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I was already tired of him. Not one hour on the train, and Mason was with a group of people, talking and giggling, like they were part of a recorded audience or something. The moment we were dropped at the station, they gravitated toward him like planets to the sun, and I had gratefully given way to them.
He didn't even notice when I walked away. How could he stand being knocked about in the middle of that sweaty and babbling crowd? My head pounded just thinking of it.
If he actually expected me to keep my promise about not avoiding him, then he was sorely mistaken. He had enough friends; I would just take up the much needed space. This was my time to start over, and I was going to do it properly, without Mason royally fucking me over.
I leaned my head against the wide, clear glass window and watched the scenery fly by. Fields, and mountains and oceans blurred together in a blend of color and vague lines. The seat beside me and the two facing me where empty. I had deliberately chosen the emptiest car. The farther away from Mason the better.
"Hello?" A voice behind me said.
"I don't know where he is, check the car behind us," I grunted without looking up.
Several girls had already come up to me asking about Mason. Apparently they noticed us getting out of the same car and thus officially deemed me his keeper.
"Huh? I was going to ask if I could sit here."
I looked up to see a girl with dark purple hair, deep red lips and dark eyeliner. Her black painted fingernails clutched the seat to steady herself from the trains jolting.
"S-sure. Of course you can," I stuttered, and wiped the drool I knew was coating the side of my face.
"Thanks," the girl said. "But what was that you said? Where you sleep talking or something?"
"No, I thought you were asking about Mason, a few people came here asking about him, so I thought that was…what you wanted," I said.
Her eyes were coated in a dark purple powder and she leaned on the armrest. "Who's Mason?"
"That really handsome tall guy, w-with the snowy white hair and all the people gathered around him. He's in one of those long cars."
"Oh, oh!" she said in reverence, and her eyes lit up in recognition. "That guy? You know him? "
Involuntarily, my face sank into a deep grimace. Another worshiper had come to pay tribute. Even when he wasn't here Mason was ruining things.
"Yeah, I know him. He's in the other car."
I turned back to the window and inhaled deeply.
She shrugged and coughed uneasily. "Oh, I wasn't looking for him. I just don't know what all the hype is about. He doesn't seem all that great."
I could tell she merely said it as a way to placate my stormy expression. It always appeared whenever someone was paying attention to Mason. Yet no one had ever said that to me. The all mighty Mason wasn't that great? My vision began to blur as the tears stung my wide eyes. I never realized that love could engulf a person so readily and powerfully. This strange, gothic girl suddenly had my complete and utter devotion for eternity.
"Y-you're right," I said softly, trying to quell the tears. "H-he's not that great. He's not that great at all."
She raised an eyebrow and leaned back, but I threw my arms around her neck, drawing her close.
"He's not that great!" I sobbed suddenly.
She stiffened beneath me, but didn't pull back. "Are you ok?"
"No," I sniffed. "I'm Elyse, and I…I think I love you."
"Thanks?" she said and awkwardly patted my back. "I'm Melinda."
Ah, Melinda. The name of a goddess.
"Melinda. Melinda," I sighed. "That's a beautiful name."
She managed to unlock her neck from my grasp and gave me an odd look. "Thanks? You're awfully nice, aren't you?"
Me? Nice? Mason was the nice one. No one's ever called me nice before. Not since I was a little girl! It's always been either angry or grim or spastic.
"Thank you…thank you for being alive, Melinda," I said and drew my knees up. "I love you."
She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and watched me cuddle into the seat.
That was an excellent moment to fall asleep. When everything was right and good in the world. A sleep that came after a long gratifying day. Nothing could spoil this amazing moment of love and magic.
"Why are you crying?"
Fuck me.
Mason was clenching the seat and glaring at Melinda.
"None of your business, Mason," I said and faced the window.
"Would you know why?" he hissed menacingly.
"W-what? I- no! S-she just started crying. I don't k-know why!" Melinda stuttered and tapped my wrist to get my attention.
Mason's eyes were narrowed into dark slits, and his lips were twisted into a tight frown. Poor Melinda was blushing like a cherry and cowering slightly.
"Leave her alone!" I snapped and stood up. "This wonderful girl is Melinda and I love her!"
His eyes suddenly went wide and he looked at her then me than back at her in confusion.
"Love her? But you just met her! What did you do?" he growled angrily at her.
"Mason, stop yelling at her! Just because someone likes me better than you doesn't mean you can mistreat them!" I screamed.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he gritted.
I took a deep breath and then dropped back into my seat, never leaving his eyes. "Melinda thinks that you aren't that great. And she also thinks that I'm nice. There. That is why I was crying," I said imperiously and folded my arms.
Melinda nodded her head in sudden understanding. "Oh, that was why? I didn't know it meant that much to you. You're just flattered. You don't love me."
My eyes darted to hers. "Flattered? What do you mean?"
"Flattered," she repeated. "You know, like when you get a compliment or a present or something?"
