The Truth About Love- Chapter 9

Okay so we've made peace for Angelina with Katie, Alicia, Lee, and George. Too bad the drama doesn't get to end yet...

Katie stared at the pitch black darkness outside the common room window, her heart feeling heavy. She sighed and curled up in the large chair, putting her arms around her knees and pulling them close to her. Her year at Hogwarts was heading for a downward spiral. Between the vigorous studying, ever amounting piles of homework, and constant dread of O.W.L.'s things were already looking dismal. Letters from her brother and sisters had only added onto her worries. Then there was helping Angelina and Fred. She had barely thought about him all year until now.

"Are you okay?" Leanne asked.

"I'm fine." Katie said absently.

"You don't look fine." Leanne pursued.

Katie rubbed her eyes, refusing to cry. "I'm just tired." Tired of being sucked up into the drama I so desperately wanted to avoid. God why do I have to even think about it?

"I know what you mean, I barely have enough time to sleep as it is without this heap of homework to deal with." Leanne said.

"Yeah, I think it's all this stress from O.W.L.'s," And the fact that my family is falling apart and I'm still busy worrying about my love life, "I've seriously had it. I think I'm going to go to bed."

"You're lucky you can, I still have to finish this essay."

Katie gathered her things and trailed up the stairs, wishing she could be anyone but herself.

. . . .

"Hey, you." Amaiko snaked her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I missed you."

"Hey." Fred smiled back.

Amaiko slid her hand down his shoulder and arm before intertwining their fingers in a showy way. "Do you want to meet at our place later tonight?"

"Um, I don't know. I've been stuck inside all day so I was thinking about going outside for some fresh air."

"Oooh we could hang out by the lake."

"I was thinking more about flying. It always takes my mind off things."

Amaiko brightened. "Okay! I've only flown once, when we had flying classes in our first year, it was a total disaster, I crashed into a tree, but I'm sure you're a way better teacher."

"Oh, well in that case maybe we'll stick by the lake, learning to fly might take a little longer."

"Sounds great! I'll meet you there in ten minutes." Amaiko smiled. "I really like spending time with you." She added, "We should do it more often."

. . . .

Alicia lay on her bed, with her homework spread out before her. "You do know how lucky you are right? Most people would never forgive you for what you did."

"Yeah, I was really surprised, but still really glad. That leaves only one more thing left to do." Angelina said, popping a gummy dragon into her mouth.

"Fred?" Alicia and Katie said together.

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Duh. What exactly am I supposed to do? He knows I like him now. I don't think I could face rejection so soon. But at the same time, I don't want to wait."

"Patience is a virtue." Katie said in a singsong voice. "One I don't have, admittedly, but I say wait this one out. First of all, what would you say to him? And I mean it's so awkward, what if it turns out he really is with Amaiko, I mean as much as no one wants to believe it."

"Maybe we should just ask him." Alicia said. "I mean we could pass it off as a piece of gossip we got from Caroline that we want to clarify isn't true."

"Hey, speaking of Caroline, did you see the way Chris Liang was looking at her? Some of the girls next to us nearly melted to the ground. The girls in my year all fantasize about him, it's pathetic." Katie fished out a blue gummy.

Alicia made a face. "I don't see what's so great about him either. I mean no one doubts he's hot, but he's one of those jaded rebel bad boys."

"You mean like George?" Katie teased.

"Yeah, but unlike Chris, who is just a jerk all the way through, underneath all the bigheadedness and immatureness George is a really funny, sweet, and charming person. And I like that. He's more than what you see on the surface. There's depth to him." Alicia said.

Katie rolled her eyes and looked out the window. "So, how exactly are you going to fix things with Fred?"

"I don't know… I can't really think about it right now, there's just so much going on."

Alicia followed Katie's gaze. "Angelina, I think you better think fast." She got up and opened the window all the way, but closed the curtains, leaving only two inches.

"Why?" Angelina got to her feet and peered through the curtains. Sitting by the lake and laughing were Fred and Amaiko. Amaiko put a hand to his chest, as if to say stop, really, this is too much. Anger bubbled inside Angelina and she pulled the curtains shut. "I can't watch this."

"This is important though." Alicia said, opening the curtains again. "You don't have to watch, but we're going to have to face the reality of it."

. . . .

"Where are you off to?" Kitoko asked as Amaiko hurried to gather her things.

Amaiko couldn't help but suppress a complacent smile. "Fred and I are meeting by the lake in a few minutes."

"Oooh lucky" Kitoko said.

"Any luck with Chris?" Amaiko asked, stopping in front of a floor length mirror she had put next to her dresser.

Kitoko sighed. "No…"

"That's too bad, he's gorgeous." Amaiko carefully reapplied her lip gloss. "I definitely wouldn't mind running into him." She puckered her lips.

"Fred not enough anymore?"

