This game of cat and mouse [Venera]

The food was mediocre. It wasn't as good as the school's or his mother's cooking, but at least it was still edible-barely. He pushed his plate away from himself with a frustrated sigh. A morning game of quidditch had not worked out in his favor. Not only did he lose, but a beater had missed their mark and rather than hit the ball, they hit him. A tender bruise was already forming on his forearm. He was simply frustrated and ready for the day to be over.

As he leaned back in his seat, that's when he spotted her. A deep hunger he hadn't felt since he had last held her hand made itself known. He watched her movements carefully. Once she was almost out of the dining hall, he rose from his seat and stood to his full height with his lanky arms by his side. He followed casually out of the building unnoticed. is feet padded softly on the ground as he followed her. She wasn't sticking to the path, with made him curious as to what her intentions were. His long stride helped him catch up to her easily behind the equipment shed.

"Venera" his tone was stern-almost demanding. Though the thought of sneaking up behind her and cornering her between him and the building had crossed his mind, he decided it best to make his presence known without startling her. As cute as she would have been getting caught off guard looking helpless and intimidated, he needed to talk to her. She'd avoided him like the plague. She had every right to. Last time they spoke, there had been a certain intimacy between them that couldn't be forgotten. When the topic of serious dating came up, Kalevi backed out. He couldn't explain why at the time. When he found the words, she didn't want to hear them. "You cannot keep avoiding me. Please, hear me out. Let me explain." His shoulders sagged a little with the exhale of a sigh as he combed his fingers through his hair to push his unrurly curly bangs away from his face.



@Venera Delcheva

Venera had been enjoying the camp, mostly. The only dark spot on the horizon was what she had seen him there. She had been doing her best to avoid him like the plague. It wasn’t so much that she still felt hurt by what had happened between them, but more that she was angry she allowed it and that he had taken advantage of her moment of weakness. She really thought Kal had liked her, but when he threw her aside so easily, she struggled to pick up the pieces. She saw him, from the corner of her eye, begin to descend upon her. She took in a sharp, deep breath, and prepared herself to tell him no in any ways that she could manage.

“I definitely can keep avoiding you.” She replied, rolling her eyes a little. “What makes you think you deserve a moment of my time, Kal? What else do we have to say to each other?” She demanded. “You want what you can’t have, too bad. You didn’t want me before, so why should I care that you do now?” She wondered.

She ran a hand through her long, straight hair. “Leave me alone. Find some other girl to stalk.”


@Kalevi Aare   (sorry for the delay!)

His chest tightened as she scolded him. She had every right to. He was angry at her for avoiding him for so long, but more frustrated with himself that he had allowed her to keep her distance this long too. He should've said something sooner. He should have acted sooner. No, instead of saying "I love you," in response to her that time ago, he laid in an uncomfortable silence beside her before he got up and gathered his things with ia pitiful excuse of running to do some homework. True, other girls had just been toys to him. She wasn't. She was different.

As he stood there behind her, he accepted the reality he already knew to be true. She'd never want him back. She deserved more than what he was. Venera deserved to be happy with someone who could say those three words with just as much feeling for her as she has for them. Kalevi was not the one. While it pained him to see her stand just beyond his grasp he knew she was gone.

The dark-haired young man lunged forward and took ahold of her arm to get her to turn around. He quickly pulled back once she was facing him not only to avoid a blow he assumed would come, but to show her he was keeping his distance. The want for her was still ever present, but he would manage to tame it. "I"ve always wanted you!" His voice was raised and the words blurted out quickly. He cringed at the desperate tone in his voice. "Venera," he paused taking a breath to cool his temper. "I don't expect to get you back. I'm not here seeking your company. I just want to apologize."

The words hung over him. How odd it was for him to say such things. Typically he was the kind to care only about himself. He'd hurt other girls in the past and left them crying on the stairs, outside the school, or alone in the bathroom stalls. She wasn't just another girl, though. Before he would allow her to interrupt him denying his intentions, he continued on. "I'm sorry I treated you that way. I'm sorry for tossing you to the side. I'm sorry for leading you on. I charmed you with my affection and attention when I knew that I could never say those words back to you. I had hoped I could when the time was right. Clearly, I was wrong. I have been this whole time. I'm so sorry for what I did to you." His head drooped a little and his arms hung by his side in defeat. Usually one of composure and wicked jokes, his layers were slowly peeling away to expose him.

There was more he wanted to say, but how could he? How would she understand? He wasn't even sure if he was apologizing solely for her, or if it was to mend his ego a little bit. He meant it towards her. He really did. Apologizing and feeling regret was certainly not something he was accustomed to.


