Figgy: PWNAGE!
Mel: Hush Figgy or they'll know!
Figgy: Thankyou, kind Lancerzero, for the noble quote...
Mel: Stop talking all posh
Figgy: Mehehe on with the fic!
Mel: HEY THAT'S MY LINE!


Chapter Six: Oops I Screwed Up Again

I can't tell her about what I found. Not while she's got her hopes up.

She told me Amarant had even taken his cases with him, so it was obvious he was gone for good.

"Please promise he'll come back." She had pleaded.

"I can't promise." I replied.

Freya burst into a fresh flood of tears and ran to her room.

So what can I do now?

I stare at the ring Amarant threw. It must have cost Freya a lot of money. Poor Freya, if there were something I could do.

Maybe it's up to me to sort things out…

Or maybe Zidane will stop flirting with girls or Eiko will take up wearing dresses for once…yes! Notice a pattern? NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.

I look up to see Freya coming down the stairs, all small and sad.

"Look – Freya," I start, "maybe if we ask people they may have seen him."

Freya looks doubtful but agrees to come with me to work.

Every so often she stops someone and asks them, "Have you seen a tall green man with red hair and huge arms?" but they all reply the same answer, No. Freya is close to tears. To comfort her, I put an arm round her and pull her close in an embrace.

"Hey what's up with Freya?" Nina asks as she comes up to us.

"Amarant." I mouth to her. Nina gasps when she sees the bruise.

"He didn't…" she says horrified.

"He did," Freya says. "Then he left. Hasn't been back since."

Nina thinks for a few seconds. "Why don't you ask the city guards? If Ammy really has left then they'll know." Freya nods gratefully. We go to the guards. They tell us that they did see him on his way to Lindblum, muttering how he was never coming back.

Upon hearing this news, Freya lays her head on my shoulder and cries her heart out.

"Come on, you need rest." I say to her. "Try t go to sleep when you get home, ok?" and she nods in reply.

I drop her off at home then set off for work.

"Just where have you been?" Snottly asks angrily.

"I was helping Freya, my friend, my lord." I say politely. Snottly's ears prick up when he hears her name.

"Tell me," Snottly says. "Who is this Freya?"

Alright, mister smarty-pants, if you're gonna be like that…

"Oh, just someone who used to be the love of my life but got engaged with some lizard guy who has hit her and left her forever. Why?" I say innocently.

"Oh…uh…nothing…" he replies, embarrassed. That shut him up.

By the time I get home, Gus is back.

"What happened here?" he says, horrified. I explain about Amarant.

"Geez, that's…bad! Poor Freya – she's alright, isn't she?" he asks.

"I'm fine." Freya replies, padding into the kitchen. Gus jumps when he sees the bruise.

"Man, that's bad!" he says loudly. "I can't believe it…you seemed such a great pair!"

Freya sits on a chair and puts her head into her hands.

"I know," she mumbles. "But maybe we just weren't meant to be."

I sit down next to her shocked. "Don't say that!" I say. "I agree with Gus – you and Amarant were great together…but I made it worse."

Freya shakes her head at me vigorously.

"Oh Fratley it's not your fault! If it's anyone's fault it's mine. I was the one that persuaded Ammy to come with me to the ball. We didn't have to, I knew that. But Ammy didn't want to. He's been gruff ever since." She pours out. Gus leans on the kitchen workbench, staring at the floor.

"Better?" I ask her jokingly. Freya smiles at me. After staring at me for a while, Freya starts giggling then starts laughing.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"I'm sorry – but – why is my life so full of irony?" Freya laughs.

Freya's right. Her life can be so ironic, it's funny!

"Just like the irony of searching for the love of your life but…finding out…he's forgotten who you are…" her voice trails off as she sees my face. "Oh crap, Fratley I'm sorry…"

I wave a hand at her. "It's alright." I smile. Freya gives out a sigh of relief.

"I'm going to watch some TV," she sighs, and she trails off into the lounge.

For comfort I take out my ANGEL bottle and sniff it. Then I realize that I forgot that Gus was still in the room. Oh crap…

"Frats, is that yours?" he asks, laughing.

"Yes it is…yes, I need help…I'm going right now…" I say, walking out of the house.

Well, here I am at the psychologist. I am sure that she is going to punch a sticker on my head saying WARNING – INSANE! HANDLE WITH CARE! DO NOT FEED FLUIDS AFTER SIX PM!

"Sir Fratley Enrite," the lady says. I groan and walk into the room.

A plaque saying MARIA COSWELL is on the table. A lady with glasses and brown bushy hair sits at the desk, writing notes. She puts down he pen.

"Now Fratley. What seems to be the problem?" she asks, sitting me down on that long settee that only psychos go on.

