The shrill ringing of William's alarm clock pierces through the air, waking him with a start. With a groan, he sticks his arm out from under the covers, refusing to open his eyes. He feels around on the nightstand until his fingers land on the source of the offensive sound, blindly fumbling with the buttons until the infernal beeping finally stops. With a sigh of relief, he opens his eyes and squints at the bright, morning light streaming in through the window.
"Fucking hell," he mutters, rubbing his eyes. He sits up and stretches, his muscles still aching from the previous day's lifting session. As he gets out of bed and starts getting ready for the day, his mind wanders. Today is the day.
He will finally make the manager of FC Fleury 91 aware of exactly the kind of man Brandon Pelletier is off the field.
Like William, Brandon also wants to go pro after graduation, and also like William, he plays for a semi-professional team during the offseason, albeit in the Championnat National 2—one league beneath Versailles. Brandon, being Fleury's breakout midfielder, actually gets a decent amount of playing time on the pitch. Out of his own sheer curiosity, William once tuned into a couple of matches that were being broadcast. Suffice to say, he was impressed by Brandon's skill. He seems less of a bully on the pitch when he's playing for Fleury, probably because he knows that he has a reputation to build up if he wants to work his way up to Ligue 1.
William absentmindedly stares at his reflection as he shaves and brushes his teeth. He's having trouble focusing on the day ahead. He knows this is the right thing to do, but he can't help but feel nervous that his pleas will fall on deaf ears. Pelletier is a key player for Fleury so the accusations may not be taken seriously. Regardless, this is important to William and he has to at least try.
As he gets ready for his morning workout, he thinks about Aelita. She's been unbelievably strong throughout this whole ordeal, and he's so proud of her. She's actively making the effort to attend her classes again, has been keeping up with her assignments and extracurriculars, and is working to rebuild the friendships she's forced herself to neglect. Needless to say, it hasn't been easy for her and even though she's putting on a brave face, he can see the pain in her eyes and hear the sadness in her voice when she speaks.
William steps into his shoes and reaches for the door handle but is interrupted by his phone ringing. He doesn't recognize the number but chooses to pick it up anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hello. I'm trying to reach a William Dunbar?" a voice asks on the other end.
"That's me, who's this?"
"Ah, wonderful," the voice starts. "My name is Norm Dupuis, manager of Fleury. I received your name and number from my secretary yesterday afternoon. She said that you wanted to speak with me."
"Yes sir, that's correct," William says as he walks towards the lesser used stairwell at the other end of the hallway. "Thank you for calling."
"What can I do for you, Mr. Dunbar? Are you interested in joining our team? We would be honored to have a player of your caliber."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm sorry. That's not why I called."
"Oh?" Norm takes a beat. "Then what was the reason for your call?"
"I called because I need to file a complaint against one of your players."
"A complaint? Have you called our personnel line? This isn't really a call that should be falling on me."
"No, I haven't called the personnel line. This is a little more important, I feel." William takes a deep breath. "Are you aware that Brandon Pelletier is currently under investigation for sexual assault?"
"Pelletier? What? No, I had no idea." Norm's voice is filled with genuine shock.
"And I would like you to know that I'm the victim's boyfriend."
"I see. I'm so sorry, Mr. Dunbar. This is most distressing."
"Yes. It is." William pauses. "I'm calling because I want something done about him. Frankly, I don't feel like he deserves to be the face of your organization and should be terminated."
"Mr. Dunbar, I understand that you're upset, but we can't just kick him off the team without proof. We have a contract with him, and we can't just terminate said contract without cause."
"I have proof, sir," William states confidently. "A video recording Pelletier himself sent me."
"And what, pray tell, is the video of?"
"Of the immediate aftermath of the assault." William takes a second to calm his simmering anger. "Of Pelletier using my girlfriend to mock and blackmail me. I don't want to go into too much detail because it's still a very sore spot, but the video consists of Pelletier gloating and standing over her having just beaten her and raped her orally."
Norm is silent.
William continues. "I cannot email you the recording because it's evidence in an active case, and I don't feel comfortable letting you keep a video of my partner's trauma on your computer. I can, however, send you a screenshot of the social media post Pelletier made, since it's already public. If, after seeing the screenshot, you feel like you need to see more, I would be happy to stop by the Fleury facilities and play the recording for you."
"I... I see." Norm clears his throat. "I'll look at the screenshot. Send it over."
"Sure thing, Mr. Dupuis." William removes the phone from his ear to text the screenshot to the manager. "Heading your way." He waits, his heart racing.
After about a minute of silence on the other line, Norm speaks up again. "I've just received the screenshot and I'm... horrified. You're sure this photo isn't doctored in anyway?"
"No sir, it is not. And I personally can guarantee that," William responds severely, using every ounce of his willpower to keep from exploding. "It's a direct screen grab from the video."
"I understand. Thank you for showing me this. I don't have any words. Please, come by my office later today and do bring that video with you. In the meantime, I'll work on starting our own internal investigation here. Please understand that behavior like that, on or off the pitch, is unacceptable and does not coincide with our codes of conduct."
William exhales a shaky breath, his hands trembling. "Thank you, Mr. Dupuis. I can be there in the afternoon. Say 16:00?"
