The Fine Line Between Hate and Love

Chapter 27

"So let me get this straight… You promised you'd never see me again?!" I demanded, shocked.

Gale was explaining to me why he was gone for the whole week. I had asked, wondering if it was he who decided to skip the week when I was in "trial" or if it was also Cerise's doing.

It was a little bit of both.

Gale shook his head. "You weren't listening properly. You know I knew that you were going to eventually go to this school – though I began having my doubts when you didn't enter for 9th grade – so Cerise made me promise something. That promise is that from the first day the two of you cross paths, I have to stay at home for at least a week.

You have to understand. I was still bitter towards you at that time so I readily made the promise to her, a very close friend. I knew what she was going to do – give you a test of sorts. I made sure she wouldn't do any physical harm to you – that was like pulling teeth out of her – and that you wouldn't be bashed by the whole school. But she also had a condition.

If you failed the… test… then you would be judged unworthy of me and I'm never to approach you ever again."

Gale gently took my hand, making me look into his eyes. He was giving me a tender but serious look.

"But even if you had failed that test… Well, to hell with it. I would have stuck by you. I love Cerise but I love you more."

I felt my face get warm and he chuckled. Stupid Gale… making me blush all the time… But Cerise had the whole thing excellently planned. If I had chosen the other option… Even if Gale approached me, I would have avoided him and that would have caused a million years of heartache. No words can describe how relieved I am of my choice.

"But Cerise is nice, isn't she?" I said. Gale nodded. "But there's something I don't understand. Her friends aside, she acts like an ice queen."

Cedric described her as fiery. What was that about?

Maybe he just used the wrong word…

I told Gale about it. To my surprise, he chuckled.

"There's an explanation for that," Gale said, grinning like the Cheshire cat, all mischievous. "It has something to do with Brice. Go ask him."

The day passed quickly with Drama practice, Gale watching this time. Needless to say, my inspiration heightened and I was praised by Miss Simone.

"Devon, I haven't been to your house in a while," Gale said casually. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Whenever he used that tone, he was just about ready to play a trick on me.

Ever since we were little.

Luckily, those tricks didn't happen often since Gale was a sweet boy after all. But since he's also a sharp boy, some of those tricks would have me clutching at him desperately at one point or another.

I gasped in realization.

Sharply, I turned to him and pointed (quite rudely).

"That's why you used to play some tricks on me before!" I accused. He dared to give me an innocent look. "You were such a sweet, innocent boy but there were times when you'd suddenly become a little devil!"

"Who? Me?" Gale pointed to himself, all innocence.

FLASHBACK

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I HATED GRASSHOPPERS! I hated them the most out of all the vile insects on this Earth! But now… But now…

There were grasshoppers everywhere around us!

I was clinging to Gale for dear life. He didn't mind grasshoppers at all. In fact…

"But they're cute," Gale said with a grin as he looked at the…things… on the ground around us.

I glared at him. "Nothing about them is cute." I shivered when I felt something crawl up my leg. "EW! It's on me!" I tightened my hold around his neck. "Why is this place crawling of little monsters?!"

Gale chuckled and I only realized then that our faces were too close. In fact, my cheek was already pressed against his. I stared at him and his hold around my waist tightened.

"Just hold on to me, okay Devon?" he told me with a tender smile. "I'll get us out of here."

END OF FLASHBACK

I was too scared to realize back then that we wouldn't have been inside that shed in the first place if it weren't for him. There were all these other similar scenarios where, in my fear, I'd hold on to him while he…

…he was enjoying it the whole time!

I was fuming while Gale only shaking his head in mock regret.

"It took you almost eight years to realize I was flirting," he sighed, convincingly morose. "That is just sad."

I blushed hotly once more and he wrapped his arms around me and pressed his forehead to mine.

"So just hold on to me, okay?" he whispered. But there was more than just one meaning behind those words this time.

"Okay," I whispered back.

dgdgdgdgdgdgdgdgdgdg

Cedric was the one who answered the door when Gale and I entered. He stared at Gale for a few moments before nodding and walking away.

"Thanks, Cedric," I called. He just raised his hand in acknowledgment.

