“`Samaru: What bet? Give us details!“`
“`LazySloth: Logan, hurry up! If that bet will help you, go win it! Then, confess!“`
“`CookieDiya: Just hook up already!“`
“`Pikachu: Is it about a kiss? Who kisses who?“`
“`CookieDiya: Will we see a confession after the game? Kyaaah… I can’t wait!“`
Alex pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to give it away. With the whole school invested in their lives, she had no doubts that they would look out for it. How was she still sane after this? She survived before because of her cold demeanor.
This shower of praises felt foreign.
But, they warmed her heart.
Logan noticed her gaze flicker to the monitor. He immediately knew what was on her mind. Their gazes locked for a split second. When she widened her eyes, he opened his mouth. They said more words within this silence.
The world moved in slow motion.
Jumping off her seat, Alex lunged at him. Her hand raised to cover his mouth. It reached its target as her other hand struggled to find a leverage. Logan’s upper body leaned back from the impact. The full body weight of Alex pushed him.
There wasn’t a backrest to save him.
“Ah…!”
They tumbled to the floor, rolling away from each other. The microphone picked up the loud thuds. The viewers had been left to their imagination since they moved away from the webcam’s range. Their continuous absence fuelled the spark, creating a fire. The messages became a swift-paced blur of traffic.
Logan wheezed. His stomach hurt by how much air he let out. The pressure in his chest dislodged his voice. It completely disappeared. Only the sound of his rush breathing remained.
Alex groaned at the sharp pain on her knee. She hit the floor at a weird angle, the sore spot bearing most of the fall. She willed herself to ignore the pain and got up. Her arms supported until her legs could push her the rest of the way. Remembering not to look at the laptop, she fixed her hair and straightened her clothing.
When she was done, Logan wasn’t yet.
She rolled her eyes and prepared to kick him.
Then, she thought better of it and slapped his back instead.
“Come on, get up, moron” Alex ridiculed, “If you keep laughing like that, you’ll suffocate.”
Logan got her point and sat up. The first half of his face appeared to the viewers. His fringes swept back and pointed at a diagonal direction. For a moment, he looked cooler than usual.
“`CookieDiya: Guys, do you think Logan has abs?“`
“`Nyaaaah: OMG. I’m not the only one wondering the same thing. HAHAHAHA.“`
“`SingingMermaid: His heart is Alex’s now. No drooling at someone’s else bf even when she doesn’t know yet that he is her bf. Lol.“`
He beamed with his chin raised.
Alex wasn’t amused. The lids of her eyes hooded from her deadpan expression, “Are you going to stay there for the rest of the stream? We still have three questions to go.”
Logan rose to his feet and dusted off his pants. A few silent giggles manage to escape his lips.
Sitting back down, Alex yanked his arm to his seat. She checked the chat box—well, pretending to do so. That had been her initial plan until a question caught her eye.
“`Nyaaaah: Alex, have you ever eaten a fruit called durian? Do you like the smell?“`
She scrunched her eyebrows, “I can’t say that I have eaten durian. Should I try it?”
“Whose turn is it?”
“I think it was yours” Alex replied over her shoulder. She took out her phone and stared at the screen, “The fourth one I think?”
Logan peeked over her head, “I saw the viral video of your play….and I totally disapprove of the ringing bell interrupting your interesting moment. So, did you two actually kiss in real life?”
Hot pink ears warmed the sides of Alex’s head. She only picked that one to clarify that rumor. The video had been cut conveniently that no one would know. Logan had tilted his head as well, blocking most of the view from the phone camera. It had started a mini debate on what really happened.
“I don’t know…” Logan paused, teasing the audience. He pursed his lips, “Does a peck count as a kiss?”
“There wasn’t a peck!” Alex quickly defended. She locked her jaw and hardened her gaze. She hoped it would be enough to communicate what she wanted.
“If I remember right that wasn’t a question for you” he stuck his tongue out and chuckled, “Your question though is… can you think of a pickup line for Logan?”
