Chapter Two: Matters Of The Heart

(pre-Suzie, Do You Copy?, Pt. 2)

***

Alistair panted as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Exhaustion rattled in his bones, weighing down his limbs as the unnatural chill in the air was leeched out, the warmth handily powered by Ash and countless generations of Graveswoods who had her gifts before her gleefully returning. 

On the space around Alistair, were the corpses of animals once more dead again.

The ground rumbled, then split open under the dead animals, swallowing them whole and depositing them back to where Alistair had summoned them from. Some, like the rats and other animals, simply sunk back under the floor of the training arena. Others, like the deer and bear, returned back to the woods.

Alistair watched it happen, breathing through the exhaustion as he wiped away the blood trickling from his nose. His entire body felt drained, like he'd run a marathon for hours instead of raising animals from the dead at steadily bigger sizes for half an hour. It didn't help that he had fatigue from the other power he'd been practicing alongside it; even now, Alistair still felt like his body had been torn in half.

But Alistair knew this would be worth it, that the exhaustion was a sign of how much he could do as much as it was a sign of his limits. The him of nearly two years  ago would never be able to do what he'd just done now.

And yet, Alistair knew he could improve, he could master and control the abilities he'd hated so much further (he could lose the fear of himself, of his potential, the more he gained control)

"Well done, Alistair."

Alistair turned and saw his grandmother standing there.

Vervain Yvette Graveswood was an intimidating woman. At first glance, you wouldn't think that, but the more you looked at her, you'd see it. If not for the sheer power the Graveswood matriarch radiated, then by the way she carried herself and the unflinching, steely look in her eyes.

Vervain Graveswood was a woman who commanded respect, even more so with her hair silver and lines carving her face—her age, in Alistair's opinion, made her even more intimidating. And if you weren't, she'd make you be intimidated with a few carefully curated words that were thinly veiled threats or unleash the rage of the earth upon you.

If Alistair was being honest, his grandmother scared him a little. And that was a lot, considering he saw ghosts, raised zombies and fought monsters. The lecture he'd gotten for sneaking into the town cemetery in the middle of the night a week ago didn't help with that at all.

But the intimidation leaked somewhat out when his grandmother smiled, pride gleaming in her eyes, at what he'd done.

Alistair smiled back.

"Thanks," he panted.

"You should be proud," his grandmother said, walking over to him and placing her hand on his shoulder. "You've done so well, both you and your sister, in these past few weeks, and I couldn't be any prouder. And I know your parents would be, too."

Alistair smiled. "Thanks, Grandma."

Vervain smiled, before she tilted her head to the stairs. "Now, go and enjoy the rest of your day."

"I will," Alistair promised, grinning as he ran to the stairs, going up them before pushing up the trapdoor. It creaked open and he crawled out.

He'd just put it down when Kieran sped in, yelling, "Al! Someone's on the phone for you!"

Alistair's eyes widened, before he grinned as he realised who could be on the phone.

He sprinted toward it, narrowly avoiding colliding into a wall—Kieran wasn't so lucky—but even with that, his cousin still beat him to where the phone was in the living room, grinning smugly as Amarantha held the phone, chattering in Spanish to whoever was on the other end. Alistair immediately knew who it was by that.

"Beat you," Kieran said as their cousin continued to chat away.

"Yeah, but you have super-speed, cheater," Alistair retorted, rolling his eyes before he turned to Amarantha.

"Hey, Ames, is that Cami?" he asked.

"Esperar," Amarantha muttered, placing her hand over the receiver before turning and saying, "Hey, Al. Yeah, it is."

"You mind if I talk to her?" Alistair inquired, hand out for the phone.

"Yeah, no problem," Amaranth replied, lowering her hand as she said, "Hola Cami, tu amante está aquí. Te dejaré charlar con tortolitos. Fue agradable hablar contigo también. ¡Adiós!"

Amarantha smiled before she held out the phone. "Here, Al. Go talk to your lover girl."

Alistair smiled thinly at his cousin as he took the phone and held it to his ear, saying, "Hey, Cams."

"Hey, Al!" Cami replied, and he could hear the sunny smile in her voice, which made Alistair smile too. "How's it been going with the fam?"

"It's, uh... it's been going great," Alistair said, watching his cousins leave as he went on, "Everyone's pretty nice. Totally doesn't feel weird at all that I'm living with people that are more like strangers than actual family for a month."

