- Whisperpeak Academy for Wayward Dragons - Ch.15 P. 6 - Dying Tears -

Instructions

(+) when I decided to stumble out of the hiding place. My legs burned with numbness. "Hey." I said stupidly. Oliver walked behind me and eased me away. "Excuse this young lady, she got a little curious. We will be taking our leave now," he let a chuckle slip and glanced at Alex. "But before that, can we talk?" He hesitantly agreed, casting a suspicious look at me. ------------------------------------------------- "Why are you being so abrupt? Why are you even here?" Alex mumbled once we were out of earshot. "I want you to make up your mind. Do you like her or not?" "Didn't answer my question." "I was just restless and wanted to see if Henry's recruits came yet. I just happened to stumble into whatever was going on back there-" "It was nothing, Ollie. We were just fooling around." He bit his lip and shied from my gaze, exposing his intentions. "Fooling around? That didn't look very platonic-" I snorted. "Why do you care, anyway? You aren't her family!" "Alex, I care because I made the same mistake. Don't beat around the bush." "What do you mean?" His accent strengthened and he closed his fists stubbornly. I sighed. "I just don't want you to spend too long till you get with her, okay? I've seen enough to know you two are so much more than you're labelling yourselves as." Alex laughed and glanced behind him at the piles of cargo and lines of tall vehicles. "So, you dragged me all the way back here to give me advice?" "Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but just trust me- it'll save you some dignity." Alex chuckled, folding his arms and leaning back. "What makes you think my intentions were to fl!rt? We're just close friends. When you've almost died with someone on multiple occasions, you tend to feel stronger for them. Shortie and I-" "You made her a pet name, Alex." "And?! Families make up names like that all the time! John calls her that too!" He scowled. "I get it. It's hard to confess. But still- you've known her for years!" "Three. We don't even really know each other /that/ wel-" "Alex! You two finish each other's sentences! Why are you so against-" "The Resistance needs a leader that knows nothing but justice. Not a l0verboy that can barely keep his head screwed on straight because some girl called him fine once. I can't be weak. I can't let anyone depend on m." I'd hit a sore spot. Crickey. "Mate, I don't mean to get you riled up, but I do want you to understand... She already is depending on you. Maybe what you need right now is l0ve? With the future mission and all this stress- wouldn't it be nice having a stable support? After Lexi and everyt-" "Don't." He slammed his fist on a crate full of thick gray cables, accidently tipping them over. John yelled out some sort of exclamation and came jogging out of the garage, but I was already following Alex back into the house. "Most people's love isn't as light-hearted as yours. Rachel is already my backbone; she doesn't have to be anything more. I can't /let/ her be." "But- why-" "And you better keep Lexi's name out of your mouth, Ollie. She's not one of my weaknesses anymore." We walked all the way to his bedroom, where he started sorting through unorganized papers. "You didn't answer my question... Why? Why can't you?" That stumped him. "...I just can't, Oliver. I'm too scared. I have to keep my distance... Today- today was just a slip up." "Wh-" "You don't understand the stress I'm under. Oliver, you and I have very different roles to play in this world. You are the sweet Hylomian-Australian seargent that gives toys to poor kids. . . A-and teaches teenagers how to climb trees... I.... I have to protect a weak, basically godless nation with the equivalent of a crowd of angry protestors." He shoved a wrinkled paper in my face. "See these numbers? This is how many people we have fit to fight. Think about how all of these people probably have irrelevant amounts of magic and no experience in war." I studied the meager sheet, starting to understand Alex's point. "You don't know me, you don't know my past." The loud sounds of paper swishing filled the air as Alex tried to compose himself. He was crying now. "Bad things happen when I fall in love. I'm useless. I'm failing everyone. Someone like me can't just not handle love. I don't deserve it." I turned to the doorway, guilt heavy on my shoulders, realizing I'd pushed Alex too far. This wasn't any of my business. "Leave. Please." He raked his hand through his hair, eyes desaturated, misty, and soaked with fear. --------------------------------------------------------- I returned to my room after that embarrassing moment, mainly waiting for Oliver. Gosh, it was crazy realizing how boring everything was without him. It was even crazier thinking an underground town had become boring in the first place. (+)