Hello again!
First of all, thank you for all your reviews and follows, they mean a lot to me!
And second of all, I want to apologize for being soooo late for this chapter. My life has been a little bit chaotic lately, and I couldn't find any time to write. But I'm finally here with a new chapter. I'll try to have the next soon. (I'll try)
Hope you like it and, review?
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Aelita had to blink not once, not twice, but three times to realize what was happening.
Jeremy was there. In front of her.
She felt the need to hug him. After all, she hadn't seen him in five years. But what if he was mad like Yumi? What if he didn't want to know anything else from her? Or worst, what if he had already forgotten her?
Some minutes passed, with no one moving. They didn't know what to do. Aelita even started to wonder if they had all turned into statues, but she brushed that feeling away when Jeremy let out a sing.
-What is she doing here?- He asked the group pointing at her. Great, He was angry.
-I, for once, don't know.- Odd mumbled under her breath. She felt her heart sink. Not even the caring-funny Odd wanted her.
-She needs a place to stay, and for now, she's staying with us.- Ulrich said.
The key words are for now.
Jeremy continued to look at her, but not with the sweet smile of his that she remembered so well, but with an angry gaze, almost spiteful.
Yumi walked to him, and then, hugged him. When they separated, they were both smiling.
-How was your trip?- Yumi asked. And he smiled wider.
-As good as work trip can be.- He replied.
All the group ran to hug Jeremy, well, all minus Aelita, who seemed to pay more attention to the floor than to them. She couldn't help but feel alone, more than ever. Because even tho she had her friends, her family, in front of her, it didn't feel like it.
Four years ago, when she realized they had fraud her, she wasn't angry, she felt alone. Alone because she thought that she was finally archiving her dreams. But things went differently, and she was too stubborn to tell someone about it.
-Tomorrow you're coming right?- Odd said to Jeremy, interrupting her thoughts.
-To what?- He asked, confused.
-To the new year's party, of course!-Ulrich shouted. -Everyone in this room is invited.-
Jeremy turned to look at her, and Aelita felt as if she could read his mind. She's coming too, he was thinking for sure. She looked at him, in his eyes, as if she was challenging him, just like they use to do when they were kids, working on the antivirus for Xana.
He was the first to move his head away, and Aelita didn't know if she had won or lose.
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If he had to choose something apart from food, it would be a party. Forgetting about your problems and having fun with your friends as if there was no tomorrow? Yeah, it's pretty great. but that time was somehow different.
He got out of his room to find his living room full of people. He founded funny the fact that he didn't know half of them, maybe they were friends of Ulrich. Or maybe not.
He stopped to greet some people, and then, he made his way to the tale of drinks. As he was taking one red glass, he felt someone tapping his shoulder, and when he turned around, the surprise made the glass fell to the ground.
Sam was there. With a guy.
She hadn't seen her since the time they hooked up, two days ago. Even tho he hated to admit it, he was still madly in love with her. The way they broke up could have been better.
She was wearing a hoodie with jeans and snickers and her long hair in a hight ponytail. That's one of the reasons why he loves her. Casual till death.
-Aren't you going to hug me?- She asked moving her arms as if she was inviting him. He hugged her, but it only lasted for a brief second.
-What are you doing here?- Odd asked. Even tho he tried to asked friendly, it ended up being the complete opposite.
She considered that question for a moment. -I was passing by, and I saw you were hosting a party, and I thought: why not?-
Yeah right, you were passing by, casually in front of my house. What a coincidence. Odd though. And, although he tried to avoid it, he ended up rolling his eyes, a detail that didn't scape Sam. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she started to look around, searching for someone else.
-Are you looking for him?- Odd said pointing to the guy that was with Sam. She looked in that direction and then back at Odd.
-Odd, I...-
-Hey, you don't have to explain anything to me, after all, we aren't a couple, right?- Although I wish we were, he thought, but he kept that to himself.
He didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he walked towards the balcony.
When he got out, the night had already set, and the moon was the only light. He walked to the fence and leaned over it.
Why was Sam there? Didn't she has another place to be? Maybe other parties, with her family, or with his damm new boyfriend?
He didn't want to admit it aloud, but he missed her a lot. Since he was small, that girl already drove him crazy, and the fact that she was still on his head, even in the last time on the year, only confirmed one thing: He was screwed.
It took a while for him to realize that another person was with him. To his right, on the other corner of the balcony, Aelita was laying on the sofa that was there, surely looking at the sky.
At first, he thought of turning away, but he considered his possibilities for a moment. Going back to the party and having to face Sam and his boyfriend again, or staying with Aelita and talk to her.
He didn't have to think twice.
He walked to where the pinknnete was and stopped on his tracks in front of her. At first, she didn't notice him, but after he coughed, she incorporated and looked at him expectantly.
-Odd, hi.- She said with a sweet voice that only she could make. As much as she wanted to hide it, it was clear that she had been crying. A wave of sorrow trapped him, forcing him to kneel in front of her. Sure, she had been keeping things from her. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care about her.
-Hey, what happens?- He took her hand in his. His hand was much smaller than hers, and his mind wondered when they were twelve years old as he was smaller than her. It's funny how time passes and how people change.
-I thought you were mad at me.- She said surprised. He chuckled.
-Oh, and I'm still am. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to leave you here all alone. - He said, giving her a sweet smile. For a moment, he mirrored his face, but as quickly as her smile appeared, it disappeared. -And now tell me, what happens?-
She signed.