"Thank you, Mr. Dunbar. I'm so sorry this happened. I'll let my secretary know you'll be coming. See you then." Norm hangs up the phone.
William calms his breathing, trying to slow his pounding heart. He can't believe it. Pelletier may finally get what's coming to him. He takes a few moments to compose himself, his emotions running high. When he's ready, he puts his earbuds in each ear and starts his workout playlist to pump himself up before continuing down the stairs and to the gym.
As he walks across campus, he can't help but notice the stares and whispers from the few students who are up as early as him. He knows they're talking about him and, by proxy, Aelita. He feels his anger rising and can't help but clench his jaw, but he keeps his head down and keeps moving.
He enters the gym and makes a beeline for the locker room. He tosses his duffel bag in a locker and accidentally slams the door shut, causing the other guys in the room to flinch. He cringes a little bit as he looks around. Yikes, he thinks to himself. Take it easy, Dunbar. He walks out of the locker room and heads to the weight room, the entire time feeling multiple pairs of curious eyes following his every move.
"What are you looking at?" William snaps coldly, making the students quickly avert their eyes, pretending to be focused on their workouts. He sighs and shakes his head, his frustration growing. He walks over to a bench and starts his warm-up routine. As he does, he can't help but notice one student in particular glaring at him from the opposite corner of the room. "Tch," William scoffs under his breath. He ignores the guy and warms up his upper body by doing pushups. As he stands up, he throws an eighteen-kilogram dumbbell behind his head and starts a set of overhead tricep extensions.
Even after a couple sets, William still feels the student's eyes on him "What is your problem?" he asks, irritated.
"I thought me staring you down would have made it obvious," the student responds. "But I guess I have to spell it out for ya. You're my problem."
"Why? Jealous?" William scoffs. "Is this actually important? Because I've got a workout to get through.
"Why would I be jealous of a guy whose girlfriend is a cheating slut?" He smirks and crosses his arms. "Poor Dunbar. I guess even Kadic's golden boy can't escape the curse of the cheating sluts around here."
William lowers the dumbbell slowly, his anger starting to boil within him. "You wanna run that by me again, jackass?"
"You heard me. Your girlfriend is a cheating slut."
"That's funny." William chuckles darkly. "It's always the cowards who know the least that bark the loudest. Especially when they talk about another man's woman." He takes a step closer. "Let me let you in on a little secret. Aelita was sexually assaulted by Brandon Pelletier and that smug, blonde bastard deserves every bit of retribution that I'm about to rain down on him."
The guy's face blanches. "Bullshit. Everyone saw the picture. She was drooling all over him."
"Oh, that picture? You mean the perfectly timed screenshot of a video? A screenshot that conveniently leaves out the other six minutes of him bragging about his "conquest" and trying to mock me?" William shakes his head. "Pelletier was stupid enough to send me a video after he brutalized my girlfriend's face, and is now panicking because he didn't think I'd go to the police with it. That's the only reason why there's a picture of Aelita going around right now. Because Pelletier is a fucking coward who's scared for his future."
"That's not true. You're lying."
"Am I?" William challenges. "Since you seem to have such a boner for him why don't you go ask him yourself? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to tell you all about it."
The guy sputters, his face turning red. "I... I don't believe you."
"By the way. I know exactly who you are, Duval. You're a soccer team reject. You transferred to Kadic last year, but you didn't make it when you tried out for the team because Coach Dragonov was extra brutal about his cuts. You're not very good at passing the ball, from what I remember. A little too selfish for my and Dragonov's liking." William smirks. "But hey, it seems you're good at passing around lies and gossip. At least, that's what I heard from Ulrich Stern. Maybe you should join the debate team. They love people that can talk out of their asses over there."
Duval's face turns bright red, his hands balling into fists. "Fuck you, Dunbar."
"No, fuck you, Philippe. Fuck you for believing a fucking screenshot and a rumor instead of the truth. Fuck you for being a spineless asshole who can't think for himself. And most importantly, fuck you for thinking you can say anything about my girlfriend and get away with it." William nonchalantly picks up a twenty-two-kilogram dumbbell and curls it with one arm.
Duval scowls at William, flaring his lips into an animalistic snarl. "You're such a fucking prick, Dunbar."
"You know what? Maybe I am. And yet, I'm still leagues better than a pathetic loser like you." William sets the dumbbell down and walks towards Duval, getting right up in his face. "Listen closely and listen well. If I ever, ever, hear from anyone else that you have the audacity to have my girlfriend's name in your mouth for the sole purpose of smearing her reputation again, I will personally ruin your life. I will make it my mission to make sure that no one will ever talk to you and that you live the rest of your days at Kadic in complete and utter isolation. Do you understand me?"
Duval swallows hard, his eyes filled with fear. "A-alright, damn. Lay off, man. I'm sorry."
"Good. Now get the fuck out of my face," William commands, pointing towards the locker room door. He watches intently as Duval scurries out of the weight room like a scared little rabbit.
William sighs and shakes his head. He walks back to his bench and sits down, rubbing his face with his hands. He is acutely aware of the other guys in the room openly staring at him. He hates playing the bad guy, but if that's what he has to do to get these freaks to stop ruining Aelita's life on campus, he's more than willing to do it.
"Damn, cap'n. That was badass. You okay?" a familiar voice asks from nearby.
