by Kirby Hall
A-money, grades are up
Wide awake now, she rolled out of bed and grabbed her Mac off the floor. She logged into the school’s website and found Mr. Guin’s class. Her heart pounded as she slid her finger down the list of the last four digits of everyone’s social security numbers until she found hers.
7781 – 72 Pass
Tears filled her eyes and she let out a whoop before slapping her hand over her mouth. She’d done it. She grabbed her phone off her bed and found West’s text.
It would seem I owe you two favors – A$
Chapter 19
He smiled and tossed his phone onto his bed. She’d done it.
~ ~ ~
The first week of break passed at a snail’s pace. His room seemed smaller than usual, making him feel like a wild animal trapped in a cage. He was never one to wish for school, but he needed an excuse to see Alexa. He hadn’t had so much as a glimpse of her since the day on the hill. The day she’d put him in his place. The day he’d completely fallen for her.
West walked the length of his room and pushed back the curtain. The sky was covered with blue-tinted thick clouds. If he lived anywhere else, he’d swear it was going to snow, but he knew better. They were lucky if they saw the white stuff once every few years, and even when they did, it was more ice than snow. He pulled a thick pair of socks, jogging tights and a long-sleeved shirt out of his drawer. If he didn’t find some kind of release for his pent-up energy, he might do something stupid, like show up at Alexa’s door. Instead, he decided on a different plan of action. One that wouldn’t get him shot on sight.
He pulled the door closed behind him and tugged a toboggan over his ears. He’d been right about one thing; the air was crisp. The wind whipped through the small space between his house and the neighbor’s, threatening to slice through his clothes. With a final push, he stepped away from the house and took off down the street. Less than a mile later, his breaths were puffing out in little white bursts and his lungs felt like they were full of ice. When the school came into view, he turned off the road and ducked beneath some low-lying tree branches.
He could stay on the roads, but now was a good time to use the track. It would most likely be empty since it was break, and it was a nice safe distance from anywhere Alexa would be. He had a hard time visualizing her as the messed up middle school kid she’d told him about. He couldn’t picture her rebellious and angry, but after what she’d told him, he understood why she would be.
Hell, he was that kid.
He slowed when he saw the red Honda Accord in the parking lot by the field house and swept a look across the area, but there was no sign of anyone. He guessed whoever it was must’ve been inside using the weightlifting equipment.
In the open, no longer shielded by the trees or other school buildings, the wind blew across him with its full force. He was thankful it would be at his back for part of his run instead of providing resistance the entire time. He bounced on his toes. The soft rubber of the track was a welcome feeling after the shock of the pavement. Already warmed up, he approached the starting line and used the timer on his cell phone to time his half mile.
His eyes watered with the force of the wind, but he kept moving, picking up speed on the final lap. Near the finish line, a blur of red caught his attention and his steps faltered, causing him to kill his time. He slowed before noticing it was Josh.
“Hey,” he panted.
“I thought I was the only one crazy enough to be out here today.” Josh stuck his right knee out in front of him and dipped into a lunge to stretch.
“I needed to get out.” West put his arms over his head and walked in small circles.
“Hell yeah.” Josh switched to his left leg. “You ought to see my house right now. I’m on the couch because my aunt and uncle are in my bed. I have screaming cousins scattered all over the place and my mom is freaking out.”
“That sucks.”
“You have no idea.” Josh shook his head. “Or, do you? Family drive you out?”
“Nah, I just got bored. Too much time sitting around.” West stopped walking and shook his arms out by his sides. “You want to run a warm-up lap?”
“Sounds good.”
They jogged in silence for the first lap, keeping a nice, steady pace. Josh was in shape. West hadn’t taken him for a runner, but judging by his form and control, he definitely was.
“Are you on the track team?” West asked.
“Yeah, or at least I was last year,” Josh said between breaths. “Hoping to get a place on the team in college, too.” He took another breath. “Assuming Purdue accepts me.”
West nodded. Someone else with plans for their future. No wonder Josh and Alexa were friends.
“What about you? Thinking of trying out this year?” Josh glanced at him as they hit the three-quarters of a mile marker.
“Don’t know.” West said. “I’ve never thought about it.”
“You should.” They ran the rest of the way to the starting line and stopped. Josh placed one foot on the white line and eyed West. “Ready?” he asked, a challenge in his voice.
West didn’t wait to be asked again. He took off and felt Josh do the same beside him. Their shoulders were close until the final quarter mile. As they passed from the turn to the straightaway, West pulled ahead and kept his lead until they crossed the finish line. West first and then Josh a few seconds behind him.
“Damn,” Josh gasped. “You’re fast.”
West smiled.
“You better get your ass on the team.” Josh stood and waited for his breathing to return to normal. “Seriously, we could use you.” Josh was looking at him without smiling and West realized he was serious.
“I don’t know.” He bounced on the balls of his feet again to keep the blood flowing while he turned the idea over in his mind.
