Triangles

"You're not going out!!" Gavin screams from the foot of the stairs. His precious rugby has been cancelled, leaving him in a foul mood. He hasn't eaten or drunk anything all morning, so his energy level is at its lowest yet. His hair is a mess and he can't find his usual pair of glasses and has to use a pair that are too big and keep sliding down his nose. The weather is bleak and as miserable as ever, adding to his awful mood. Every move I make and every sound that passes my lips pushes his temper ever so slightly. He frightens me.

"I promised Sean I'd go. I can't walk back on a promise" I grumble. I brush my bushy hair away from my eyes, my entire appearance bothering me. Today is one of those days when nothing seems to look good, when everyone's out to get you, even Mother Nature hates you. "Let me tell you something about Demons, Gavin: as sly and evil as they may be they never back out of a deal. Sure they'll find loopholes but once they've agreed to something there is no going back"

"And what's that got to do with you meeting Sean?" He huffed once he’s by my side. I smile smugly, smudging black across my eyes.

"What's to say I'm not a demon?" I smirk. Gavin rolls his eyes. He pretends not to believe in ghosts and demons and the afterlife. I know he does secretly. He won't ever admit it, it'd abuse his reputation too harshly. After all, rugby players are big, tough fearless men. Little demons in the dark are no match to them.
"If they ever existed, wouldn't they have red eyes? Doesn't the Bible say Satan has red eyes?" He points out. I smile at him, loving how easy it is to correct him. He hates that.

"Actually, The Bible says Satan is a very beautiful, very kind looking man. If you saw someone with red eyes, would you find them beautiful? I'd think they're evil" I point out. The Bible doesn't say much about Satan's appearance. "Mythology says a demon's eye is red because of the dirty blood. Some types of mythology say a demon has black eyes to a human, because they are a beast. Like if you look at a rabbit's eyes, they're black"

"Yeah, cause rabbits are big and ferocious" Gavin chuckles. Alright maybe that wasn't the best example but I know rabbits defiantly have black eyes. "Anyway, back to the point, Echo! You're sick! Stay home with me and recover, it'll do you a lot more good than going outside. I know you like Sean more than me but I thought maybe we could spend a little time together"

For a brief moment, I thought Gavin’s thinking more humbly of himself. He knows I'd rather be with Sean, and he doesn't pretend. I expected him to be very upfront about it, dropping little hints to convince me that he is better. He’s thinking about us, not him. Maybe today will be a glorious day when he cares. However, I feel unsafe. Gavin has tried his luck on me once, would he do it again? Would he get mouthy and offensive like he usually always does? I don't want to be in a situation where Gavin has successfully managed to get me in bed or his mood escalates into a whole new definition of Hell. I’m ready to chance it.

"I promised I'd go see Sean" I said defiantly. I go back to sorting out my dismal appearance. Maybe a tiny bit more makeup will do the trick. Some days, it's needed.

"And I'm telling you, you're too sick to go outside! Just give him a call and he'll understand. He's ill too, don't you think he wants some time to recover too?" Gavin argues. As I’m about to answer back, but my phone rang with its annoying fucking ring tone. It sounds a bit like two space shuttles arguing. It’s a text from Sean.

"Delia Smith made me vomit." It read. Short but sweet.

"No surprise. Ate too much?"
"Maaaaaaaybe"
"Ah."
"So I'm warning you. Come round at your own risk xxx"

I guess I'm not going to Sean's. I sigh, putting down my make up bag. What's the point in looking nice if there is no one to look good for? I'm not attention seeking, it's just...wouldn't it be nice to have something nice said about you? Something genuine and honest. I'd like to have someone just tell me I'm pretty so that I can believe it. Everyone hears it from their parents and family, right? I can't recall ever being told I'm pretty. I do remember coming down stairs one morning, trying to look all cool with my huge 3D nerd glasses (which weren't cool when I was 5), and watching my mother's expression intently. She looked as though she wanted to rip my face off and stitch that of Bindi Irwin's on. You know that little voice in your head telling you that you aren't good enough? Mine was outside my head, driving me to school. It's not fair that I had to compete with children like Bindi, who everyone knew about because her father was the awesome Aussie dude. I could've been perfect and loved and popular like Bindi. I’m not. I’m just Echo Moon. I don't have an explorer father. He’s probably an accountant or some boring shit like that. I don't have the adorable looks. I was a terrifying child. My skin was perfectly white and I was freakishly tall (I'm tiny now). I didn't talk much and when I did it was mindless babble. I didn't have endless knowledge of animals or a positive outlook. Something went horribly wrong in my head.

"Alright. I'll stay" I sigh, feeling a little disappointed. Gavin's face lights up and his arms slip tightly around my waist. He’s warm, his muscles cloaking my slender form easily.

"Thanks Echo. You've been with him a little too much recently, I kinda feel forgotten. Maybe we could watch some films? You like them, right?" He suggests. I look up and smile, nodding slightly. The best thing about Gavin is his height. He isn't much taller than I am. Our noses are almost level. It's really sweet, being able to look directly into his perfect crystal blue eyes. I like that sort of shit. "Just no horrors. I don't like horrors" he looks down and blushes, his glasses sliding down his nose a bit. He doesn't always wear glasses but he looks real cute with them.

