KRYPTONITE
*Gideon*
“I swear it! I didn’t do it!
Falling in love was all him!
It was my stupid heart! He did it all on his own!”
Melody Manful
I knew now how it felt to be lonely.
Seriously, why weren’t evil people born with an immune button so they could shut out the feelings they didn’t want?
“So what have you got to say for yourself?” Valoel seemed to be everywhere nowadays. Right now, she was staring me down like a schoolteacher. “Why are you doing this—killing every single creature you see here in Grands?” She shook her head sadly. “Do you really think you can get over Abigail by taking innocent souls?”
I frowned and flew out my window without answering her. She could have my room, just like I had given Earth to Abigail. They could have everything I had. I just wanted my life back, my normal life—the life I had that made me not care, the life that didn’t make me long for a human, especially one who hated me.
Yes, I knew how it felt to be lonely. To feel like if I were to yell in front of a crowd, they wouldn’t hear me. I hated that feeling, but I couldn’t get rid of it. Falling in love was one of the most ridiculous experiences that had ever happened to me.
Wait a minute…it was the only ridiculous thing that had ever happened to me.
“I’m guessing you’re not going to answer me,” Valoel said from beside me.
“Stop following me!” I stopped flying. I may not have known where I was going, but I was one hundred percent sure it didn’t involve my little sister.
It had been two weeks since I last saw Abigail. I did go back to school today, but it didn’t count because I didn’t even get to see her face due to the fact that she fled upon my arrival. I didn’t blame her for telling me to leave her alone or for not wanting anything to do with me, because in spite of everything, my actions led to her father’s death. I went to Earth this morning to tell Abigail that I loved her.
Yes, I said it. Sue me!
But now it seemed like it had been a bad idea.
“It wasn’t a bad idea,” Valoel said. “I’m sure she misses you.”
“She hates me,” I whispered. “She faked being sick and left school today because of me. If that’s not hate, I don’t know what is.”
“Just keep trying, I am sure she—”
I cut her off, saying, “Val, she hates me.” I spread my wings and continued flying. I flew to the Underworld to see D, since she was the only true friend I had. I would have had a guy friend if I’d been born centuries ago, when Basligon who was said to be the evilest angel before me was alive, but since Basligon died a century ago, I was stuck with D.
“D, let’s go kill something!” I shouted, standing behind the gate of the Underworld. I didn’t remember how I got there, but there I stood, yelling at the darkness in hopes that D would hear my voice and come out to play.
Luckily, she appeared.
“I was about to grab some lunch. You may join.” D pushed her hand under my arm. She was talking about Earth. I knew that was where she was going. I wanted to tell her I resented that place, but I didn’t want her to know that I had a weakness, and it wasn’t Tristan: it was a human.
I was sure D and I killed someone when we went to Earth, but I couldn’t remember how we got there or what we did. All I remembered was it was around four in the afternoon when she said she needed to go to work, leaving me by a roadside. I heard the sound of an ambulance, but I still couldn’t discern what was happening around me.
I wanted to fly back home, but I didn’t want to leave without at least seeing Abigail and knowing just exactly how much she hated me. So I flew to her mansion and invisibly entered her room.
“It’s ruined,” Abigail was saying as she fell down to her knees beside torn petals from the rose I gave her. I should have left when I saw the petals on her floor, but I didn’t. I stood there, wanting to know why she looked so sad.
I wondered what had happened as I glanced around her messy room. I almost asked Tristan, but for once, he didn’t seem to notice me. I watched him walk over to Abigail and sat beside her on the floor.
“It’s not ruined,” he said, waving his hand over the petals. The rose magically came back together, the petals falling into their places. It was beautiful, just as it was meant to be.
“I hate feeling like this.” Abigail took the rose from Tristan. “He killed my father, and I shouldn’t be feeling his way.”
I felt the stirring of a strange emotion. Was it regret? No, it couldn’t be, because I was sure I didn’t know the feeling of regret—just like I told myself I couldn’t possibly fall in love with anyone!
“Everything is going to be all right,” Tristan promised. Even I, who didn’t believe him, felt like he was talking to me. “I promise you.”
“Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with you?” Abigail asked, looking into Tristan’s eyes, and then I took a step back as jealousy flared inside me like a struck match.
Fallen in love with him? She was in love with Tristan?
“Well, didn’t you?” Tristan asked quietly.
I felt like I wanted to hurt Tristan, at least tell him to leave her alone, but I was frozen. I just stood there, looking at how fragile both of them seemed. Honestly, I didn’t want to hear Abigail’s answer. I didn’t want to hear that the girl I was in love with was in love with someone else, and that someone happened to be Tristan.
“Does it matter?” Abigail asked as Tristan pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her.
I wanted to be the one comforting her, telling her how much she meant to me, but looking at her and Tristan, I saw what I had been too blind to see all along. Although she was sad, she was safe with Tristan.
And who was I kidding? She and Tristan had looked perfect together since day one. And as much as I hated to admit it, Tristan deserved her more than I did. As a matter of fact, if there was anyone in the bloody universe who deserved happiness and love, it was Tristan.
Watching Tristan and Abigail, I decided to go home. I wanted to call some friends, grab a six-pack of beer, order pizza, and then head off to a nightclub. That would have been what I’d do if I had any friends, a hankering for beer, and any dance skills.
I was only able to take one step toward the balcony when Abigail asked, “What do you want, Gideon?”
I turned around quickly because I was positive she couldn’t see me since I was invisible.
“Gideon? Is he here?” Tristan looked around him until his eyes met mine.
“He’s here,” Abigail whispered, looking around her as well. “I know it because I can feel him.”
Tristan stood, took Abigail’s hand, and pulled her to her feet.
I made myself visible. “I forgot you could do that,” I whispered, remembering that whenever I was near, Abigail’s heart pounded. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, I didn’t know.