by Dawn Doyle
“Yep.” Ryan looked pretty pleased with himself.
“I was wondering why you hadn’t asked me. You usually do.”
“Yeah, well, it would have been kinda weird and anticlimactic.”
Ryan had definitely put a lot of thought into it.
“How did you do it all? We were in class.” Asked Kayla.
“I wrote down everything Ryan said about Riss.” Holly explained. “Well, the most frequent anyway.” She smiled.
“We didn’t put in annoying or…ow!” He said as Riss hit his arm.
“Hey, I can change my mind ya know?” She said.
“Nuh uh. I gave you cookies. That’s a no-deal breaker right there.”
“You’re right. You’re not getting these babies back.” She giggled.
“On Wednesday, we asked some of the staff for help. So we got together during free period. They set the cafeteria notices and Mr. Benson’s note when were in class.” Holly continued.
“Really? They wanted to help?” Asked Ben.
“They were happy to.” Said Ryan. “But…I may have promised to behave if they did.”
“Like that’ll happen.” Said Alex.
“I might have exaggerated that promise a little…or a lot.” Ryan said gesturing widely with his hands. “Did you like it?” He asked Riss.
“I really really did.” She said, and he beamed at her like a little kid.
“So…” Ryan said suddenly. “You two huh?” He pointed at Alex and Holly. “I didn’t see that coming.” He joked.
“I heard you told the class that Alex is sexy!” Said Kyle as Holly was drinking her juice. She almost choked and started to cough. Alex patted her back whilst Dev took her bottle away.
“Oh my God!” She said when she got her breath back. Alex kept his arm around her shoulders.
“Everyone just stopped and turned to Holly. It was awesome.” Laughed Ben.
“Come on guys that’s enough.” Said Alex.
“I didn’t mean to say it out loud!” Said Holly.
“At least, she’s not saying she didn’t meant it.” Said Kyle, waggling is eyebrows.
“Stop it, now.” Said Alex.
“It’s ok.” Said Holly, taking his other hand as it rested on the table.
Chapter 18
Alex looked into her eyes. Eyes that he could get lost in forever. He moved his hand from her shoulder to her cheek and stroked the back of his fingers down the side of her face. He held her chin and brought her mouth to his, running his fingertips back up her cheek and into her hair, cupping the side of her head.
“Oh…I think there’s going to be tongue!”
“Kyle!” Said Kayla as Holly and Alex pulled back from each other.
“Don’t ruin it for them. It’s beautiful.”
“Kyle, you’re a dick.”
Ben was chuckling.
“You better get used to it Kyle. Because it’s only gonna get worse.”
Alex threw a potato chip at Ben. Only making him laugh harder.
Holly glared at Kyle. When he looked at her, she quickly glanced to Kayla, as she was talking to Dev, and then back to him. She raised an eyebrow. Kyle stopped laughing and just looked nervous instead. She turned to Alex and smiled.
“What was that?” He asked quietly.
“I’ll tell you later.” She whispered.
“You still have to tell me about your Mom’s warped sense of humour.”
“I will.”
Alex turned when he noticed the group were watching them.
“What?” He asked as they were all grinning.
“Nothing.” Said Riss.
“It’s just…” Kayla began. “…This time last week was a completely different picture.”
Holly felt really happy with how different things were now. She finally felt comfortable to hold a conversation, now they knew how each other felt. She still had other hiccups, like saying her thoughts out loud and getting caught in her Alex fog, which was getting stronger all the time.
“It was inevitable.” Said Dev. “And I can tell you, not saying anything to them about each other was torture!”
“Well, before we start holding hands and singing…“ Said Ben. “We should go…” The bell sounded for the end of lunch. “…Saved by the bell.
"Alex and Holly, as well as Ryan and Riss, walked hand in hand to the Phys.Ed building. As the rest of the group walked in front.
“You do realise we’ve been kicked to the curb?” Said Kyle.
“Kyle. Don’t be an ass.” Said Ben. They’re happy. Don’t you want your friends to be happy?”
“Yeah. I was just kidding.” He said. “Actually, I think it’s awesome. Ryan’s liked Riss for a long time, and Alex and Holly…well that was inevitable.”
“So, why make fun of them?” Asked Kayla.
“I was really just making a joke, ya know? I guess I’m just a little jealous too.” He said as he walked into the changing area.
“What was that?” asked Dev.
“I don’t know.” Said Kayla.
“Ben…find out.” Said Dev as she tried to hurry him in.
“I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.” He said as he went inside.
Holly watched the interactions and knew why Kyle was jealous. She felt bad for him as she saw the sad look in his eyes as he walked through the door.
“He’ll be fine.” Alex said to her. They shared a gentle kiss, before they had to go to their changing areas.
Riss bounced over to Holly and hugged her tight.
“Thank you so much!” she squealed.
“What for?” laughed Holly.
“For helping Ryan. I thought he’d never ask me out. For a while, I thought I’d been ‘friended’.” She said.
“He put a lot of thought into it.” Said Holly.
“I loved it.” Riss beamed.
“When’s your date?” asked Dev.
“We haven’t planned anything yet.” Said Riss.