"Well, it all started when m old friend came to visit…"

"Is your friend a girl?" she asks. I nod. She writes more notes. "Do go ion," she says.

"She was already engaged to a man named Amarant, and…"

"Let me guess…you were attracted to her?" she asks, staring at me with gray eyes.

"Not her I was attracted to…"

"Amarant then?" she asks, quite panicked.

"NO! It was her perfume!" I cry. Maria studies me then smiles.

"I see. Don't worry, most men experience that a few times. That's what perfume companies do. They have this sort of thing in the fragrance that attracts men to the lady, if you know what I mean. It's perfectly normal, there are loads of men who have the same problem." She says, smiling at me. I can't believe it.

"I'm…not insane?" I ask happily. She shakes her head.

"YES!" I yell.

I go home feeling relieved. I am so happy that when I find Gus I pick him up and whirl him round!

"Oh Gus it's alright, I'm not insane!" I sing.

"Put me down." Gus says terrified. I do so and he grabs the table to stop himself collapsing over his shaking knees.

I laugh at him.

"Sorry mate," I say, "but the psychia-lady told me what I was experiencing was a thing called "frisson" towards a woman wearing this perfume." Gus stares at me for a while, then nods.

"But it'll go away," I continue.

Freya re-enters the room, looking for spare food. A jolt of I-don't-know-what bolts through me. Must be this frisson thing. She smiles at me and my heart flutters. Come back here, I can't live without you heart!

When she leaves the room I turn to Gus.

"See?" I point out. "Didn't you see the frisson? It's the perfume."

Gus again stares at me.

"Frats…she wasn't wearing your perfume just then…"

Uh oh.

No…PLEASE NO!

Who am I kidding – the truth is there:

I AM FALLING FOR FREYA CRESCENT! MY LIFE IS OVER!

Not only did I pick the wrong time to fall in love with her (right after her break-up with Amarant) I must have made a fool of myself! I hope Freya doesn't know…suddenly I am very scared.

Thank goodness I'm not going to the ball tomorrow.

"Got a date for the ball, Frats?" Gus asks. Ok, so maybe I am.

What am I going to do now?

MY brain is yelling at the rest of my body "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I am walking up to Freya, who is sitting on the sofa reading a magazine.

"Er…Freya?" I ask. I swear I am going red. Freya looks up at me, with those sweet sweet eyes…ahem.

"Yes…Fratley?" she asks.

"Do you…wanna go to the ball with me?"

Freya turns a shade of red herself. "Ok." She shrugs, and she looks back at her magazine. Gus has been watching this and looks at me, one eyebrow raised, shaking his head, a slight smile on his face.

So it's settled. I have a date (whom was the most unexpected) and we are leaving at six 'o' clock tomorrow night.

It is now tomorrow. I informed Snottly I had a date and he seemed a little disappointed, heh heh heh…

Now Gus is combing my hair and straightening the bow tie on my tuxedo.

"Um…Gus?" I ask, "Is this necessary? It's only Freya."

Gus looks at me with that 'glint' in his eye. "I know," he says, smiling. Oh dear Gus thinks I'm in love with Freya…oh dear.

I know this sounds silly, but I do NOT want anything romantic to happen to Freya, and me or my life will be screwed up. Ok, we will dance (or it will look silly) but that's it. Nothing more. Not even a kiss goodnight! We will act like normal friends after a hangout.

"Gus, stop pushing me!" I yell slightly. Geez, why does he have to be so – bloody – pushy?

Unfortunately he pushes me into the corridor. Suddenly Freya's door opens and Nina pushes her out onto the corridor as well. Hmm…did Gus and Nina plan this…I cannot think about that now my attention has been drawn to how beautiful Freya is…

She's in this tight red stain dress that goes down to the floor. It's sleeveless, but a red sequined strap goes from the bodice around her neck. In her hair is a red rose, her favorite flower. And on her feet are two ruby red glittered shoes.

Whoa.

I shake my head to SNAP OUT OF IT and tell myself to not think about anything romantic between us as we start walking towards the Great Hall.

Damn this frisson WHY DID FREYA HAVE TO PUT SO MUCH PERFUME ON? WHY!

Thank goodness I have my own bottle, or I will be restrained to sniffing her neck…not pleasant.

We reach the Great Hall.

"Oh man, it's already started!" Gus moans, his arm around Daisy, his date.

"No, it's alright," Freya assures him. "The band is just warming up."

There is no sign of Snottly as I gaze around the huge hall. Yes, I have beaten him to it! Take THAT, mister I-am-God's-gift-to-women!

Then I realize whom I'm with again. Freya.

Oh my god, I feel like throwing up, I really do…


Figgy: What's going to happen next? (reads next chapter) OH MY GODS
Mel: FIGGY...
Figgy: Ulp (runs off)
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