He is greeted by Natalia as he walks through the campus gates.
“Remember,” she says, pushing past him, “tonight. Pick me up at six.”
“I don’t even know where you live,” he calls after her, irritated by her determination.
She smiles over her shoulder and replies, “I slipped the address into your bag.”
Sure enough, when he unzips the rucksack and stares inside, she’s somehow managed to place within it an envelope containing her address.
Alfred doesn’t bother dwelling on the encounter- it’s quite clear she’s either deranged or an evil genius. He doesn’t pay attention in lessons, he ignores the lectures from that disturbing Head of Science and he wonders why he’s even bothering. The earlier conversation with Arthur plays on his mind for most of the day, and Alfred finds himself complaining about it to Matthew as they sit in the middle of the canteen during lunch break.
“...and he’s so arrogant,” Alfred adds, to a growing list of things he detests about the Englishman. “And he kept telling me I should eat something before I left. And then he had the nerve to say ‘goodbye’ to me as if he knows me!”
“He just sounds like a nice guy to me,” Matthew sighs, knowing that Alfred isn’t going to listen to him anyway.
“Who does he think he is, anyway?” Arthur elaborates, waving his arms around madly above his head. “Expecting me to like him... he’s a total tool! I don’t even care.”
“Question,” Matthew says, putting up a hand.
“What?” Alfred asks, annoyed.
“If you don’t care,” Matthew questions, “why have you spent the last ten minutes ranting about him?”
Alfred doesn’t know how to answer that, mouth opening and closing in succession as he tries to make up an excuse; Matthew waits attentively for an answer.
“Well, it’s because...”
Something akin to a fleeting doubt gnaws at his thoughts as he struggles to formulate an adequate explanation. It’s a voice, perhaps his conscience, and it leaves but one statement in his mind. It’s because you’re jealous, isn’t it?
“Because I don’t want Mom to get hurt,” Alfred finally settles on saying, but it’s a flimsy lie and even Matthew can sense it, his eyebrow quirking upwards as he shoots his friend a look of disbelief.
“Whatever,” he sighs eventually, getting to his feet. “I need to go to the bathroom; see you next lesson.”
“Y-yeah,” Alfred says, “See ya.”
But Matthew has already left. Alfred stares at his half-eaten burger for a good few minutes before finally walks out himself, the voice inside his head gaining control as he gets lost in the crowds of students.
You and I both know it’s nothing to do with your mother.
“Shut up,” Alfred growls, under his breath.
Touchy today, are we? At least there’s tonight with Natalia to look forward to.
Alfred does his best to block the voice out, and tries not to think about the fact the voice has a British accent.
“Remember,” she says, pushing past him, “tonight. Pick me up at six.”
“I don’t even know where you live,” he calls after her, irritated by her determination.
She smiles over her shoulder and replies, “I slipped the address into your bag.”
Sure enough, when he unzips the rucksack and stares inside, she’s somehow managed to place within it an envelope containing her address.
Alfred doesn’t bother dwelling on the encounter- it’s quite clear she’s either deranged or an evil genius. He doesn’t pay attention in lessons, he ignores the lectures from that disturbing Head of Science and he wonders why he’s even bothering. The earlier conversation with Arthur plays on his mind for most of the day, and Alfred finds himself complaining about it to Matthew as they sit in the middle of the canteen during lunch break.
“...and he’s so arrogant,” Alfred adds, to a growing list of things he detests about the Englishman. “And he kept telling me I should eat something before I left. And then he had the nerve to say ‘goodbye’ to me as if he knows me!”
“He just sounds like a nice guy to me,” Matthew sighs, knowing that Alfred isn’t going to listen to him anyway.
“Who does he think he is, anyway?” Arthur elaborates, waving his arms around madly above his head. “Expecting me to like him... he’s a total tool! I don’t even care.”
“Question,” Matthew says, putting up a hand.
“What?” Alfred asks, annoyed.
“If you don’t care,” Matthew questions, “why have you spent the last ten minutes ranting about him?”
Alfred doesn’t know how to answer that, mouth opening and closing in succession as he tries to make up an excuse; Matthew waits attentively for an answer.
“Well, it’s because...”
Something akin to a fleeting doubt gnaws at his thoughts as he struggles to formulate an adequate explanation. It’s a voice, perhaps his conscience, and it leaves but one statement in his mind. It’s because you’re jealous, isn’t it?
“Because I don’t want Mom to get hurt,” Alfred finally settles on saying, but it’s a flimsy lie and even Matthew can sense it, his eyebrow quirking upwards as he shoots his friend a look of disbelief.
“Whatever,” he sighs eventually, getting to his feet. “I need to go to the bathroom; see you next lesson.”
“Y-yeah,” Alfred says, “See ya.”
But Matthew has already left. Alfred stares at his half-eaten burger for a good few minutes before finally walks out himself, the voice inside his head gaining control as he gets lost in the crowds of students.
You and I both know it’s nothing to do with your mother.
“Shut up,” Alfred growls, under his breath.
Touchy today, are we? At least there’s tonight with Natalia to look forward to.
Alfred does his best to block the voice out, and tries not to think about the fact the voice has a British accent.
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