William looks up to see his friend and teammate, Jean-Luc, standing next to him.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"The way you made that asshole run away with his tail between his legs? Oof, it was satisfying." Jean-Luc grins. "I didn't know you had it in you."
William sighs. "Honestly, neither did I. But I couldn't just let him run his mouth like that. Fucking dick."
"I hear ya, man. I'm glad you stood up for your girl. That's the kind of shit a real man does." Jean-Luc sits down on the bench next to William and pats his back. "I see you're doing a push day. Need a spot?"
William nods. "Yeah, that'd be great."
Aelita takes a deep breath and steels herself, walking through the arts building's main entrance. She's been dreading this moment all morning, because she knows this is where the majority of the judgment comes from. As she walks down the performing arts hallway, she can feel the eyes of her classmates on her. Whispers and murmurs follow her wherever she goes.
"You saw the picture, right?"
"Yeah, she was all over him."
"I can't believe she'd do that to William."
"What a slut."
Aelita's heart sinks. She can't believe that Pelletier's screenshot is still circulating. It's been almost three weeks since it initially made its rounds, yet it doesn't seem like it's losing traction. She walks to her locker and opens it, trying to ignore the stares and whispers.
"Hey, Lita. Happy to see you back again."
Aelita turns to see her best friend standing behind her. "Hey, Sissi."
"I'm proud of you. You're handling all this... attention... pretty well."
Aelita shrugs. "I have to. I can't stay at home forever."
Sissi nods. "That's the spirit. Now, come on. Let's get to class." The two girls walk down the hallway, ignoring the stares and whispers. As they walk to their seats in the classroom, Sissi sighs happily. "It's so great to finally have my best friend back."
Aelita gives Sissi a small smile. "I'm here, Sissi. I'm not going anywhere."
The professor walks in then, dressed eccentrically in a bright purple dress and matching heels. "Good morning, class. Today, we're going to be discussing the symbolism and themes in the play, The Importance of Being Earnest." This earns the professor a chorus of groans from the class in front of her. "Now, now. This is a very important play. It was written by Oscar Wilde, one of the most influential playwrights of the Victorian era."
Sissi rolls her eyes. "Here we go."
"The play is about two young men, Algernon and Ernest, who are engaged in a game of deception. They pretend to have different identities so that they can get away with their various scandalous activities..."
As class drones on, Aelita finds her mind wandering. She can't stop thinking about the events of the past few weeks. As she does, she fiddles with her newest piece of jewelry—the delicate ring on her right hand.
The glint of the morganite catches Sissi's eyes. With a sharp gasp, she elbows Aelita in the side. "Aelita!"
"Ow, Sissi!" Aelita rubs her side, glaring at her friend. "What was that for?"
"Your ring!" Sissi hisses, pointing at it. "Is that what I think it is?"
Aelita looks down at her hand and smiles. "Yeah, it is."
"Oh my God, Lita! That's amazing!"
"Shh, Sissi. Keep it down. I don't want everyone to know."
Sissi rolls her eyes. "That's the kind of thing everyone needs to know right now. Maybe then they'd stop running their mouths about you. Besides, you deserve to show off. I'm so happy for you!" She drops her chin into her hands and leans on the desk, looking at Aelita smugly. "So, when's the wedding?"
Aelita laughs. "Oh, shut up, Sissi," she whispers back.
The rest of class flies by, nearly boring Aelita to death. She feels her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulls it out to see a text from William: "youre done with class soon rite? meet me on the quad during break?"
Aelita glances at the clock on the wall. Class ends in less than five minutes. She responds: "sure. see you soon."
When class does end, Aelita gathers her things and quickly heads out to the quad, yelling goodbye to Sissi over her shoulder. As she walks, she can still feel the eyes following her and the murmurs people share. She slumps her shoulders and walks faster, head down.
When she arrives, William is already there, sitting under their favorite tree. "Hey, Princess," he greets her, standing up and wrapping her in a hug.
"Hi, Will," Aelita responds quietly.
"How was class?"
"Boring. How was yours?"
"Same."
They sit down under the tree, leaning against the trunk.
"You know, I'm really proud of you, Lita," William says, breaking the silence.
"For what?"
"For coming back to school. And for not letting all this bullshit keep you down."
"Thanks," she says quietly. "It's... not easy, though."
"Yeah. I understand." William sighs. "Things are brewing in the background, though. I've got a meeting with the manager of Fleury this afternoon to maybe do something about... him. And if the sports websites get wind of it, people are bound to stop whispering about us." He pauses and scratches his temple sheepishly. "At least I hope."
"That would be really nice right now. I hope so, too."
"I'm just so done with the stares and gossip. It's driving me insane. This morning I had to tell off that fuckwad Philippe Duval in front of the entire gym." William's phone vibrates in his pocket, and he pulls it out. "Oy vey. It's Mom."
Aelita giggles. "Well, you better answer it."
"Okay, okay." William answers the phone. "Hey, Mom."
"Willy!" Yvonne's voice is loud enough to make William move the phone away from his ear. "How's my favorite son doing?"
William chuckles at the joke his mother always makes. "I'm alright. Could be better, honestly, but I'm surviving."
"Are you sure you're alright? We haven't heard from you in over a month. That's pretty unusual."
"Yeah, I know. Things have been a little crazy lately. Sorry."
