Closed Nobody's Perfect

[Arvel Ayers]

Hufflepuff might have lost the quidditch match, but Arvel had scored a goal, and he hadn't been hit by any bludgers, so in his mind it was a victory. Not enough of a victory to be celebrated, but a victory nonetheless. He ducked his head as he entered the great hall and found a seat on the mostly empty end of the Hufflepuff table. He was a bit early for dinner, but he didn't know where else to go. These days he spent most of his free time wandering aimlessly around the castle, trying not to think about Analei, and thinking about Analei. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to apologise. The match had made him realise all over again what a huge and devastating hole there was in his life without her. But he wasn't convinced he could talk to her again without saying something about Jacob. She was so rude to him, or at least about him behind his back, which was just as bad, if not worse, because it was cowardly as well as mean. But what irritated him more was her holier-than-thou attitude. When was she going to realise she wasn't perfect?

Arvel sighed and rested his head on the backs of his hands, like a pillow. One thing he had to admit. He wasn't perfect either. Two things - he missed Analei. No matter how much he complained about her, no matter how she annoyed him, she was still his best friend. Without her, he just didn't feel whole.

 

[Analei Westwick]

The Quidditch game had been frustrating. Analei was upset that they had lost, especially seeing as they had had the Quaffle for most of the game. She hadn't score as many as she had attempted, but she was proud of herself for her first goal that she did score. It had been fun flying, and working as a team with Abian and Arvel. Arvel had also scored, and she was proud of him. She definitely missed spending time with him - he had been her best friend for three years, and it was strange to not have him around any more. He was someone Analei could easily be herself around, and someone that she told all her secrets to. Playing with him at Quidditch helped bring back those memories, even if she was still upset with him.
Still not wanting to spend time in the Hufflepuff Common Room - especially after the Quidditch loss, Analei made her way downstairs to the Great Hall, hoping there would be some food already. Unfortunately, there wasn't any, but her eyes landed on Arvel, his head on the table. Taking a deep breath, Analei decided then to approach him. Taking a seat opposite him, Analei paused, trying to find words to say. "You played well."

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Arvel, who had his eyes closed, didn't notice Analei sit down until she spoke to him. He sat up with a start, looking guilty. He wasn't really avoiding her. He just hadn't made much of an effort to bump into her, either. "Um, thanks," he mumbled, not looking her directly in the eye. Was this a trick? Was she going to start treating him like she treated Jacob? He ran a hand through his hair, blushing. "So... did you." Maybe she'd come to apologise. No - that wasn't likely. But he could hope.

 

[Analei Westwick]

Analei watched as Arvel didn't really seem to care that she was talking to him. She wondered if she had hurt the friendship so much that there was no going back. Arvel complimented her back, but it didn't feel like he meant it. The Hufflepuff looked down at her hands, but knew what she had to do. She had said something similar before, but obviously hadn't learnt her lesson. "I was upset because - I felt betrayed. Jacob and I aren't friends - but that -" She took a breath. "That doesn't mean that you aren't allowed to be friends with him. I was unfair to you, and I don't have a right to tell anyone how to live their life. I am sorry."

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Arvel stared. Was this it? Was it really happening? He had never in a million years expected Analei would actually be the one to apologise first. He thought about what this meant. No more feeling guilty when he chatted to Jacob; no more hiding when he thought Analei was going to show up; no more sitting alone at the back of the classroom, missing Analei's company so much it pained him. He could be friends with both of them. Although Analei would always be his best friend, of course. Remembering the way they'd parted, he blushed. "I'm sorry I called you mean," he mumbled, looking away. "And... thank you." This was awkward. They'd been apart for so long, Arvel wasn't even sure what to say to her. "Does this mean we're OK?"

 

[Analei Westwick]

A small smile fell on Analei's face when Arvel apologized for calling her mean. "I'm sorry for being mean." She replied, nodding her head when he thanked her. If he knew her at all - he'd know how difficult it was for her to admit she was wrong. But he was more than worth it. There was a moment of silence, where Analei didn't know whether she should leave or not, but then Arvel spoke. The smile took it's place on her face again. "I - I think so? I'm okay - are you okay?" Analei asked, stumbling slightly over her words. He'd apologized as well, but had he forgiven her? She hoped so.

