The Cynical Bookworm

People behave in the oddest of manners when faced with strangers. There may be an odd force of attraction between them or there may be some sort unexplained awkwardness that blankets itself around the strangers, making small talk and forced smiles mandatory. As Loran eyed Freya, that was exactly what Freya did, force smiles and make small talk.

“Alec told me about your dads. That’s a shit move on their part. A shit move from selfish bastards isn’t that surprising though, is it Sweetheart?”

Freya forced a straight face, attempting to appear unfazed by Loran’s bluntness. Freya knew exactly what Loran was doing and that was what made Freya’s resolve harden. Loran assumed she could scare Freya off with her remarks and those very remarks throughout the night only made Freya stay that much longer.

“How are you going to deal with marriage anyways? You don’t look the type to maintain a marriage. Have you ever even been in a relationship, Sweetheart?”
Freya flushed slightly in embarrassment, which shocked both Loran and Alec. “You’ve never been in a relationship? Now that is something, Alec. You’ve got yourself a virgin saint.”

Freya was getting tired. Loran had no right to treat her like this. “Listen Loran, if you’re so daft as to not realize the predicament we’re in, I feel sorry for your lack of intellect. I do not want to marry this kid and he doesn’t want me any more than he wants syphilis. Stop acting like I’m a naïve ten-year old and stop talking about me like I’m not sitting right next to you. You have no idea what I’m going through so stop adding stress to my plate. I have enough stress to induce an ulcer at the moment. I don’t need yours. Got it, Sweetheart?”

Alec looked at Freya like she’d sprouted six heads and Loran just sat there with the same smile that she had maintained on all night. “I like you, Freya. You’re not as spineless as you seemed an hour ago.”

Freya merely turned her attention to her half eaten chicken Parmesan. She wasn’t here to get some girl’s approval. She was here because her father was a dick and her mother was dead. She tuned out of the conversation when Loran started complaining about the course load she had stupidly taken and how she did not want to go through a semester of science classes just because her parents wanted her to be a doctor.

Freya smiled to herself. In a sense, no one was ever truly free to live their own life. Even opinionated Loran had parents to please and expectations to meet. Dinner ended an hour later and after Loran said goodbye, Alec and Freya walked back to his car.

“What did you think?” Alec asked Freya as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Of the chicken Parmesan? I think it was a little too cheesy. And the sauce could definitely use some work.”

Alec smiled. “I meant what did you think of Loran?”

“Ah, she’s something alright.” Freya said hesitantly.

“She sure is. You know, when I was younger I was bullied. One day, I was standing by the rusted jungle gym when these two boys came up to me and began shoving me into a corner. It was like Loran came from nowhere. She just came up behind them and kicked one of them in the shin and the other turned around to get scratched in the face. Loran looked really scary and she said, “If I ever see you two near him again, I’m going to break your legs and feed them to my pet snake.” Those boys were so scared they ran away faster than a bat out of hell.” Alec told the entire story with a smile on his face, as if recollecting the memory nostalgically.

Freya smiled at the boy. He was not as much of an asshole as she thought. He had substance and depth in him. “Once I hit fifth grade though, girls lined up to be my girlfriend so I stopped being bullied and became the God that I am now.”

“Alright Narcissus, that’s enough glory day storytelling for me.” Freya said as she shook her head. It was as though he had a detection device. As soon as Freya began to fix her opinion of him, he would say or do something ridiculous.

“Babe, my glory days never ended.”

“If you call me babe again I will castrate you and feed your penis to Loran’s snake.” Freya said.

“You wouldn’t know a penis if you saw one and would your virgin hands really be up for the task?” Alec asked with a suggestive raise of his eyebrow.

“I swear to all things holy, if you keep this up I will punch you in that pretty face of yours.”

“So you think my face is pretty?” Alec said as he stopped at a red light.

“There is no winning with you, is there?”

Alec leaned in to Freya and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry babe, you’re not too shabby yourself.”
Freya tensed at the close proximity and shivered as she felt his breath against her neck. Composing herself, she said, “Alec, your breath wreaks of garlic. Move before I… “ Freya’s threat was not voiced as Alec quickly moved away from her and turned his attention back to the road.

The remainder of the ride was quiet, silence enveloping the two into their own thoughts and concerns. However, as Alec turned onto a deserted, dirt covered road Freya turned to him.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re already here, we’re not going anywhere.”

“And where is here?” Freya asked as the car continued down the path.

“My humble abode.” Alec said as the car emerged from the path to look at a looming white mansion. Freya had thought Marcus’ inherited home was large but as she stared at the house, or palace rather, before her, Marcus’ house looked like a shed for servants. Freya was sure Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley Estate was nothing in comparison to this house. Quickly Freya composed herself and raised an eyebrow.

“Ostentatiousness is quite unbecoming. Don’t you think the marble statues might be a tad over the top?”

“Sweetheart, my dad has a taste for anything that shoves his money in your face. You haven’t seen the inside yet.” Alec said offhandedly.

Freya walked up the steps and entered the house only to find Ileana running after Olivia.

“Olivia Jane Nylund, you come here this instant. I have repeatedly told you I don’t approve of that boy and now you’ve resorted to lying about him to me!”

