Chapter Five

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Dear diary,

I met someone today. He wasn't the kind of guy I would've usually met. As in he was different, he got me which wasn't something that happened often. It was weird, I mean not bad weird just different. I can't help but feel worried though. I constantly get this feeling. A feeling that he was about to turn my world upside down. My heart skips a beat every time I think back to him, almost as if its sending me a warning.

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"All I'm saying Elena is you can't have your cake and eat it too", Lia hissed in reply to Elena who I could tell without looking at her did not agree with what was being said. I was half listening to their conversation despite the weight of thoughts in my own head. They always bickered, forever disagreeing however always managing to come to an agreement. To think this conversation was initially about the existence of mermaids. I giggled to myself. Debatable conversations with my friends always stemmed from the most random things. We were walking through the small park situated behind Elena's house, she had invited us round and I hadn't been since that day. The day I met Alek. I would be lying to myself if I said I hadn't thought about him much, it wasn't that I thought of him always but he always manages to creep back into my thoughts. Even without me realising, like now for example. I rolled my eyes and shook my head slightly.

"Kayla, don't you agree with me?", Lia asked me abruptly causing me to evade my thoughts. "Mm I mean we have only discovered 5% of the ocean, who knows what's down there, mermaids? we actually never know" I replied back almost surprising myself, I wasn't aware I'd acttually kept up with their conversation. "Exactly!", Lia exclaimed smiling like a proud toddler who has just drew their parent a painting for the first time. "Really Kayla? Mermaids?", Elena questioned me with a look of disbelief in her eyes. "I mean not literally Ariel with red hair and a goddess face, but yeah maybe fish people? or something", I replied laughing before I could even finish my sentence. I know I  wasnt suppose to giggle I could tell how serious Elena was taking this debate. I mean it was absurd the idea of mermaids but what was even more absurd was the fact my friends had been discussing this topic the whole walk from college.

As we neared the door to Elena's house I glanced up only to be met by those eyes again. I hadn't seen him since that first day and that had been weeks ago, so to say I was taken back had been an understatement. Also Elena had not mentioned he would be here but by her face I could tell she probably hadn't expected it either. He smiled gently and nodded initiating a hello in which I just stood there awkwardly dropping my gaze so it was no longer lost in his. "You guys go ahead upstairs i just need to have a word with my mum", Elena said rushing towards to the front room. I didn't even hesitate making my way towards her room with a sudden urgency. What was wrong with me? I was being ridiculous, I didn't understand why he evoked this behaviour in me.

Look "Check out those Armarian guys", Lia said suddenly as she stared out of the window. I looked out to seeing Alek and his Father moving boxes from inside the house into a car. I wasn't too sure what they were doing, I wasn't really paying attention at this point. Before I could speak Lia continued, "I've never seen him before, has Elena ever even mentioned this cousin of hers" she asked looking at me with questions I didn't know the answers too. I mean Elena has mentioned him way back when we were younger but it's only recently we've noticed more. "I mean with all the changes now, the laws, the fact people of Armar can finally enter Atlas without any complications, that's probably why we see him more" I responded to her. "I don't know it's strange", Lia muttered under her breath. I glanced out the window seeing him walk back into the house and a part of me felt odd. I could see how Lia even looked at him, but I didn't feel that way there was something about him.

"Anyway I'm gonna quickly go toilet so I'll be right back", Kayla told Lia as she hopped off the bed and opened the door. She closed it slowly behind her making her way to the bathroom when all of a sudden she felt a tall figure bump into her. Great she thought another cliche moment that I really didn't need right now. "Oh shit sorry", Alek said quickly apologising. I looked up to him and replied "no worries" as I tried to walk around him. "Kayla right?", he asked suddenly. At this point I was taken back by firstly the fact he'd remembered my name and secondly I was intrigued what he wanted to say next. "Yeah I thought I recognised you we met a couple weeks ago" he continued looking nervous all of a sudden. I smiled to myself that was cute, I was a good reader so I could tell he was definitely nervous but I had no clue why. "Yeah we met here, I see you left your flower power t-shirt at home today" I replied and began to giggle.

Talking to him came naturally, in fact talking to him was as easy as breathing. "Man how did I know you'd bring that up again", he replied dubiously narrowing his eyes slightly. "Wow the second time we've met and you know me so well", I replied feeling myself leaning towards him subconsciously. "I mean I knew you would say that so i am pretty sure reading your mind means I deffo do", Alek chuckled slightly looking into my eyes. "Sigh I guess that means we are soul mates?", I exclaimed faking a shocked face. I was testing him seeing if he could handle my sarcastic nature. By this point I had realised we were still in the corridor and I had not even entered the bathroom. Weirdly my need to go had disappeared. "Obv course we are, don't tell me you only just realised?", he questioned me and shook his head faking disbelief. I hadn't expected him to reply like that, if im honest I'm not sure what I expected but it wasn't that. By this point I realised I'd just been staring back at him for what felt like erternity but I'm pretty sure it was about a few seconds. "Anyway I was heading to the toilet so.." I started to say cutting the conversation short. "Oh yeah of course", Alek replied as he started to back away from the bathroom door. In which I entered shutting the door behind Me.

I just stood there for a moment taking in the conversation I had just had. "Am I tripping?", I asked myself out loud and laughed in reply. Wow I was officially becoming a crazy person who speaks herself. With that thought, I turned on the taps and splashed my face with water, almost as if I thought it would delete the moment I'd just had. I shouldn't even be talking to him, he was Elena's cousin and not to mention the biggest thing which was he was Armarian! I knew deep down I didn't care for any of that stuff but it wasn't the point this wasn't just about me there was so much at stake here. I looked into the mirror which hung above the sink in the small bathroom taking in my expression. In that moment I told myself I needed to stay away from him. I knew it was irrational but it was needed I couldn't trust myself around him. My flirty nature always seemed to shine through whenever we spoke. I wasn't sure what it was between us. "But I wasn't naive to the fact I knew deep down I shouldn't even be thinking about an 'us'.