Happy 2036

He let out a sigh. There she went again passing things off. He certainly knew it wasn't nothing, and she probably knew he knew. "Adeline. I know it's not nothing. You can tell me anything you know that." Granted his reactions weren't the best, but he was working on that. He was really trying. "And just because I have issues doesn't mean we should ignore yours." He let out a small huff. "Hell, most of my life has been nothing but issues, I should be able to deal with my brother returning, and memories of bad holidays." All of the holidays were bad but that's not the point.

He stepped closer once again. "Look. I really care for you. You probably already knew that.. But anyway.." God where was he going with this? He didn't exactly know.. At this point he was basically back to his spot next to the girl. "You can tell me you know.. I promise not to over react." This was the last push he was going to make. If she still didn't say anything then he would save it for another time. She would tell him eventually..

She always was a bad liar - Kearn said the main thing that threw her off was the same giggle every single time. And here she was, using it again, that soft, gentle laugh. Why couldn't Magic let her pass it off? It really was nothing in the end. It wasn't like she had any real problems compared to anyone else; they were minor, pathetic, and trivial. That'd be awful, to try and let someone else help her through it only since she was dumb enough to let the secret slip out by accident. A burden, that's all she ever was. Useless and unable to do anything on her own. She didn't know what to expect out of herself, out of this conversation. The future was too concealed by stones labeled with situations that wouldn't ever change. Nobody could change fate. And that's why, she couldn't. She just couldn't.

Was it really hard to believe that there wasn't anything wrong?

Adeline brought her arms together and hugged them to her chest, trying to swallow down whatever anxiety there was. The butterflies storming in, that strange feeling of being uplifted, it made her feel at peace and yet... she felt so uncomfortable. As though she had to say something, to tell him what was up, that it was his problem as well. Stop. Selfish. It could never be his problem. It could never be something that he was involved through. So who cares that she saw Warren again? Who cares that her father hated her and threw away what would've been a happy vacation into a horrendous one? Who else would care besides her?

That's why. So maybe that's why she couldn't say it.

It was for the best this way.

"I pr-promise..." Why was it so hard to keep smiling all of a sudden? This shouldn't be so difficult. Smile. Pretend everything's alright... Pretend? No. Everything's alright. It had to be. She forced herself to lock her eyes with his. People were being serious when they looked you in the eye. That's what she heard everyone else say. "N-n-nothing's wr-wrong..." Why did Magic care? Did he really mean it...?

Of course he did. He was the one who had stuck by her after so long now, even going so far as to invite her to the Formal with him. He'd done so much for her and he always was really kind. And she did nothing. Absolutely nothing in return. She didn't deserve him. He should leave her, begin anew, to find someone new, better, and more exciting and beautiful that was worth his time. That way, it would be better for the both of them. He'd forget about her in due time and she'd be able to leave without him ever once thinking back to her. He wouldn't have to think about how much of a headache and eyesore she was, how she practically had to be babied through every single little thing.

Her smile never died, holding that innocent expression that stretched across her features. It was so fake. She would have to apologize to Kearn and Callum later. I never had any hopes or dreams. What a waste of time... She was such a waste of time and space. She didn't deserve to be in this world or any world. Fate was always right.

She should just die already. That'd be for the best.

Magic let out a sigh. Of course nothing was wrong, that is what she always said, and most of the time it wasn't true, so why would he believe it now? Honestly those words were empty to him. They weren't truthful, no matter how hard she tried to fake it. He opened his mouth to say something, but he soon closed it again. He let out another sigh, and ran his hand through his hair before shoving it back into his pocket.

What was he supposed to say now? He didn't know what else to say. A huff escaped him, and he turned away from the girl. "So what did you want to talk about?" She said she wanted to talk to him when he tried to leave earlier.

Adeline's eyes fluttered to a close and opened back almost as soon as they had shut themselves down. He didn't try to ask her about it anymore. That meant that he either bought her godawful lie or it was something that he was going to bring up in another conversation in the future - whenever that was... maybe it'd slip out of his mind and he'd forget. Maybe he wouldn't care anymore and they'd slowly fall out of touch. Why did he care? Why did he care about her of all the people that he could care about? There was someone much more deserving of his attention than she would ever. Someone who was as bright as the sun with genuine and happy smiles and seemed to be a golden drop sent from the heavens and above. Her own happiness rode on seeing everyone else happy. It didn't matter whether she got what she wanted or not.

