Book 1: Awakening (The VIth Element Series)

Chapter 31: Alex

I decided to take the necessary action after I met Raphael at breakfast the following morning. All night I had been plagued with unpleasant dreams. Therefore, coming to a conclusion that I needed to sort things out fast, I spoke to him in quick succession, after Jasmine had left us in order to talk to one of her fellow History students.

"Raphael," I asked him cautiously. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Raphael suddenly looked at me concerned, as he heard the anxiety in my voice. Due to this emotion, I relaxed slightly. Perhaps he was already forgiving me and his coldness towards me yesterday was just a fleeting reaction?

I hoped so.

"Of course you can," he told me. "What is it that you want to say?"

Hastily scanning the area and seeing Jasmine firmly occupied, I hinted at the dining room door.

"Is it ok if we talk somewhere more private?" I asked him. "I feel as if this room has ears."

His eyebrows rose at hearing my request. Nevertheless, he was only too happy to comply.

"Sure," he answered and soon, the two of us were walking through the long corridors in silence, before we were outside the academy and heading in the direction of the great lake.

When we had put a satisfying distance between us and any prying ears, I spoke in a stream of confused thoughts.

"Your mood yesterday changed after you heard about me hitting Vanessa," I began, blushing all the while I spoke. "Did you not think that that was the right thing to do? After all, she's been unnecessarily mean to me since I arrived."

After I had asked him my question, he looked at me, surprised that I had managed to suss him out so well. Eventually, sighing, he ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair.

"To be honest Alex," he replied, his golden eyes flashing with conflicting emotions. "When I heard about your fight, I was proud of you for sticking up for yourself. That's an admirable quality, in any person. However," he concluded, "I don't think that you should've lashed out like that. You were basically stooping yourself to her level and I didn't like to hear that you'd done that. That's not you, or what you stand for!"

I nodded my head, confirming that my suspicions were correct.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," I responded, my voice now small. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

He threw me a small smile.

"It's alright," he answered, his golden eyes now meeting mine. "But it's really Vanessa whom you need to apologise to, not me."

As soon as he had spoken, I knew that he was absolutely right. Even so, I just didn't know how I could possibly forgive the girl who had made my life hell since arriving here, for unjust reasons. In the end, I nodded to prove that I understood where he was coming from and he smiled, pleased that I could see his intentions. The silence lengthened between the two of us for a brief moment, before Raphael asked me a question, which caused my heart to stop.

"Alex," he asked me, his voice now timid and it was his turn to blush. "You know Vladimir told us about the Halloween Ball yesterday and about the two requirements?"

I nodded, although inside, I was a jumble of emotions and thoughts.

"Well...I was wondering if you would like to be my...well...my date for the evening?"

I couldn't breathe. It was as if the whole world had stopped turning.

"Raphael I...I..." I couldn't speak.

The majority of my body was screaming YES!

It was then that I remembered Jasmine and her comment last night that she hoped Raphael would ask her to the Halloween Ball. She had looked so hopeful. I went the colour of beetroot, as I saw Raphael's expectant, yearning face. Before long, I felt the words he desperately wanted to hear form on the tip of my tongue. Nonetheless, I realised that I couldn't betray Jasmine like this, not after what she had done for me since arriving at the academy.

At the last second, I revealed all to him about Jasmine's confession.

"Oh Raphael, I'd love you to take me to the Ball," I told him passionately. "But Jasmine's so hoping that you would ask her to this event. She really, really wants to go with you," I finalised, "especially as you mean a lot to her, although she's far too shy to tell you this directly."

At hearing my rejection, Raphael's features abruptly fell and his eyes swam with hurt. I could tell that I had disappointed him considerably with my answer. Nevertheless, after I had given him my reasons for turning him down, deep within his eyes, although they were sad, he recognized my fierce loyalty.

He gave me a brief, sharp nod.

"You're such a faithful friend," he eventually replied, after another pause. "Jasmine's very lucky to have you by her side." Then, turning his back on me, his shoulders slumped in deflation, he headed back towards the academy.

For a few moments, after he had gone, my mind went crazy.

Why? It screamed at me. Why did you let him go? He was desperate to take you to the Halloween Ball. You saw it in his eyes.

As I listened to my brain, my body yearned to run after Raphael – to take everything back and to tell him how I really felt. It took so much effort to stay there, not moving. After a short while, I realised that, at that moment in time, I had done the right thing. Raphael may have meant a lot to me but so did Jasmine, especially after all she had done to help me. Subsequently, it was my turn to leave the lake and, as I had free periods all morning, I decided that now was the time to visit the library. I hoped that my quest would take my mind off my distressed heart.

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AN:

Well I wonder if that played out in the way you thought it would. Raphael is certainly disappointed by Alex's reply and Alex is secretly regretting her actions regardless of her good intentions. I wonder if this will effect the dynamic of the group? What do you think?