Blue Moon

Prologue

"Lexie, Venson is waiting for you in his room upstairs," Ma, aka Auntie Venus, told me as I pulled my bags out to the car. "He said he wanted to talk to you."

"Thank you Ma," I said and she smiled before pulling my bags out with the others.

I slowly made my way upstairs to his room, scared of what he wanted to talk about. I stopped when I stood in front of his door, debating whether or not to knock.

I breathed in and pushed the door open, revealing Venson standing tall by the window looking down as our families chattered away. "You wanted to see me, Bugs?"

He turned around, slouching and a dark red carnation in his hand. Slowly, he walked over to me, tucked my hair behind me ear and inserted the flower in my hair.

Dark red carnation is the flower which had a special meaning to us. It symbolizes deep love and affection that we have for one another. If we were ever away from each other, we return with the dark red carnation and give it to each other to show our love.

"Bunny, I- I—" he started but closed his mouth, not saying anything.

"Bugs, please—" I started but suddenly he threw his hands around me, pulling me into a deep and longing embrace. In that moment, I knew was was nowhere else that I'd wanted to be. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer and burying my face in the crease of his neck.

"Please stay with me, Bunny," Venson begged, his voice breaking.

"I can't," I sniffled back the tears as they rolled down my eyes, uncontrollably.

"Please?" He whispered against my ear, shuddering.

"Let me go, Bugs, please don't make this harder than it already is," I whispered, trying to pull away but he didn't let go. "Bugs, please."

We slowly pulled apart but he grabbed my hand and held on tightly. My eyes traveled up to his face, his eyes were red and puffy from all the crying he had been doing.

"Bunny, I- I don't know what I will do without you," He started and I looked away. "I can't live without you for five minutes, let alone five years. You'll return when you're like eighteen."

"At least I'll return," I said, looking at him. "I can't stay here if my family is leaving."

"I thought I was your family too," he retorted, saddened and hurt by my statement.

"You are, but I have to go," I kept on repeating myself as if it was a mantra.

"Will you return with Blake after a year?" He asked and I shook my head. "Why not?"

"Bugs, I have already applied for the program in Paris unlike Blake who is still bounded in a contract here," I answered him.

I took a step back, pulled my hand away but he held onto it tightly. "Bunny, you're all I have right now. I can't loose my best friend, please don't leave."

"You have our friends and you will be just fine. Please let go," I said but he held onto my hand, firmly. "Please, Bugs?"

"I won't hold your hand again if I let go this time, Alexandria," he finally spoke up, shocking me and even himself because he said my actual name instead of the nicknames we have for each other. His expressions hardened and changed from emotional to vulnerable to anger. "Ever again."

He waited for me to say something and so did I but nothing came out of my mouth. I stood still as a statue when he said those words.

Ever again. His voice echoed in my head.