"It's alright, sweetheart. We just miss you. How are your classes going?"
"They're going well. My professors have been dropping truckloads of work on us but somehow I've been keeping up with the work, and I haven't missed any deadlines yet."
"That's good. How's Aelita?"
Aelita whips her head around, hearing her name from the other end of the call. She stares at William with a wide-eyed, pleading stare.
He nods at her and holds his hand up reassuringly. "She's... hanging in there." He chooses his next words carefully. "Things have been hard for her recently, but she's trying her best. How are you two doing?"
"We're good. Listen, your father and I were talking, and we both miss you two. We were wondering if you and Aelita wanted to go out to dinner with us tonight and then go watch the Orchestre de Paris. They're doing the New World Symphony. We already have box seats and can purchase a couple extra for you two."
William looks over at Aelita, who is staring off into the distance. "I'll ask her, but I'm sure she'll say yes."
"Great. Let me know for sure. Love you, Will."
"Love you, too, Mom."
William hangs up the phone and puts it back in his pocket. "Princess?"
"Hm?"
"My parents want to take us to the symphony tonight. Box seats."
"What's the catch?"
"There's no catch. They just want to see us."
"Are you sure?"
"It seems like it at least."
"Hmm." Aelita ponders the idea. "What are they playing?"
"The New World Symphony."
"Oooh. I've always wanted to hear that live." Aelita smiles. "I guess we're going to the symphony tonight."
"Great. I'll let Mom know." He kisses her gently on the forehead.
William pulls up to the Fleury facility and parks his car in the adjacent garage. He gets out, grabbing his laptop from the front passenger seat, and walks towards the entrance. His mind is racing and his nerves are on fire.
As he enters the lobby, he sees the secretary sitting at her desk.
"Hello, sir. Can I help you?" the secretary asks, her voice calm and professional.
"I'm here to see Norm Dupuis," William replies, his own voice shaky.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Not officially, but he told me he's expecting me around 16:00. My name is William Dunbar."
"Okay. Please have a seat and I'll let him know you're here. He'll call you back in a little bit."
"Thank you." William sits down in one of the chairs and waits. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest and he suddenly feels like vomiting. After a few minutes, he looks up as a man in a suit walks into the lobby.
"Mr. Dunbar?" the man asks.
"That's me," William replies, standing up.
"Norm Dupuis. Nice to meet you in person." He extends his arm for a handshake.
"William Dunbar." William shakes his hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, too."
"Please, follow me," Mr. Dupuis says as he leads William down a short hallway with windows overlooking the Fleury practice grounds. Once in the office, Mr. Dupuis walks around and stands behind his desk. "Have a seat," he says, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.
William sits down, his laptop clutched tightly in his hands.
Mr. Dupuis sits down in his own chair and folds his hands on the desk in front of him. "So, Mr. Dunbar. I am eager to see this aforementioned video evidence."
"Sure. Let me pull it up." William opens his laptop and turns it around, showing the paused video to Mr. Dupuis.
"You can play it," Dupuis instructs.
William takes a deep breath and presses the play button. As the video plays, Mr. Dupuis's expression becomes more and more grim.
"Hey, Dunbar. I hope you enjoyed your game today. I know I enjoyed mine. Say hi to your boyfriend, Pinky. Don't be rude, sweet cheeks. Say hi."
"H-hi, William."
"See, Dunbar? This is what happens when you mess with me. You get what's coming to you. And trust me, I'm only just getting started. If you tell anyone about this, I'll make sure to ruin your life."
When the video ends, Norm sits back in his chair, his face pale. "I... I had no idea. He's such a stand-up guy around here. He works hard to be seen as basically the complete opposite," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is so surprising. It's almost unbelievable."
"I understand," William replies. "But that's," he starts as he points to his computer, "exactly why I'm here. To those of us not on Fleury, this is what we know him as."
"Mr. Dunbar, I am so sorry. I truly had no idea Pelletier was capable of such a heinous act. I will be working with our personnel department to suspend him immediately. We will also launch an internal investigation into this matter. You have my word."
"Thank you, sir."
"And please know that the entire organization stands behind you and your girlfriend. We will do everything we can to support you both and bring Pelletier to justice."
William nods, his eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you, sir. I can't tell you how much this means to me."
"You're welcome. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, sir. That's all. Thank you."
"Of course. And please, don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything."
"I will. Thank you again."
"You're welcome. Have a good day, Mr. Dunbar."
"You, too, sir."
William leaves the office. He can't believe he finally reported Pelletier. He feels a mixture of relief and anxiety. He knows he did the right thing, but he's worried about the next level of fallout.
He gets into his car and just sits and stares out his windshield for a moment, lost in thought. I have to admit I'm proud of myself for doing this, but I really can't shake this feeling that I may have just made things worse. I just hope Aelita understands that I did this for her.
The drive back home is strange, to say the least. His mind is racing. He has so many things to think about and yet he just can't focus on any of them. There's the symphony his parents are taking him and Aelita to, for starters. His parents took him frequently when he was younger but he never really paid attention. But now his music major girlfriend is coming along, and he's sincerely hoping he doesn't accidentally fall asleep, because she wouldn't be too happy about that.
And then there's his pink-haired partner-in-crime in and of herself. How will she do around his parents with all their curious questioning? He can't shake the heavy blanket of anxiety that suddenly falls on him.