“Hello, mother dearest.” Alec said with a smile.

“Alec I don’t have time for your…” Ileana stopped mid-sentence when she saw Freya.

“Hello dear, I wasn’t expecting you to come here so late.”

“Actually Mom, she’s staying the night.” Alec said with a wide grin.

Ileana stared between Freya and Alec and Freya felt her cheeks redden. Ileana could only be assuming the worst considering Alec’s track record with the female population.

“I hope it isn’t a bother. I just preferred staying somewhere other than my own home for a night considering my current predicament.”

“I’m only letting you stay this time if you let me stay over yours next time we go out.” Alec said.

Freya began to protest when Alec interrupted “If I’m saving you for a night, it’s only fair that you save me another time.”

Freya rolled her eyes, “You possess such eloquence, Romeo.”

“I’d say you’re the Juliet to my Romeo but I’d rather the two of us didn’t drop dead.” Alec said with a straight face. Ileana and Olivia watched the two bicker back and forth.

“Now that I think of it, you dropping dead would solve most of my problems. Better sleep with one eye open, Romeo.”

“Is that a death threat, Sweetheart?”

“No, I don’t believe it is. Think of it as more of a promise” Freya said with a grin.

“Only you could promise me death and then end up in my bed.”

“Alright, let’s keep it PG.” Ileana interrupted the pair.

“Night, Mom.” Alec said as he headed toward the stairs.

“Good night, Mrs. Nylund.” Freya said as she hurried after Alec.

Alec climbed two flights of stairs and then walked to the end of the hall. He turned to Freya with a smirk and opened his mouth to deliver a smart retort when Freya said

“Don’t tell me this is where the magic happens or some other form of a sexual joke related to you and your god-like abilities in bed.” Freya snapped at Alec.

Alec’s smile fell for a moment only to be picked back up even wider than before.

“Sweetheart, you and I are soul mates. You know what I’m thinking before I even say it. That and you already know how god-like I am.” Alec said with a wink.

“Move along, Romeo. I’m tired and it is really late.”

Alec opened the door and Freya saw the first glimpse of Alec’s personality since she had met the kid. The walls of the room were a dark navy blue although most of the walls were covered in pictures. Not just any sort of pictures though. They were the sorts that one photographed. If there weren’t photographs on the walls, there were posters of bands. But Freya could not get over the photographs. They were amazing. Each one captured ordinary life in an extraordinary way.

Freya turned to Alec who was rifling through a drawer. “Alec?”

Freya’s calm tone must have alarmed him for he quickly turned to her. “What?”

“Did you take all these?”

“The pictures? Yea I did them for a class I took as an elective.” He said as though it were nothing.

“Why?”

“Why? They’re absolutely brilliant, Alec. You’re really talented.”

“Thanks, Sweetheart. I’m sure my father will love to see my pictures.” He said bitterly.

Freya frowned. She had a feeling that these weren’t just done for an elective class but that was what Alec told himself because he knew better than to disagree with his father. His father needed him to run the family business. Freya’s heart actually broke for the boy.

“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we? We want to be writers and photographers and our parents have us involved in business of all things.”

Alec smiled at Freya before tossing her a t-shirt and sweats. “Bathroom is over there.”

Freya came back to find Alec placing pillows on the couch.

“I’ll take the couch.” She quickly said and Alec turned to her and smiled. Seeing her dressed in his clothes made him smile.

“No, it’s my room and I insist you take the bed.”

“Alec, I’m not taking your bed.”

“Well, I take it that we’re not sharing the bed either so the bed is yours unless you want the floor. But, I refuse to take the bed.”

Alec smiled, assuming he’d won the battle of chivalry and manliness. Instead, Freya grabbed a pillow and blanket from the bed and sat on the floor with her legs crossed.

“I’m not moving either, Romeo.”

“Sweetheart, don’t be so stubborn. Take the bed.”

“Take your own advice. Stop being so stubborn. Take the bed.”

“I cannot believe you.” Alec said in exasperation.

“And I cannot believe you.”
“Well, good night. I’ll join you on the floor.” Alec said as he grabbed a pillow and placed it next to Freya’s.

“No, this isn’t how it works. You’re taking your bed. You don’t owe me anything so you don’t me your bed. Get off the floor.”

“You’re my guest. It is a courteous thing to offer my bed to you.”

Freya narrowed her eyes at Alec. “I’m going to bed. Good night.” she said as she lay on her side on the floor and pulled the blanket to her chin.

Alec let out a sigh before turning off the lights and lying on the floor next to her. “You’re really something else, Sweetheart.”

The following morning, Alec woke to find Freya in his arms. He merely tightened his arms around her and decided to go back to sleep. It was still far too early for him to be awake. The hours of the day weren’t the real reason Alec fell back asleep with a smile on his face. It had a lot to do with the small redhead in his arms whose hair smelled like strawberries. In fact, the warmth of her body almost made Alec forget about the sharp back pain he was developing.

In the midst of a hard floor, tangled bed sheets and backaches, a small flower of hope bloomed between the two. It was so faint a bloom that neither knew it was there. They just slept in one another’s arms while the flower grew and that very bloom is what pushed the pair through their tumultuous journey that they had been handed first class tickets to thanks to their parents.