“Okay, what did we agree on?”
“To not speak about the play.”
“And why is that?”
“To not capture any more attention.”
“Good” Alex nodded. She and Logan stood outside of the cafeteria, lingering near its doors. It had been quite a ride since their first period. Not only did she need to hide her tomato face on Logan’s chest but also that move seemed to worsen things a bit.
It didn’t help that Logan hugged the back of her shoulders at the time.
The amount of yells still echoed in her head. There were many mixed emotions, making it hard to decipher one from another. She couldn’t even hear them correctly because a thundering heart overpowered them. It thumped against her ear as she gazed at the board. Its volume and the warm embrace enraptured her senses.
How did a person breathe again?
“Alex, you okay?” Logan whispered. The gap between his brows creased. His fingers curled against her back. Had he gone too far? He had been hooked up in the moment to rethink his actions.
Ms. Smith had instructed the rest to file out. The show had ended and they had no reason to loiter in her classroom. The pair also needed a private moment. They couldn’t stay for long but it would be enough time.
Alex heaved a sigh. They had done what they intended to do. The story wasn’t a complete replica but they kept the important ones. She hoped it would be enough to let people see her side.
She stepped back, her gray eyes meeting green ones.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
She looked away reflexively and cleared her throat.
Her hands rose up to cup her cheeks—but she also dropped them before they could. As much as she’d love to make sure that her red face was gone, that gesture would only catch interest. She could live without those awkward moments.
She already had enough to last her a lifetime—unless fate didn’t think so.
“Well, the two of you really don’t disappoint, do you?” Ms. Smith cut in, crossing her arms over her chest. She tilted her head to one side and smiled, “I had hoped you’d do something similar to what you did. Since you picked Twelfth Night for the report, I figured it would coincide with your current situation.”
Logan scratched the back of his head, reflecting on his actions more. It somehow felt weird to hear that his teacher wanted him to kiss Alex in front of the class.
Then again, she probably didn’t mean that part.
“So you did stage it?” Alex asked.
“Of course, I did!” Their teacher chuckled, “It sure was interesting to know that my project had been the reason why Logan found out about you.”
“I am grateful for that,” Logan declared. He grinned lopsidedly, “That moment really changed my life.”
“Speak for yourself” Alex muttered. She conjured several strokes since then. Their act didn’t begin to cover even a fourth of it. Her entire life had been thrown upside down. Logan? He was so good at going with the flow that it hardly threatened his life.
He gave her a knowing look.
“There’s no need for thank you’s” Ms. Smith shook her head, strolling towards the desk. She shrugged, “Besides, who else would be the perfect Duke Orsino and Viola? It would be a waste if you never get to perform the characters.”
Back at the present, Alex was partially amazed at how relaxed things were with Logan. She would have thought that she’d be more embarrassed. She did have that moment but after they left English class, it dissipated.
If she ignored the constant stares and whispers, things seemed to have gone back to normal.
At least, she thought that it did.
Logan ruffled her hair, “Relax. We’d be with the gang now. You’d soon forget about the attention from other people.”
“You’re right” she exhaled sharply. Squaring her shoulders, she faced the cafeteria doors. She closed her eyes and remembered how ‘Alex’ acted whenever he entered. She channelled it to the front of her mind.
Logan watched her carefully. He wanted her to take the first step so he could keep a lookout. He didn’t think anyone would attack them or something but they couldn’t take chances. If even one strand of hair on her head was in harm, it would be a one way ticket for Alex.
Alex snapped her eyes open. She bowed her head and grasped the door handle. She took another calming breath. A soft voice spoke in her mind. The owner resembled a young girl. She had stunning gray eyes and honey brown hair. When she smiled, she exposed her missing front tooth.
“`It will be okay.“`
What a joke, Alex snorted silently. The scarred kid was the one who reassured the older version. It should have been the other way around. Her young self sounded much stronger than she recalled. The little girl surely acted like it.
She pulled the door open slowly. Soon, she stepped inside.
