Alex crashes into Stew’s locker. “Hey, bro.”
“You’re going to give yourself shoulder damage if you don’t learn to put the brakes on,” I tell him.
He laughs and leans harder into the metal. “You jump a mile, like, every time. It’s pretty hilarious.”
“You’re insane.”
Alex grins. “That’s what makes me crazy.”
My face twitches involuntarily. All attempts to shut it down completely fail.
“There we go.” Alex claps me on the shoulder. “I like to see you smile.”
“I’m laughing at you, not with you,” I remind him.
He shrugs. “Either way. So, are you catching the bus or is your mom picking you up?”
“No bus,” I answer, to avoid an actual lie.
“Well, we can at least walk out together.” He waits while I finish rummaging in my locker, regaling me with every glorified detail of the latest Cindy encounter.
In addition to his school bag, he carries one of those not-quite-canvas-but-not-quite-plastic sacks with a drawstring that forms shoulder straps. He’s waving his arms as he talks, as usual. The back sack swings upward, carrying with it a wafting cloud of sweat-stink.
“Whoa, that is ripe.” I bat it away with one hand and plug my nose with the other.
“Yeah,” Alex says, a touch overenthusiastically. “I’m taking my gym clothes home to wash. It’s been a minute. As you can tell.” He laughs.
“I probably should do that, too.”
“No doubt.”
We start walking toward the gym. Matt has gym class last period. Maybe I’ll just meet him there instead of out front.
I don’t know what Matt will do when he sees me with Alex, though. If he’ll come up to us, or wait until I’m alone. I kind of hope he comes up to us. That would be an easy way to get it all out in the open. But my pulse speeds up at the very thought.
“Okay,” Alex says outside the locker room door. “Do you want me to wait for you?”
“Nah.” All the breath rushes out of me. I shouldn’t be so relieved. “Aren’t you trying to catch your bus?”
“Yeah,” he says. “See you later.”