Project Alaric: Book One ✔️

Chapter One

Emery Gray

I already had my hands awkwardly twisting in front of me, keeping my eyes downcast. I felt out of place–like I didn't have a place I belonged anymore. After my short, whirlwind romance with Jason–it ultimately made things a little awkward when I decided to move back. I wanted to reconnect with my friends. They were everything to me when we were in school, but after I decided to act on my feelings for Jason, and we faded apart–things became a little tense.

Maybe it was all in my head. It probably was. I tended to get lost when it came to the little details. When I lay in bed at night, I picked apart every single conversation I had that day. I often wondered if I said something off-handed–weird. Sometimes it was difficult to maintain an easy conversation with someone.

The second someone showed the slightest bit of interest in what I had to say, I was off like a rocket–telling them every small detail about anything they were willing to hear. I'd received looks that spelled out how twisted they thought I was. How talkative I showed myself, or how annoying I was. It wasn't new information. I did my best to stow those details inside of my head and act like a respectable human being.

Society was mean.

If you didn't meet the standards, then you were socially shunned. People gave you that look like something was fundamentally wrong with you. That something was wrong with me. But I loved myself. Most of the time. Sometimes. Okay, I was working on it. Finding a good quality about myself grew difficult when all the things I used to love about myself were the same things other people didn't like.

I created a mask to wear in public to keep myself mostly clean of the weirdness I tried to let slip. Except, sometimes, my mask slipped off, and I spent all night thinking about how I could readjust my mask so it didn't happen again. No one liked a blabbermouth. No one liked a talkative person. No one needed to know facts about volcanoes. No one cared about how waterfalls were formed. And under no circumstance did anyone care about my fascination with ghosts.

Sue me, I truly believed they existed.

A heavy boot was scrapped against the ground. I could tell it was a boot because of the sound it made against the leather. The heaviness meant someone tall was wearing them. If that was the case, when I looked up, I was in danger of seeing either Axton or Alaric in front of me. Apollo didn't dabble in wearing leather books. His style was far more...I don't know, cleaner? I'd sound like an asshole if I said that out loud. Especially if anyone knew about the massive crush I was harboring for Alaric Benson.

Alaric Benson, the man who only held off-handed conversations with me when everyone else was talking amongst each other.

I tried my hardest to appear extra normal when I was around him. I also refused to let him know about my crush on him. I saw how that turned out last time. Even if Alaric decided I was worth more of his attention, what would happen if we fizzled out? I'd lose everyone I had now. Well, Aurora and I cared about Aurora. Luckily Jason and Lyric still weren't home from school and whatever it was Lyric was doing–it was still awkward being around Aurora again.

Her boyfriend has kept her plenty busy, though.

Which had left me a little lonelier than usual.

Which only meant I couldn't look at Alaric like I wore hearts in my eyes for him. It was quite possible he'd either punch me or brush me off like I was nothing more than a mere pest.

I lifted my gaze, cursing internally when I saw Alaric's emerald eyes scanning the table. Despite all of the joking he did, I could sense a darkness lingering behind him. I haven't dared to ask Aurora what that was about, and something told me she didn't know much anyway.