210. Weird Companions

Alex spent the rest of club time with a pen and a notebook.

She mapped out her course of action while consulting Colin and Selene. She had a week to prepare for the main event. She kept up with Colin for any club that suddenly wanted to participate. She also asked for the list of clubs, wanting to see if she can rope them into her plans.

“You’re doing so well,” Selene complimented her. She only saw the page of her notebook once but she could already see the potential in them, “Maybe you should take over social accounts. Make some real time videos, photos or posts.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Alex bit her inner cheek. She had little to zero experience about social media. It could backfire more if she took over the accounts.

“Okay, maybe not” Selene retracted after some thought, “I think real time posting and stuff could be good. Maybe I could help you out as the girl behind the camera.”

“Okay, we got the approval of the Principal to set up more club booths,” Henley announced to the room. His fingers flew over the keyboard, “We will open the gates to visitors so it’s basically almost a school festival. The championship would just be the highlight and last event. That means more tasks for everyone.”

“Set up a festival in a week?!” Devin blurted out, “Is he out of his mind?”

“Well, it’s not a big event” the President clarified, finally looking up from his monitor, “It’s mostly outside booths. Classrooms would be closed. Not all of the clubs would be able to join. It’s just a chance to advertise the school. We’d also have a fundraiser for a future scholarship student.”

“Basically, families can come too?” Reya questioned.

“Yes.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, “I don’t think everyone can fit in the gym though. If it was soccer or football then, maybe.”

“To be honest, I don’t think more than half of the students would attend. The rival school is in the next town. Maybe a fourth of them would come…” Henley thought out loud, “Anyway, send out a questionnaire about who would attend and how many guests would they bring. We just need an estimate to be sure.”

“Aye, aye, Captain” Reya gave him a salute.

“That means more clubs for us to coordinate with, Alex,” Colin said from her left, “Will kind of need more of your help. Depending on what they are, it might take up a lot of time and you might be the only one available to accommodate a few of them.”

“I can do that,” Alex replied with confidence. She’d have Selene’s help for the media portion so she’d be able to lend hands for the actual setup.

Reya reached out from behind Selene’s back and pushed Alex’s shoulder, “Gurl, I like your spirit! You should really hang out here more often. Need some positivity to counter the devil’s.”

“I can hear you just fine, Reya.”

“You were meant to, Devin,” she spat back.

A knock came from the door.

“Now, who could that be?” Henley wondered. He stood up to answer it. A pair of emerald eyes smiled at him, “Oh, hey, Logan.”

“The ‘best friend’ picking up his ‘best friend’, huh?” Devin remarked, “Sure sounds convincing.”

“Mind your own business, Devin” Reya scoffed with an eye roll. She sent another kick his way under the table but he managed to doge.

The secretary focused on his papers. He needed to note down every detail the meeting had accomplished. He preferred to write it before typing it out in a document. That way it would be more organized. He arranged the important files into stacks of papers.

A pair of hands clasped down on his shoulder.

“Aw, come on, Dev. Since when did you hate me?” Logan grinned down at him.

The moment Devin felt the touch, his back curved. He objected to returning the gaze and rolled his shoulders one by one. His face scrunched in disgust, “Since when did I like you?”

Logan let him go. He took up the empty seat beside the secretary, smiling lopsidedly, “I thought we got along just fine in middle school.”

“That was middle school.”

Devin grabbed a pile of complaint/suggestion sheets from students. They mostly asked for extended break time hours. Some wanted to be able to go outside the gates for lunch. He glared down at each paper as he separated the appropriate contents from the ridiculous ones.

“Alright, alright. I’ll get out of your hair” Logan chuckled. He craned his neck to meet Henley’s gaze above the secretary’s head, “Is it okay to take Alex home now?”

The president nodded shortly, “Yeah, sure.”

Then, he shifted his attention back to his laptop. His business mode turned on again, his amber eyes darkening slightly. The tapping on his keyboard increased in both volume and speed. The change was about 1% and hardly noticeable unless someone paid attention carefully.

That someone happened to be Alex.

“Is there any way I can contact you, Alex?” Selene interrupted her thoughts, “You know… in case we get some ideas, we can discuss before we forget. Pep rally is on Friday so that’s kind of our first day on the job.”

Alex blinked out of her daze. She fished out her phone from her pocket, saying, “Oh, let me give you my number so you can text me.”

“Great!”

“How envious” Logan sighed gravely.

Alex gave him the side-eye, “What’s envious?”

She held up her phone screen for Selene to copy the number. While the other person typed, she faced Logan fully. She could already tell where this was going.

