Free Minds

Chapter 96.

   Still startled from Dorian's sudden yell that sounded very much like a growl, I stared down at him as his face rested in hands with imprints of countless starry spirals that were not there before. I had to start bracing myself for more surprises like these.

   Not knowing what to do as colourless, gel-like substances–what I could only assume were tears snaking down Dorian's arms, I stood there with the hope that he would finally get it together and explain what he meant.

   The time that went on with him still in that position, however, was starting to get to me. Or rather my anger. Maybe he had a good reason for not telling me the truth. We'd come a long way, no doubt, but the Dorian I've been able to know during this time was secretive without a good reason.

   Even though the reason he just gave made absolutely no sense to me.

   It was enough for me to want to reach for him though. But the feeling of a hand on my shoulder diverted my attention before I could crack.

   Turning to see Rav beside was when I then remembered that Dorian and I were not alone all this while. The plethora of emotions–from shock, to fear, to horror, to pity– etched on Camila and Landon's faces was undeniable.

   I was not surprised to see Rav's stoicism. As horrible as I was supposed to believe Dorian to be right now, keeping something like this from his own brother was too far-fetched, even for me. Besides, it was Rav who hid Dorian from me after the camera explosion on the roof and tried to do so even now.

"Our parents have an important rule," Rav spoke up behind me. Of course Dorian told him that I knew of their relationship at some point before now. "And Dorian got to find out the consequences of breaking it the hard way. Before he became a freshman at Zavlon, Dorian, like me, was homeschooled. Starting Zavlon was going to be his first real long-term experience with other humans, so of course it was a huge deal. He'd had enough interactions with us to know how to behave, but that didn't make our parents any less unsettled. After helping him look as human as possible, they made Dorian vow that no matter what, he would never tell anyone who he really was."

   I tried to picture a younger Dorian being given a stern talking to by Mr and Mrs Hooda just before he left for school. He was probably more terrified than I was on my first day.

"I really made it a point not to break that vow," Rav and I looked downward with wide eyes at the sound of Dorian's voice, "That's why I kept to myself as often as I could. I didn't speak to anyone unless I was spoken to or had an important question. Although overtime I moved from being the quiet, weird, new kid, to the quiet, weird kid, that did not matter so long as no one found out. And it worked. Well, it was working until..."

   I took the long silence that followed as a sign to brace myself.

"I almost made it through the year with the vow intact. Almost." I noticed how his hands curled into tight fists while repeating that word. "Until Lacey Elliot happened.

   I tried to recall a familiar face associated with that name without success. Not that it came as a huge shock to me or anything. There were certain people in my classes whose names didn't come to mind on impulse.

"Long story short, she and I were paired up for this major end of the school year project and we became fast friends through that. Lacey was funny, smart and always seemed to know the best ways to have fun." The smile that followed his last sentence showed anything else but joy. "After spending weeks trying to convince Mum and Dad, I finally asked her out even though they'd said no everytime.

   I snorted at that. Dorian as a rebel? That has become the one thing I would pay a fortune to see.

"I didn't imagine things becoming better than they were when we started dating, but I was so glad to be wrong. I'd never experienced the things I felt with Lacey with anyone before and I believed I never would. Terrified of anything that could ruin what we had, I decided that it was time to tell her the truth about me. After all, she liked me when I was the weird, quiet kid, how different was that from the weird, quiet, alien kid?"