Then his mind starts to wander to what she'll wear tonight. He reminisces back to their first dinner together with his parents after the championship, to the dress she wore and how it perfectly hugged every curve on her body as if it were made specifically for her. He's never known Aelita to be big into formally dressing up, but when she does take the chance to, William's mind melts.
He's so lost in thought as his mind's eye traces Aelita's figure that he doesn't even realize he parked at his dorm building. "Wow," he says to himself. "Note to self. Drool over your girlfriend when you're not driving." He shakes his head and lets out a short laugh before cutting off the engine and getting out.
He heads up to his room to quickly get ready so he can meet up with Aelita and head to the symphony. His outfit of choice tonight is a little more than he would normally wear to see an orchestra play, but he has someone to impress this time. He changes into a black button up and khakis, paired with a nice pair of brown boots and a gray sport coat. He tousles his hair with some lighter product to keep it out of his face and a little neater.
"Where are you going all gussied up like that?" Bastien teases him.
William jumps. "Holy shit! When did you get here?"
"Been here the entire time, dude. I even said hi to you when you walked in. Did you seriously not even notice?" He starts to feign sadness. "Am I just that invisible to you now that you have Aelita? I'm so hurt, bro."
"Sorry. Head in the clouds, I guess. My parents are taking me and her to see the Orchestre de Paris play New World Symphony tonight." He trails off, realizing why his head was in the clouds in the first place. "And I was very, very heavily thinking about Aelita. About how she'll do with my parents after everything that's happened, but... mainly how she'll look."
"You'll be a lucky man, I'm sure."
"Yup. Probably. With that, I gotta go meet said girlfriend now. See ya later, man!" William leaves the room and heads back downstairs.
Meanwhile as William bounds to the building's entrance, Aelita stares at herself in Sissi's mirror.
"I don't know, Sissi. It seems a little... much for a random night in February."
"Aren't you going out to dinner with his parents before seeing the symphony?" Sissi asks as she waves her hand dismissively. "You look great. Just throw your peacoat over it and call it a day. Plus, William is easy. He drools all over you every time I dress you."
Aelita stares at herself in the mirror. She smoothes down the cream-colored slip dress with dusty rose florals. She tugs at one of the spaghetti straps anxiously. "If you say so."
"And I do. Now go. I'm sure he's waiting for you already."
"Thanks, Sissi." She gives her friend a quick hug, puts the blush pink peacoat on, and heads out the door. As Aelita walks across campus, she can't help but feel nervous. She's not usually one to dress up, but tonight is a bit of a special occasion, and she wants to look her best. She spots William standing outside the dorms, looking dapper in his sport coat and khakis.
"Hey, Princess," he greets her, a smile on his face.
"Hey," she replies, her voice soft.
William leans down and kisses her cheek. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Aelita blushes, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink. She rubs her arm nervously.
William notices her discomfort and takes her hand in his. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Aelita forces a smile.
"Are you sure? You seem a little nervous."
Aelita sighs. "I kind of am."
"Why?"
"I feel weird about seeing your parents again after... everything."
William frowns. "Now that you mention it, I feel a little weird too. Especially because they're going to ask a lot of questions, since I haven't spoken to them in a while."
"Wonderful."
"Look, I'll handle it. Okay? Trust me. Everything will be fine." Just as he finishes his sentence, his parents pull up. "Well, here we go." William sighs. He turns back to Aelita and looks her in the eye. "We can do this, Princess. You can do this." He offers her his arm and leads her down the stairs.
"Okay. Thank you, Will."
William opens the door for Aelita and waits for her to get in. He hops in after her. "Orchestre de Paris, please," William says with a smirk.
"Hah. Very funny, son," James says sarcastically before greeting Aelita. "Good to see you, Aelita."
Aelita greets him back. "Yeah. Good to see you guys, too."
James smiles at her in the rear view mirror. "Alright, everyone ready?"
A chorus of yeses echoes through the car and they leave the dorm parking lot and head towards their first destination: dinner.
"So, William, how's practice been?" James asks his son.
"It's been good. We've been working on our passing game and our defensive positioning. We have a match against Cholet next week, and I'm really hoping we can beat them."
"That's good. I'm glad to hear you're doing well. And how have you been, Aelita?"
"I've been... okay," Aelita replies, her voice quiet.
"Just okay?"
"Yeah. Things have been a little rough lately, but I'm managing."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do to help?"
"No, I think I'm just going to have to ride it out."
William places his hand on hers and gives her a reassuring smile. He expertly redirects the focus of the conversation back onto himself. "It's been hard on us both. Especially with the combination of how much work she has to do suddenly and everything Versailles has me doing."
"Sounds like it. I'm glad you two are making things work," Yvonne chimes in.
The rest of the drive is uneventful, but conversation is hard to keep moving past small talk.
Once at the restaurant, all four of them file into the waiting area.
"Reservation for Dunbar," James tells the maitre'd.
"Right this way, sir."
The man leads the group to their table, "Here you are. Enjoy."
William's parents take off their coats and sit down, and William offers to help take Aelita's off. She hesitates, still feeling like her dress will attract unwanted attention. William notices the frown on Aelita's face as he helps her out of her peacoat, but wordlessly places it on the back of her chair for her before pulling it out so she can sit down.
