VANILLA ALDERIDGE

I tap my cheeks to restore normalcy and turn around to come face to face with the living personification of the sick feeling going on inside of my stomach right now.

He has his hands in the pockets of his jeans and he has tilted his head to the side, as he leans against the doorframe.

He seems perfectly the same, illegally good looking, and without any regret for his ‘awesome show’. I notice the chiselled jawline and the tempting lips that wear a teasing smile on themselves.

I sigh helplessly. Why does he have to look this sinfully perfect?

“I thought you enjoyed the performance to the fullest already, clearly you haven’t had enough. Of me.”

His amused and arrogant voice breaks my stare and I look down to hide the creeping blush. He is so impossible.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, you can be the next one in her place, I can arrange that.”

My composure falters for a second, before I regain it.

It’s not like you don’t want it. My subconscious barks cheekily. It would be so much better if she just shuts up and helps me with a comeback.

“Thank you, Hayden. I think the vomit that had been reluctant to leave my system up until this minute, surely will now – after hearing that.”

“God help me, it didn’t hurt you so bad to see that, now did it?”

Did it? Did it?

The hurt, if and whatever I had felt, was certainly masked by their chosen manner of hurting. Perhaps if he would’ve been a bit more hygiene conscious, maybe -

What the hell is wrong with me.

“Honestly Zach, you are so sick in your head. And I don’t care if you live or die, I wouldn’t even turn back to glance at the coffin.” I lie, with a straight face, hoping that my eyes reflect a confidence that would help it seem like a truth.

The idea of Zach getting physically, fatally hurt, is… unsettling and so I don’t think about it. It’s not like he won’t deserve it, but it’s not in me to wish something so cruel for anyone, in general, let alone him that I cared for so deeply, even though in the past tense.

I just say it in hopes to hurt him, probably because of his hurting me before. I know it is childish to no extremes, but seeing him suddenly, after such a long time, has reminded me of everything, and I would do anything to numb it.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t, love, but then the typical ‘leaving the table violently and dashing away because you can’t see the love of your life with someone else’ act that you pulled right now, speaks otherwise.”

“Oh I’m sorry if I’m not used to having my food in the presence of two overly desperate and disgusting bodies clawing each other’s faces out, all smeared with drool and spit, making noises that would make pigs shy away. I’m so sorry.”

I place my hands on my hips and look straight at him. Take that.

Its strange to hear him refer to himself as ‘the love of my life’. Even though it’s sarcastic, and Zach would never ever mean it in a sane state, it still makes me wonder if he is.

This is too early, we are too young. And I don’t want to believe that ‘the love of my life’ had pulled that stunt on me, or that he had hurt me beyond measure like no one else before. But then again, the point was the fact he could hurt me, was because I had let him. Because I had loved him.

He takes two steps towards me and I make sure not to lose my stance or my sanity.

He decreases the space between us, getting closer until his face is inches away from mine and my decision shivers.

What the hell is he doing?

I try not to get affected by him. Or rather, try not to let him see me get affected by him. He pushes a stray lock of hair behind my ear and whispers so slow, it almost kills me.

“I have to say, you’ve acquired sass.” I take a deep breath, without breaking my stare.

Control is so difficult around him, it scares me to shit.

“Never lost it.”

“Not to mention the comebacks.”

“Learnt them from the best.”

I wipe off the imaginary dust on his shoulder, loving the feel of the knit material against my skin. I can feel his toned muscle underneath, that tenses for a second. I don’t feel like removing my hand, even though it’s just a piece of clothing.

It’s his piece of clothing. And every small little thing of his, is so… incapable of hitting me. No, what in the name of holiness are you thinking, Alanna.

He’s the same person, goddammit. He gets me so confused, to the point of making me feel physically exhausted.

With one final look in his eyes, I leave.

The cold air hits me like a knife. I release the breath I had been holding and as I re-enter the garden. Eva, Lily and Georgia are all over me, firing questions.

“I’m fine now, please, don’t worry. It was probably just the pizza.” I assure Lily for the last time before Eva ushers us to join them for dessert after food. Finally.

God, I hope Zach and Victoria Secret don’t spoil this of all things, for me. I will not compromise on dessert.

I take my place before the waiter serves a big scoop of chocolate ice cream for me, dripping with chocolate syrup and topped with chocolate chips.

I love my life. In this moment, like right now, I am so in love with my life. I’m sure I must be wearing my biggest smile. And I must be in heaven.

“Can I have the sugar free one, please?” I hear Lily’s voice beside me and my spoon freezes in mid air as I take in her words.

“Sugar free, really? Do I even know you?” I ask her, shaking my head in disbelief.