Cami snorted. "Yeah, I can imagine. One of my tias still lives in Puerto Rico, and the last time I saw her, I was like a baby so if I had to live with her, it'd be like... why am I with this strange woman?"

"Yeah, that's exactly it!" Alistair exclaimed with a laugh. "I mean, they're less strangers now, especially my cousins, but... it was really weird in the beginning."

Cami laughed too, and they laughed together before fading out. A heartbeat of silence, before Cami asked, "So... how's the whole 'getting more control of my spooky powers and becoming supreme lord of the dead' going?"

"I wouldn't say I'm becoming a supreme lord of the dead, but it's going pretty well," Alistair said, rolling his eyes while smiling. "And even if I was, then that wouldn't work. I'd think the ghosts wouldn't even acknowledge me as a king, much less a supreme lord."

"Why not?" Cami inquired, genuinely curious.

"They're dead," Alistair replied, completely deadpan.

A beat of silence, then Cami snorted. "Okay, fair point. But I'd think you'd make a good supreme lord."

"Oh, you think?" Alistair questioned, half-sardonic, half-genuine.

"Yeah! I can totally see it now—like, all these ghosts bowing down to you, and you're wearing this, uh... what is it again... hey, Val what's the word for la corona again... crown! Yeah, a crown, made of bones!" Cami explained, and Alistair could imagine her gesturing as she spoke.

"A crown made of bones?" Alistair questioned skeptically.

"Yep. If anyone can pull it off, it's you," Cami answered sunnily.

"Glad to hear your confidence in me," Alistair drily replied. He paused, then added, "Supreme lord of the dead... if the ghosts listened to me, that could work. Minus the crown of bones."

"See? I told ya!" Cami exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, you did," Alistair muttered, but he was smiling.

"Just have some faith in me," Cami said, her tone slightly teasing. "But also, don't let all that power go to your head."

"Have you met me, Cami? I'm the most humble person in the world," Alistair deadpanned.

"Yeah, I totally believe you," Cami snarked.

Alistair smiled, letting the silence linger before he asked, "How're you?"

"Good. It's all good. My plants are hanging in there, despite the cold's valiant efforts. Can't wait till winter's over, though, and I can bring them back to life!" Cami told him, her sunny smile in her voice. "Val's okay, and so are our parents. Everyone's all good!"

"Okay. Are you okay, though?" Alistair questioned, concern since his girlfriend hadn't really mentioned herself.

"I'm okay!" Cami replied, but some of her optimism dulled as she admitted, "But... I sometimes have nightmares about what happened."

Alistair bit his lip, knowing exactly what Cami meant. "Yeah, I get nightmares about that, too. If you need to talk or anything, I'm here, okay?"

"I know. And it goes both ways. I'm here to listen too," Cami returned and Alistair's heart swelled as a smile played across his face.

"I know. Thank you, Cams," Alistair murmured.

"You're welcome."

Alistair smiled, and he was certain Cami was smiling, too.

The silence ticked on, until Alistair cleared his throat and questioned, "So... how's everyone else?"

"Good! We've all been good. Max and I are still besties, and Lucas, Dustin and El are great—I think me and El could be on our way to best friend status as well! Plus, I think I've finally managed to win over Mike the sourpuss," Cami reported.

"Congrats. I knew you could do it," Alistair said, a grin on his face. He did—no one could resist the sunshine that was Cami Martinéz.

"Thanks," Cami replied.

"How's Will? Is he okay?" Alistair questioned, something lurching in him at hearing whatever Cami had to say about his best friend. Huh. Weird.

"He's good. Happy. I mean, I guess who wouldn't be happy when an inter-dimensional demon is exorcised out of you," Cami said, half-jokingly, before her voice grew serious and she added softly, "Not that I can blame him."

"Me neither," Alistair murmured. He resisted the urge to pick at his thumb as he asked, "So he's definitely okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Why, do you miss him?" Cami inquired, a teasing note in her voice.

"Yeah! I mean, he's my best friend and it's kinda weird not being able to hang out at the arcade or watch Star Wars at his place," Alistair replied, a soft note entering his voice. "I mean, I miss Dustin, Lucas, Mike, El and Max as well. And of course, you. I've missed you a lot, Cams. But... but I miss Will a lot, too."