Wanting to try and lighten the mood a little, William tells her, "I love that dress. You look great in it."
"Really?" she asks shyly.
"Really," he affirms.
Their waiter comes by to take drink and appetizer orders.
"Should we get wine for the table?" Yvonne asks.
"I'm okay, thanks," Aelita responds.
Next is James. "I'll have a glass."
WIlliam is last, needing to think whether or not he actually wants wine with his meal. "Yeah, me too, I guess."
"A bottle of cabernet for the table, please," Yvonne tells the man.
"Certainly. I'll have that out shortly."
He comes back a few minutes later, shows the wine, and proceeds to pour three glasses. "Are we ready to order?"
"Yes, I think so," James says.
"Okay, what can I get for you?"
"I'll have the filet mignon, medium-rare, with a side of roasted potatoes and asparagus."
"Excellent choice. And for you, madame?"
"I'll have the same, but I'll have the salmon instead," Yvonne says.
"Okay, and for you, sir?"
"I'll have the duck confit, please."
"Okay, and for the young lady?"
"I'll have the sea bass, please."
"All right, I'll get those put in for you."
The man leaves and the table is left in an awkward silence.
Everyone is left looking at each other until William finally breaks the silence. "Soooo... How's life lately?" He asks his parents. "How's the garden coming along, Dad?"
"It's coming along alright so far this winter. I tried planting winter flowers for once last weekend, but they haven't started blooming yet."
"There are winter flowers?" William questions his father.
"Oh yeah. Daffodils, pansies, snow drops, and a whole host of others actually enjoy, if not thrive, in the cold."
William is dumbfounded. "Fascinating." He turns to his mother. "What about you, Mom? Any big shoots lately?"
"Nothing of note, recently. It's actually been unusually slow for this time of year. Though I do have a high profile wedding to shoot in a couple weeks."
"Oh really? Whose?"
"Some Swiss politician and his fiancee. I can't remember his name. They're having their wedding on the palace grounds at Versailles."
"Close to home. Should be nice to not have to commute very far."
"Oh, definitely. The long drives kill me."
The table falls back into awkward silence only to be saved a few minutes later by the meals arriving.
Everyone except Aelita is enjoying their meals. The small talk and chit-chat continues over the food, but Aelita rarely responds or chimes in. And when she does, it's curt one- or two-word answers or gestures and nods. William tries a couple times to get her to talk about anything, but she just can't find anything to talk about.
Her nerves are getting the better of her and she is beginning to feel super self-conscious about everything she is doing, down to how she picks up food with her fork.
Yvonne notices Aelita's drastic personality change first, coming right out and asking, "Aelita, are you alright, darling? You've been pushing your food around your plate for ten minutes."
William freezes at the question, trying to hide his expression from his parents, and he fakes a cough into his napkin. He looks over at Aelita, who is still formulating her answer.
"I'm alright," she lies. "I guess I'm just not as hungry tonight as I thought. I'm sorry. I don't want you to think I'm wasting food or your money."
A sad expression flashes across William's face, but not too quickly that his mother doesn't catch it. He puts a hand on Aelita's arm, making her look at him. He mouths at her, "Are you sure you're okay?" to which she mouths back, "I really don't want to be here right now."
While her son and his girlfriend are having their own moment, Yvonne whispers in her husband's ear, "Something is going on with those two, and I'm not sure I can handle asking them."
He whispers back, "I've noticed it, too. Especially Aelita. I'll see if I can't get it out of William later."
The rest of dinner is mired in awkward silence as they finish their meals and wait for the check. William holds Aelita's hand under the table, stroking it with his thumb, but neither of them looks at the other.
"Excuse me. I need to use the restroom," Aelita says flatly, pulling her hand out of William's grip as she stands.
"Now that she mentions it, I do as well," Yvonne adds. "Be right back." She and James share a look that, this time, William notices.
"What was that about?" William inquires.
"What?" James asks, trying to play dumb.
"That look, Dad. You and Mom don't look at each other like that unless there's some hair-brained scheme being put into action."
"Alright, you caught me." He sighs in defeat. "Your mother and I have noticed how differently you and Aelita are acting from the holidays. Is everything alright, son? Is there anything you need to tell us?"
William tries to defend himself and Aelita. "What are you implying? Aelita really is just going through a lot right now," he says, being intentionally vague.
"I'm not implying anything, but your mother and I are worried about you two. You haven't talked to us in a month, and it's been like pulling teeth trying to get you both to talk tonight. Be honest with me, Will. What's going on with you two?"
The waiter approaches the table, and James hands him a credit card to foot the bill. The waiter then walks away again.
William sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I really shouldn't be saying this without her here. But here goes..." He takes a beat to breathe deeply and calm himself down. "Do you remember the Monod player that got red-carded during the championship?"
"Vaguely. Their captain, right? What was his name? Poulette or something?"
"Pelletier. The bastard sexually assaulted her at a party and then took a video of his handiwork to blackmail me with. Then he leaked a screenshot of the video on social media and it's being passed around all over school. I haven't talked to you and Mom because we've been dealing with the fallout."
"That's serious, William." His lawyerly attitude seeps out. "Have you pressed charges?"