The idea of joining anything seemed foreign. How long had it been since he’d been a part of something? How long had it been since he’d cared? He wasn’t a team guy, but Josh was cool. Maybe it wouldn’t be all bad.
“Just think about it.” Josh continued. “It isn’t like tryouts are tomorrow.”
“Okay.” West put his hands on the chain link fence and stretched out his calves, one and then the other. “I didn’t know you were a runner. I thought you were a drama guy.”
Josh leaned on the fence beside him. “I’m both.”
“That’s cool.”
“I mean, I like PA, but I’m not a lifer like Alexa. I’m just in it for fun, you know? And, to beef up my transcript.”
West had come up here to get Alexa off his mind, but there she was again. Not that he was surprised. Josh was one of her best friends. And, the person they had in common.
“How’s Alexa?” West asked, hoping not to sound too interested.
“She’d good. I saw her yesterday for a little while.”
A surge of envy pulsed through West as it would toward anyone who got to spend time with her.
“She’s going about as crazy as we are.”
“How so?” West asked. “Family in town?”
“Nah, her dad’s been dragging her around to a bunch of holiday parties and dinners. Clients, local politicians, civic clubs. She’s been playing dutiful daughter, but she hates all that stuff. And then tonight’s the Christmas concert.”
“Where’s that?”
“Here, well, there.” Josh pointed to the auditorium standing on the hill above them. “The swing choir does it every year to raise money for the spring musical.”
“Let me guess, you’re in that, too?”
“Not me. Don’t have the time.” Josh kicked at the fence. “Alexa’s not singing tonight and she’s mad as hell. Part of her dad’s fit about math.”
“Her dad’s kind of a douche.” West wasn�
��t sure how Josh would react to his comment. Maybe it was only him her dad didn’t like.
Josh nodded as he studied his neon green and black shoes. “He’s a hard ass for sure. But, you know he wasn’t always as wound up as he is. He kind of went all in with work after her mom . . .” He let his voice trail off, waiting for some sort of sign from West that he knew what he was alluding to.
West nodded and decided to change the subject. Just because he and Josh had Alexa in common didn’t mean he wanted to share his innermost thoughts about her. This was already the most he’d talked to anyone other than Alexa in two years.
“You see Bekah over at Alexa’s?”
Josh’s ever present easy nature slipped away and he pushed off the fence. West was immediately sorry he’d asked.
“No, but she stopped by my house the other night.” Josh walked over to the starting line, his tone angry. “Bekah’s great, don’t get me wrong, but she’s pissing me off right now.” He rolled his shoulders. “Thanks for helping out with Jay the other night, though. Alexa told me how you stepped in.”
“It was no biggie.” West didn’t know what else to say. All he wanted to know was what else Alexa had said to Josh about him, but he couldn’t go there without sounding like a complete chick.
“You want to go another few laps?” Josh started jumping up and down in place. “I wasn’t ready the last time.”
West smirked. “You’re on.”
~ ~ ~
By the time he arrived at the auditorium, it was packed. People decked out in all shades and variations of green, white, and red milled about waving to friends and finding seats. Half the student body seemed to be there. West scanned the rows to see if he saw Alexa. Even though she wasn’t singing, he couldn’t imagine she’d skip it. She wouldn’t be able to stand being away.
“West,” a girl’s voice called. He glanced behind him and tried to make out where the voice had come from.
The lights dimmed once and then again, signaling for people to take their seats. He was about to slip into an empty chair at the end of a row, when he spotted a hand waving at him. It was Bekah. She signaled for him to come over, so he wove his way through the remaining stragglers.
“Hey,” she said and patted one of the empty seats beside her. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
He dropped into one of the seats, causing it to let out a squeak, and slouched. “It was kind of a last-minute deal. What’re you doing here? Big fan of the arts?”
She snorted. “You know why I’m here,” she leaned in near his ear, “and I bet it’s the same reason you are.”
He started to protest, but the lights went down and Mrs. Brale took the stage. The seat beside him moved as someone folded it down. He cut his eyes to the right, a reflex more than anything, and she was there. When Alexa smiled at him, her green sequin top glinting in the darkness, his guts twisted into a pretzel. He’d missed her more than he realized. He’d gotten so used to seeing her every day; the weeklong absence had been a shock to his system.
He smiled back and tried not to think about how underdressed he seemed by comparison. When it came to Alexa, there was no comparing. She was in a league of her own. The curtains opened on the stage and her attention shifted. He refocused, too, but he didn’t care about what was happening beyond their two seats. He’d gotten what he came for.
The music from the orchestra pit began and the group on stage started. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Alexa’s lips moving, but no sound was coming out. Her hands were in her lap and her back straight, but she was buzzing with energy. Her desire to be on stage seemed to flow from her every pore. He wondered how other people seated around them couldn’t see it, couldn’t see her.