"Com-pli-ment?"I repeated slowly. "L-like in the movies?"
They both stared at me with slack jaw expressions. I hope they didn't think I was stupid or something. I knew what a compliment was. It's that thing that the prince gives Cinderella when he sees her for the first time, right? The kind of stuff that only happens in books and stuff.
"No, like when someone says something nice to you," Melinda said. "Haven't you ever gotten a compliment before?"
I shook my head, but then Mason punched the seat.
"What? Yes you have!" he cried indignantly. "'Hey Elyse, you look nice today,' 'Hey Elyse, your English paper was great,' 'Hey Elyse, you're really smart.' Does that not ring a bell?"
I rolled my eyes and exchanged looks with Melinda who was edging away. "Oh you mean those things you say to throw me off my guard? I'm onto to your tricks, Mason."
"Seriously?" he screamed. "You have got to be kidding me! I've been saying these things for over 18 years and I get nothing. She says it once, and you fall in love with her? Is it me? Is there something wrong with me?"
Melinda shook her head timidly and I felt my heart seize up.
"You actually seem pretty nice," she said and smiled at him rosily.
What was wrong with her face?
"B-but, you said I was nice," I stammered.
Mason watched my bewilderment, and then a predatory grin spread across his face. Wait. I knew what the smile meant. It meant a quick and painful termination. Please no, Mason! It hasn't even been a full day! Have mercy!
"Well I think you're pretty nice too, Melinda," he said with a sugary tilt of his head.
She blushed and giggled a little bit. The sound made me sick to my stomach.
"It's kind of quiet in here isn't it?" Mason said and looked around. "You should really meet the other students, I bet they'd love to meet such a pretty girl as you. Why don't you sit with me?"
She nodded emphatically and stood up. I was completely speechless. She was leaving me for him? But she said I was nice! You all heard her!
They walked down the aisle with arms hooked, but before they reached the door, she looked back at me. My heart skipped a beat. I peeked at them over the seat I was kneeling on.
"Elyse, you should come with us," she said.
Before I could answer, Mason tugged her along. "No, she's fine here. Besides I don't think I want to share you with anyone else right now," he laughed.
Melinda stopped and gave me a worried look but I ducked down and pressed my back to the seat. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."
After a few seconds, I shot back up and continued watching them from behind the headrest. They were beaming and giggling as if walking just became the greatest thing on earth.
Mason slid the port door open for her and Melinda, the love of my life, crossed to the other car.
And just before he left too, he looked back at me and grinned spitefully.
I dug my nails into the seat to keep from jumping over and strangling him. Instead I settled with an angry hiss. "I hate you, Mason."
His smile fell abruptly, and he pressed his lips together before whipping out of the door too.
Perfect. Now I was completely alone. I sank into the seat and covered my face with my hands. Why did he always have to do this to me? Every time I find that one person that I could actually start to like he always finds a way to steal them away. It was like a math equation.
If I 'X' get a friend 'Y' than Mason 'M' will automatically negate the situation.
X + Y = – M + Y.
But if that's the case, then wouldn't X equal M? Ugh, even mathematics isn't on my side!
Then again, I never did have that many friends.
Maybe it's my fault.
Maybe Kathy was right. "You know, if you just behaved a little better, he might actually start talking to you rather than mocking you," she'd said.
I did overreact sometimes. I was always found some reason to be angry, and never took time to relax. People were always tense around me, like I was an active volcano that could erupt at any moment.
My mom always said I should be more sympathetic to people and try my best to help them. They had problems also. It wasn't always about me.
Maybe Melinda was wrong. Maybe I wasn't nice at all.
It was dark when I opened my eyes again. The fields and mountains were nearly invisible against the night sky.
"Finally awake?"
I tensed and kept my gaze fixed on the window. "What do you want?"
"You ask me that every time you see me. Does that mean 'hello' in Elyse language or something?" Mason snorted.
"I'm not in the mood, Mason. Please leave me alone," I murmured. My stomach was squeezing itself into knots. I hadn't eaten since early that morning.
He was silent, but I felt his eyes burning into the side of my head.
"Why are you staring at me?" I groaned. "Don't you have a flock of admirers waiting for you? Where's Melinda?"
He sighed and turned his gaze to the window also. "What about them? They're all talking to each other and making friends. It's not like it's all about me. You should be there too."
"I already had a friend, but you stole her, so I'm finished with that whole business," I muttered and frowned at the window.
Melinda didn't seem all the great anymore, when I thought about it. She wasn't anything special. She wasn't an angel, just a chicken with big wings. I'd be fine without her, and her mythical compliments.
There was a long silence, and he kept staring at me.
"Were you serious?" he asked suddenly. "Do…do you really hate me?"
I snaked my eyes to his, and he was staring at me earnestly. There didn't seem to be anything tricky about him. Truth be told, he looked a little bit vulnerable and on edge. At moments like these, I would usually start yelling and saying terrible things, but not today.
