Breaking Free ? TFC 2.0 ? l.t. au

Chapter Nineteen

He laughs and throws a pillow in my face. For the past five minutes, we've been throwing pillows in each other's face until we were lying flat on the living room floor just talking. I like it when we're just talking casually and openly with each other. It feels different than the usual talking we do.

"What made you a jerk in the first place?" I ask him, sitting up and leaning on the sofa.

"It was all in high school. Being in the team and having the pressure of winning all the time plus I was best friends with an asshole. First it felt good having power over people, thinking they like you for being powerful. Until I realized at the end of the day, if you've gone too far, no one will really like you for being a jerk. That's why when I was taking my A-levels, after I met all the boys and after forming our little group, I turned into the nice guy from being the jerk. And then I noticed that being too nice is bad because they take advantage of you. That's why now, I'm neither the jerk or the one who always cheer everyone up. I'm kind of both." He says then looks down at me.

"I think you're a nice guy. One of the qualities I love about you." I say with a smile.

"One? What else?" He asks.

"You're an idiot sometimes so thats another. And you're egotistical and so full of yourself!" I say, making him laugh. Shouldn't have done that because he takes revenge seriously when he tickled me on my side that I nearly suffocated. I slap his hands away but he only found that entertaining.

"Well you're mysterious and crazy and sometimes confusing and I could've sworn you never went out of the house; often rude, slightly annoying, oh and you have horrible social skills when I met you.."

I burst out laughing then slapped him a lot of times. Those should've been offensive but why do I find it hilarious?

"You literally didnt know how to communicate, at all!" He says putting a lot of emphasis on the statement.

"That's good to know." I say sarcastically.

"But you improved and I'm so proud of you!" He wraps his arms around my shoulder and pulling onto his lap, ticking me all over again. I literally almost kicked his head off but he's lucky I didnt!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I went to school later that day, leaving Louis with his mates back in his university. I didnt see Milly when I got there or anyone who ever bothered speaking to me so I went straight to class. It was 15 minutes before class but 5 minutes after a few people started coming in, some smart freshmen talking about chemistry, 2 of the football players that I only know by appearance and not by name and one I know very well.

Vlad walks in with his phone in his hands. He looks busy so I don't bother asking him what kind of information he's found today. He looks up and smiles when he sees me. Not in a creepy way. Just in a friendly way... I hope.

I've hung out with Vlad differently than I have back in high school. We weren't exactly friends. More like sex buddies and thats fucking disgusting to think about. He hasn't brought that up in a while so I sure as hell hope neither of us do.

"Hey, shorty." He says, putting his bag down on the seat beside me. "Where have you been all day" he says.

"This is my only class today, thank god. I'm loving Tuesdays." I say with a shrug.

"Oh, I thought you were out fucking your boyfriend." He says as he takes his laptop out. I roll my eyes and ignore that remark.

The professor walked in right on time, exactly when the room is filled and started class as soon as he dropped his things on his desk. The class is long and agonising. The professor is fucking strict and you make one little noise, you're a goner. Did I mention this is biology? I don't get what biology has to do with Interactive Media, aka my course.

Even if I did stay at home all day, I seriously don't have the energy for class and squeeze information that I'll never use in my daily life in my brain. I leaned against my seat and picked up my pen, taking down notes of the professors discussion. I'm so close to passing out, not because of any particular health condition but some kind of boredom disease thats undiscovered but I surely have. At least my thoughts are somehow related to biology. In a way.

The professor gave us a 5 minute break into the lesson cause this is fucking difficult! And it's coming out in finals, horray. The shit students go through to graduate and get a fucking life of their own.

"My brain's going to explode soon, I'm not kidding." Vlad complains, dropping his head on the desk.

"Wasnt that bad." I tease him, closing my notepad.

"I really wish you're not serious about that." He says, leaning on his seat. "And I have something to tell you. It's not big, but it's something about your dad."

"We have 3 minutes so go." I say, leaning closer.

"I told you yesterday that their troop left the base in 2007, didnt I?"

I nod. He pulls out a piece of paper and slams it on my desk. "What is this?" I ask him.

"Where do you think your dad was? I mean why wouldn't he show up even if their service was over?" He asks me. I still don't understand the piece of paper though.

"He could've still been in Iraq for all we know. He could've changed his name or something." I tell him. "Now what's this?!" I wave the paper in his face.

"Immigration record. Its a list of the people from the army who came back that year"

I don't even want to ask how he got this but I'm sure it's not a good way to get records. I scan the list and saw a bunch of familiar names. My dad told me about them and most d them were his friends, even.

There it is.

Number 58: Edward Gastrell. April 27, 2007.

"And there were absolutely no records of him going out of the country. Why is that?" He asks me.

"I don't know." This is worse than having us lie to him like that. He said he was fighting terrorist but he was here the whole fucking time?!

"How'd you get these informations? These are very confidential!" I tell him, slapping the paper against his chest. He jerked and got the paper from me, putting it back in his backpack. "And how am I sure you're not playing me?" I ask him. He's Vlad! He's a Carrie minion, he could be tricking me.

"Because I would never do what you've done to me."

His words shocked me. I turn my head to look at him only to feel a large pang of guilt hitting me hard. He looks hurt and sad. He looks down and opened his notes again.

I turn back to my table and sighed. Everything was going well until he brought that up.

I really wish he didn't. But maybe this is karma's way of catching up to me.

Or a super late reaction of guilt.

<<<*>>>

Oh Vlad... Trying to make meg all guilty again.

So I wasn't able to update earlier cause I've been wallowing in my own misery. My parents went back to England while I'm stuck in wherever I am. Basically I'm back to being alone.

I know right? Every girl's dream. Hello freedom -_- but no! It sucks, okay? I haven't spend one whole year with them in my 15 years of existence. I hate having to feel jealous of my friends who has either one parent in their household because I'll never know that feeling.

My life sucks. It's full of regrets, momentary depressions, a lot of existential crisis' and day-to-day dilemma's.

Sorry if I gave you a crappy chapter and a sappy depressing authors note :(