Returned Meetings

The ballroom was oddly quiet, occupied only by one boy. One boy, dressed uniformly in black, pale, his long black hair falling into his dark grey eyes. Everto sat on a bench opposite the grand staircase, hunched forward, looking at the floor. Marine. He had left a note for her at the office, but he couldn't be sure that she'd gotten it. For all he knew she'd left. And even if she was still here, how did he know that she hadn't forgotten him? No. No, she couldn't have forgotten him. After what he'd done to her, after almost killing her before falling for her, there was no way she could have forgotten him. Then again, I never told her how I felt. That was true. Last time he'd been at the Academy, Everto had been so totally consumed by anger and hatred that he'd never spoken to anyone for any purpose other than to put them down. But then he'd met her.

Not long after that, however, he'd left the Academy to find himself. Himself, his history and his family. I never even said goodbye, he remembered, with a pang of regret. But that was behind him now, there was nothing he could do to change it. He was back now, and that was what mattered. Though he hadn't realised it while he was away, Everto had missed this place. The Academy, and Marine. Of course, things had changed since he'd last been here. The ballroom hadn't existed then, but even so it seemed to good place for him to meet once more with Marine. So far from the Lake, but yet it still had views of it. The Lake was where Everto considered them as first meeting, even though they had first met on the cliffs. He had offended her on that occasion, but at the Lake he had almost killed her. It was then that he realised he didn't have to be so cold, so cruel, but he could have killed her on another occasion since then. The Lounge Incident. Though, he hadn't started that fire. It had been some idiot, and it was thanks to Everto that the kid hadn't died.

Dragging himself out of his remincising, Everto closed his eyes, immersing himself in the moment. Marine wasn't there, yet, but he hoped she wouldn't be long. He was only just realising how much he'd missed her. He had so many things he needed to tell her: that he was sorry for all the times he'd hurt her, that he was sorry for leaving without notice, but that he was different now, too. That he knew who he was now. Do I? Came the small voice from the back of his mind. Do I really know who I am, or do I only know what others have told me? He couldn't answer that question. Not yet. Given time, maybe, but not now. It was lucky Everto had his eyes closed, for he felt a well of emotion rise up inside of him. Guilt, mostly, but sadness, regret and even a touch of anger at himself. He might have cried, but only his pride kept him from doing so. Hearing footsteps coming from the staircase, he opened his eyes. Tilting his head upwards enough for him too peer out from behind his curtain of hair, Everto watched.

Watching Marine descend the grand staircase, Everto was silently shocked. Could this really be her? She had changed so much. Of course she's changed, idiot. You've been gone a long time. But she had changed in more ways than that. For one, she had black hair now. The Marine he had known had had brown hair, and he was sure she would not have dyed it. So what had happened? What else had changed? Filled with doubt, Everto stood as she reached the bottom of the stairs, but when she turned to the left he was sure she had not recognised him.

Full of sorrow, he sank back into his chair. Maybe she just didn't see me. After all, it is getting rather dark. Standing again, filled with hope, Everto saw her go into a side room. She left the door open a crack, and he could see candlelight coming from it. As he crossed the ballroom, each step echoing oddly, he heard the sound of piano playing from within the room. So, she's musical now, thought Everto as the soft, sweet sound of her voice accompanied the tune. ""Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye. Remember me, once in while- please promise me you'll try..." Soon her voice had faded, but it's effect remained.

Reaching the door, Everto pushed it open softly. Thankfully it didn't creak, as that would have spoiled his entry, but opened silently. Quietly as he could, Everto crossed to the piano and slid onto the seat next to her. Placing his slender fingers onto the neccessary keys, he began to play the bottom half of "heart and soul". At once his doubts vanished, most of them anyway. He didn't know the song very well, and was not exactly familiar with playing piano, but through his fear of messing up he managed to appear calm and collected. Almost the exact opposite of how he felt. Looking up from the keys, his eyes met Marine's and he stopped playing.