Be relaxed, Elyse.
"No, Mason," I sighed. "I wasn't serious."
"Oh," he said quietly, and looked down. "Sorry about Melinda."
I stiffened when I heard her name, but I restrained myself and instead looked at him fully. It wasn't always about how I felt.
Mason looked repentant at the least. His eyes were fixed on his lap, as if trying to avoid mine's.
Don't be a volcano.
"It's ok," I mumbled and playfully ruffled his hair.
He looked up sharply and gave me an odd look. "Ok?" he repeated. "You mean you're not going to freak out?"
I shook my head and leaned forward on my elbows. "No. I'm trying to be more understanding, so…why do you always do that? Every time I find a friend, you always have to steal them. It's like a law of nature or something. Tigers eat antelopes, Mason steals Elyse's friends."
He tensed for a second but sighed and looked out the window. Then he took a deep breath and looked at me. "Because," he started slowly and looked down again. "B-because, I-"
"Hi, Mason!"
We both jumped and looked up. A tall girl in a soft yellow dress and lemonade pink braids was smiling at us. She was holding two covered silver trays.
"Oh! W-were you talking? I didn't mean to interrupt," she stammered and backed away slowly.
Mason's eyes were wide, and I could hear his heart pumping quickly. Weird. He never got this sort of reaction around a girl before.
"Uh, no. You didn't interrupt anything," I said, when Mason was quiet for too long.
She smiled shyly. "Oh good. M-mason, you're food came a while ago. It was getting cold so I decided to bring it to you. I thought that we could eat t-together if you didn't want to eat in the dining car with the others."
Be understanding, Elyse. Just because she's Mason's friend doesn't mean she's evil. I smiled at her.
Mason, however, continued to stare at her as if she had grown two heads. The poor girl began to squirm, but then she looked at me and her eyes went wide.
"Hey, where's your platter?" she asked.
"Oh, I didn't get one yet. I don't think anybody knows I'm in here," I said.
She bit her lip in distress. "We've been riding for the whole day. Uh…here, you can have mine. I'll go get another one!"
She set both of the trays down carefully, and I noticed the steam coming out of them. They must've been blistering, but she stood there holding them like it was her job. My heart sped up, and I swallowed convulsively.
Keep it together Elyse. Don't overreact.
"I-I'm flattered," I squeaked.
That seemed to pull Mason out of his trance. He grimaced and stood up quickly. "Actually, Ivy, I'll get your food. Stay here with Elyse. She needs the company," he said and stalked off down the hall.
Ivy stared after him with a worried look before sitting down elegantly and smiling at me. "So, you're Elyse," she said. "Mason was saying a lot of nice things about you earlier. You're so lucky to be his friend."
I opened the tray. Baked snipe with mashed potatoes and mushrooms. Hell yes.
"Yep," I replied while shoveling the mushrooms down my throat. "He has some good points."
She gazed wistfully down the hall. Her heart was going full throttle also. Could this be what I thought it was?
Be helpful, Elyse.
"You like him?" I asked slowly.
She gasped and she began panicking. "W-what? N-no, I don't l-like him, I-I just-"
"Oh no, no, no it's ok," I said and held up a hand. "I won't tell anyone. You're not alone. Lots of people like Mason. He's a likeable guy."
Her breath settled down and she leaned toward me. "Really?" she whispered. "Lots of people?"
I nodded and took a big bite out of the snipe. "Lots."
Ivy's face fell and she hid her face in her hands. "Oh great. He won't even register my existence, now."
"It is great," I confirmed and pointed the fork at her. "The more people the better. What better way to stand out than to be a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean."
"S-stand out?" she muttered. "What are you talking about?"
Her eyes were glistening, as if she were at the brink of tears. I must be sympathetic!
"I'm saying, that I will help you," I said. "I'll help you get Mason!"
We stared at each other, and she swallowed and wiped her eyes. "Y-you will? But why?"
"Because I'm in flatter with you" I said stoically and stabbed my broccoli. "And because I'm sympathetic and helpful."
Also because from the way Mason's heart was beating when she arrived, it wouldn't be that hard getting him to fall for her. It was an easy win.
Ivy raised an eyebrow, but smiled hesitantly. "O-ok. If you really think he could like me."
"Yes! This is going to be great!" I exclaimed, and high fived her against her will.
"What are you yelling about?"
Ivy shrieked and I smiled triumphantly at my new test subject. "Hi, Mason! Sit with us and eat before your dinner gets cold."
He froze, but handed Ivy her food and made a motion to sit "No!" I said and held up a hand. "Sit there." I pointed to the seat next to Ivy's. She was blushing heavily and was about to bite her lip clean off.
Mason looked at the two of us, but slowly transitioned between the two seats. I smiled at the two of them who were both staring at me with furrowed brows. They were going to make a fine couple.
Operation Ivy and Mason: COMMENCE!
That girl is so damn dumb.
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