“I haven’t had the chance… but how was your parents when you got home?” Colin asked, peeking at Alex from the corner of his eye.
She walked beside him in another outfit. She wore denim overalls, the bottom wide legs ending just above her knees. She used an oversized white wool sweater underneath the top. The waist belt cinched her hips and added shape. Her feet had skin tone boots with one-inch heels.
Her hair also had grown overnight, almost touching her shoulders. A braid covered her front hairline, resembling a woven headband. Her lips and her cheeks also had a pink tint.
She looked much more feminine than yesterday, Lauren had gushed to him. If Colin didn’t know any better, he’d think that she still held romantic feelings for Alex—not that he hadn’t teased her about it. The face she made was too cute for him to pass the opportunity at seeing it again.
“Well…” Alex exhaled, her hand played with her extensions, “You saw that mother kidnapped me after school, right?”
“Yeah, I remember you wanted to go back inside” Colin chuckled. He adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder.
“Because I thought she was here because of the video!” She admitted loudly. Her face scrunched up, her eyes closing, “It turned out to be something different. She wanted to pick out my clothes for today but saw my limited wardrobe. So, we went shopping. This hair is also her doing, of course. Her excuse was she never had the chance to do it ever since I went back to school and missed it.”
A groan rumbled in her throat. She had shared this earlier with everyone but kept it brief. In these quiet hallways and Colin’s calming presence, she felt like pouring it out, “Like I said, this entire look is her doing. From the hair to the shoes, it’s all Angeline Greenwood’s Fairy Mother Magic.”
A small smile tugged Colin’s lips, “Not godmother?”
“I was going to say that but thought better of it since she is my mother” Alex shrugged. She rubbed the knuckle of her index finger, “My father acted weird though. He seemed as if he wanted to say something to me but simply stared. When I asked him, he denied it. Then, mother told me that it was because of the video…”
She had felt like she jumped into a comic with the way the scene played out. She almost saw a demonic aura around her father with gleaming arrows for eyes. She had tried to ignore it but failed so she worked up the courage to ask.
“And wouldn’t you know… my subconscious thought that the best thing to say first was that Logan and I didn’t kiss” Alex lamented. She regretted it as soon as the words came out of her mouth. Her father had smiled after she did.
She was sure it was anything but good.
Only her mother gave reassurance that things were okay.
Colin hid a laugh through a cough, “I’m sure that was well received.”
“I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
Alex’s expression became cold and lifeless. She couldn’t escape to her room at the time. She sat through her mother’s grievances about false hopes on her first kiss. How that thought shattered once Alex clarified what happened.
Angie had wanted to think that her first kiss was captured on camera. Alex had wanted to ask what her mother intended with it but realized that she really didn’t want to know.
She really, really, really didn’t want to know.
“Then, I should just thank your mom for your transformation” Colin said, “Lauren is really happy to see you out of your shell. It also makes me happy to see her that way. At least, I know she has no plans on dressing me up in skirts.”
Alex snorted, “Maybe I should suggest that to her for Halloween.”
Colin halted in his steps. His head seemed to move slowly as he turned to look at her. Wide brown eyes stared in accusation, “Don’t you dare.”
Alex swallowed down her snicker. She hadn’t expected him to be flustered! It made her want to tease even more. A mischievous light shined in her eyes as she ignored him and snapped her fingers, “You and Max could match!”
“Max can match with his reflection.”
“And you can play as his reflection” Alex giggled.
She resumed her pace and reached a door. They were in the wing for the administrative offices. Among those rooms, one stood out among the rest. The reason was because the occupants were neither the staff members nor the faculty. Although, they did hold a power almost as high.
Her hand turned the knob and chatter filled her ears.
The doorway revealed a simple room with cream walls and floor tiles. One side had a few desks with computers, including file cabinets. There was one long synthetic table in the middle with about 10 chairs. The head chair had been replaced for a whiteboard stand.
Two females sat by two computer desks.
The rest took up spots around the table. Its occupants whirled their heads towards the door. The bustling activity died down. Hands froze in midair, faces stilled in surprise and keys tapped in rhythm. The windows at the opposite end illuminated the place with bright light. If it weren’t for the people inside, Alex would have thought the place lacked color.
Alex counted a total of six students, two boys and four girls. The two boys sat on the side of the table near her. The girls took the spots across them. There was one laptop and a pile of papers in between their positions.
The silence began to make her nervous. Her hands gripped the hems of her jumper. She previously heard about the positive things that the video had done. Except, it was a general statement so she couldn’t comprehend what the reactions were individually. This room seemed to be a good place to find out.
She also owed the group something different from the rest of the students.
“Hey, guys” Colin greeted, breaking the ice. He waved by the door since Alex hadn’t moved.
“Well, well, well.. it seems like both of our Junior Club Event Coordinators showed up.” A male student broke the ice. He wore a red plaid button down and dark jeans. His ginger hair glistened like a new penny. He walked over to greet the newcomers. His amber eyes crinkled at the corners.
“President Henley.”
The student council president stumbled back. He placed a hand over his chest, “Such an honor to know that I have not been forgotten.”
Alex bit her bottom lip, “I’m sorry that I neglected council work?”
Henley chuckled, brushing it off with a hand, “It’s not a big deal. Your position is situational anyway and most club executives like to take over the work for their events. We’re never really shorthanded.”
“And the Principal had told us not to force you to come” the second male student commented from his seat. He had both arms and legs crossed. His cinnamon hair stuck up like a groomed bush. Both his black slacks and dress shirt seemed tailored to his size.
A kick came from under the table. His black gaze glared at the culprit, forgetting about Alex.
“Secretary Devin.”
The sound of his name brought his attention back. He raised an eyebrow, “You think I’ll be impressed with you just because you know my name?”
Colin wanted to hit the guy in the head. For someone in his senior year, Devin acted immature and rude—a contrast to Henley’s approachable manner. Alex wasn’t that bad. She appeared when they truly needed her. She wasn’t hard to convince either.
“No, I didn’t think so” Alex shook her head, unfazed. The tone reminded her of her past self. How she wanted a wall between her and others… she didn’t know why Devin acted that way but she didn’t mind.
It wasn’t her business.
She would just respect his desires.
“Can you be any more rude?” The girl scowled from the other side of the table. Her dark brown curly hair was tied up in a bun. Each curl was as tight as a screw, visible even when cramped together. Her almond skin glowed under the window’s light.
“Please, don’t mind, Devin” Henley interrupted before an argument could break out. The secretary rolled his eyes. He chose to overlook it, “How are you, Alex?”
Alex’s mind had been busy. It took everything in. She did remember the other members but she rarely interacted with them before. It had been Colin who acted like her spokesperson. Looking back, it seemed reasonable if some viewed her in a bad light.
She pressed her lips together. She actually hadn’t prepared for this. It came out on a whim when Colin talked about the upcoming championship, “I am actually not sure how long I’ll be staying in this school—”
“So, you’re resigning? Just hand over the letter and be done with it.”
“Devin!” Henley scolded.
The secretary put his hands up in surrender, “It was a valid presumption.”
“Well, keep it to yourself while a person hasn’t finished speaking” Colin sneered. They were here because Alex had taken the initiative to participate. She had never done it before and he refused to let a snobby guy ruin it.
“I am not resigning,” Alex corrected. She kept her composure and assembled her thoughts, “I merely want to contribute more while I still have the time to do so. I know it’s not much but I wouldn’t want to leave without properly doing my job as a Club Event Coordinator.”
