a simple summer dress and pumps, her hair in a classic bun on top of her head.

"Ooooo," Troye said. "Nothing huh."

"Shut up." Jesse said but he was laughing.

"Did you put my book back?" I said suddenly remembering.

"The one I borrowed yesterday? No, I think it's still in the basement." Jesse said. "Sorry man."

"Damn," I shook my head. "Okay nevermind I'll get it later I guess."

************

I found myself outside after school, on the grounds. Jesse's photography club didn't understand the concept of the bell and were still taking picture upon picture.

I watched him for a bit, my back resting against a tree. He was laughing with this group of people I didn't know. Fern was in it, I observed. She shoved him and laughed again delight spreading through her face.

I couldn't tell what I was feeling, I wanted to cheer Jesse on until he kissed her. But I stayed quiet and reserved. Ignoring this side of me completely.

I stood up and grabbed a cup of coffee from the coffee shop in which I had met Fallon. Sipping it, I replaced the warmth the bitter winds had stolen from me.

I ignored the bustling people around me and considered falling away from everything again. And that's exactly what I did.

I sat in my empty dorm room with a bowl of popcorn and my book I had retrieved from the basement. Slowly, I began falling away again, ignoring people and getting stuck in my tiny head, in my own world.

A few knocks sounded on the door and I irritably answered it. Fern stood there, her face fresh as a dandelion, her red hair spilling about it like blood and green eyes that stared piercingly into ones soul.

"I'm sorry-" She stopped.

"Aleks," I said holding out my hand. "I'm Aleks." She didn't take my hand.

"Is Jesse there?" She asked and I shook my head. Her face drooped and she seemed upset.

"Okay then thanks," she ran down the hall and I shut the door on her.

Well, that could have been better. Wasn't she just with Jesse? Why would she lose him so quickly?

I decided to leave it alone as Troye came into the room, distressed.

"Did you see that?" He yelled.

"Evidently not." I replied.

"James just massacred a bunch of us on Ghosts!" Troye said. "Where the hell did he even get that good?"

"There's only three controllers..." I said questioning his "bunch of us".

"Online you ass." Troye said. "We were playing online for gods sake and he killed us."

I laughed at his despair. James came into the room screaming with delight.

"FUCK YEAH!" He yelled shoving Troye and doing elaborate dance moves to show off his victory.

"Dude you're so high," I laughed.

"Now, where's my 20 bucks you owe me?" He screamed and me being unsure of whom he was addressing held up both hands in surrender.

Troye grumbled and fished for 20 bucks in his wallet. He handed them over unhappily.

"Owned!" James said happily sprawling out on Jesse's bed.

"Whatever." Troye said grabbing a pillow and stuffing it in James's face, suffocating him.

"Oi," I said chucking my pillow at Troye. "If you kill him, we'll never hear the end of it."

"What does that mean?" James gasped.

"Oh he means you'll come back to haunt our asses." Troye said sitting back and hugging the pillow to his chest.

"Damn right," James laughed.

They left after an hour of laughing over nothing. Jesse wasn't back yet and I assumed that he had found Fern.

I sighed and laid my head back on the pillow, eyes shutting slowly, mind swirling to a complete stop making the worrying go for a bit.