He didn’t hold back either. He locked his phone and openly stared at Alex, waiting for whatever she could come up with. A silly grin stretched across his face. He had saved the best one for last.
Giddiness crawled under his skin.
Alex stiffened. How—What—Why—Her thoughts couldn’t even form sentences. How was she to make pickup lines out of the blue? She buried her face against the palm of her hand. She willed herself to calm down and tackle the situation smartly.
If she wanted to win this, she needed to beat Logan at his own game.
She peeked through between two fingers. The smug look he wore only intensified that desire.
Standing up, her body moved sluggishly as she closed the gap between them. She stood taller than him since he was sitting. She lifted her hand like she was about to play the piano. It brushed against the soft tendrils of his hair. Her fingers tamed the fringes to their usual style.
A jolt electrified Logan’s soul. She hadn’t even touched his skin, only his hair. He kept his stare on her face, unable to glance away. The solemn expression ignited a feeling he hadn’t had in weeks. Her knuckle traced his temple down to his cheek.
His lips parted.
Then, Alex lowered her head, speaking softly, “Shall I compare thee to a bright summer’s day?”
Hearts fluttered from all over Woodlands.
When their foreheads touched, she continued. She completely engulfed his senses, “The world says that the sun is the center of the universe but it is you who barged right in and took its place in mine.”
“`CookieDiya: I CAN’T EVEN—“`
“`Eclipse: HOW DOES BREATHING WORK AGAIN.“`
“`SingingMermaid: OMG! This sounds like a confession!“`
“`JiyenTheDoggo: Don’t assume, guys! It’s just a challenge OwO“`
“`Eclipse: But it’s a pickup line FOR Logan! You never know! Can’t hurt to hope!“`
“`Nyaaaah: If they’ll go on a honeymoon, where do you think they’ll go?“`
Alex seized the opportunity while Logan stayed frozen.
She turned away from him, grabbing her mouse and winking at the webcam.
“I think I’m still the better charmer. What do you think?” She laughed, “Thank you for joining us today! Don’t forget to tune in for future posts about the Championship Game! Come support the boys! We’ll all be waiting for you! Have a good day! Bye!“`
Her other hand slammed the laptop closed. The sudden interruption broke the connection and ended the live stream. She skipped her seat and slumped over her bed, “Phew! I thought that would never end! It seemed like forever!”
Only the still quiet responded to her.
Scowling, Alex lifted her trunk and checked on Logan, “Hey, are you okay? Did I spray pheromones or something? What’s with you?”
The mocking tone woke him up. He shook his head and stood up. His hands clenched into fists, suppressing the urge to pounce. He shut his eyes. A curse mumbled out of his breath. He needed to behave.
Only a little more and he could possibly be more bold.
When Logan regained his vision, Alex already stood in front of him.
He jumped.
“I… I have something for you.”
“What is it?”
Alex bounced from foot to foot. She stared at the floor. She really didn’t know how to make this conversation happen. If Logan hadn’t reminded her, it probably wouldn’t have happened. Her hand trembled as it presented him with a flash drive.
“This is… a recording of my conversation with Skye” she explained, her heart hammering, “It was when Jae and I drove all the way there. I hadn’t insisted on going there just for myself. I had another motive.”
Was it just her or was she not hearing herself? Should she speak louder?
Her voice cracked as the tremor reached her throat, “I-I-I cut out some of it and left what I thought is something you should hear.”
At the second half of her sentence, she finally met his confused eyes.
She took his hand and pressed the flash drive in it.
“I had debated many times on what to do with this,” she explained in between breaths. Her lungs needed air from the lump in her chest, “But I realized that the decision should be yours. That right belongs to you. I just hope it would bring you the closure that you needed.”
Her airways cleared out when Alex finished. She focused on relaxing her muscles, becoming aware that her legs also suffered. She didn’t know how much she should tell him… because of her promise to Jae.
Yet, it wouldn’t be good to be too vague.
She had meant it when she spoke about his right. Something that shouldn’t have been taken away from him. This was the only way she could think of. She grabbed the chance while she could. It wasn’t the best result but, hopefully…
… it would be enough.