"Working on it." William notices Aelita and his mother are walking back to the table, so he cuts the conversation short. "I can't say anymore, I've already said too much."
As the women approach the table, James and William share a look of understanding.
"Everything alright, boys?" Yvonne asks, sensing the tension in the air.
"Yeah, we're fine," William replies. "Just had a little father-son chat, is all."
"Okay." Yvonne seems unconvinced, but doesn't push the issue.
The waiter returns to the table with James's credit card and a receipt.
James signs the receipt and stands up. "Shall we head out?"
Everyone nods and stands up.
As they exit the restaurant, Yvonne and James walk ahead, leaving William and Aelita to follow behind.
"Are you okay, Princess?" William asks, his voice low.
"I'm fine, Will. Just a little tired," Aelita replies, her voice sounding distant.
He takes her hand in his and interlocks their fingers wordlessly. They are quiet for the rest of the walk to the car. As they reach the car, William opens the passenger side door for Aelita.
"Thank you," Aelita says softly, getting into the car.
William closes the door and walks around to his seat. When he gets in, he speaks, trying to lighten the mood. "So, besides the New World Symphony, what else is the Orchestre playing tonight?"
"If I remember correctly," Yvonne starts, "I think they'll be playing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, along with Debussy's La Mer."
Aelita utters a sound of approval, but says nothing.
"Cool," William says. "Looking forward to it."
The rest of the relatively short car ride is spent in silence, the only sounds coming from the radio and the occasional car horn.
When they arrive at the concert hall, James parks the car and turns off the engine. "Why don't you kids go find your seats, and your mother and I will meet you in there?"
"Sounds good," William replies, understanding the brief look he receives from his father in the rear view. He unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car.
"Okay. Same seats as usual. We'll see you in a bit."
Aelita unbuckles her seatbelt and takes William's hand as she gets out of the car as well.
They walk hand-in-hand without speaking, simply enjoying one another's company away from his parents. As they enter the Philharmonie de Paris, the sounds of the orchestra warming up fill the air.
"It's beautiful," Aelita comments, her eyes wandering around the ornate interior.
"It is," William agrees. "Let's go find our seats."
They make their way to their seats and settle in, the anticipation of the concert building.
"I'm so excited," Aelita says, her eyes sparkling. "I've always wanted to see the Philharmonie hall in person."
William smiles. "Another first of yours I can proudly claim."
Aelita smiles back at him squeezes his hand gently.
James and Yvonne finally show up and take their seats beside William and Aelita.
"Sorry for the delay, kids," James apologizes. "We had something we needed to discuss."
"It's okay," William and Aelita reply in unison.
Yvonne smiles. "I'm so excited for this concert. I've been looking forward to it for weeks!"
"I adore the New World Symphony," Aelita adds, her voice soft. "The second movement reminds me of my mom. I've always wanted to hear it live."
"Well, I'm glad we're all here and ready to enjoy some music," James says.
The lights dim and the pre-show announcement begins. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Philharmonie de Paris. Before our performance begins, we would like to take a moment to share some important information with you. Please be aware that photography and recording of any kind are not permitted during the performance. We kindly ask you to turn off all mobile phones and electronic devices..."
When the announcement concludes, the concertmaster walks out onto the stage, accompanied by a round of applause. She plays an A on her violin, and the strings section joins in, double checking their tuning. An oboist plays an A for the rest of the instruments to do the same.
The conductor then walks onstage and is given a hearty round of applause before he turns to face the orchestra.
As the music begins, William looks over at Aelita, who is enraptured by the sounds of the orchestra. He smiles, his heart full of love for her. He's beyond happy to see her enjoying herself.
The concert continues on, the music washing over the audience for the next ten minutes. The audience applauds enthusiastically, and then the mood shifts as the orchestra begins to play Debussy's symphonic composition. Debussy's impressionistic style is immediately recognizable, and the audience is transported to a world of lush, ethereal beauty.
As the music swells, Aelita leans her head on William's shoulder, her eyes closed. William wraps his arm around her and holds her close. They sit like this for most of the symphonic composition, lost in the music.
When the piece ends, the audience erupts into thunderous applause, showing a bit of French nationalism with their enthusiasm.
As the applause dies down, the house lights come up, denoting the intermission.
"I'm going to the restroom," Aelita says, excusing herself.
"Okay," William replies. When Aelita is out of earshot, he looks to his parents. "Mom, I assume that Dad filled you in earlier and that's why you had us come to the seats first."
"Yes, he did," Yvonne replies. "I'm so sorry, William. I can't imagine what you two have been going through. How are you holding up?"
"I'm... okay. I'm really worried about her, though. She's been so distant lately, and I don't know how to help her."
"Have you talked to her about it?"
"I've tried, but she won't open up to me. I'm afraid that I'm losing her."
"William, I know it's hard, but you have to be patient with her," Yvonne says gently. "She's going through a lot right now, and she needs your support. Don't push her, but just keep letting her know that you're there for her. She'll return to a new normal in her own time."
"I know. I just wish I could do more for her." He looks at the stage forlornly. "I wish she didn't need a 'new normal.'"
"What matters most is that you're doing the best you can, William. That's all you can do. Just continue to be there for her and she'll come around eventually."
"Thanks, Mom." William shifts his attention to his father. "Dad, there's a couple more things about this that I didn't get to say earlier."
