T W E N T Y - F O U R
Dreams & Aspirations

THE SILENCE WAS starting to grow deafening as the minutes began to tick by. After the little trick that Cassiel had pulled on me, the both of us had retreated to opposite ends of the room, perhaps equally as determined not to exchange a single word due to the awkward tension in the air. Yet, I shuffled uncomfortably in my seat, squirming like a worm on a hook as I glanced nervously at my watch.

"You know, the more you look at the time, the slower it will go. It's sort of a psychological concept." Cassiel said from across the room, his figure hidden in the shadows.

"Yeah, that is kind of what I was counting on." Fiddling with the diamonds on my bracelet, I glanced nervously at him. "How do you think the others are doing? We're the one with the gun, after all. That leaves them with no protection."

"Death is after you. The chances of the four horsemen going after the rest of them are low."

"They attacked the rest of the partygoers rather ruthlessly if I do recall."

"There is no loss looking to the brighter side of things and being optimistic." Shrugging, Cassiel stretched out his leg, flexing it for a bit. "That's something you should learn to do, you know?"

"I was very optimistic when I was younger. Society changes people, Cassiel. In more ways than just one." Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, forcing my eyes shut in an attempt to cool down.

"I'm sure that there are things from your childhood that had not changed even now. Your dreams, aspirations? Surely they remained constant?"

I frowned. "I haven't really thought of it. I've always thought that my father would hire me to work in his company. Take over his business, you know? But now, I'm not sure if that is something I truly want to do for the rest of my life. I mean, can you imagine sitting behind an office desk every day for the rest of your life? It would be so boring and taxing. It is a good-paying and stable job but I don't think I want to do it."

Silence stretched out between the both of us and I could hear Cassiel moving from where he had sat. Though he did not move to my side, he significantly shifted closer to that I could see him clearly. Instead of hiding in the shadows, half of his face was illuminated by the sunlight, just half. A distant memory flashed in my mind for a second before it disappeared back into the labyrinth of my mind.

"Think about it. Don't rush into things because you only make your best decisions when you are completely sure of your desires."

Suddenly stunned by his surprisingly good advice, I paused, lips slightly parted as I slowly stretched my lips into a smile. "You know what? That's actually a really good advice. Thank you so much for imparting such a piece of wisdom."

"Glad I could be of service, milady." Cassiel laughed. It resonated around the room, a joyful and bubbly chuckle that seemed like a ray of bright golden sunlight through the dark gloomy clouds of a storm. Something stirred within me and I knew that his laugh was definitely contagious.

"What about you then? What are your dreams?"

"My dreams?" Cassiel asked, a little bit of shock written across his features. His lips parted a little, eyebrows raised just the slightest as he tilted his head to the side. "No one has asked me that for years."

"And why not? Surely your friends would ask you. And your family?" I frowned.

"I don't have parents. I never said I was human, Addison. Besides, I guess that my friends had never really asked me mainly because I did not have the luxury to have an aspiration to be something more. My fate had always been planned out for me and I just had to walk the path already paved."

"That doesn't seem very nice." I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "If you can't achieve your dream job, then surely you have a few things that you want to do? Like maybe climbing Mount Everest, egging your enemy's house, go skinny dipping?"

"Are you suggesting that I go skinny dipping with you?" Cassiel faked a shocked gasp, pressing his palm against his chest as his jaw dropped. "How scandalous you are, Addison. I had not pegged you for such a sort of girl."

"You can't peg me for anything, Cassiel. I barely even know you properly."

"Then let me know you." Cassiel's pale green eyes sparkled, shimmering like a thousand stars that held the entire world's worth of constellations inside those two orbs. I could see my own reflection in his eyes and I was once again shocked by his undeniable beauty. "Let me know who the real Addison Pilediah actually is. What she likes for breakfast, what her favorite color is, whether she prefers a rainy morning or a sunny afternoon. Let me know the real you."

Needless to say, I was left completely speechless and pretty much stunned. In his eyes held so much sincerity, holding the emotions of what looked like a thousand souls as I unconsciously darted my tongue out to wet my bottom lip. At that moment, there was nothing more in which I wanted than to just spill my entire soul out. To tell Cassiel each and every secret that I held, every single thought, wish and want that I ever had. Cassiel, this beautiful brown haired green eyed boy, had me in a seemingly magical trance.

I blinked once, turning to look away from his intense gaze for a second before looking at him again, but never directly in the eye. "Not many people actually stopped to know the real me, you know? Other than Bella, Minnie and even Lucius, everyone thought of me as just this rich and popular blonde girl that had everything she could ever want. So why are you so different?"

"Because I don't think that anyone should be treated differently for something in which they could not control. Something such as the background of their family and the color of their skin and hair. I believe that they should be judged for their personality and their deliberate actions. Like a criminal that robbed and stole for the fun of it should deserve a harsher punishment as compared to one that stole food to sustain his family. In other words, I don't think of you as a simple 'rich and popular blonde girl that had everything she could ever want'. You are a much more complex person than people give you credit for, and in the best of ways."

I smiled, the edges of my lips turning up slightly at Cassiel's thoughtful words.

"But I will wait for you. If you don't want to share it now, I am completely fine with it. I understand that this isn't the best situation to be socializing in right now."

Standing up, Cassiel began to walk back to his spot by the corner of the room. He had just barely even stepped back into the shadows before I began to chew on my bottom lip, words threatening to spill from my lips and tumble out for him to know. Deep in my heart, I knew I wanted to share and I knew I wanted to let Cassiel in. However, as he had said, now was simply not the best time to be fraternizing. Maybe once we were out of this hellhole, I would be ready again to try and let someone in.

Letting out a deep breath, I looked back to Cassiel's figure, my short and simple speech already starting to form on the tip of my tongue.

"I like pancakes and scrambled eggs with loads of maple syrup for breakfast, my favorite color is gray and I am in love with rainy mornings just because it is much more comfortable to sleep in." Cassiel paused in his steps, his head turning just the slightest as humor sparkled in the corner of his eyes. At my words, he allowed himself to display a toothy grin as he offered me a dimpled smile.

"My dream is really cheesy but I want to go to a carnival with the love of my life one day. Maybe go on a Ferris wheel and kiss her like the damn romantic I am. But if you ever repeat this to anyone, I'll deny it all the way to the day I die."

Though my smile should have remained and I should have been laughing and flirting along with his words, I couldn't help but frown the very second Cassiel turned away. The thought of a carnival shook me to my bones, a spring of fear slotting itself into my bloodstream as the horrific events of the carnival in which Death had brought me to begin to flash before my eyes.

With terrifying memories returning to my mind, I tucked my knees closer to my chest, leaning against the door before turning away from Cassiel. Just like that, I was plunged too deep into the dreadful and harrowing events that had happened just mere hours ago, the scars of my memories too painful to heal.

For now, at least.

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