Logan held the door open for her, remembering how heavy it was.
They walked through the cafeteria doors. Usually, Alex didn’t notice other people in a room as big as this. This became an expectation when she looked up as soon as she entered the premises. The timing had been perfect enough for her to meet hundreds of eyes. Their gazes followed her like a moth to a flame.
Alex felt thankful that she wore the leather jacket.
She refused to read into their expressions and shifted her feet towards the food display. The sight of a pepperoni pizza helped her ignore the rest. Her stomach growled in approval.
“Well, her outfit surely didn’t go to waste” Carla commented with a chuckle, “You think they’ve seen the video?”
A few whispers floated to her ears. Most of them talked about the performance. She took it as a good sign. It would only be a matter of time before the hype about the flyers completely died down. It would only occult a small spot at the back of their minds.
“Don’t think so” Lauren responded, “Or else, Alex would have glared at me when she came in.”
Staying close behind Alex, Logan chose his own meal. A lasagne called his name. It didn’t look as delicious as the one from the Stitz Diner but it did hold some good memories. The corner of his lips tugged upwards. The indirect kiss from before had developed closer to a real one. Lasagne might just become his favorite pasta dish.
It was present in both times.
Chicken Noodle Soup came as a close second.
After they paid, Logan snatched Alex’s tray. He carried hers and his in their table’s direction. Alex froze in her position. Her brain slowly processed what just happened. Then, her legs went into action, running up to the retreating back.
“Didn’t we just agree not to gain more attention?” She hissed, matching Logan’s stride. She needed to double her pace to make it happen.
“Well, if our entrance proved anything, that can’t possibly happen” he explained. His footsteps had a bit of bounce in them, “What’s the use when we already have 99% of it?”
He walked around the table and set down the trays. The group remained silent as they settled in. They fiddled with their food, seeming to be invested in them. Both Logan and Alex developed suspicions. They eyed each of their friends.
A quiet table meant trouble… what was it this time?
It was Carla who broke the ice. She spoke from Alex’s right, using a nonchalant tone, “Secret conversations while Logan brought the food? Are you two dating already?”
Alex scowled at her, “What?”
“Safe to say that half of the school probably thinks so,” Jae supplied. He bit a pepperoni in half. Alex waited for him to say something more. Instead, he ate the other half of the pepperoni and took another one.
“Because of the act?” She decided to question, observing the others. Closed lips responded to her. Of course, the rest had heard about it. They probably didn’t know how to bring it up so they acted this way. She blew on her fringes, “Whatever people narrated about it is exaggerated.”
“I don’t know…” Lauren pressed her lips together. She laced her fingers and rested her chin on her knuckles, elbows supporting the weight against the table, “I think no one did. It’s a matter of personal opinion.”
Alex finally glanced at Logan. He seemed as lost as she was. Her face had morphed into confusion and bewilderment while Logan’s stayed calm. They had one thought.
Just what the hell were they talking about?
“Let me try this again…” Alex emphasized each word in a low pitch, “What the hell are you talking about?”
This time, she looked directly at each person for a few seconds. All of them avoided her glare. It ticked her off. She couldn’t even tell if it was good news or bad news. None of them gave a hint.
Colin took his time chewing on his food. Jae’s focus seemed to be on peeling all of the pepperoni off his pizza slice. Carla had a notebook out with Math homework written on a page. Lauren ate her apple, taking big bites. It filled her mouth which rendered her speechless.
Hell, even Max busied himself with a game on his phone.
Displeased, Alex grabbed her water bottle and sipped. Did she need to find out the hard way? What kind of friends did that?
“I mean, no one needs to retell the story when a video of the original can do that just fine.”
That water spit out the moment it touched Alex’s lips. It sprayed over her clothes and her tray. She slammed the bottle on the table, recapping it. A hand patted her back as she coughed the droplets that dripped down the pathway to her lungs. It burned her throat…
… but not as much as the one she’d choke when she found out who was behind it.