"What is it?" James asks, cautiously curious.
"The officer who took Aelita's statement at the hospital had the last name... Pelletier."
"What?!" Yvonne exclaims, her eyes wide.
"You heard right. The cop that questioned her is of some relation to the guy who did it. Not sure what, exactly."
"William, that's... that's horrible," Yvonne says, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry, honey."
"It's really messed up. But, since I'm sure Pelletier thinks he's going to get away with this—he's gotten away with similar before—I took matters into my own hands today."
James furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"
"He plays for FC Fleury. I called and reported him to the manager. I told him that Pelletier is under investigation for assaulting my girlfriend. You'll be happy to know the manager promised to suspend him and launch their own internal investigation."
"While I don't exactly approve of you basically getting revenge and actively trying to ruin his life before any official charges are brought," James says with a slight scowl. "You did what you needed to do to protect the woman you love. She'll be lucky to have you as her husband some day."
"William, that was very brave of you," Yvonne says in a voice thick with emotion. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Mom."
Aelita returns from the restroom and sits down next to William.
"There you are. How are you doing, sweetheart?" Yvonne asks her. "We've been noticing how downtrodden you've been tonight."
"I'm okay. Thanks for asking," Aelita replies, her voice quiet.
"We're here for you, Aelita," James says gently. "If you ever need to talk, we're here."
Aelita stiffens. "Thanks," she says, her voice strained. She looks tentatively at William, who notices her discomfort and quickly changes the subject.
"So, Mom, Dad, ready for Dvorak?"
James takes his cue. "Absolutely. It's been a while since we've heard some Dvorak."
"Me, too," Yvonne says excitedly. "I can't wait."
As the concert resumes, the audience is swept away by the beautiful melodies and harmonies of the Czech composer. When the main melody of the second movement of the New World Symphony sounds, Aelita's eyes fill with tears. William notices and takes her hand, squeezing it gently.
She looks over at him, her eyes shining with emotion. "Thank you," she mouths.
He smiles and nods, his heart aching with love for her.
When the concert ends, the audience erupts into a thunderous standing ovation.
William, Aelita, James, and Yvonne stand and clap, their faces flushed with emotion.
"That was incredible," Yvonne says, her voice filled with awe.
"It really was," James agrees.
William rubs Aelita's back softly. "Thank you for bringing us."
"You're welcome, son. We're glad you enjoyed it."
"Thank you for including me," Aelita says softly.
"Of course, dear," Yvonne replies. "We're so glad you were able to join us."
"We should probably get going," William says. "We have homework to do."
"Alright," James says. "Let's get you two home."
They fight the foot traffic leaving the concert hall. Once in the garage and at the car, they all pile in and prepare for the drive back to Kadic.
"Thanks again, Mom and Dad," William says as he and Aelita get out of the car.
"You're welcome," Yvonne replies.
"Take care, you two," James says.
William and Aelita walk up to the front door of the dormitory building and go inside. As they walk towards Sissi's room, where Aelita is going to spend the night, William feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulls it out to see a text message from his mother: "If Aelita is willing to allow it, we would be happy to pay for therapy for you two. Together and separately."
William sighs. He knows his parents are only trying to help, but the thought of therapy makes him uncomfortable. He puts his phone back in his pocket and continues walking.
"Everything okay?" Aelita asks, noticing his sigh.
"Yeah. Just my mom," William replies. "She said they'd be happy to pay for us to go to therapy." William realizes what he just said. Fucking idiot!
"Therapy?" Aelita asks hesitantly. "Why would they say something like that?"
Shit, William thinks to himself. Well, I might as well just tell her the truth. "My dad asked if everything was okay. I told him what happened."
"William!" Aelita exclaims, her angry voice full of pain. "You promised you wouldn't say anything to them!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Princess. They could tell something was going on. But I couldn't lie to them. Especially my dad."
"William, I can't believe you," Aelita says, her voice trembling. "I trusted you."
"I'm sorry, Lita. I'm really sorry."
"No, don't Lita me. You know what? I can't do this right now," Aelita says, her voice dripping with pain and betrayal. She snatches her hand away from his and storms off towards the Hermitage.
"Lita, wait! Please don't go."
Aelita pauses, turning on her heel. "I'm sorry, William. I just... can't deal with this right now. I don't want to say something I'm going to regret later. Just leave me alone." With that, she turns and walks away, leaving William standing there alone.
William sighs, his shoulders slumping. He knows he fucked up, and he knows it won't be an easy fix. He turns and walks in the opposite direction, slamming his palm to his forehead repeatedly. "Fucking stupid! Stupid!"
As he walks, he thinks about the past few weeks. He thinks about the pain and the anger and the sadness. He thinks about the fear and the shame and the guilt. He thinks about the way he's felt so lost and so alone.
He thinks about the way he's felt like he's been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He thinks about the way he's felt like he's been drowning, and the way he's felt like he's been suffocating.
He thinks about the way he's felt like he's been fighting a battle he can't win.
Tears sting his eyes as he thinks about all of the emotions he's been feeling that he's been bottling up because she takes priority.
William takes a deep breath, steeling himself. He knows he needs to be strong. He knows he needs to fight.
He will make it up to Aelita somehow. For now, the next step is getting Pelletier to actually face some consequences, for once.
