Under Ground by Alice Rachel Read Free Book Online

I’ve never drunk spirits
before, but I’ve heard they can confuse your senses and blur your
thoughts.
    "Juice, please."
    He fills a cup for me, hands me my
drink, and pours himself a glass of soda mixed with vodka. I’m not
sure if he just wants to try it or if he’s more nervous than he's
letting on and needs the alcohol to relax.
    I look at him and find myself
stunned by the splendor of his face, his features sculpted with
delicacy and refinement. His aloofness is still keeping me at bay
though, making him unreachable. It's been close to impossible for
me to connect with him. I hope tonight will help improve our
relationship and that I'll finally get a bit closer to him. As soon
as his glass is full, William just stares outside the window. He
takes a sip and ignores me completely. I want to talk to him, but I
don’t know how. He's hiding behind that wall he has built around
himself to keep me and everyone else at a secure distance. I don’t
know how to catch his attention.
    He suddenly turns his face and
puts his eyes on me. “Do you often write poetry?”
    His question surprises me. I
stutter some kind of answer. I sound horribly dim, unable to find
my words. I take a deep breath. “Yes, I do.”
    “What do you write
about?”
    I don’t trust myself to tell him
what most of my poems truly involve, so I describe the ones I show
everybody else. “I write about things that touch me. The poem I
read at dinner was an ode to my late grandfather.”
    William looks at me as shock and
embarrassment flicker through his eyes. “I’m sorry my mother was
rude about it then,” he says. “Sometimes she can be cruel, just for
the sake of it.”
    I stare at him for a bit too long. Do William and his mother not get along as well as she would
like us to believe? I want to say that it’s okay, to make him
feel better, but it would be a lie. It is not okay, and thinking
about his mother's behavior just makes me mad all over again. I
clear my throat and change the subject.
    “Do you sometimes write also?” I
ask.
    “No, that’s not a skill of mine,
I’m afraid,” he replies before taking a sip of his drink. “I do
read a lot though.”
    I love reading too, which means
that William and I have something in common after all.
    "What do you like to read?" I
ask.
    "Science fiction," he replies. "I
own a lot of books. My father also has a huge library in his
office. If you're interested, I might show you one day."
    I nod with enthusiasm, my body now
fully turned toward him.
    "I also enjoy poetry," he adds,
not smiling once as he speaks.
    I would never have guessed that
William could be sensitive enough to appreciate poetry. Maybe I
could grow to love him after all. William and I might get to know
each other better tonight. I feel lighter now.
    "What's your favorite book?" I
ask, truly curious about him.
    " The Picture of Dorian
Gray ," he answers, with a tiny smirk. "I find the character
truly likable. He's quite an inspiration, really."
    "I've never read that novel. Would
you lend it to me someday?" I ask.
    His left eyebrow rises and he
takes a few seconds to study me, his eyes slightly narrowed as if I
were an enigma he couldn't quite understand.
    "Sure," he replies. His hand
reaches for mine, and I accept it more willingly than I thought I
would.
    By the time we reach the school,
I've relaxed and feel more comfortable in his presence. After
stopping the car, the driver opens the back door for us. William
walks out first and extends his hand for me to grab. I take it and
step out. He puts his arm under mine and leads the way. We step
under a porch before reaching the courtyard. There, many students
are standing around or talking together. There are more boys than
girls since only those with a match living close-by could bring a
girl with them.
    William looks around as if he's
searching for someone. Then he leads me toward the gymnasium where
the ball is taking place. The outside is decorated with paper
lanterns and ribbons.