THE SILENCE THAT FOLLOWED MY brief and rather straight-forward introduction of my ex was not only unbearably awkward but also excruciatingly long. The three of us exchanged glances for what felt like forever; Louis' curious eyes, my judgemental eyes and David' shocked eyes all darting back and forth in a continuous loop. It was only a matter of time before my hair started greying. 

No one spoke a word until David cleared his throat. 

"I don't want to hear any meaningless apologies," I said before a word could even fall past his lips. Perhaps I was being a little rude, especially since it had been several years ago. I did have a habit of holding onto the past, but I just wasn't the type of person to forgive easily, particularly if the act against me was something that had haunted me throughout the remainder of my high school years. If someone hurt me, or angered me in anyway, I would forever hold it against them and tell it straight to their face that I was going to accept no more of their bullshit. That was the case with David. "So don't even bother."

He looked flustered, his eyes wide and locked on my face. He barely noticed Louis' presence as he opened his mouth to speak. "Flora," he began, "are you seriously still mad at me for saying something in high school?"

I nodded. "Yep. And I will continue to do so for a very long time. I  told you that before we ended, David." His voice felt like poison on my tongue and I just scowled at him like a child denied a of sweetie. "I don't care about what you said, it was the fact you said it. Someone's sexuality - especially during school years when hormones kick in, and everything is so stressful and confusing - is not something you go around shouting about because you're so far up your own arse to actually listen and understand the truth. Dick."

"Seriously? Are you not overreacting a little, Flo?" David said. 

Was  I overreacting? Probably, but I didn't care. My mother had always told me that if somebody hurts you once, they will most likely hurt you again. It was something I'd always stuck by after our relationship ended, and the reason why I never truly let anyone in. Why I'd not let Louis in.

"I don't care if I am," I said with a nonchalant shrug. "You hurt me in one of the most cruellest ways. You invaded my privacy and then proceeded to tell the entire student body that I was a lesbian, that I was bisexual - whatever. Do you know how judgemental everyone is in high school? Do you not remember the hell I was put through after you started those rumours? Oh wait - of course you don't because you were sitting atop your fucking pedestal like a stupid prince."

I noticed Louis look toward me suddenly and I had to pat his shoulder reassuringly and tell him, "You're a good prince," before looking back to David to see his reaction. His face was expressionless, almost sympathetic which I found amusing. Ah, yes. The bitter stab of guilty realisation has come round to bite you in the backside, I thought. It served him right.

High school, I felt, should always have been called 'hell school' instead. It felt more appropriate at the time, mostly when judgemental eyes followed you around every corridor, snickers could be heard during every class and being anything other than heterosexual was considered monstrous. What those impudent whisperers didn't realise was that they were the true monsters. 

Bullying was always been something I'd felt very strongly about. It was unacceptable, but unfortunately in school it was as unacceptable as smoking on the premises or tripping a first year over - people still went ahead and carried it out without a care in the world. A simple oral punishment from a teacher was enough stop the teasing for a day at most, but was never truly enough to put a stop to the torture. Up until my time with David, I had never been bullied and the sudden thread of insults and shoves in the hallways were unbearable. 

Things were better nowadays, or so I had been told. Kids who were struggling with their sexualities had people to turn to, help in all the right places and even were accepted more than I had ever been. It warmed my heart to know that things were not as bad any longer, or at least not as bad as they had been.

It was people like David who made me the way I was; tough. I'd always thought of myself as a metaphorical prison; I could take people in but very rarely let myself out. It had taken me a while to completely open up to Louis, and there were still things about myself that I kept hidden from him. And Jason. People opened their hearts to me willingly whereas I was too busy putting up defences around mine. That way I felt safe, secure. That way, no one was ever to hurt me like I was hurt the last time. 

"Flora," David spoke softly, almost coyly, "I was hurt."