"I can tell," Cami noted.

"If you couldn't already, I can't wait to be back home and see all of you," Alistair said, holding the phone tighter.

"Same here. Only a couple weeks left!"

"Yeah. Only a couple more."

Someone shouted in the background and Cami responded before she said, "Hey, I've gotta go. Mom wants me to help her cook dinner. I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah, of course. Talk to you later," Alistair replied.

"Okay. Adiós."

"Adiós," Alistair responded, just as the call ended.

"Well, that was very sweet to hear."

Alistair yelped, whirling as he dropped the phone and saw his uncle Percy standing there, a smirk on his face.

"Jesus, how long have you been standing there?" Alistair demanded, glaring at his uncle.

"Not long," his uncle said, still smirking. Pointing to the phone, he questioned, "Was that your little girlfriend?"

"Yeah, it was," Alistair muttered as he turned and put the phone back on the holder.

"You know, I'm still surprised you have a girlfriend," Percy said nonchalantly.

Alistair narrowed his eyes, his entire body tense. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hey, I'm happy for you. But the way you two talk... sounds more like best friends talking," Percy informed, shrugging. "I mean, maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it sounds like to me."

Alistair frowned, now confused. "Really? We do?"

"Yep," his uncle said, popping the "P". 

Alistair's frown deepened, looking at the phone. He'd thought how he and Cami acted... that was how couples acted, right? 

Right?

Percy, now catching his confusion, rested a hand on Alistair's shoulder. 

"Hey, I'm not trying to undermine it or anything," he started. At the look Alistair sent him, Percy amended, "Okay, maybe I am a little. What I'm trying to say is... maybe you and Cami should be honest with each other."

"We are honest. We talk and we don't keep secrets from each other—friends don't lie, and Rowan told me if I ever lied to Cami, she'd electrocute me," Alistair said, confusion rising.

Percy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I... what I meant to say is that I think you guys need to be honest about if you really do work as a couple."

Alistair stared at his uncle as he went on, "I mean, it could—me and Ryan were friends before we dated, and so were your folks. High school sweethearts and all that sappy shit. But we all get crushes on friends and get together with them, and sometimes... sometimes they don't work out. Maybe you and Cami should talk about it, before one of you gets hurt or if you continue something that simply doesn't work."

Alistair didn't say anything, still stunned at his uncle's words. He and Cami... they liked each other. More as friends. Didn't they?

"Plus, I guess I thought you liked one of your other friends more, especially since I felt your emotions changing when you two chatted, so..." Percy said, and the confusion intensified.

"What are you talking about, Uncle Percy?" Alistair questioned, feeling like he was stuck in a perpetual state of confusion that his uncle had wrought.

"Hey, I could be wrong, and you guys are a couple and be so sickeningly adorable and I could be reading into the other thing," Percy said, shrugging. "Anyway, I need to skedaddle. See ya around, kid. And yeah, talk to her, okay? Sort it all out."

He patted Alistair on the shoulder, as the brunette mumbled, "Yeah I will," before watching as his uncle turned around and walked out of the house, waggling his fingers goodbye as he did.

And now leaving Alistair standing in the middle of the room with his thoughts—and the words his uncle Percy had left him. Along with the confusion over his love life.

Shit.

***

Alistair liked Cami.

He liked her the minute he saw her stand next to Max in Mr. Clarke's class. He liked her gap-toothed smile, her sunny personality, her colourful and eccentric clothes, her curls, her passion of gardening, her singing and becoming a singer. He liked how easy it was to talk to her, how effortlessly it felt, and how he felt he could be himself around her, that she got him somehow and he got her.

He liked all of that. He liked her. He liked Cami.

But did that mean he liked liked her? That one day, this would evolve into something more, that he would say those three words to her and hear it back? 

Alistair didn't entirely know about that.

Maybe it was because of what Percy said—his words making doubt over his relationship swim in his head like a school of confused fish or ghosts chattering the doubt over and over. It didn't help at all this was his first relationship, so thanks for that doubt, Uncle Percy.

Alistair groaned, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes as he laid back on his bed. He'd retreated into the room he shared with Kieran after what had happened—his cousin, thankfully, was out, leaving Alistair to battle the now-complicated matters of his love life on his own, with the obvious exception of Hugin. The raven was currently on his bedside table, watching Alistair before cawing, Okay, Alistair?