“You have a date with Alex tonight. Where’s he taking you?” Asked Kayla.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk about it really.” Said Holly as she was changing into her track pants. “He’s running track with me today so we’ll probably decide then.”
“Do you think Ryan will bring you flowers for your date?” Kayla asked Riss.
“I don’t know. I hope not. Isn’t it a little old fashioned?”
“I prefer flowers still in the ground.” Holly said quietly. She’d always thought that way. Just like her Dad. He had a poem he would say to Holly, and it was one of her favourites.
‘Displaying a dying flower, is really very sad.
Keep it growing in the ground,
And it will be very glad.’
“I think it’s too cliché.” Said Dev. “I mean, he already knows you like him, so why go overboard? And do you get him something if you ask him out?”
“Makes sense.” Said Riss.
“Is it still a done thing to give gifts on dates? There are a few girls in English class who thinks it’s the best part. I don’t think gifts are necessary.” Said Holly. “Why would he need to buy your affection? Wouldn’t saying ‘yes’ to the date be enough?”
“Exactly!” Said Riss. “I went on a date with a guy in sophomore year. He brought me some flowers and chocolate hearts. It was very sweet until the end of the date.”
“What happened?” asked Holly.
“Well… The date was a little awkward to begin with. No spark there. When I got home he tried to kiss me, but I said no. Guess what he said?” Said Riss with annoyance at the memory.
“What?”
“He said, ‘but I brought you flowers and chocolates!’ Like that were an instant pass for some tonsil tennis! I don’t think so.” She snorted. “We never went out again.”
“See?” Dev said. “Cliché. It might have been acceptable a hundred years ago, but oh my God do guys take it for granted. “What do you think, Hol?” she asked.
“I don�
��t think it’s right that a guy has to give a gift. Like you said Dev, what if he’s the one being asked out, does he still have to buy one, or do you? In the caveman days, when women didn’t really have their own money, then yeah, things were paid for or bought for them. Nowadays, a lot of girls still expect that even though they have their own. It’s like they’re saying ‘My money is for me, and so is yours.’ I think that’s just selfish and disrespectful.”
“That is so true.” Said Kayla, shaking her head.
“Well I guess we’re the few who don’t like date gifts.” Laughed Riss.
“So is everything ok? Do you still get nervous or awkward?” Riss asked Holly.
“It’s great.” She gushed. “It’s mad how I feel a lot more comfortable. It feels…I dunno…”
“Right?” Dev cut in. Holly smiled and nodded. “I’m so, so happy.” Said Dev. “And who knows? Maybe you’ll become my sister!”
Holly froze for a second as Dev sighed.
Married to Alex?
She didn’t think she should be looking that far into the future just yet, but still…she imagined herself there…Alex in a black tux, looking perfectly gorgeous as always. Ben his best man; of course. Dev would be her chief bridesmaid and Em her maid of honour, or whatever they had at weddings. She would wear a long, white, sleeveless dress that tapers in at the waist and then the skirts would flow loosely to the floor…
”Holly! Wake up.” Laughed Dev.
“Sorry, I was a million miles away.” Said Holly.
“Dum dum du dummm.” Dev said as she sang the wedding song. Holly rolled her eyes.
“See you after class.”
“Yeah see you…sis.” Said Dev as she went to the pool area, still giggling.
Holly walked outside and paused when she saw Alex waiting for her. His black track pants fitted him to perfection. The waistband lows on his hips, and his white T-shirt clung to every contour of his chiselled physique.
Holly’s mouth was actually watering.
“Uh…Um…Hi.” She said with a shaky breath.
“Back to that now?” He asked, amused.
“What? No…um…Hang on.” Holly took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Ok. I’m fine.” She said as she approached him.
Alex looked himself over and then back to Holly, raising an eyebrow.
“Don’t judge me.” She said, narrowing her eyes, playfully which made him laugh. A throw-your-head-back laugh. Holly giggled too. His laugh was contagious and so…mmm.
He held his arms open and wrapped them around her. Holly wrapped her arms around his waist, and she could feel the firmness of his muscles through his shirt. She moaned lightly.
“Oh ground please swallow me up.” She groaned into his chest. Alex chuckled again. “It’s really not funny.” She said as she was embarrassed for the second time that day but thinking out loud.
“I’m just glad I know, well kind of know, what you’re thinking.” He said.
“Glad?! It’s embarrassing!” She said, still hiding her flaming face.
Alex pulled back so he could look at her, keeping his arms tight around her body.
“I’m glad because whenever you lost your voice, I thought you didn’t like me and didn’t want to talk to me. I’m glad to know it’s because you did.”
“You really thought I didn’t like you?” Holly asked. She lost her voice because she was stunned by his beauty.
“Yeah.” He said, sheepishly.
“I thought you well knew and were just being nice to me because of Dev.” She said.
“Nope.” He said with a twinkle in his eyes. “You drove me crazy from the second we met.” Holly gasped, and as she did Alex kissed her. Stroking his tongue into her mouth, his arms tightening around her. One on her lower back, the other angled up with his fingers finding the back of her head, threading into her hair.