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Arvel almost started to reassure Analei she hadn't been mean, but managed to stop himself. She had, really, and he was glad she'd recognised it. That meant she was going to change, right? He smiled uncertainly back at her. "I'm okay," he said, though that wasn't entirely true. He was suddenly feeling extremely guilty. Even if Analei had forgiven him, he could never take back those mean things he'd said to her. They would forever linger in the back of his mind, reminding him what a bad friend he was. Blushing, he looked down. "Actually, I don't want to talk to Jacob any more, anyway," he added. Now that she'd given him the option to, he suddenly realised he didn't want to. She was his best friend. Analei was where his loyalties lay. "But thanks."

 

[Analei Westwick]

Analei grinned when Arvel said he was okay. She was grateful for it - now that she had decided to apologize, she didn't know if she'd be able to handle another minute of not being friends with Arvel. He was her best friend, and to be fighting over a boy was such a stupid and typical teenager thing to do - even if it was a different type of fighting, and definitely a different type of boy. Analei shuddered at the thought of anyone even being remotely interested in Jacob, but she pushed the thought out of her mind when Arvel said he didn't want to talk to Jacob anyway. Her grin grew larger, and she felt her cheeks hurting, but she hadn't felt this elated since she kissed Edmund. Arvel thanked her, and she shook her head quickly. "Thank you for forgiving me." She said, pausing for a minute. There was so much to catch up on. "Sooo...I kissed a boy..." Analei started, keen to dive straight back in.

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Seeing Analei smile like that, Arvel knew he'd done the right thing. He shrugged almost imperceptibly, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. He was just as grateful for her forgiveness as she seemed to be for his. Suddenly he looked up. "Oh," he said, Simon's face the first of several less than appealing visages that scrolled rapidly through his mind. After the way Simon had made her feel, Arvel was wary of anybody who got close enough to Analei to talk to her, let alone kiss her. Not that he was jealous, and not that he would have tried to stop her. He just didn't want her to get hurt again. "Aye? Who?" he asked, nervously.

 

[Analei Westwick]

Arvel didn't seem as excited for her first kiss as she had been, but she supposed it was fair enough because it wasn't him that had had his first kiss. She was sure she probably would have been jealous if Arvel had had his first kiss before her; as excited as she would have been for him, it was nothing compared to when you first get kissed. "Edmund Westwick." She replied with a grin. "He uh - asked me to be his girlfriend."

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Edmund Westwick? Analei was kidding, right? He searched her for a sign she was joking, but she was deadly serious. And he'd asked her out. "And... you said yes?" he asked, unable to hide the judgement from his expression. He'd always known her standards weren't very high, but he hadn't realised they were this low. Edmund was creepy. Just thinking about him made Arvel uncomfortable. And he could never remember which twin was the mean one. In general he just avoided them both, to be on the safe side.

 

[Analei Westwick]

Analei and Arvel had literally just become friends again, but she couldn't help but frown at the look on Arvel's face. She nodded her head when he asked if she said yes, forcing a smile back onto her face, not wanting to get into another argument with Arvel. "Yeah, we went to the dances together, and I really like him..." Analei said, trailing off but hoping that Arvel would be cool with it. "What have youuu been up to?"

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Arvel knew he wasn't technically in a position to judge. Not after making the mistake of falling for Nixon a second time. But he continued to judge Analei anyway, a bit. "That's great," he managed to make himself say, and a small part of him meant it. Analei's happiness was more important to him than his opinion about Edmund. He just hoped she wasn't going to fill him in with all the gory details of their dance; just thinking about them kissing made him shudder. "Nothing," he said quickly. "I mean, not much. Studying. It's all boring..." He was boring. Analei probably didn't care that much about what he'd been up to. She was just being polite. Sighing, he weaved his hands together on the table and rested his head on them once again.