I laughed. He had been hurt? "Oh," I drawled. "You were hurt, were you? Explain to me exactly how you were hurt?"

"You were ignoring me! You wouldn't let me in like you used to, and it was hurting me. I felt like the only way I could find out and help you was to read that diary of yours." He scratched his head irritably, his eyes desperate. "You once told me, away back when we were only friends, that you spilled your heart out into that diary. It was a last resort, trust me. I felt guilty as hell while flicking through it, but I couldn't accept the fact that you didn't trust me enough to tell me what was wrong."

"So you made the dick move of going through my things," I said, finishing it off for him. "Oh, my damn hero."

"No, listen to me, "he urged, reaching out to take my hand. I instinctively flinched away from him. he continued. "You were being so distant with me; so secretive. I could tell it was getting to you, whatever it was. I could tell by your eyes, Flora. You'd been crying a lot. Your eyes were always red before we met up, and you were always so quiet. You never used to be. 

"Lots of things were going through my mind," he continued. "I thought you'd cheated on me, that was the first and most obvious thing in my mind. I knew you weren't like that but it will forever be the first thing a partner thinks of when you suddenly become so secretive out of nowhere. I read your diary to find out and try to help you. Obviously when I found out you were gay-"

"Bisexual," I snapped. "You're still not listening, David."

"Shut up and listen to me," he snapped back, his tone angry. He was always impatient, I remembered that about him. "When I found out you were bi, it only seemed to strengthen my suspicions about you cheating. Why would you be crying? Why so quiet and almost guilty looking when you were with me? I had it in my mind that you had cheated and were experimenting."

I just looked at him, sick to my stomach. "You assumed."

"I did," he agreed. "I was stupid back then. I was angry, sad even. The thought of you betraying me like that just took over all of me and I had to ... rant about it somehow. The rumours just came out like a recited piece of text. I tried to listen to you, but I was so angry."

"Angry about something you weren't even one hundred percent sure of," I said. I nodded my head in disbelief, biting my lip as I looked out to the sea. Memories of the torment and name-calling echoed in my mind, and I had to take several deep breaths to fight back the tears and keep myself calm.

I would not cry again, and I most certainly would not cry in front of David.

"Flora, I'm sorry," David gasped suddenly, frowning and taking a step towards me. I mirrored him and stood back with my hand raised warningly before me. "I don't know what I can do to make it up to you, but you need to know I'm so sorry. We were so young and stupid back then, immature. I've grown up and come to realise my mistakes."

"Wow. You've finally grown a pair," I said. "Not that there was ever much there anyway."

That seemed to really catch his attention and the desperate frown soon turned into a seething glower. "I see that I may have been the only one to grow up."

I just scoffed and took Louis' hand. I pushed past David without another word, giving Louis a small smile as we left the scene. However, I was shocked when I suddenly felt myself being jerked back around. My hand fell out of Louis' and I just looked alarmingly into David's eyes as he glared down at me. He was angry, a mood I had seen him in too many times to count.

"Get your hand off me," I warned.

"Or what?" he retaliated. "We're not in school any more, Flo. No teachers to come help you now."

"I'm here." The voice belonged to Louis, and it was strangely firm; authoritative even. He'd not spoken a word since I'd introduced David, simply listening intently. No doubt he would have several questions about my time with David when we returned to my home. That was of course, if we did make it home. I felt the undeniable urge to get very drunk and forget that I'd even bumped into David at all.

"Louis," I said quietly. "Don't."

He gave me a determined stare. "It's alright, Flora." He then looked to David. "I believe she said let go."

David just laughed and looked down at Louis. The height comparison was ridiculous, but David had always been way over six foot. Louis looked helpless compared to him, but the courageous act of standing up for me made my heart skip a beat.

"Who the hell is this, anyway?" David asked me, suddenly noticing Louis properly for the first time. "Your new man?"

"Not quite," Louis said with a glare. "At least I'm ten times the man you ever will be from what I've heard."