Amaiko smirked. "You know what Mom always tells us. No matter what you look like girls have a certain power to entrance guys. Every girl's got something, confidence, personality, brains, or beauty. Some people have more than one. I can't help it if I walk around making guys fall in love with me, it's just how I am." She puckered her lips.

Kitoko walked over to her own mirror and smiled seductively. "It's not our fault we were born with brains and beauty. Ultimately the two tools of power. Well that and money, but Daddy's got money and with gorgeous looks," She paused and looked haughtily at her reflection, "you can easily marry into a family of gold."

"Although you have to get your act together, because someone has been out of it lately." Amaiko looked sympathetically at the mirror. "First you let George slip through your fingers and now you can't even get Chris to look at you. Did you see the way he was checking out Caroline Yin? Airheaded gossip monger."

"Well I decided that maybe I don't want George. I mean he's hot, but Daddy wants us to marry rich anyways. Besides, I can't stand his younger sister and brother. First of all, the girl is so whiny, always going on about how Harry has never looked twice at her and how everyone laughs at her for having secondhand clothes and books, puh-leeze." Kitoko sneered down at the mirror, which replicated her.

Amaiko looked apologetically at the mirror. "Do you think this looks innocent enough? Or should I coat more sugar into it? Maybe like this…" She widened her eyes, making them look doe-like and innocent and curved her lips down in a slight pout. "Yeah, that's it."

Kitoko turned to check her reflection at all angles before blowing a kiss and sitting down on her bed, satisfied with her appearance. "No, no, that overdoes it. Try crying, guys fall for that so easily. They get all confused and disoriented."

"Hmmm… you could use your own advice." Amaiko said. "I give you three more days with Chris and then it's my turn."

"Whatever… but we're twins, and therefore people see us as exact copies of each other."

Amaiko scoffed. "We'll see about that." She winked at the mirror and then flounced out the door.

Kitoko checked her expensive platinum-silver-and-diamond-studded watch and gave Amaiko two minutes of a head start before rushing out the common room and stepping on the staircase that would bring her to the third floor. She checked that no one was around before stepping off the staircase and hurrying down an abandoned third floor corridor. She stopped at what seemed like a solid stone wall and ran her hand over the surface until she found a particular groove and pressed down. The wall slid open to reveal a dimly lit room. She stepped in and the wall closed behind her.

"Hey babe, I was wondering where you were." Chris embraced her and she kissed his cheek.

"Sorry! I had to wait until Amaiko left." Kitoko threw her arms around Chris and held on. "I miss you, we haven't met for two weeks."

"I know." Chris whispered into her ear. "But now that Vera's out of the way it's more time for the two of us."

"Just us?" Kitoko looked into his eyes. "Promise?"

Chris kissed her forehead. "Would I lie to you?"

Kitoko traced his jawline with her nose. "Just wanted to make sure. But now that Vera isn't a problem, we don't have to hide anymore."

Chris took her hands. "Kitoko, you know what it'll be like once people find out we're together. We're the object of jealousy and gossip every day already. Imagine what it would be like if people found out. Do you want that to tear us apart?"

"Chris…" Kitoko whispered his name. "Not even Amaiko knows. I'm tired of hiding, we hardly ever get to see each other! Last time was two weeks ago, and the time before was at least separated by a week."

"You know this is only because I love you, I'd never try to hurt you. I'm trying to protect you, protect us." His breath on her neck sent tingles down her spine. "I know you're strong, but everyone gets outnumbered at some point. I don't want that to happen to us."

"No." Kitoko lay her head on his chest. "It won't."

. . . .

Alicia looked longingly out the window. The dark blue night sky was blanketed in tiny twinkling stars. A cool breeze rustled the leaves of trees and caused flowers to waver. On top of it all the full moon shone, bathing everything in its liquid moonlight. Alicia sighed, the castle grounds looked like an enchanted garden.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" George asked, reading her mind. "I mean if you're done with your essay and stuff."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. It's such a beautiful night. But we're not allowed out past nine."

George smiled mischievously. "Technically yes, but I know a secret passage."

Alicia grinned back. "Lead the way."

The two of them climbed the spiral stairs leading up the Gryffindor tower. Three and a half flights up they stopped at a painting of two wizards. Behind them was a calendar. George pressed on the square marked for January 6 and the painting swung open to reveal a secret passageway.

"How do you find these passages?" Alicia asked.

George grinned, but didn't answer.

"You know I've found a secret passage I bet you don't know about." Alicia continued.

"Really? You're sure we don't know about it?"

Alicia smirked. "Yes."

"Does it lead outside of Hogwarts?"

"Nope."

"Do you use it a lot?"

"Sometimes, it depends."

"Don't tell me it's the one behind the suit of armor that leads to the library."

Alicia laughed dryly. "No, you can do better than that. Who needs a secret passage to get to the library?? No one wastes time on that."

"Hmmm… is it on the third floor? A lot of them are."

