Jeans apartment was noting Ariadne expected. When he flipped on the lights she turned green with envy. It was her dream apartment. They stepped inside to be standing on polished wood floors. The walls were marble white like the couch. Behind the couch were five skinny mirrors on the wall. In front of the couch was a fireplace with only a mirror over it.
"I know your parents had money and all but if mine were that wealthy, they still wouldn't let me stay at a place like this."
"I didn't have to talk them into it." Said Jean. "I told them I wanted to be alone and I pay for my rent. You like it?"
"So far." She scanned the room.
"But that's not the best part." Jean walked over to the window and put his hand around the string. "This is." When the drapes opened, standing in front of them like a gold statue was the Eiffel Tower glowing miles away.
"I've seen the Eiffel Tower so many times and I almost got tired of seeing it." She told him. "But I never saw it like this before."
"That's why I love it here." He put his arms around her waist and leaned his chin on her shoulder. His stubble tickled her cheek slightly. "It's the most beautiful thing about this apartment but only when you're not around."
Another complement. That was the twentieth so far. Ariadne didn't know if she should have been flattered or creped out. To her it seemed awkward having to say 'thank you' rapidity after each nice thing was said.
"Why me?" she asked.
"What are you talking about Cherie?"
"Why did you choose me over those other girls?"
Jean didn't move away from her but instead stroked her hair.
"Because I like you." That was his simple answer that didn't satisfy her. "Does this bother you?"
"I just don't get it." She stated crossing her arms.
"What's not to understand?" he asked pulling away from her.
Ariadne looked back at her sophomore year at Parry Sound. She had a boyfriend in the day named Adam. Their relationship was strong, but Adam decided to end it with a phone call. He was the only guy who would date the Goth girl, as she was years ago.
"Nothing. So are we gonna watch a movie?"
"Are you ok Cherie?" Jean placed his palms on her shoulders and looked in her eyes. A slight blur in the corner of her eye caught her attention. There the Point Man stood, back to taunt her again.
"It's ok Ariadne. Give him a chance."
She sighed. "Yeah I'm fine… just stressed with school, that's all."
"Well do you need to go home?"
"No." she answered instantly. "I wanna watch this movie." Ariadne looked back over where Arthur was standing to see him gone again.
"Well I hope you feel better soon." Said Jean. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Water please." Ariadne sat on the couch. "Where's the TV in here?"
"It's in the mirror." Jean called from the kitchen. He walked back over with a tall glass of cold water.
"You mean the mirror flips over?"
"Something like that." Jean picked up one of the controllers from the nightstand and hit the red button. The mirror above the fireplace lit up with a picture and the news started playing on it.
"The mirror is the TV?"
"Oui. They're working on mirror TV's now."
"I haven't heard of them."
"Well they're not out in stores yet. My uncle works with the company making these and he got me one."
"Is there anything you don't have?" she asked teasingly.
"A lot of things." He smirked. "I don't have an airline."
That immediately reminded her of the time she was in a test run at the hotel level where Saito said he bought an airline. Ariadne tried not to laugh since Jean would question her and she'd have to make up a story on the spot. Jean fell back onto the cushion next to hers and lapsed an arm around her shoulder.
"What do you want to watch?" he asked. "Casablanca?"
His girlfriend shook her head. "Something not as romantic. Like Dracula."
"Dracula it is." Jean browsed through the menu and selected Bela Lugosi's Dracula. "You read the book?"
"No." Ariadne replied. "I don't read much."
Jean clapped his hands and the lights dimmed causing the black and white screen to glow brighter. The first five minutes consisted of silence as Jonathon Harker was making his way to Castle Dracula. Ariadne was confused slightly since she didn't know the exact plot of the story. All she knew was that Dracula was the most famous vampire. She wasn't the kind of young adult that fantasized of having a vampire for a partner like many others and she wasn't a member of the Twilight craze.
As the romance on screen sprung, Jean pulled Ariadne closer to him. When she looked up, she saw Arthur with his arms around her.
"Quick, give me a kiss." Is what she wanted him to tell her. For five minutes, she kissed a guy she assumed was Arthur despite the fact that her mind was playing tricks on her.
When a scene between Mina and Lucy began, Jean paused the film. Ariadne assumed he was getting up to use the restroom but he stayed in his place.
"Where were you between this morning and this afternoon?" he questioned her like a police officer. Ariadne sat up in confusion.
"I was at shop class and having lunch with Jules. Why?"
"I called you a bunch of times." He said. "You didn't pick up your phone. Did you not hear it ring?"
"It wasn't even on." Ariadne could sense Jean trying to pick an argument with her.
"Was it not on or were you just ignoring me?"
"Jean." Ariadne sighed. "Do you seriously think I'm seeing another guy? I wouldn't do that to you."
"I just want to know what your doing."
"Well you can't monitor my every move." She pointed out. "And you promised me you'd take things slowly."
"Sorry, I forgot about that. I was a little carried away."
"Well don't let this new relationship get in the way of everything else. You need to focus on your theater and I need to focus on my architecture."
"Oui, oui, alright." He brushed her comment off.
"If you can't do that then we might as well break up." She sneered. Jean laughed like a mad man.
"The fun has just begun." He said. Ariadne grabbed her jacket to evacuate the scene but he clutched her forearm. "I did not say you could leave."
"Let go of my arm now."
"And don't give me that Canadian attitude!" he snapped. "You said yourself you'd be mine."
"As in girlfriend, not possession!" she snapped. Jeans fist drew back like a boxing glove on a spring and jabbed it into her eye angrily. Ariadne pressed her free hand over her eye.
Jean got up and came back with an ice pack.
"I don't know what came over me." He said shamefully. "I just lost control of myself."
Ariadne forced the ice block on her eye. "Is it black?"
"A little."
"I should go now."
"Ariadne, I'm sorry." Jean apologized. "That was stupid and your right, I need to control my temper better. Your not going to tell are you?"
"No." she put her jacket on. "But I'm taking this ice pack with me."
"Keep it." He backed away nervously. "Get better."
Ariadne abandoned him without another word, slamming the door. Back at her apartment, she gazed at her reflection. It looked like she needed an eye patch more than Jules did. Her right eye was a little swollen and twitched like a strobe light. Ariadne pressed the ice back on it.
Jean asked her, actually begged her not to tell. Normally she'd want to squeal on him to the police but she was afraid he'd come after her. Besides, maybe he just had a control problem and needed space for a while.
"If you tell the police, they'll make sure he never touches you." Arthur stood next to her.
"Leave me in peace." She pleaded. "Now's not the time."
"Tell Miles at least."
Ariadne shook her head.
"You've been told about this is school, remember?" he recalled. "Date abuse."
"Jean is not abusing me." Ariadne growled. "He was just mad because I didn't answer his calls."
"You know it's true." He said sternly. "And it will get worse."
"Why the hell are you even here? Why not Mirra for a change?"
"Because you miss him." Said the illusion.
"You know I can't." With that, Ariadne hid her eyes behind a dark pair of sunglasses with shame written all over them.
Before I forget, I'd like to ask you readers if you like to roleplay. Because I would love to run an Inception roleplay forum. Thoughts?