"One thing about being on the top of the world? It gives you a long, long way to fall." - Gossip Girl
Song: Only Fools -Glades
***
Helix!" I exclaim in reprimand, but he simply shrugs and walks away. Shaking my head, I slide answer.
"Hey Steven,"
"Hey you! What are you up to?" Steven asks.
"Nothing much just got out of a class," I reply excluding the Helix aspect knowing fully well his feelings towards him.
"Was that your last one?" He asks to which I nod getting up. "Yup, was about to head back to my dorm,"
"Wanna hang out with me instead?"
"With you? Sure, we haven't really hung out outside of work," I say pleased he was wanting to rekindle the friendship.
"Exactly, we have a bunch to talk about," He says to which I nod. "Where are you on campus, I'm close by and can come grab you," He says. I give him the name of the building and take the elevator down. I then head towards the exit once I get to the ground floor but pause. Two figures with their back to me were intertwined in a steamy kiss moving towards the stairwell. The back of the guy looked like Helix. But he'd left right?
I start walking again and push the exit door open then pause. What if it's Helix? My heart skips a beat. What if it is? He was not my boyfriend.
"Helix is like a stinging nettle, Nettles make an excellent spinach substitute, Nettle beer tastes great ,but gets you drunk on it without your knowing. Its root can be used for medicinal purposes and its leaves used for tea is an excellent source of iron. However, it is also poisonous. if you touch it, you will be stung except you dry and cook it you won't get the best benefits and would be left hurt. That's Helix," Jens words come to mind."He is extremely hot, rich and smart. However, Helix doesn't date, he flirts but he never ever commits. Like EVER,"
Yet...I turn around and head towards the stairwell needing to be sure.
As I push open the door, I am met with the sight of two people deeply kissing.
"Helix!" The girl screams realizing I was there. Helix turns and our eyes meet. It really was him.
"Hestia?" He asks looking surprised.
A wave of pain washes through me. I feel clogged as if I stay there a minute longer I might cry or react in a way that I'd regret, hence I quickly turn around and walk away with the door shutting behind me.
He never told me we were dating, neither did he promise not to kiss anyone else. Yet it hurt, why? Because I had expected more, because I had hoped for more, when I clearly knew I shouldn't. Now I had been slapped in the face with the reality and didn't know what to do.
"I'm so sorry," I say turning around and hurrying out and running towards the exit. I never wanted this. I felt hurt, betrayed and it hurt because I knew I shouldn't, he never promised me anything and simply kissed me.
Once out, I walk fast with no destination in mind, refusing to cry.
"Hestia!" I hear what sounds like Helix call out. My steps pick up as I ignore him not wanting to face him fearing I'd break down.
"Do you know where you are going?" He asks. I didn't but wasn't about to tell him that. I keep walking.
"You can't possibly be angry because we shared a kiss?" He says in an almost mocking tone that stops me. I turn my shame overtaken by anger.
"Hestia I never promised you anything," he says almost accusatorially.
"I never asked you to," I reply.
"Exactly, so what's the problem," he asks to which I scoff, how is it he made it sound like I was the crazy one? Maybe I was, he never promised me anything. Yet here I was visibly upset, I hated it.
"Nothing Helix, there's no problem and I could care less about whom you choose to stick your tongue down their throats. Just next time make sure you take an STD test before sticking your tongue down mine," I say to which he smirks.
"So, there's a next time?" He asks taking a step forward. Ugh! I didn't mean that! I open my mouth to retort, however the blasting of a cars horn draws my attention to turn to the sight of a concerned looking Steven.
"Are you okay?" He asks opening his car door. Afraid this might end in a fist fight, I hurry over and open the passenger door. "I'm fine," I say stepping in and shutting the door not casting another look at Helix. Hoping it eats at him that I ignored him and got in Steven's car. The image of him kissing the girl flashes through my mind. He won't care, I realize enveloped with sadness.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Steven asks to which I nod and put on my seat belt. He stares at me and then out the window, sighs and then drives off.
Throughout the ride I don't say a word. After what feels like forever, with me being lost in my thought I feel the car come to a stop and realize we were by a lake.
"We've arrived?" I say removing my seatbelt as Steven nods.
I get out of the car and glance at the lake.
"It seemed like you needed to be here," Steven says placing his jacket over my shoulder "Thank you," I say breaking into a grateful smile It is insane how Steven was always so in tune with emotions.
I walk over to the edge and take a seat on the grass.
"Wanna talk?" He asks seating next to me. I shake my head.
"Fine, I'm here whenever you're ready and if you ever need anything. You know that right?" He asks to which I smile lay back against the grass.
I was grateful for his words, yet I couldn't bring myself to tell him what happened. How could I say I was mad at Helix who never promised me anything for kissing another girl? How do I tell him what a fool I'd been for expecting more? I couldn't, so I instead switch things around.
"What of you?" I ask.
"Me?"
"You've never told me why you dislike Helix so much, is it just because he spends his shift around girls?" I ask genuinely curious.
"That's a very valid reason, but no," he says confirming my suspicions.
"Then why?" I ask and I notice his expression change. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to," I say realizing I was trying to force him to talk when he was being understanding and not forcing me to speak regardless of how he may want to. I was being selfish, like always.
"I met him 3 years ago," He suddenly says surprising me.
"3 years ago?" I ask sitting up surprised. "Weren't you in England then?" I ask to which he nods.
"That's where we met. As you know, I was staying with my aunt. She had one kid who was my age and attended a prestigious high school. He was super smart and hence he'd gotten a scholarship to the school,"
"Wow that's awesome," I say.
"My aunt thought so too, we all did. Except Jason, my cousin,"
"He was someone who was always lively and bubbly but ever since he started attending the school, the light disappeared from his eyes. He became withdrawn and quiet. At first we thought it was because he had too much homework. Till I walked into him in the bathroom one day,"
"He was bruised Hestia, from head to toe. It was bad. I don't know how he survived. But that was not the scary part. What shook me was he had a blade to his wrist,"
I instinctively touch my wrist.
"My sweet innocent cousin was going to take his own life," Steven says voice laced with pain and anger.
"After a night of queries he finally let us know what was going on. He was getting bullied in school and couldn't take it anymore"
"I'm sorry," I say to which he shakes his head.
"You don't owe me an apology Hestia, you did nothing wrong. If anyone, does it's Helix,"
"Why?"
"Cos he was that kid that bullied my cousin,"
***
lol who saw that coming?