"No."

George looked intrigued. "Where does it lead to?"

"That's a secret." Alicia smiled knowingly. "Curious?"

"If I say yes will you tell me?"

Alicia pretended to think. "Oh, maybe."

"I guess that's good enough." George pushed open a door that was pretending to be a solid wall and they stepped out into the night. "Tell me something else then."

Alicia looked up at the sky. "You mean like a secret?"

George stared vaguely in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. "Just something I don't know."

"Hmmm," Alicia put her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt. "One of these days I'd like to just grab my broom and fly as far as I can and see where it takes me."

"I've thought about that too. Just forget about everyone else and see the rest of the world for myself. I think that'd be a real adventure."

Alicia turned to face him. "Would you take me with you?"

"Oh, maybe." He said in the same joking way she did previously.

"Fine, I'll go by myself." Alicia said.

George laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. "But you'd be lonely. Maybe you should come with me."

. . . .

"Fred?" Angelina said timidly.

He looked up from his Transfiguration essay. "Hey." He said with no emotion in his voice before turning back to his essay. Alicia had agreed to edit and correct it for him when he finished writing it.

Angelina stood to the side, feeling awkward. She watched his candlelit profile as he wrote the last paragraph of his essay. His chiseled features were softened in the tapering light. She wished she could tell what he was thinking, or just ask the way she would have a week before. There was uneasiness in the space between them. Now that Amaiko had revealed Angelina's feelings she felt exposed, but she needed to know what had become of their relationship, or what was left of it.

"Can I sit here?"

"Fine." He set down his quill and skim-read his essay.

Angelina tried again. "I, um, talked to Lee."

"I heard."

"He forgave me." She said in a tiny voice.

"I know."

Fred's less-than-welcome tone was discouraging. Angelina sank into the chair opposite him and tried to block out the deafening silence.

. . . .

With a bag of sour gummies in one hand and her notes, quill, and review questions, Katie headed down the spiral stairs of the Gryffindor tower towards the common room for her favorite seat by the fire. Only one more assignment… and then I can just relax and maybe I'll even get some sleep tonight, she thought to herself.

"So... are you still mad at me?"

Katie stopped at the foot of the stairs. Fred and Angelina were sitting opposite each other in the corner of the common room. Angelina seemed to be unsuccessfully trying to talk to Fred. Not wanting to interrupt their moment, she quietly took a few steps back, but couldn't resist staying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Angelina pleaded with him. "Fred I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really, really, really sorry okay? I don't know how many times I have to say that, but I am. I don't know what it is I did that made you so mad at me, but I just wish we could go back to the way we were before. Before everyone found out the things Amaiko told you about me."

And I'm naïve? There's no way either of them can go on being in the space between friends and more than friends with that in the way. Of course that's just because both of them are too afraid to admit it, otherwise this would all be straightened out, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that.

Fred put down his essay and stared straight into her eyes. "Do you really think that you could really just be friends without making things complicated?"

Katie drew in a sharp breath. For a moment she felt as if the question had been directed at her. Well it's only the story of my life.

There was a heavy taciturnity in the atmosphere around them. Angelina looked away, breathing heavily, knowing that she had lost. She was unable to truthfully answer right, and at this point if she couldn't answer honestly or correctly then silence was better. Having accepted her nonverbal answer to be 'no,' Fred got up to leave.

That's not right. She wondered how two people who obviously had strong feelings for each other could walk away from them. It was one of those things that she felt shouldn't happen to anyone. Everyone deserves to find love. And what was happening wasn't fair to either of them.

"Angelina…" He said softly, looking down and without turning around. "I liked things the way they were, but honestly I don't think I can trust myself around you anymore."

"Wait," Angelina stood up. "I don't get it. What's that supposed to mean?"

Katie flattened herself against the wall and contemplated each of the words he said, and what they meant strung together as a whole. Unraveling the meaning between the said and unspoken she pieced together his meaning. Clearly he thought that his feelings for her were too freewheeling to be pacified by a relationship as just friends. You should be overjoyed.

A small smile played on her face as she directed the thoughts partially to herself.

I live for melodramatics, so even though there's still peace I've entered in Katie with her issues, Amaiko wrecking havoc, and a more important part for Kitoko.

Thanks to the BRILLIANT idea by Cam (skateboard c, one of my awesome reviewers =D) I've got this whole new idea for revenge on Amaiko (and Kitoko, although she's not as important yet) but it's going to take a couple more chapters to get everything together. So if you've been wondering about Chris Liang his part gets more important.

Also, have any of you heard the song Between the Lines by Sara Bareilles? The part that says "Unraveling the meaning between the said and unspoken" reminds me of that song, because there's a line that goes 'Leave unsaid unspoken'

REVIEWS please :)

P.S. thanks to Vero, Dana, Cam (again), 4is, weasley's second daughter, and qaz22 for review/messages!! I looove reading them!