But now that he mentioned it, there was actually something that she wanted to bring up. Would he get mad at her for this? Her hands were wringing themselves nervously, almost as though they were trying to restrain each other from movement and choke the life out of them. "Do y-you uhm... st-still h-h-have that n-necklace?" It seemed so out of the ordinary to ask right now. She had meant to well, get to it before, but there never was a chance to bring it up. Or she was just bad and didn't have the courage to say anything about it. If he didn't have it and threw it away or something, this was going to be a little harder to ask. He probably threw it away. It wasn't anything special anyway.

Magic paused for a moment. "Yeah I still have it." He said. A hand reached into his shirt, and pulled out the necklace that was hidden underit. "See?" He said. Though it was probably hard to see in the darkness. He rubbed the pendent between his fingers slightly, before letting it fall on top of his clothes, and letting it rest there. "I don't know if you can see it but it's there." He shifted in his spot slightly so that most of his weight was on one leg.

Why did he still have it with him? As glad as she was that he had it with him, it didn't make any sense. Not at all. There wasn't any reason why he would keep the necklace besides out of guilt. Ah yes, right, guilt. Anyone knew that throwing away a gift was always considered impolite and rude, only leading to more awkward situations when asked about it. Not like they needed anything to make their situations awkward - she was enough to make anyone uncomfortable attempting to talk to her when all she could do was stutter, stutter, and stutter some more. Even a simple task like talking was too difficult for her.

But hey, Magic kept it.

Although it was a little dark out, the blue gem in the middle gleamed, reflecting bits of the silver moonlight to announce its presence. There didn't seem to be any damage or anything, remaining unaltered since she gave it to him. Maybe that was just a coincidence. It's not like anyone would take the time to take proper care of an accessory anyway. "I-I uhm..." White mist puffed out past her lips in an almost shaky manner. Did she really want to ask this? Yes. This felt completely wrong.

"C-could I h-h-have it back f-for awhile...?" Adeline's eyes had clenched closed as she forced herself to say it, to nullify anymore senses that would've broken her focus. It was awful to assume that anyone would return a gift after you gave it away so easily.

At her question his hand reached up and held the pendant in his hand. He didn't want to give it back. He liked it where it was, and it calmed him. Also there was far too many times that gang members asked to use something for a while, and then he never got it back. Good thing he was never too attached to objects. But this necklace was different. He didn't want to give it up so easily. "Why?" He simply asked. He needed to know. He trusted her, but at the same time, this was the only valuable thing he owned.

Why?

That was a good question, actually. At first she just wanted it back out of guilt, so that he wouldn't have any more actual ties or connections to her, but now that it was out there, the idea only made something drop down to her stomach and made her feel more awful about this entire thing. If he didn't have anything that she gave him, then that would mean he'd forget about her more easily afterwards. Holding onto a silly memento or a silly object that he associated with her would only bring him more and more grief and if worse case scenario came and Magic went insane again--- no, no. He wouldn't overreact over something as dumb as her dying. Wasn't worth the trouble and he'd appreciate it later when he realized that he wasn't being pestered or burdened with some clingy girl at his side. Not like she was important to him anyway. Her only value to him was that she held onto his secrets. Even if that wasn't it, he couldn't change Fate. Fate wanted her to die as soon as possible - she was dying as soon as possible.

But, taking back a present - let alone one she made for him personally - felt so wrong. It was like asking your teacher for a better grade when you haven't done any of your homework at the end of the semester. It was like donating money to a charity foundation only to change your mind at the last minute and recant your benevolence. It was like giving your jacket to a homeless man outside and then stripping him of the only food he had. If that didn't drive a goddamn stake through your chest or made you want to be hung on a cross and crucified, then that made you a terrible person. And she was pathetic and terrible, dragging people into her own business and making them pay for her misdeeds and trouble. She was the one who drove Magic to a point where he destroyed the airport. There was no way around it - it was her fault.