(It's all good! <3333)

 Venera, despite herself, listened to Kalevi and let out a sigh. This was not at all what she expected. She had turned to go and he had grabbed her, which made her blood boil, but before she could react he was there pulling back and telling her he’d always wanted her. What was this? Another ploy? A joke at her expense? She frowned, scrunching her nose. “You want me because I said no, Kalevi.” She reminded. “You don’t have it in you to make a legitimate apology, I know that well enough. You aren’t sorry for what you did. You’re sorry that I’m standing up to you. You’re sorry that I told people what a jerk you are.” She grumbled. She wasn’t buying this. 
 
“Look, if you want to make it up to me, then just don’t do it to anymore girls, okay?” She asked, careful. “Pick one. Treat her right. Don’t make her think you like them just to get them to do things for you and then threw them away when you’re done like you did to me. I wouldn’t have—“ She cut herself off, getting a little choked up. “You know I wouldn’t have done what I did if I thought you just wanted… that. I thought you wanted me. Because I was naïve and stupid and I feel for your tricks. It won’t happen again, Kal. I’m not a starry-eyed virgin anymore, and I have you to thank for that.” 
 
In fact… “Actually, you know what, thank you. Thanks for curing me of my naïveté. It was a hard lesson, but I would need to learn it now or later, and might as well learn it now. I’m never going to fall for a player again.” Her words were harsh and so was her tone, completely ignoring his body language that said how sincere he was trying to be. She was hurt, angry. She wouldn’t believe he liked her, not after what happened. She was too hurt and too angry to let him back in. 

This was all wrong. He meant what he had said. Apologies were as foreign to him as was the English language. He never apologized and she reminded him of why just now. Why should he waste his breath on someone who didn't care to listen or believe what he said? He knew she was wroth with him, but he couldn't understand the idea of how she saw him as a heartless playboy-which wasn't entirely incorrect- who only sought for his own personal satisfaction and gain.

Words throbbed on his tongue to be let loose as she spat her insults and ridicule at him. Kalevi had come in hopes of mending their bond and helping her to understand why he was this way. He'd go after a girl only to change his mind and back off when things got serious. Venera's distance from him had given him time to ponder on his actions. He was beginning to understand why. Kalevi was cautious as to what she'd say when he told her. He had rehearsed it in his mind over and over again until he knew exactly what to say.  "I didn't-" he had tried to defend himself to no avail. He heard her speak and immediately shut his mouth. Kalevi could be prude and prideful, but

He felt like he could burst with frustration. If only she knew! If only she understood! He had come with a couple of his walls knocked down and ready to make himself vulnerable to her. Instead, what he feared most happened. She wanted nothing to do with him. That much was clear. Could he blame her? He blamed himself for losing her the way he did. While her words cut deep, he knew that she couldn't hurt him as much as he had hurt her. "If I had a timeturner to go back and make things right, I would! I can't make you see my point of view. You're different than the other girls. I didn't come after you just because you're naive, innocent, and told me no. I came after you because I like you. I do! I know at this point you won't believe me. You don't want to believe me. That's on you then. My words are falling on deaf ears. When we first started seeing each other, I didn't want us to end like this," his hands moved about the air in desperation with his voice raising a little more than his usual calm demeanor. Kalevi wasn't yelling at her but himself. Venera was special and he was stupid for losing her like this. "I had thought that at least we could part as friends. I thought you'd at least listen to me! I can't force you to."

A heavy sigh escaped him as he pushed his hair back. This was a losing battle he'd never even make progress in. He was the loosing opponent the moment he ran off rather than took the time to tell her his feelings and mindset before they had gone to that next step. "I'm not ever going to try to force you. You're your own person." That was something he admired about her. Venera was not like the cookie cutter girls he'd met and chased after. They were all for fun. Venera was different. If only he could show her. If only she would let him.

Venera was wroth with him, that much was clear. She tried not to soften to him as he spoke. She “wasn’t like the other girls,” what did that even mean? She pushed back where he pulled at her. She was stronger, maybe, but she wasn’t better than anyone else. She wasn’t taking this as a compliment. He truly didn’t see what he had done was wrong, had he? Had it been any other girl, would he have just left her to her own devices? She shook her head, bit her lip, and considered carefully what she wanted to say.

“Friends? How could you delude yourself that anyone would want to be your friend after what you did? I gave you everything, Kalevi. Not just my heart, but my body too. I gave that to you, and it was a big deal to me. Maybe you get so much from so many girls that you don’t care so much about it. Maybe it meant nothing to you, but I thought you liked me. I thought you wanted me. I thought there was something there, but I was stupid and naïve and I won’t let you do it to me again.” She promised.

