forum Under Seven Minutes // Private RP

Started April 08, 2019 by @blue_topaz

tune

"Gray."

Violeta's eyes were hard, revealing nothing. "We've known each other for over four years. You've been kissing random girls in empty classrooms for nearly that long. What 'wrong idea' is there for me to get?"

Gray forced back his wince and instead returned her stare.

"Why don't you tell me?" he finally breathed out. "Why do you think I don't want you to get the wrong idea? Maybe once you realize the reason, we can… talk. Properly."

Nausea rooted itself deep in her gut——they were back to this again. Violeta’s mask cracked, betraying her true emotions. Pain, confusion, a need to get away. “Stop. Stop playing this twisted game,” she told him, though her voice wobbled the tiniest bit. “I’m not doing this again. Have a nice day, Gray. I’ve got to go.”

“Violeta, please,” Gray shook his head. Her pain, confusion and the utter disgust on her features felt like a stab to the heart. Followed by sprinkles of salt. “Please. Give me a chance. At least tell me what I’ve done wrong to you.”

Violeta stumbled backwards like a cornered animal. But instead of telling him, she merely turned away, inhaling shakily. Her feet carried her away… away to safety. But strangely, it felt like she was making a big mistake.

Gray leaned against the wall, breathing heavily as she walked away. Turned her back on him and walked away from him. Why did he ever think he could make this work?

“You like her,” came a voice from behind him as Laura walked towards him, standing when she was near him. “Don’t you.”

He smiled bitterly but didn’t answer. The pink-haired girl needed no other confirmation.

“You’re going about it the wrong way,” she continued. “If you want her, you need to stop what you’re doing. Stop being the flirt. Start being the gentleman.”

Then she, too, turned to walk away, her heels clicking in the otherwise silent hallway.

[TIME SKIP:]

Gray ran a hand through his hair. Why was he so nervous about this? All he was doing was ask for some advice. It was just simple advice.

From Violeta’s friends.

Which was the reason why Gray was nervous. Finally, he took a deep breath and began approaching the girl he knew would have answers for him.

“Irene,” he addressed her, forcing a calm expression on his features, blending in his composed personality. “Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

The dark-haired girl glanced up from the thick volume in her lap, reacting to the sound of her name being called. Upon seeing who had called it, she froze. Her sandwich paused midway to her mouth.

Grayson.

The man Violeta has told her about—the man she feared and resented.

“Sure,” she answered cautiously, setting The Fellowship of the Ring aside for the time being. “What’s up?”

Gray looked away for a second, contemplating how he could continue. He knew she would most likely tell Violeta whatever he said to her. After all, that’s what friends did, right?

Still, he wanted his feelings to get across, so he looked back at her.

“I like her,” he said seriously, sincerity in his eyes. “Violeta. I like her.”

The sandwich fell from her fingers.

Wide-eyed and disbelieving, the bookish girl pushed her glasses further up her nose and just stared.

“I’m sorry,” she said, clearly baffled, “What?”

“I like Violeta,” Gray repeated, shuffling on his feet. That wasn’t the reaction he thought he would receive. Instead of her lap, he thought maybe he would be the one receiving the sandwich. “For a… long time now.”

He paused, trying to think of what to say.

“I’ve been taking things the wrong way and I know that,” he said. “At first I wanted to get rid of my feelings for her, so I continued with my normal behavior. It didn’t work. I thought maybe after high school, after we went into college, we’d never see each other again. I thought that would give me the perfect opportunity to get over her. That didn’t go as planned, either. She’s afraid of me, and I know she finds me… upsetting, and I just want to know how I can make her stop hating me so much.”

Irene just kept on staring.

This didn’t add up—at least, not to her. Violeta always said that Grayson hated her, that he flirted and toyed with her just for the satisfaction of making her believe she could be loved… right before ripping that hope away. Just like everyone else in her old high school. And now, Grayson was saying he had feelings for her?

Suddenly, her mouth fell open.

Oh.

It all made sense now. What if it was one huge misunderstanding? What if all those ‘fake’ flirtations had been real?

Irene blinked, trying to clear her head. “I think you should sit down,” she told the boy, still thing to wrap her head around the concept of his player liking her sweet, artistic friend.

Gray blinked at her for a few seconds, trying to understand what Irene just said before he obliged, taking a seat. Did that mean she believed him and wouldn’t tell Violeta about it?

Irene massaged her temples slowly, taking a deep breath. How was she supposed to word this? Some things weren’t her business or her job to tell him——he had to talk them out with Violeta herself. So she had to tread carefully, nudge him in the right direction all the while keeping her best friend safe.