"Marine..." his voice, once cold and cruel, had lost all trace of scarcasm. He blushed slightly. Looking away, he drew his hand off the piano. "I've missed you." There was so much he wanted to say, so much that he needed to tell her, but the words just wouldn't come. Why, why wouldn't they come? Why couldn't he just say that he was sorry he'd left without saying goodbye, why did he even feel the need to justify himself? You know why. It was the voice, the voice at the back of his mind that he had come to regard as his conscience. And he had been fighting it ever since he left. Lifting his head, he stared resolutely at the opposite wall, determined that he would not cry.

[and I have writer's block. :D kinda. As I said, over active imagination and a knack for writing. If you want to know, I'm a novelist. But you're dong well. Keep trying.]

Looking back into Marine's blue eyes, it was only at the moment that Everto realised just how much she had changed. There would be no picking up where they - he - had left off, and he knew it. Why he'd even thought that things could be the same was beyond him, and it made him feel foolish. He inhaled sharply. He had not been sure of what to expect, but it had not been this. Anything but this. Doubt filled her eyes, and, gazing upon her, Everto could almost see a mirror image of himself - the way he used to be. He had left in order to keep Marine, but in leaving he had lost her.

"I'm so sorry..." Was it his fault that she had changed? Was it because he had left? He knew that there had been an attack on the school, and that Marine had somehow been involved, but if he'd been there could he have protected her? Doubts assailed his mind and his heart, and Everto felt as if he were being torn in two. Was this to be the price for finding himself? Was his payment to have lost Marine, the one who had given him hope? It was more than he could bear and he felt his eyes fill with water. Tears. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm sorry I never said goodbye..."

Everto felt Marine take his hand. Swallowing his tears, he forced himself to look back at her again. "There's so many things I need to explain..." With his other hand, he reached across and gently turned her head to face him once more. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I had to leave. There wasn't time to say goodbye. You've no idea how much I've missed you, but I've come back and this time I'm here to stay. I promise. I won't leave you again." Everto's voice was sincere, his eyes soft and gently looking back into Marine's. "Can you forgive me?"

Hoping desperately that she could find it in her heart to accept his apology, Everto leant down to her. She had no idea how much it had hurt him to leave, but he just couldn't find the words to say that. No matter how he tried, it would not sound right. Looking deep into her eyes, Everto's own were querilous. He drew back, letting go of her hand as he did so. No soubt she would want to yell at him, to scream, to vent the frustration he must have placed upon her. And when she did, he was determined to not yell back - or worse.

Letting go of Marine's hand, he slid to the other end of the bench. It seemed that Marine didn't want to talk to him. Had they both changed too much? Had they changed so much that what had been between them, if indeed there had been anything, could never be continued? Had there even been anything, or had it all been within Everto's own mind? Thought whirled through his mind as he struggled to think of what he could do. There's nothing, Everto. You've wasted your time. There's no point trying to be nice to anyone, not even to her. They don't care. A small voice in the back of his mind piped up, urging him to go back to who he once was. And who you still are. No. He was changing, he knew it. He rarely now hurt people simply for the sake of it, knowing that he could do better. Knowing that he was worth more.

Swallowing, Everto played a few notes on the piano, just to fill the silence. He didn't know what to say or do. He'd never felt so sad, so alone before. He wouldn't care if the whole world hated him, as long as she was on his side. But, she seemed to want to have nothing to do with him. Was it his fault? He knew that she had been deeply involved with the attack on the school, that she had been possessed, or something along those lines, and he would have saved her if he could. But how could he have known? I left right before... And I returned right after. Does she think I had something to do with it? As horrible as that thought was, Everto couldn't help but acknowledge it, couldn't help but realise that it must have seemed suspicious to her. Shocked by this, he turned to explain.

"Marine, I promise you: I did not help the attack in any way. At least, not intentionally, nor that I know of. I know that you were possessed, or similiar, by what attacked the school, and I would change that if I could. I would do anything to make it better, I promise."