-I was thinking that...I don't seem to connect with any of you. I mean neither Yumi or Jeremy want me here, and I'm starting to think you don't too.- She said looking down.
-What are you saying? Of course, I want you here!- He exclaimed. Seeing as she didn't believe him, he continued. -Look, the fact that I'm mad at you doesn't mean I hate you. As for Yumi, you only have to leave her time and space, and I'm sure she would come around. And you haven't talked to Jeremy properly, so don't jump to conclusions just yet. As for Ulrich... you know how affectionate is, but I'm sure he wants you here as much as I do-
She nodded and then stood up and walked to the fence where he was standing before. He didn't hesitate to follow and positioned himself beside her. Maybe this was the right time to talk with her about everything.
-Aelita why didn't you tell me that you were...that you are married.- He said looking at her right in the eye. He wanted to ask a lot more, like, for example, why did she come to France in the first place, because he knew that she didn't come for them.
She hesitated for a moment.
-Look Aelita, if you want to connect with us, you'll need to open up.-
-But you don't tell me anything either!-
-Because we weren't the ones that went away!- He took a deep breath and recomposed himself again. -We know why you had to go, and we aren't mad because of that. We are angry because you forgot about us like if we didn't mean anything to you.-
-You think I don't care of you?- She asked now looking at him for the first time in that "fight".
-Well, I frankly don't know anymore.-
-This is incredible.- She muttered, holding her hair. -Of course, I care about all of you. God, you're like my family! it's just that some things happened.-
-Some things happened? Aelita I will need more information than that to understand your position.- He shouted exasperated. He was aware that people could hear them fighting, but he didn't care anymore.
-I got fraud.- She muttered looking away, like if she was embarrassed.
-What?- He managed to ask, even tho he had to hear her. Could she be lying? But he brushed that thought away. He didn't know why, but something deep inside him forced him to believe her.
-You heard me.- She started to play with her hands and then continued talking. -After the tour with the subdigitals, I found an advert from a company of representatives too good to be true. When I contacted them, they said they needed some money before starting working with me, and I did. I gave them mostly all my money Odd. Days later they disappeared from the map. I reported them to the police, and they told me that they would do everything in their power to find them, but as you can see they didn't find much-
-Aelita, why didn't you tell us?-
-Because I already ruined your high school years, I didn't want to destroy your university ones too.-
-Princess, you never ruined anything for us, if not make them more amazing and interesting. Not everyone can say they have fought against a computer virus that wanted to dominate the world.- Aelita chuckled, but she didn't say anything. -Besides, as you just said, we are your family. And family is supposed to stick together, in good and bad moments.- He took his hand in his again.
-I know.-
After a long moment of silence in which neither of them knew what to say, Odd finally asked something.
-What about your marriage?-
-I met him on a bar, we started dating, and, eventually, he proposed to me. I thought it would be good for me.-
-So, you married that guy, to use him?-
-No! Of course not! I was in love with him, just not ready to marry him.-
-Oh, Aelita.- Odd put his hands on his face. too much information for a single night.
-Don't get me wrong. At first, it was amazing, he was funny, and he really cared for me. But one day he got fired from his work, he started to drink, and the situation got strange.-
-He didn't hurt you, did he?- He asked putting a hand on her shoulder, with a concerned look.
-No. We just got in really bad fights, one day he told me things, I told him others, and I realized that I didn't want to continue married with him. The rest of the story you know it.-
-You are married?- Someone from behind asked. The two of them turned around to find Jeremy standing behind them.
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After Odd exited the balcony, Aelita and Jeremy were left alone, to talk about what he just heard, but honestly, he didn't know what to say.
What was he supposed to say? Hey Aelita, good to see you after five years, by the way. congratulations on your wedding! Because one thing was for sure: he wasn't happy for her.
He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out of it. It was like if his mind went completely blank.
He turned to run away from her, but before he could move, Aelita took him by his arm. He looked at her with surprise, but mostly, an angry look. What was she thinking?
-Jeremy please, listen to me.- Aelita pleaded. She had her eyes red as if she could cry at any moment, but he didn't feel sorry for her. He was so mad, that he couldn't feel any other emotion.
-Listen to what? How you met him? How was your wedding?- He shouted at her. She took a step back, finally releasing him.
-Jeremy, don't be ridiculous. Do you realize this the first time we had talked since we saw each other?-
-Yes, and hopefully the last.- He blurted, and wit,h that he walked away.
The thing that he least expected when returning home with his friends was to find her. If he had known better unless he would have had a chance to run away. Because he wasn't prepared to face her.
When he entered the living room, odd spotted him and started to walk towards him, surely to question him about their "great talk". But he quickly moved away searching for the only person which he wanted to be.
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Everyone gathered in the living room. With only ten seconds left for the new year, everyone started to look around for their partner. Ulrich surrounded Yumi by her waist, Jeremy stood beside her girlfriend holding her hand, and then there was him and Aelita, each of them on opposite sides of the bedroom.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Everyone kissed their partners, others shouted, all of it while he drank his drink, Noticing how alcohol was already rising to his head.
Then, he locked eyes with a certain someone.
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This chapter was a pain in the ass to write, but it's finally done. It was a little longer than the normal, but I thought you deserved more content on the chapter.
Sorry for not showing too much of Yumi and Ulrich, but I needed to focus on other things first.
So, did you like it? What do you think it's going to happen next?