Gale gave me a puzzled look but I only smiled at him. "Cedric helped me. He was the one who made me realize that he and Cerise are similar."

Gale only nodded. "Cedric doesn't show that he loves you and he could be cold sometimes. But he would kill for you, wouldn't he?"

I grinned. "All of my brothers would."

Gale returned my grin. "So would I."

"Then expect the same from me."

"Look at who we have here!"

Brice entered the hall, his charming smile full force as he greeted Gale.

"Oh! Gale is here!" Edan walked over to shake Gale's hand in welcome. Then the two dragged him to the living room.

My brothers were always fond of Gale. I even remember Brice teasing us once that the only person he'll allow to get married to me was Gale. I turned red at the thought and rushed to the living room before my imagination went wild.

"Devon's going to ask you something, Brice," Gale said with a mischievous grin. Brice looked taken aback and turned questioningly to me.

"What is it, sister dearest?"

Clueless, I just straightforwardly asked, "Do you know Cerise Richards?"

Brice blinked once before a lazy smirk lit his face. "Oh, my little darling?"

I did a double-take. "'Little darling'?"

Brice's smirk widened. "She is the Queen of DLC, right?"

I still wasn't getting his point. "Yes," I said slowly.

His smirk turned into a grin. "Who do you think the King was?"

The most obvious answer would be Gale since he was side-by-side with Cerise before…

But he was always called the Prince of DLC. So…

I stared at that grinning face before my eyes widened.

"Brice, it was you?!"

Gale and Edan chuckled while Brice's grin widened.

"Man, she hated him," Edan said with a laugh. "Why wouldn't she though? Brice always pestered her."

"Most girls would have been flattered," Gale added. "But Cerise justloathed it. She used to always complain about 'that old man'."

"Hey," Brice protested. "Four years isn't that big a deal!"

"Apparently, it is," Edan put in.

Wait, hold on! REWIND!

Briceliked-liked Cerise?!

As in Ice Queen Cerise?

As in my brother Brice?!

"How come I didn't know this?" I demanded.

"Well," Brice began. "First of all, you didn't go to DLC. Second of all, why would I tell my younger sister about my biggest crush. Third of all, you didn't know her. Fourth of all, I knew you were going to meet her later and probably find out about it. Fifth of all, it's really none of your business."

Well, those were good reasons.

"So it wasn't just a little 'oh- she's-so-cute' crush?" I asked, curious. "You actually liked her?"

To my astonishment, my brother Brice – as in Brice who flirts with anyone possessing the X chromosome – blushed.

Yes, blushed.

"Well, she's a nice girl," he said in an almost inaudible voice. He was embarrassed!

Meaning he still liked her.

Oh, this was precious!

"Devon," Brice said dryly. "Wipe that evil smirk off your face. It's plain scary."

After all the catching up between my brothers and Gale, I dragged him upstairs to my room. I wanted to know the real reason he wanted to go to my house.

"Your room is still the same," Gale said as he looked around.

"All right," I said, getting straight to the point. "Why did you want to come here?"

Gale only smiled. "Do I need a reason."

"Yes."

He sighed before pulling something out from his bag.

It was an envelope, which he handed to me.

"This is late," Gale began. "I wanted it after the play but I can't really change the date of the twin's birthday."

I opened the envelope and found an invitation inside to the twin's 14th birthday party. Like most Scharden events, the celebration requested formal attire.

I then remembered what Hail advised.

"Try to learn and master this as soon as you can… Preferably before the play."

Oh no! Don't tell me Hail plans for me to play that piece during the twins' birthday celebrations!

I'm not good enough to play in front of so many people!

But it would be the perfect time and place.

I have to perfect it by then.

But there was another problem.

"What would I wear?!" I panicked. I have to have a nice dress by Saturday night! How would I shop properly with all the play practice?! Plus I have to sneak in my piano practices.

But Gale had the solution.

He chuckled at my panic. "Devon, you're forgetting who my mother is and her line of work."

Oh. Right.

How the heck could I forget?

"In fact," Gale continued. "She already has the perfect dress for you."