“I’ve put on weight.” She shrugs her shoulders and starts on her special “sugar free” ice cream. Who even makes these stuff?

I take a spoonful of my sweet delight as a voice stops me midway, again and I groan internally.

“Could you pass me the tissue, Callister?” I look up to see the devil smiling at me, gesturing towards the box of wipes to my left.

Why can’t he just let me be? I glare at him with all my might, hoping he gets the indication and asks someone else.

“It’s lying there.” He casually shrugs with a not-my-fault expression.

“Oh, wanted to wipe off the drool that’s left? Here you go!” I hand him the box with a cheeky smile and his smile instantly turns bigger.

Victoria Secret seems to have turned sharply at my words too. God, I hate this woman.

Why do I hate this woman? I don’t know, I just hate this woman, to the extent of not even bothering to bless this woman with a pronoun “her”. I really don’t make sense to myself, sometimes.

“Uh no, actually, the one on your face after seeing that much chocolate all at once.” I blush hard as most of the people around the table laugh lightly.

He leaves no chance to embarrass me. Stupid monkey with a beautiful face!

He simply smiles his triumphant smile at me. I wonder what he even gets from all this? Sadistic pleasure, that’s all.

I finally succeed in taking a bite and almost moan at the deliciousness of the sweet ecstasy. Nothing, beats chocolate. Not even Tom Cruise. Not even, Tony Stark.

‘I want chocolate to become a person, so I can take it to Vegas and marry it.’

I giggle to myself lightly. Hell I enjoy my company, so much.

A few people have left the table by the time I’m half way through eating. Did they just take a bite and leave? I take a casual look around and it’s mostly the students who are seated now.

Zach is silently eating whatever he is eating while occasionally glancing and throwing off the wry smirk at me. He’s going to have a lip paralysis, with so much of smirking.

Victoria Secret is still sticking to him like adhesive with one hand casually around his neck. And it’s almost starting to bug me.

“Damn! Who even kept this plate of chocolate brownie in front of a person currently trying to diet! It’s irritating!” I hear Lily’s sharp, annoyed voice and look up to see a half eaten chocolate brownie with chocolate syrup oozing out from the inside of it and I have to agree the view is indeed temptation on a plate.

“Just erase that from your line of vision and imagine the wall behind it. It’s what I do.” I say, taunting the arrogant piece of male human meat in front of me looking straight into his eyes who just smiles in return.

And I know he has understood.

“I think it’s far too tempting to resist. I mean, just look, at that. Go ahead, take a bite. Live a little.” He looks at me mockingly and his eyes are full of dancing amusement.

“It might be tempting, but it’s half eaten already,” I say while purposely glancing at Victoria Secret’s hand around him.

“…not everyone feeds on contaminated leftovers.”

Lily’s looking at me with sad agreement while Zach chuckles with his head bowed down. Victoria Secret is eyeing me suspiciously and I’m sure many among the audience must have enjoyed our little conversation. If anyone managed to understand, that is.

I win, Hayden, ha.

“Excuse me.” I take it as my cue to leave the table and join the other ladies, probably engrossed in some uninteresting chatter.

Anything’s better than him.

“I hope you enjoyed the food, dear?” Eva asks me affectionately. I look at her kind eyes, ocean blue, waiting for my answer.

“Surely I did. It was wonderful. Especially the dessert.” She smiles beautifully at me wrapping an arm around my shoulder and the gesture takes me by happy surprise.

She is so sweet, while some people here seem to have appointed Lucifer as their personal trainer.

“Oh, did you meet my son, by the way? Nathaniel? Over here.” She turns around and I follow her gaze to find a dirty brown haired boy make over to us after a stiff, stern, uneasy nod.

He walks down to us with unattainable charm, every move hotter than the previous.

He has just the perfect proportion of a body one can dream of. A plain white shirt hangs gloriously on him, collars rounded at his neck, sleeves upto the elbows and first two buttons undone.

I follow my gaze down to find it untucked and a dark blue pair of denims following.

He is, a beautiful man. And he deserves to be looked at, leisurely.

I take my time to do exactly that, as he nears us. I shift my gaze downwards, to finally rest on his black converse.

Zach would’ve paired it with the white converse. It would’ve gone gloriously with the shirt. At least he would’ve believed so. Not that it would be wrong. But then Zach could wear a sack, and still look worthy enough to pose for Vogue - stop talking, this instant.

Author's note:

Nathaniel Alderidge is in the house, people!

** shinchan happy dance **

If you have a friend who consumes anything sugar-free, without having diabetes…

Disown them today.

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