The question was still lingering in the air, awkwardly awaiting an answer. The answer was supposed to be something simple and as easy as taking candy from a baby. Say something, you fucking idiot. What should she say? The true answer was really selfish and the more she stalled, the more she didn't want to do that anymore. Taking back the question wasn't possible; it'd make her seem suspicious as hell. And if anything, Adeline wouldn't blame Magic if he was having issues trusting her at this point. She didn't trust herself either.

So what could she do?

There was an answer. It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. Her lips thinned and the words came out more clumsily than she would've hoped. "I w-wanted to ch-ch-change it a b-bit..." No, that response didn't feel complete enough. It wasn't at all. Before he could question her or say anything else, Adeline quickly added onto it, "S-since it's n-not complete. I d-didn't finish." Didn't people say the rule of thumb to know when someone was telling the truth is when they're being brief and didn't try to add on reasons that would make it seem more 'honest'? Hell, she didn't even know what she was going to modify. God, she was an idiot. A real idiot.

Magic shifted in his spot his hand still holding onto the charm. "How long will it take?" He didn't want to give it up for too long. He didn't want to rush her or anything, but he would miss having it sit around his next if she took it for a few weeks. Eventually it would come to a point where he would end up pestering her about it until he did get it back. The necklace was really important to him. Even if it was Adeline, the one who created the thing, he was still hesitant on giving it up.

She didn't know. The answer was as simple as that and it shouldn't be that hard to say three words. Three easy words: 'I don't know.' She had gone through the ends of the earth and back and yet she didn't have any idea how to respond to his question. Yeah, it should be effortless to voice that sentence compared to dealing with a deranged shadow girl or ladies who could steal her soul or an entire airport crashing down with rubble and trying to crush your body to nothing but mush that used to resemble a human shape, mangled beyond repair. There was nothing worse than knowing the very day you would die. So why the hell was this so hard? All she had to do was say it. That was it. "I-I..." she started, blinking as she moved her eyes away from him. What should she be thinking about right now? It was so idiotic of her to set up this kind of situation; she should've never had asked. Now it hurt too much to think, too much was on her mind now.

Adeline felt every urge to shy away and avoid this mess that she had come up with, but she knew better than that. Her fingers curled and loosened themselves into a fist before withdrawing back to a palm. This should be super easy. So easy that she didn't notice her own hand was still missing the kite. If only God could be courteous enough to strike her dead now, whether by lightning or fire or by spilling blood on herself. She would've welcomed it gladly, but it's not like that was going to happen. The night was as clear as the number of stars glittering within it, like little fireflies trapped in a bottle and the moon was still more than full, scarcely waning from its circular state.

Why couldn't she ever make any decisions on her own? Lying seemed to be the only thing she could do and there were enough lies piling up on one another that it was becoming difficult to distinguish truth from fiction. White mist puffed out of her lips, the fib coming out and dropping with the grace of a cinder block. "A m-month... m-m-maybe longer." Maybe she should take back her words now and forget about all of this; it was too bold for her liking. "M-my brother is helping m-me..." Okay, it wasn't like she was definitely lying. Contacting Kearn again was in the plans somewhere along the lines... maybe. A month wasn't enough time though.

But she didn't have any more time to waste.

A month..? A month? That was far too long. A frown etched his features.. Did he want to give it up for that long? He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to prevent her from making any changes but a month? That was a bit absurd.. Besides if she knew what she wanted to do then it should take that long, especially if she had her brother helping her. His hand gripped tighter around the charm going from a loose fist into a tight one. He didn't know what to say. He really didn't want to give it up.

"Why so long.." He asked softly his eyes casted to the ground. The hand that was not clutching the necklace sat at his side. The jacket that wasn't zipped up swayed slightly in the small breeze that would occasionally make it's way through the trees. His messy hair blew down over his fore head covering his eyes slightly, but it was usually that way. He never really bothered to brush it too much.

He wasn't making this any easier for her and she felt guiltier by the second, with each swing the pendulum took. If he had just agreed and let her get it over with, it would've been so easy. But Magic was questioning her with every single answer she gave, clinging onto the pendant as if it was his only lifeline. Why was he so attached to it? It was just a silly little necklace. Her craftsmanship paled in comparison to Kearn's and even then, she made it. It was much more valuable if someone else made it. Fumbling around with her hands, the answer came out without her willing it to. "I d-don't kn-know..." The one sentence she had been trying to hold back the entire time and it slipped out as though it were ice. If he didn't want to return the accessory, then that was fine. For all she knew, some other girl - maybe his girlfriend or something - had seen it and he promised to give it to her as soon as he could. Yeah, that had to be it. With his name etched on the back, it could be seen as some soulmate item.