I blanched. I definitely had nothing against Mrs. Scharden's designs but she could also – usually – overestimate me. She has made me try so many dresses in the past that were too beautiful for someone like me to wear.

"Don't worry," Gale whispered, as though reading my mind. "Darcy, Hail, the twins and I approve of it too."

I wasn't sure if that was a comforting thought.

"Well," I finally sighed. "I guess I trust you. Now I have to think of a present for the two of them." What would Arundel and Ardel like?

"They'll love anything you give them," Gale said kindly. "They adore you so don't stress out about it."

"You have a really nice family," I said sincerely. I liked all of them too… from the mysterious Hail, to the beautiful Darcy, to the intelligent Arundel, to the adorable Ardel – and Mrs. Scharden of course. They've all supported me even when I wasn't on the same page as Gale.

Gale leaned over to me. Understanding what he wanted, I slowly closed my eyes, blushing. But before his lips could touch mine-

"Gale!" Brice burst through my door. "Your twin's here to pick you up- DON'T MAKE OUT WITH MY SISTER IN MY PRESENCE!"

Gale and I had pulled apart, both our faces red. I glared at Brice.

"You're the one who barged in here without knocking like a civilized person!" I yelled back.

"It's nice to see the two of you are sickeningly sweetly together again," Hail's cool voice commented.

Gale stood up, calm once more. "You're just envious." Hail just rolled his eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Gale promised before he gave me a peck on the cheek (Brice, Cedric and Edan were looming over us). He walked towards the car waiting.

Hail paused beside me but his eyes weren't on me. "Do you think you can play for Saturday?"

"I'll need to practice," I told him.

He nodded curtly. "I'll talk to Darcy. She'll take care of Gale. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hail then followed his cousin.

"What was that about?" Edan asked once the car drove off.

I explained the situation for the upcoming Saturday to them.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Devon," Edan said once I finished. "Gale would like that. At first I thought Gale's cousin was cold. But it seems he's just like Cedric here."

Cedric scoffed before walking off. I grinned at his retreating back.

"I've only seen Hail sweet on one person," I told an interested Edan and Brice. "That's Darcy, Mrs. Scharden's 'adopted' daughter."

"Ooooh," they both whistled.

"You're always surrounded by complicated relationships," Brice said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah," I agreed. Then grinning slyly, "Like a certain King and Queen…"

"Anyway," Brice said loudly. "I have to cook dinner."

Edan paled and quickly protested. "Brice! Don't you dare go near the kitchen!"

The front door opened and Austin entered.

"What was Edan yelling about?" he asked as he took his suit off.

"Brice and the kitchen," I answered simply. Austin just nodded.

"At least it's not Cedric," Austin muttered. "He's a genius so I can't understand how he burns everything he cooks."

As I heard my brothers bustling in the kitchen, I thought of today's events – from the stressful morning, to having a new friend, to a wonderful even to look forward to.

I couldn't help but smile.

Life was wonderful again.

A/N:Okay, there definitely will be only three chapters left after this one. So the end is near! I wonder if my readers are crying or cheering… Anyway! I thought of a new story – don't worry, I'll finish this first before that. It's related to tFLBHaL. After much pondering, I realized that I wasn't quite prepared to leave Devon and Gale yet so there we go. So here's the teaser. Tell me what you think.

Summary:You've met Devon and Gale. What if their circumstances were reversed? What if it was Devon who was in love with Gale who is oblivious? What then?

This is the story of Glenn and Dion…

I'm not sure about titles yet but I'm thinking The Fine Line Between Friendship and Love so the relationship with tFLBHaL is still obvious.

Hanban: Hey! Thanks for giving me such long reviews! (thus the special mention, hehe) Gale's (as well as Hail's) hair isn't that long... just a bit past the shoulders. Congratulations on deciphering Cedric's words before Devon did! LOL! I actually live in Australia but this story (and most of my stories) aren't specifically situated anywhere. Just think of any small city. I know that people who go on Fictionpress come from around the world so I try not to favour one country too much. But Gale's surname reveals German heritage while Hail's Russian. So yeah... I hope this chapter came out soon enough! Salamat sa mahabang review! Hehe...

Riva Delle