Holly’s hands loosened from around his waist, and she moved them steadily up, over his stomach, his chest, and around his neck. Finally stopping when her fingers tangled into his hair.
His sexy, dark hair…
“Hey break it up, you two!” They heard the coach yell. They pulled apart slightly, breaking their kiss.
“Save that for after school. Now get moving!”
“I think we need to remember where we are in future. Alex laughed.
“That’d be an idea.” Giggled Holly.
They released each other and began to walk around the track, hand-in-hand.
“So…” Holly began. “I was going to tell you about Kyle.”
“Yes you were.”
“He likes Kayla. I don’t know why he won’t tell her.” Alex made a face that said ‘seriously?’.
“Ok, I get it, but when we were at Riss’, he kept looking at her and hovering around her.”
“I saw that too. I’m guessing he’s been like that for a while.” Alex said.
“He has?”
“Yeah. As long as Riss and Ryan. Whenever we bring it up, he dismisses it.”
“That’s not good.” She said, sadly. Holly knew that the others had known each other for years. If Kyle had liked Kayla for as long as Ryan had liked Riss…that couldn’t feel good for him.
Holly knew that Kayla thought Kyle was cute. She’d admitted it when they’d gone over to her house for manicures the first week.
“No it isn’t. So tell me about your ‘scene’.” Alex said.
“Are you really sure you wanna know?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah. I need to prepare myself if I become the butt of the joke.”
“Well ok.” Holly said nervously. She began to tell Alex the shameful story…
“Me, Em, my Mum, and her friend Sarah were out shopping at the supermarket. We went to the medicines aisle to get some painkillers. Anyway, my Mum suddenly shouts ‘Hey Sarah! They’ve got the blueberry flavoured condoms you’ve been after!’”
Alex’s eyes widened and his mouth popped open.
“Oh it gets worse.” Said Holly. “So Sarah says ’No it was pineapple I wanted, but extra large.’ My Mum kicked it up a notch by saying, ‘But these are ribbed and flavoured. You can’t get better than that!’ Our Em was horrified, and she was trying to walk away with me and then Sarah said ‘Em don’t you want to stock up too? There’s some tinglers there.’ Well, my Mum cracked up, Em and I were trying to run away without anybody noticing us.”
Alex looked beyond shocked.
“How old were you?” “I was almost fifteen and Em was twenty. That’s why nothing was said to me… until yesterday.”
“That’s awful.” Alex said whilst trying not to laugh.
“Yes, well, she hasn’t had her fix lately so I’m expecting an all out embarrassment attack.”
“I wouldn’t worry.” He said confidently.
“No?”
“No. Now we can be prepared. We know it’s coming, so don’t rise to it. Fight back instead.”
Holly smiled mischievously.
“A counter attack. I like it.”
As they walked along, Holly spotted Miss. Delaney walking towards the main building. She still didn’t know what Alex had said to her the day she was sent out of the room.
The Phys.Ed building and track were located at the rear of the school in a separate structure. The languages classes were to the back of the main building off one of the wings, in an ‘L’ shape. To get to the front of the building, it was the norm to cut across the courtyard or ‘recess’ area.
“When I had the run in with her…” Holly said, gesturing to Delaney. “What did you say to her?” Holly noticed that Alex’s face flushed slightly. His flawless olive skin, tinted pink.
“Um…I said that if she ever treats you that way again I will, personally, have her suspended and I’ll tell the principal everything.”
“What happened? Did she do something to you?” asked Holly. Her anger rising at the thought of this woman doing anything to Alex.
My Alex.
“No.” He sai
d and Holly felt relieved. “But I saw her doing something to someone else.”
“What?!” Holly almost snorted.
“Last year…” He said and looked around to make sure nobody was within earshot “…One of the seniors, Callum Jones, was taking Delaney’s Spanish class to gain the extra credits he needed because of some sports scholarship. Anyway, I was walking down the hallway and I was trying to hide from Stacey.” Holly’s anger flared again at the mention of her name. “I tried the door to one of the storerooms near the Spanish class and there was Delaney on her knees… and she wasn’t praying.” He said with his eyebrows lifted.
Holly was shocked.
“Callum and Delaney?” Alex nodded his head. “Oh my God! What happened then?” she asked.
“Callum begged me not to say anything, because he could lose his scholarship. He told me he was using Delaney to get extra marks, and she didn’t mind at all.”
“So he willingly went with a teacher?” Holly asked, incredulously.
“Yeah. Now he’s in college with his scholarship, but she could still get suspended, or even fired over it. It’ll also be on her permanent record.”
“That’s just horrible.” Said Holly. Disgusted that a teacher wold abuse their position of trust.
“I’d never mentioned it again until I saw you outside her room. When I saw how she was ‘teaching’ you I got angry, but I didn’t want to drag you into it. That’s why I spoke in Spanish to her.”
Holly smiled, her heart warming.
“You stuck up for me.” She said as she beamed at him.
“Of course. I couldn’t let her get way with acting like that to my girl.” Alex stopped walking and held Holly’s other hand too. As they faced each other he leant down and kissed her softly then rested his forehead against hers.
“I really like you Holly.” He said in an almost whisper.
“I really like you too.” She replied.