“I’m not going to give you advice on how to ask her out,” she said slowly, “Because that would be disloyal. But I will say that there’s a huge misunderstanding between you two right now. She doesn’t hate you, she… almost fears you, in a way. You make her uneasy and anxious. Because—Well, you’ll have to talk that out with her. She’s sick of your flirting, so don’t flirt with her. Compliments also make her uncomfortable beside—I can’t say. But use them sparingly and word them cautiously. Don’t treat her like she’s about to break. Give her space.”

Gray listened intently, nodding at every word that came out of Irene’s mouth.

“So no flirting, no treating her like she’s breakable, give her space, word my compliments nicely, keep my distance for the most part?” He looked at her, tilted his head to the side. “I… messed up big time a few days ago. I don’t think she’ll be willing to hear me out after that.”

“And just be honest with her. Try to put yourself in vulnerable situations, where you’re unmasked. Show her you trust her.” Irene seemed to be taking this very seriously and meticulously, but all of a sudden, she paused. “Wait—you promise you’re telling the truth about this? And if you messed up… just give it time.”

“I promise I’m not lying,” Gray answered almost instantly. “I would never lie about this. Not about Vy.”

Then he paused again, taking in her words. He sighed heavily. “That’s the part where it gets hard,” he admitted. “I hate being vulnerable. I hate being shown a side of myself that I’m not… familiar with. A side that people can use to turn it against me.”

Irene was most likely the greatest human lie-detector the college had ever seen. That being said, she believed the strange boy in front of her. She could see the truth, raw and admittedly awkward, behind his words. So, for now, she decided to trust him. And though she seemed sweet and naive, she could get very dangerous, very fast.

“Violeta isn’t going to use anything against you,” she told him simply, speaking in her usual, factual manner. “All that being said, I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’re going to get very far with her. I hope you sort out your misunderstanding and lose the rivalry, it’s evidently hurting the both of you, but beyond friendship? I don’t think there’s much you can do at this point.”

Gray fell silent, taking in her words. She was right. Why did he ever think it would work out? Him and Violeta? It was always supposed to be a silly crush. There was never a ‘something more.’

“You’re right, I suppose. I’m a player. She’s… Violeta. She deserves someone better. Anyway,” he stood up, fixing up the mask he had dropped from his face. He wore another one of his masks. Cool, composed and collected. “Thank you for the advice. I’m sorry for wasting your time. I’ll be taking my leave then.”

Irene peeled the remains of her sandwich off her lap, giving Gray a sad smile. “Oh, and before I forget. Whether or not this goes anywhere, if you ever hurt my best friend again, you’re going to regret it.” Her voice was strangely soft, despite the severity of the statement she had just spoken. “I will not hesitate to decorate your face with bruises.”

“I’ve never had the intention of hurting her,” Gray responded calmly. “And if I ever do, I wouldn’t do anything to stop you.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and without sparing a glance back, he walked away.

That went well. Extremely.

Though he always knew it was never going to work out, actually hearing it hurt. She never gave him a chance. It wasn’t like he had ever given her a reason to.

Irene stared after him. She was a smart girl, adept at riddles and complex equations, a girl who could spin numbers and theories out of thin air, all the while toting her huge bag of books. But try as she might…. she couldn’t seem to puzzle this boy out.

[TIME SKIP - one week later]

Violeta glanced out the library window, curled up in her usual arm chair while she waited for Aria to come for her lesson. But today, her thoughts were not on her younger student, but rather, on her older brother.

Gray.

Confusing, painful, frustrating Gray, who never missed a day of classes, but who was nowhere to be seen. Violeta hadn’t seen him at all today…. and though she knew how fortunate that was, she couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Amanda questioned her daughter, who smiled at her.

“I’m going to be fine,” she promised. “I’m not… as affected by this day as he is. Have a nice day at work, mom.”

Amanda sighed before pressing a kiss to her forehead. They bid goodbye and Aria walked inside the building, biting the insides of her cheeks. She located her tutor at a window table and slowly walked over to her, thoughts on her brother.

“Good afternoon, V,” Aria greeted, taking a seat, a lot less chirpier than she usually was. Did she even deserve to be happy today when her brother wasn’t? “Today’s lesson was a lot simpler, so I think it would just take a while.”

“Hey, Ari,” Violeta greeted warmly, but her smile quickly turned into a frown. “Hey, what’s wrong? You seem…. tired. Is everything okay?”