“I don’t care that you’re butthurt that I won’t be your friend after you betrayed my trust.” She vowed. “If you really want to make it up, I’ve told you how. Be better to someone else. It won’t win my forgiveness, you don’t deserve to be forgiven.” She reminded. “…but at least you won’t make another girl harden herself like you did to me. You stole a part of me that I can’t get back. And you’re so sorry but that doesn’t change what happened. It doesn’t change the tears I cried. It doesn’t change the fact that I’ll always look back on my first time and think that I got suckered into it by a guy who couldn’t care less about my feelings. You’ve proven that. You’ve proven that, and are continuing to prove it now.” She tried not to cry.

“Leave me alone, Kalevi. You don’t deserve my sympathy, and to think that you do only minimizes what you did.”

He could see the hurt and hatred on her face. She really didn't want to see him again. He'd hurt her that badly? If only he could explain, then maybe she would understand. Perhaps if he....

Kalevi lost his thought as he stepped forward to close the space between them. She was so short compared to his height, but being this close to her only made him smile amidst the hurt, guilt, and shame he felt. Before she could protest or run away, Kalevi cupped her cheek with an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close into a kiss. His heart raced as their lips connected. A volt of energy rushed through him from his lips, to his fingertips, and all the way down to his toes. Kalevi held the kiss a couple moments longer before he pulled away and looked down at her big saucer-like eyes. The longer he stared into them, the more she seemed to swallow him up with just his gaze. "I am so sorry, Venera. You're right. I threw you away like you were nothing. You mean so much more to me! I love you. I truly do! I didn't say it then because-"

Kalevi blinked and she was no longer in his arms, nor were they close to one another. There was no electricity pulsing through him. His shoulders felt heavy with his guilty weight. “Leave me alone, Kalevi. You don’t deserve my sympathy, and to think that you do only minimizes what you did.” He blinked again and only then did it register he just daydreamed of scooping her into his arms and confessing his love towards her. That was the stuff of cliche romance stories girls liked-they'd never been Kalevi's forte because he knew they weren't true.

The Krov also knew that he could never say he loved Venera. Yes, his feelings for her were real and more genuine than many of the other girls he'd been with prior. Love was such a strong word that came with attachments and commitments he didn't deem himself worthy of having, nor did he trust himself to honor them.

What was he to say in response to her? "Have a good life?.... So this is it then?... You really won't give me a second chance?" A slight scoff came from him outwardly when he'd only intended that for himself in his mind. Another twinge of guilt stabbed at his side when he realized she must've heard it. He had two choices: A) to walk away now vulnerable with her having the power to hurt him, or B) for him to make a comment that would make him seem cold and uncaring and leave her hurting. That's what she thought of him now, wasn't it? How would that be any different?

Kalevi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. "if you want me to leave you alone, then I will. I've already got a reputation so anything you say can't make it any worse. You knew who I was when we first started talking. You knew what I was capable of doing and what my history was. It was your choice just as well as mine to continue forward with us." He bit his tongue. He could say more. All of the words sat right on his lips to be let out. Kalevi could destroy her here and now if he so wished.

That would've been a new level of cruel.

Even Kalevi wasn't daring to cross that line. He'd done enough damage already. "Be careful who you fall for, Venera. Not all men will be Prince Charming. No one lives in the happily ever after endings all girls tend to dream of. Not every guy you say 'I love you' to will say it back, even if they do love you. Not every guy is going to treat you like a princess. The world is heartless and hateful. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be in your future relationships." It was his word of wisdom to her whether she asked for it or not. Frankly, he didn't care if she didn't want to hear it. He acted like he didn't, anyways.

[[Out]]

Venera smirked a little when she heard him scoff, cross his arms over his chest, and roll his eyes. Yes, she was never wrong. This boy hadn’t heard a single thing she said, nor had he ever cared to apologize to her. He had not meant even one word of his “genuine” apology. She waited for the punchline she knew was coming.

His “words of wisdom” weren’t anything she didn’t know. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t taught her, but she as strong enough to put the blame where blame was due. There was no blaming the victim here, and that was what she was. He had taken her under false pretenses, and she felt violated in that way. She wanted her virginity back. She wanted that to give to someone worthy, not someone who just pretended to get it from her. She had been stupid, she knew. She knew who he was, but had hoped that when he acted like he liked her that he had, well, actually liked her. He didn’t think he—or anyone—would be so cruel. She knew now, though. Knew better.

Her fists clenched as she stood there, after he left. She took a deep, shaky breath, and exhaled. Where was Zviad? She needed one of his special cigarettes.

[[out]]