With a quiet sigh, Adeline shook her head to dismiss the thoughts, her smile regaining its glow. "Ah, n-never mind. Y-you don't h-h-have to give it b-back." It was clearly upsetting him and trying to ask anymore would lead to unnecessary conflicts. The necklace was his - not hers. It was his own decision and she sure as hell wasn't assertive enough to keep going with this. No need to try and push it after all. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes turned back up to the stars, her points of guidance and comfort. Her arms had pulled themselves behind her back. The scenery around never seemed to change, even if the phases of the moon did and the seasons continued to cycle through one by one. The stars, they may move, by they were always there. "I-I'm s-sorry f-for asking." It felt right to apologize again. She messed up and said something stupid and Magic was paying the price for it. Again. Why did he still stick by her when he knew it meant dealing with someone so idiot?

Maybe, just maybe, if she was dead, he'd realize how much better life would be without her. When was the last time she was so close to death? It wasn't back in Chicago, it was... oh, right. When they were setting up and she had been dumb enough to slip off the ladder. Right, right... He saved her back then too. She was just some damsel in distress constantly waiting to be rescued. She really was useless.

Well now he felt a bit guilty. She simply could have just shorted the time she would make changes to it, then he would have given it to her. But a month? He couldn't deal with that.. He shifted slightly in his spot. He was getting tired of standing. He wanted to sit down again, but the ground was cold and wet. Not that he cared, but there was some slight caring. Taking a sip of his soda, he didn't say anything more until she spoke again.

His eyes looked over at her, he didn't really didn't know what to do. A thought rose in his mind, but he couldn't do that could he? It would be strange.. no matter how much he wanted too. She would probably freak out on him, and tell him to leave or something. His eyes flicked back to the sky as he was lost in his thoughts. He turned towards her. "Sorry.. This necklace is rather important to me.. I don't think I could give it up for that long.."

Important. Why was it important? Yeah, he must've been saving it from some other girl. There was no other way to see it. Adeline's lips thinned. There was no way that he could consider it important - after all, she was the one who made it. Was he saying on this purpose? Was he mocking her? Okay, maybe that was going too far on her part, but... Agh, this was too much. Everything he said made her head ache. Magic was talking to her and not mistaking her for someone else, right? It wasn't even something nice or fancy. That was the embarrassing part. She spent night after night on that necklace and she couldn't match up to the craftsmanship that her family was renowned for. Couldn't he have said something else? Anything else would've been fine. Anything.

But that was too much to ask for. Everything that she strove for or tried to reach was always too high up, somewhere that her fingers could never grasp or her consciousness could not touch. Yet, his words made her feel happy and content that he cared so much about her... work. Right, right. It was only right for someone to treasure a gift; it was so rude to throw it away and pretend they never got it. Even if it was something that you didn't like, that didn't make it okay to treat it like trash. Haha, right. No way he actually cared about her, as a person, or as a somebody. There was no way anyone could. That hurt too much. It hurt too much to think about it. I'm terrible. She didn't deserve Magic or any of her friends.

Her bangs overshadowed her eyes as they dropped to the ground. He was looking at her and all of a sudden, she felt queasy and uncomfortable. She wasn't worth looking at. All of this made her nervous, her body as stiff as a wooden board. Adeline smiled habitually, an innocent expression written across her face as she forced herself to lock her eyes on his, lifting her head up a tiny bit. "H-hey... c-c-can you forgive m-me?" What was she apologizing for this time? For hurting him later? For dying? For getting him involved in her life? She didn't know. She wasn't sure. How stupid of her.

Magic's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you apologizing for? You haven't done anything.." He said. He didn't realize how close they were at the moment. It was just something that had happened while they were talking. Now that she was actually looking at him for once, he could finally see how beautiful her eyes were. They were a brilliant blue.. They were really pretty that he almost got lost in them for a moment. He blinked, and straitened up a bit, trying to force the thoughts from his mind. No.. that would be weird, wouldn't it?