"Physically, yes. Emotionally, no," Alistair mumbled from behind his hands.

Flapping wings sounded before his hand was pecked. Lowering them, Alistair saw Hugin looking at him, head tilted, as he questioned through the bond, Something flock member cawed to you?

"Yeah," Alistair admitted as he sat up, letting Hugin hop onto his knee as he went on, "Basically he said me and Cami... we sound more like friends like an actual romantic couple and we need to be honest if we even work romantically."

If a raven could look confused, Hugin pulled it off as he stared at Alistair.

Is Cami Alistair's mate? he asked.

Alistair nearly choked on his spit. "No? Hugin, this—she's my girlfriend! We're girlfriend and boyfriend! At least... I think we are."

Alistair doubting then? Hugin pressed.

"Uh yeah, I am, thanks to my uncle," Alistair admitted. "Like... I like hanging out with her and being with her, and she's so great to talk with. But... but I also feel that around Dustin and El. But we kissed and it was great! So... what does that mean?"

Hugin ruffled his feathers and cawed, saying through the bond, If Cami not Alistair's mate, don't be with her.

"Wow. That helps a lot," Alistair deadpanned. "And I can't not be with her, I still want to hang out with her!"

Hugin cawed, flapping his wings. Then do it as friends!

"But I still like her. I mean, I kissed her, and she kissed me back, and I think I had a crush on her. That must mean I like her, right?" Alistair wondered out loud.

Hugin cawed again, irritation running through the bond. Humans confusing! Alistair confusing! Ravens simple. Find a mate, court mate, stick with mate for life. 

"Yeah, I know, Hugin. No need to rub it in," Alistair groused, before he groaned.

Fuck, what was he supposed to do? And he hadn't even touched what his uncle meant about Alistair liking another of his friends! Which was crazy!

Right?

A knock came on the door and Alistair looked over to see Javier.

"Uh, hey, Al. Everything okay?" he questioned.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Totally not questioning my feelings for my girlfriend at all," Alistair responded, sarcasm thick.

"Let me guess. Uncle Percy playing love guru again?" Javier asked dryly.

Alistair groaned in answer.

"Yeah, he does that a lot," Javier said, leaning against the doorframe. "He thinks because of his powers, he's the best to give that advice. I mean, sometimes it's good, but it's mostly pretty shitty."

Alistair didn't say anything, but he found he agreed. Along with controlling ice—which Alistair still found insanely cool—and having an accelerated healing factor, Percy could also feel and manipulate other people's emotions. It wasn't hard to imagine why his uncle would think he was the best option for that type of advice.

"So what category does the advice he gave me fall under?" Alistair questioned, just as dryly.

"Normally, I'd say it fall under the shitty category, but if you're this torn up about it... maybe not so," Javier answered as he now walked over to the bed and sat next to Alistair. "Wanna talk about it?"

Alistair bit his lip, hesitating, before he sighed and let out all the confused, self-doubting feelings.

"I just... I thought me and Cami, we're a couple, right? We talk, we laugh and joke, and we held hands and kissed a couple times! We kissed at the Snow Ball! And it was great! It was really great! But... but I don't know. Because yeah, we do sound like best friends, but isn't that how couples should talk? And this is my first real relationship, so I have nothing to fucking compare it to! I just don't know, and..."

Alistair buried his face in his hands and groaned, falling back onto the bed.

Next to him, his cousin said, "Well, if it helps, I might be able to help with that."

"Oh, like Uncle Percy helped?" Alistair muttered sarcastically.

"Yes, actually, so have some faith in me, okay?"

Reluctantly, Alistair decided to, sitting up and looking at Javier. The older boy cleared his throat before he began, "Okay. The year is '82. Not my best year, I'll admit—pretty sure I flunked both Calculus and Physics, and we lost the game, and I think that was the year Ash got her first ever detention for graffitting the girls' bathroom stalls, and—"

"Javier," Alistair cut in, giving his cousin a look.

"Oh right. Sorry. Anyway... in that year, I met this girl. Betty Perkins. She was really nice, and pretty. We bonded over sports—she was a cheerleader, I'm a football player—and how gross cafeteria food is, and absolutely dominating in Pac Man and playing Atari and Nintendo together," Javier went on, a fond smile on his face. "Eventually, I got a crush on her, and asked her on a date a couple months after. She said yes and we become this picture-perfect couple—the cheerleader and the football player. And it was great, for a month or so. It felt almost like I was dating my best friend. But..."

