What You Did in the Dark

"There’s a first for everything. First crush, first kiss, first date, first boyfriend—maybe I shouldn’t get too carried away.

Oliver was my first kiss, and I, his. We even went out this morning, and we kissed about 8 more times—is it silly that I counted? I get butterflies just thinking of it.

I don’t know where that leaves us. He has yet to ask me to be his girlfriend, assuming he wants me to be, and I can’t help but feel giddy everytime I’m around him. Is that normal?

I don’t understand how anyone could hate him. I don’t. I never will. But I’m trying to go to school with him and find out.

Tomorrow’s Monday. He won’t be home all day. That sucks.”

"Mom?"

Aleria quietly padded into the living room, where Kyne was asleep and her mother was watching television.

"Yeah, babe?"

She sat herself down on the couch, pulling her legs up and tucking them underneath her. “I want to go to public school.”

Her mother looked taken aback. “Public school? But, honey, you do remember why we yanked you out in the first place, right?”

Aleria nodded. “I do. But I think I can handle it. I have friends now, and I just want to try it for the last time. It’s my senior year, Mom, and I want to spend it at school with my friends like everyone else.”

Her mom was quiet for a minute, figuring things out in her head. “Are you sure you want this, 'Leria? You’re a senior. You’re basically on top of everyone else—are you sure you’re ready for that?”

As the thoughts swam in her head, Aleria had to stop to reconsider it. She was hesitant, but she thought of Oliver, and she knew her final decision. “Positive.”

Her mother nodded. “Okay. I believe you can do this. I’ll see about enrolling you next month.”

Aleria was ecstatic as she shot up from her seat on the couch, jumping up and down and shrieking her thanks. She bounced up the steps and readied for bed. She couldn’t wait to tell Oliver.



The next day at school, though, people wouldn’t stop looking at Oliver and then ducking next to their friends to whisper. He didn’t know why. He thought that there might’ve been something on his face, but his purple eye was almost healed and a quick look in a window gave him a clear reflection.

He found his answer after a scrawny, tired-looking boy walked up to him. “Who was that girl you were with?”

Oliver looked at the boy. “That, uh…that’s Aleria.”

The boy nodded, “Is she your girlfriend?”

Oliver shook his head. Not yet, he wanted to say.

The boy nodded again and walked past him, bumping Oliver’s shoulder with his own. “Tell your friend she’s hot.”

Oliver was furious at his comment. While being called “hot” was supposed to be a compliment, it was such a lusty word to Oliver. He thought that she deserved to be called something better, like pretty or beautiful. Gorgeous, even. Never “hot”.

Oliver sat through the last forty-five minutes of his biology class before heading towards his locker (receiving more glances) and retreiving his bookbag. He then proceeded to jump into his mother’s car, looking out of the window all the way to counseling.



Aleria was silent yet again for her counselor. She nodded here and there, even shook her head and shrugged, but not a single word was uttered from her throughout their twenty-five minutes.

When Oliver got home, he went straight to Aleria’s house, not even bothering to go into his house to put his stuff down and opting to leave it in the car instead. He rang the doorbell and was greeted by none other than beautiful Aleria herself.

"Hi," she blushed. She let him in, opening the door all the way. She pushed it closed and hugged Oliver tightly. "Let’s go upstairs," she suggested. "I have stuff to tell you."

Oliver nodded, slipping his coat off before following her upstairs to her room. She pushed her bedroom door open and flopped down on her bed.

"My mom said she’s going to see about enrolling me into school next month," she said excitedly.

Oliver had a small smile on his face, “Really?”

Aleria nodded. “And we could ride to school together.”

She beamed when Oliver joined her on the bed, putting his forehead against hers. “That’s great, love. Can’t wait.”

"Me neither! Now I won’t have to wait all day for you to get home."

Oliver chuckled. He bumped his nose with hers and strung his arm across her shoulder. “Spending all day with you every day doesn’t sound too bad.”

Aleria hummed contently to herself.

"I want to start a clothing line," Oliver thought aloud. He wasn’t even aware that Aleria had heard him until he glanced at her and she was eyeing him with a surprised expression.

"Okay," she stuttered, "what kind of clothes?"

"I dunno," Oliver said a matter-of-factly. "I guess, kind of macabre. But catchy, like something a lot of people would want to wear."

Aleria nodded understandingly.

"You draw, don’t you?" He asked.

Aleria nodded again and pulled out a sketchbook from under her bed, tossing it in his direction.

Oliver looked at all of her drawings with an impressed look embarked on his face. “These are brilliant.”