Chapter Eighth

“That’s more like it.” I patted his jacket and bounced over to Frank, who handed everyone a pole. Honestly, I’ve never really played pool before, but I was willing to try anything.

“How ‘bout you break it Ava?” everyone looked at me stiffly. I tried to ignore it. Smack! I broke it evenly and Gerard took his turn and then Frank, Ray, Mikey, me, Gerard, and so on. After ten minutes I popped in an MCR CD and that seemed to loosen everyone up. Gerard and Frank grabbed some beers; I was on my third, but Ray nor did Mikey ever take one. I could tell the three of us were intoxicated, but it was too funny so I kept going.

  It was my turn and I was still chancing hitting without poking someone’s eyes out. I took my chance….and totally missed. Instead of hitting anything, except air, I dropped it and fumbled back wards. My hands flew up to my face and laughed so hard. Gerard laughed drunkenly and fumbled too. Frank wasn’t too bad, or he had done this before, and tried propping me back up, but left poor Gerard to fall over.

“God, just put me on the ground.” I laughed as we fumbled forward and fell. He landed awkwardly on top of me with his knees trapping my hips. Frank grinned and brushed back his hair.

“I didn’t mean like this.” I whispered, trying to hide my hurt.

“You didn’t have to.” He whispered, inching closer. How was I going to tell him I didn’t want to be kissed because it would hurt? That wouldn’t be fair to him at all. I would be hurting him almost more than myself. I took a fleeting glance around me at Gerard and the others; there wasn’t anyone looking at us. I took a chance and let Frank kiss me. It was quick, a drunk kiss, nothing more. It didn’t mean anything to him or me.

 

Gerard’s P.O.V

  We had finally just half way cleaned up enough of the den so we could walk around. Ava was already on the futon. We were all going to have horrible hangovers in the morning, but I don’t think any of us cared. When I was done covering up the pool table I walked back over to the futon. Everyone else was out. None of us thought we’d be doing this after visiting a high school, guess we were wrong. I eased into the thin sheets, they ruffled softly, and Ava just stirred a little. For some reason kissing her had crossed my mind multiple times tonight. Maybe it was the way they were shaped, how they curved up the slightest and her eyes were so wide they made it look like she had an anime face. I resisted the urge to brush back her hair and just look at her. She turned over and her eyebrows bent together.

“Stop it. You have to let me leave.” her head was shaking from side to side. The looks in her eyes earlier kept me from waking her now. I just watched.

“No. Quit! I can’t. I’m begging you, stop…I’m begging you, stop…” finally she stopped squirming. I felt different inside thought, like I really didn’t know her, like she really was some stranger I was sleeping with and then her eyes popped open. I remembered how her eyes looked earlier and for a sudden moment when she first opened them they didn’t look that way. She looked human before.

  She rested the back of her hand on her sweaty forehead and her eyes fluttered.

“Was I screaming again?” she asked, but didn’t look like herself. She looked different, weak, and just very un-colourful, it’s hard to explain.

“Did you hear yourself?” I asked, chuckling, as she sat up. Even though she still had clothes on she pulled the edge of the sheet up with her, but rubbed one eye with the other hand.

“Yea, it’s the same dream over and over again. Almost every night, but I can’t figure out what it means or what it’s leading to.”

“Is it supposed to?” I tried to look it her eyes, but she looked away.

“I think it is, but Gerard, you don’t know me.” She smiled falsely and leaned back. I honestly didn’t know what to say. She was so weird, yet so interesting. I just wanted to know everything.

“Tell me.” I leaned back with her, but on one elbow. This time she let me look in her eyes. I was astonished.

‘What is it with the way her eyes look? She looks so different yet so the same.’

“I’m not normal.” It was like she was answering my thoughts. I didn’t say anything.

“Honestly you wouldn’t understand. You just wouldn’t. You can’t know.” Now her eyes looked sad and harsh. What could she be hiding?