Javier sighed, pausing for a moment before he said, "That was just it. Even when we were dating, it felt more like I was with my best friend than my girlfriend. And I guess that's always how you hope, but it wasn't the case for us. Whatever romantic feelings I felt for her faded after a while, and it just felt platonic. There was no spark when we kissed, and we just... didn't work anymore. We stayed together for another month—because, you know small towns, our type of relationship was the ideal—before breaking up, and it was the best decision we ever made. Betty's still my best friend, and we hang out—we even be each other's wingman—and I love her a lot still, but she's my friend and always will be. We're happier being friends, because what we had was more puppy love than anything. If we kept seeing each other... I don't think it would have worked out and we would still be friends today."

His cousin looked at him, and finished, "And I think what Uncle Percy was trying to say and what I'm saying is... maybe that's the case with you and Cami. Maybe it's puppy love, and you're better off—and happier—being just friends."

Alistair bit his lip again, frowning, as his cousin's love story drifted in and settled among his other doubts. Was Javier right? Was this... all a puppy love crush? Were he and Cami truly better off as friends?

"Al? You good, man?' Javier asked, tentatively touching his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," Alistair mumbled, not looking at his cousin as he thought over him and Cami. He liked Cami, liked her enough to kiss her, and—

Alistair's mind froze like a record player, then rewound like a VHS tape.

The kiss at the Snow Ball. The first kiss was nice—great, even. But the second... the second kiss was duller, like there was nothing behind it. Come to think of it, the occasional kisses he and Cami shared before he left felt the same way, and when they held hands... Alistair had felt nothing. And looking back... his stomach did squirm and he did think of Cami and rambled on about her, but he felt nothing like that since they started dating. And when he talked about her, it wasn't gushing about his girlfriend, it was more like...

Like telling someone about how great his friend was.

Alistair's eyes widened. "Holy shit."

"What?" Javier asked, almost cluelessly.

"I think you and Uncle Percy are right. I think..." Alistair swallowed, then pushed it out, "I think... I think it is puppy love between me and Cami."

"Oh, okay. That was kinda fast," Javier muttered, before he stood up. "I'll, uh... leave you alone, if you want. To, uh... deal with it."

"Yeah," Alistair said noncommittally.

Javier nodded, then left, leaving Alistair alone with Hugin and his thoughts. His realisation that he... didn't like Cami in that way, that he only liked her as a friend. That he had crushed on her, yes, but it was puppy love. Something that had fizzled out instead of gaining traction and becoming something stronger.

They wouldn't work out.

And if Cami felt the same, then they couldn't keep doing this—it wasn't fair to either of them. They really did have to be honest. They...

They had to break up.

***

Heheehheh... >:)

Yeah, Alistair's getting control of his powers! While it's not shown much, I am still so proud of my boy (especially later on...) And yeah, unlike Rowan, Alistair has a more closer relationship with their grandmother. Even if Vervain is terrifying (as she should be)

And Cami's back!! Technically, just speaking, but she'll be back fully!! And while I know it was doomed from the start, I liked writing that little bit of romantic Alimi (even though it was never going to be)

Yeah, Percy clocked that Alistair's and Cami's relationship was gonna be purely platonic (and rightly clocked Alistair's crush on Will...), but he still gave kinda bad advice (that kinda started the idea in Alistair that his and Cami's relationship was always gonna be platonic) and Javier gave slightly better advice that was the final push (and Hugin had his own input, of course—and he's gonna ask Alistair so much why he hasn't "courted" Will yet)

And yeah, Alistair has realised his crush on Cami, while valid, was just a puppy love crush and he does only feel platonically toward her now. He did like her romantically at one point, but it just... fizzled out and was nothing more than puppy love (his other crush, on the other hand...)

And now... the breakup >:)

Spanish translations:

Esperar: Hold on

Hola Cami, tu amante está aquí. Te dejaré charlar con tortolitos. Fue agradable hablar contigo también. ¡Adiós!: Hey Cami, your lover boy is here. I'll let you lovebirds chat. It was nice talking to you too. Bye!

Tia: Aunt

La corona: Crown

Adiós: Bye

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!