Applause rang out through the audience and then died down as the first chords were struck for the second song. A girl in the front row stepped forward and started singing a solo. Her voice was soft and carried through the room. Movement from Alexa caught his attention out of the corner of his eye and when he turned he saw her hands twisting in her lap. In a move he decided he’d most likely live to regret, he took a deep breath and laid his hand on top of hers.
Her eyes darted to his face and then at their touching hands. He half expected her to yank hers away, but instead she turned one of her hands palm up. He accepted the open invitation and laced his fingers with hers, the heat from his hand warming her cool one. The song changed again, but he hardly noticed. All he could concentrate on was the feeling of her hand intertwined with his. The other sounds in the room were muffled, like he was hearing them as he sat on the bottom of a swimming pool.
He could feel the bones in her narrow hand and began to trace circles over them. The sensation from the small gesture was immense and made him want to touch her more. He wished like hell they were in private and not surrounded by half the town’s population. He wanted to explore the rest of her skin. He had no doubt the rest was as soft as her hand.
He didn’t know how many songs had been sung and he didn’t care. They remained with their hands linked together until a bell echoed throughout the room. Alexa squeezed his hand, her gaze intense on the stage. The gesture broke his trance and he turned his eyes forward to see what had prompted her sudden excitement. A group of girls clustered to one side began to chant the first verse of ‘Carol of the Bells’ and were followed by another group of girls, then the guys punctuated the sound with deep notes until the group was singing in rounds. Alexa’s pulse pounded in her wrist and when he looked at her, he wasn’t sure if she was actually taking in any air or not.
He leaned over the armrest and whispered in her ear. “Breathe, Alexa.”
She smiled and even in the dark, he could see the blush creeping into her cheeks when she glanced at him. Her shoulders relaxed and when the lights came on at the end of the performance, he dropped her hand. He searched her face for signs of disappointment, but he didn’t see any. He didn’t want a repeat of their kiss on the hill. This was no rejection, but he wasn’t ready to announce what was happening between them to everyone in the room. Including Bekah, though he was sure she was aware there was something going on or at least that he wanted there to be. But for now, it was only between them. Whatever the ‘it’ was.
“It sucked,” Bekah said under her breath to the two of them when the music stopped and the applause rang out.
“No, it didn’t,” Alexa said, “but thanks for saying that.”
“What are friends for?” Bekah leaned around Alexa and focused on West. “What’d you think? Feeling the holiday spirit now?”
Alexa caught his eye and he fought the urge to smile, afraid Bekah would see through him. Instead, he opted for the easy answer. “It wasn’t bad.”
They waited while the rows around them filed out of their seats and filtered toward the exit. When it was their turn, West let Alexa pass him and he fell in behind her. Usually, he hated being herded out of a space like a grade-A steer, but tonight was different. Tonight, when he was shoved from behind or the side, he ended up pressed against Alexa and he didn’t mind that at all. If anything, he wanted to put his arms around her waist and pull her against him, but through no shortage of willpower, he refrained.
He paused as they passed through the door and let the cool air fill the space between them. He needed to stop thinking about touching her. But, trying to stop made it worse. Like trying not to laugh in church or somewhere else insanely inappropriate and the urge becoming overwhelming until you ended up breaking out into hysterics. He took a deep breath to calm the blood humming through his veins and to try to change his thought process.
The space between them helped once they were outside until he caught a glimpse of Alexa’s nipples straining against her bra. Jesus.
“West? Hello?” Bekah said.
He tore his eyes away from Alexa. “What?”
“I said I’ll
catch you later.”
“Right, yeah. I’ll see you around.” He shoved his hands into his hoodie’s pockets and tried not to think about anything but the laces on his shoes and car headlights as they passed. Headlights. The thought sent his mind straight back to the gutter.
“Bekah, I’ll catch up,” Alexa said. She turned her eyes to him, but didn’t say anything. For once, she seemed to be at a loss for words.
“So, I’ll see you in a week?” he asked.
“Um, yeah. After break, then.” She bounced on her toes either trying to stay warm or because she was bursting with crazy energy like he was. He wasn’t sure which. “I’m glad I got to see you.” Her words came out in rush, as though she was glad she got them out.
“Yeah, me too.” He wanted to say more. Anything to keep her there, but he didn’t know what.
She turned to go.
“Alexa,” he said, making her stop and turn back, “Meet me tomorrow.”
“Where?” She tilted her head to the side as the street lights danced off of the sequins in her top, making her look like she was under lights at a dance club.
“Our hill.” He smiled. “Where else?”
She smiled, too. “What’s the occasion?”
“I’m calling in one of my favors.”
Her smile widened and she hurried off to find Bekah.
He wasn’t sure he was ready to tell her everything, but he wanted to see her. And, maybe it was time he let her in. He at least owed her the truth before things went any further between them. She climbed into Bekah’s car and they turned out of the lot, leaving him alone amongst the crowd. As he walked off school property, he realized he was still smiling and rubbed a hand over his face. Alexa syndrome was in high gear.