Holy shit, you're going to be squashed, I found myself thinking, feeling nervous for Louis. I knew that if he ticked David off enough, he would be walking away with a black eye. Perhaps two if David was feeling slightly rough.

"Are you seriously trying to pick a fight with me?" David asked, the hint of a threat in his voice. He wanted a fight.

It was clear Louis was confused, for he suddenly frowned and let out a chuckle. "No?" he said. "Why would I want to fight with you?"

Now David was confused. "Because you... I, er - you seem particularly irked that I'm holding Flora's arm."

Louis just nodded and said, "I am. Flora is too."

"And?" urged my ex. 

"And," Louis stressed, "I want you to do as she says. Let her go, or you will regret ever laying a finger on her."

David just laughed loudly. Nobody threatened him, and I could vividly remember the last time someone had tried that during our final school year. He'd been black and blue the next day with a split lip and a few missing teeth. It made you wonder what I ever saw in David to begin with.

He used to be a quiet, studious guy who was mannerly and level-headed. After embarrassing me and becoming known as the 'guy who dated a secret lesbian' for a few years, he'd soon gained popularity and a seat beside all the people that bullied teens like myself had classed as the 'popular' people. It was sick, really; that someone gained friends and attention from making another miserable.

"Oh, trust me," David muttered, "I've done much more than lay a finger on her. You remember, Flo? All the good times we had, huh?"

My mouth fell open, disgusted that he would even bring up our sex life. That was something private, something he'd extorted several times to many. Still, like the douche-bag he had been in high school, he was at it again, trying to bring me down. 

Unfortunately, it was working a little, for the sharp pain in my chest was becoming difficult to ignore. It was the urge to cry, and fighting back the tears was slowly turning into an impossibility. My eyes were slightly watery and I had to avert my gaze from him so he couldn't see. I looked to Louis momentarily before casting my eyes to the sandy shore below me.

"I said let her go."

The loudness of his voice made my head snap up in shock. Louis never sounded so mad, not even back when we had first encountered one another. This was an angry voice, a dominant voice. It was the voice of a leader. His eyes were wide, the bright blue seeming to become brighter by the second. To my horror, I realised he was slowly transforming into his true form, his eyes brightening, and his skin slowly starting to sparkly and shine like sapphires. 

"Louis," I hissed. "Stop."

"What the hell?!" David suddenly gasped, letting go of my arm. I darted over to Louis' side, ignoring the slight throbbing on my wrist. His grip had been tightening throughout his and Louis' conversation, but it didn't bother me as much as the idea of Louis losing control and revealing himself in front of David and the last few people lying on the sand.

I looked to David one last time as he staggered backwards, away from us with a terrified look in his eye. "You two are crazy! Fucking crazy!"

His words hit me harder than they should have, and I reached down to grasp Louis' hand in my own, desperate for some sort of comforting gesture. I was shocked when Louis dropped my hand and enveloped my in a tight hug. 

"Are you OK?" he asked immediately. His right hand held the back of my head carefully while his left drew comforting circles on my back.

I just nodded into the crook of his neck. He smelt like soap and sweat and I found it oddly comforting. It was the smell of any human being, and I allowed myself to bask in the normality of the situation; a comforting gesture. Like I had once told him, a hug worked wonders.

"I'm fine," I murmured, not entirely sure if I was trying to convince him or myself. I wasn't the type to usually destroy myself in any way, but the more I thought about the past, and about everything that David had just told me, I realised how in need I was of a good night out. It had been too long, and so I found myself unwrapping my arms from around the alien and taking his face between my hands.

"Flora, I-" he began, but I cut him off.

"We are going to get drunk," I announced, letting go of his face to take his hand. I led the way, guiding him away from the seaside and back up the sandy path towards the town. "Very drunk."

Thank you for reading! x
Space joke: Why is the moon bald? Because it has no 'air! 
Cazza