“I had to earn my right to get your number.”

“You would have had my number if you hadn’t stolen my phone” Alex retorted without hesitation. She fluttered her lashes for added effect.

“Touché” Logan snapped his fingers. He smirked at her expression. Then, he turned to Alex’s left, “Colin, you coming yet? Lauren asked me to look for you.”

“Yeah, I’m already saving the documents right now. I’ll be leaving with you, guys.”

“Okay! Number saved!” Selene giggled, “I look forward to working with you!”

“Likewise” Alex smiled. She rose to her feet and fixed her things. She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothening any tangles.

Reya waved her hand, “Have a safe trip back home, Alex. Hope the devil hasn’t scared you off and you’d come back tomorrow.”

“I will most definitely be here tomorrow” Alex beamed. She began walking around the table. The good vibes in the air made her feel lighter. She could care less about Devin’s snide remarks as long as he didn’t sabotage her work.

“Oh, joy.”

Logan walked over to the secretary and ruffled his hair, “Geez, Dev. Stop being grouchy. You’ll grow old faster.”

He merely heard a grunt in return.

Alex reached his side and the both of them headed for the door. Colin caught up just before they could exit. Alex took one last glance at the room. She smiled warmly, “Thank you for today, everyone. Hope you have a good day!”

Mumbles of response reached her ears. Colin and Logan also bid their goodbyes. Soon, the small group found themselves out in the hallway. Their feet led them down the path towards the main front doors. The corridors at this side were mostly empty. The clubrooms were in another wing.

“So…” Alex cleared her throat. She walked between the boys, her hands tucked in her jumper pockets. She peeked from the corner of her eye, “You and Devin know each other, huh?”

Logan gazed ahead. He nodded, shrugging his shoulders, “Yeah, we bonded a bit back in middle school.”

“What happened? I don’t see the two of you hang out” she tried again. Somehow, she found it fascinating to see him communicate with other people. Their interaction made her curious—especially since they met during Logan’s rebellious phase.

It also had to do with how Devin seemed disgusted by him.

“We kind of drifted apart,” Logan scowled, attempting to recall his memories, “I think it was because I started hanging out with Skye more.”

At the thought, guilt washed over him. He hadn’t meant to do it but that didn’t excuse his actions. Maybe he should bring one of their favorite cakes from back then. Devin had brought a cake one day. They sat at the corner table of the library and enjoyed it together. Its combination of chocolate, cream and caramel was the best Logan ever had.

Now, he craved for it.

He might just buy one for himself later.

“I see” Alex clicked her tongue. Her lips threatened to curl upwards. She exerted effort to stop it from happening fully.

Logan twisted his head in her direction, “See what?”

Colin pressed the side of his fist against his lips. Back slumped forward, his shoulders shook from the snickers he withheld. It surprised him that Alex caught on almost immediately. Devin and Logan only talked to each other briefly but, apparently, it was enough.

“Don’t you dare tell him!” Alex pointed a finger at him, already aware of the reason behind his reaction. The teasing smile on her face fully bloomed. She had to cover it with her hand. The muffled laughter was really contagious.

Suspicious, Logan stopped walking. He angled his body towards his companions, crossing his arms over his chest. He squinted his eyes, darting his glare alternatively, “Tell me what?”

“Nothing,” Colin answered. He recovered from his fit and straightened his posture. Indifference painted his expression. If Logan didn’t know better, he wouldn’t have thought his best friend just went into quiet hysterics.

“That you have dirt on your face” Alex lied through her teeth. She poked her cheek, showing Logan where the spot was.

He began wiping the sides of his face, “Where?”

“A little to the right…” she instructed. When he reached near his ears, she showed him a thumbs up, “There we go! It’s gone.”

“Is that all?” Logan raised an eyebrow. He dropped his hand to his side and observed the two with skepticism. Something still smelled fishy.

“Yep, it was there since you came into the student council room” Alex informed him. She nudged Colin with her elbow, “Isn’t that right, Colin?”

“Oh, yeah” he played along, nodding his head, “That really was it. I debated whether to tell you or not. That’s why I laughed.”

Logan had a mental debate. Both pairs of eyes twinkled with amusement. Curiosity clawed at his scalp. The two of them knew how being in the dark affected him. Yet, they chose not to do anything about it.

That left him with two choices: he could either a) drop the subject or b) press on.

Eventually, he opted for the latter. If he really needed to know, he would find out in time.

Then, he would enjoy scolding them.

“You guys are weird.”