"Well, we could watch The Matrix. Ever seen it?" I ask, taking his hand and leading him downstairs into the front room. He shakes his head. It's stupid people haven't seen The Matrix. For a start, it made Bullet Time the coolest camera shot ever. It's the best Cyberpunk film ever and seriously, who doesn't love the sound of Hugo Weaving saying 'Mr Anderson...'? It's sexy every time. The acting is great, the shots are great and the whole idea of being unaware of your own life situation is pretty mind boggling. I know many people who believe that a film has to be scary to be great - but they're very wrong.

"It's a classic sci-fi. Really, the scariest scene is when Neo's taken into custody by Agent Smith and he starts an argument, but Agent Smith kinda removes his lips? It's weird, difficult to explain. It's like his lips turn to gum and stick together then they disappear all together" I explain. "But it's amazing. The camera shots are so fucking epic. You can actually see the path of the bullets and the way the actors move. It's so amazing!"

"Bullet Time?" Gavin asks.

"Yeah, when the camera counties to move through the scene as it normally would but everything else is in slow motion" I explain. He smiles and nods slightly.

"Sean was going on about it some time ago. Didn't seem too interesting. It's one of those things you need to see to understand isn't it?" he chuckles. I set the film up on Netflix and snuggle into him for a little extra warmth. His arms slip around my waist, his head on mine.

We weren’t that far into the movie when Gavin squirmed slightly beneath me. I’m not sure if it’s a reaction to Neo being disconnected from the Matrix, waking up in the Human Fields and all of a sudden he looks suspiciously like Chester Bennington. There are all these weird wires that look like tentacles going into his arms and he's covered in this gooey, slimy blood stuff. It's like a child growing in a mother's stomach only it's a full grown man living completely unawares in a pod while the person he thinks he is lives the life of a computer hacker. It's slightly disgusting, and maybe a little scary.

"I need a drink" he mumbles, pushing me off him. He stumbles to his feet and into the kitchen. I can hear him clattering around, like he’s looking for something in particular. He came back a few moments later, a glass of something bright yellow that I could only assume is pineapple juice in hand. I watch as Gavin takes a huge mouthful of the juice, a rather wicked idea crossing my mind.

"DELIA SMITH!!!!" I scream when about half the glass had gone. He choked and spluttered on his drink, bending over in a desperate attempt not to spit it out. His face is beetroot red and his glasses slid all the way down his nose and drop to the floor. The cat looks up from his spot in front of the fire, thinking about how stupid his owner is, before settling back down uninterested. Gavin stumbles to his feet and races upstairs to the bathroom.

"YOU BITCH!!!" he screams from upstairs, coughing like a smoker. I couldn't help myself! I just had! It isn't my fault; the temptation was just there, right in front of my face! Gavin came back downstairs, still choking. He picks his glasses back up and pushed them back onto his face. "All I can smell is pineapple juice" he complains.

"I'm sorry" I lie, smiling smugly. He sat down by my side again, being sure to keep his distance in case I attempt to murder him again. He picks his glass up again, watching me closely as he raised the glass to his lips. The temptation’s there, screaming in my face again.

"COOKIES COOKIES EVERYWHERE! EVERYONE IS EATING BEARS!!!" I sing, watching contently as Gavin chokes again, his face going bright red. Somehow, he manages to swallow. He slams the glass down but instead of attacking me like I expect him to, he bursts out laughing.

"You're so adorably random!" He laughs, pulling me into a hug. He lay on his back, pulling me on top of him. "But don't ever do that again, I almost died!" he kisses my nose softly.

"I couldn't help myself" I mumble. I hear the front door open, the sound of the wind and the rain filling the room. Jan’s home from the shops. Poor woman, I did offer to go for her ‘cause it’s raining but Gavin interfered.

"Alright guys? Got you guys some more food, you two eat a lot" she said, coming into the front room. She sat down in the armchair, looking intently at the screen. She raised an eyebrow. "The Matrix? See, I told you a sibling would teach you some things" she smiles teasingly, tongue poking out a little. Gavin rolls his eyes.

"She tried to kill me Mam! Twice!!" He protests. I laugh and roll off him onto the floor. "I was drinking right, and then she started singing about bears!" Jan laughs. "All I can smell is pineapple juice!"

"Oh Gavin! We knew she'd try sooner or later" Jan sighs, standing up. She looks very tired. She works very hard and has very few days off. She does all the running around for Gavin and I. But her job pays well, allowing them to live the luxury lifestyle they do. "I'm going to put the shopping away, then I'm going for a little lie down" she left the room, the cat following.

Gavin's hand appears from the edge of the couch. I play with his fingers, feeling the rough skin on his hands. Another murderous idea crosses my mind. I pull him off the couch suddenly, his muscular body landing on mine. He groans in pain, attempting to pull himself off me. I curl my arms around his neck so he can’t.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you" I sigh sweetly. I sound so innocent, like I'd never dream of attempting murder. "But seriously, I couldn't help it"

He kisses me softly, a strange feeling beginning to boil in my stomach. His lips are slightly warmer and plusher than Sean's. I can't feel little teeth marks from over-obsessive biting. They’re softer and smoother, but almost defensive. It’s as though he’s blocking me from actually getting to know him and having a connection with him. It feels like I’m nothing to him. I don't want to believe that - I want to be something to him because I need that, someone to really care for me. Maybe teach me how to care and love someday.

"Would you ever admit it?" Gavin asks softly.
"Admit what?"
"That you love me?"
"Never" I tease, kissing him delicately. "But maybe one day"