20 Chapter 6A (1/2)

”It's only awkward if you let it be” – Silvia Donahue

September 11th, 2013

I balanced my textbooks in one hand and my cell phone, bottle of water, and laptop in the other as I walked down the hallway towards my locker.

There was hardly anyone left in the hallway, only a few people who didn't mind skipping class, chatting with each other or walking briskly from the toilet or towards the library.

I slowed down, and rearranged the textbooks that were on the verge of tumbling, and started walking again.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, so I sighed irately and cursed under my breath. Students shuffled out then, from left and right, slamming rudely into me as they stalked past to join their friends and go about their lives.

”Shit,” I muttered as someone slammed hard into me, my arms failing to hold on to the items in my hand; my cell phone and books flew everywhere and I cursed under my breath again.

”I'm sorry,” the person said and I rolled my eyes, trying to gather up my stuff as the person snatched up the rest of my textbooks.

See, this is what happens to the half-minded human beings in this school, hardly ever paying attention to where they were headed.

I stood up and brushed myself off before glancing up with a raised brow.

”Watch it next time,” I snapped, before realizing who it was; my voice trailed off nervously as one of my close friends stood before me with a half-smile on his face and my textbooks in his hands.

His dirty blonde hair had grown over his face, he had grown a few inches taller since the last time I saw him because he towered over me now, and his eyes seemed even bluer than I remembered.

”Alexander” I breathed, looking at the boy I had completely ignored, along with the rest of my friends, for the past summer.

He also happened to be my ex-boyfriend.

Alexander Morris was an all-round teenage geek: he was co-captain of the math athletes, the school's valedictorian, an excellent chess player and probably the smartest and sweetest kid I had ever met; but his best friend Justin was the exact opposite: he was the quarterback of the football team, co-captain of the swim team, an excellent runner on the track team, also smart (but not as much as Alex) and the hugest dick ever.

Together though, they were deemed unstoppable and inseparable.

”Could you follow me to my locker with those books?” I asked Alex as I balanced my laptop, along with my other belongings, on my hip. Alex smiled at me and took the last textbook gingerly from my arms.

”Will do ma'am” he said with a half salute, smirking as I giggled quietly.

I sighed and looked at him once more; trying to figure out what to say to him that would sum up my actions of the past months.

”Thanks,” I said, bending slightly to straighten the crease in my pants.

”For knocking you over or calling you ma'am?” he joked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. I rolled my eyes and punched him in the shoulder slightly with a small smile.

”For taking my textbooks, smartass,” I said, walking around him. He fell into step beside me, balancing the textbooks in his left hand.

We walked in a silence that I could not determine if it was awkward or comfortable. When we reached my locker, I punched in my code and pulled the metal door, gently placing my laptop on the lower shelf.

”Here,” he handed me the books one after the other, as I arranged them accordingly.

When I was done, I turned to him and leaned against my locker, before crossing my hands over my chest.

”So, how are you?”

I looked at him, knowing fully that he meant well and also knowing that although he had asked it lightly, he wanted a much deeper answer; like how I was coping after everything that had happened.

Deeper in that question, it was obvious that he wanted an explanation as to why I had broken up with him so suddenly.

Alex was too sweet a guy. Even though the question would burn through him, he held it in and waited patiently for what felt like the right time.

As I stared at him, I had the urge to let him hug me and tell me that everything would be okay.

If I did that, then I had to accept her not being here anymore.

I had to accept that I was delusional.

Slowly, I shook my head, pushed my bangs out of my face, before refolding my hands across my chest.

”Fine,” I said lightly, the side of my lips tugging on a smile as I watched him frown, clearly wanting more than that. The fact was he knew that was all he was going to get.

”You changed your hair,” he tried again with a light smile and I almost burst out laughing at his uneasiness. I smiled and fingered the tip of the wig.

”Yeah, you like?” I asked. I sniggered then twirled slowly, a smile playing on my lips. He smirked, realizing that I was mocking him now and slowly shook his head, feigning disappointment.

”You look different,” he said with a shrug, placing his hands in his pockets. I sighed and looked away briefly at the people shuffling past us, some stopping ever so briefly, probably to wonder if Alex and I were friends again and when that had happened.

”I like different,” I muttered, slowly dragging my gaze from the students to a pink-faced Alex.

I laughed, which only caused the shades in his cheeks to deepen, and placed my laptop in my handbag, along with my cell phone and water bottle.

”Thanks, Alex.”

”No problem,” he said with a tiny smile, and pushed himself off the locker he had leaned on.

”You know you can talk to me right?” he asked, looking at me expectantly.

Could I Alex? I hadn't even spoken to Angel or Rain yet; imagine how pissed they would be if I started pouring my heart out to Alex, after breaking up with him.

The thought caused me to laugh slightly and Alex pursed his lips, probably offended that I had laughed at his suggestion.

”Sure,” I said quietly, shooting him a small smile. Satisfied with that answer, he nodded and put his arms around me, my arms staying crossed against my chest, and patted my back awkwardly.

Without another word, he smiled and turned, then strode down the hallway.