“Ok clase. Vamos a empezar. ¿Puede alguien decirme lo que aprendieron la semana pasada? Alguien? Holly?”
“Yes?” Said Holly.
She had no idea what Miss. Delaney had said, and she was not about to sit through another fifty minutes of her non-teaching.
“¿Qué aprendió la semana pasada?” Delaney said.
“I don’t know what you said.” Holly replied, growing more annoyed.
“En Español, por favor”
“I told you, I don’t know what you said.” Holly raised her voice a little. The were a few whispers at the back of the class.
“Qué. Aprendidó. La. Semana. Pasada?” The teacher said the words individually, and Holly had had enough.
“I. Don’t. Know. What. You. Said.” Holly replied in the same manner. Miss Delaney let out a breath.
“Holly. Hablamos Español en esta class.”
“Look…” Holly said as she leant forward in her seat. “…I took this class to learn Spanish. I can’t learn it if you just speak it and don’t tell me what the hell you said!”
Holly raised her voice further, enough that she was almost shouting at the teacher.
“All you’ve done is teach me how to tell somebody my name, address, and ask where the damn library and swimming pool are! What good is that?!” Holly was shouting now.
“Holly!” Miss Delaney shouted in shock. “There’s no need for that tone!”
“Well, today there is. I’ve been taking this class for two weeks and all you’ve done is show us that you speak fluent Spanish. Well bravo, teacher…” Holly clapped her hands, “…You’re a fantastic linguist. Now, when you’ve finished showing off, can the people who can’t speak Spanish actually learn to?!”
The rest of the class had fallen silent. Holly knew she had gone too far with that last statement, but she didn’t care. She’d meant every word.
“I think you should leave this class, and wait outside. I’ll talk to you later.”
“That, I understood.” Holly replied. “But don’t worry, I won’t be coming back to your ‘class’.” She said holding her fingers up in quotes.
Holly stormed out of the class, slamming the door behind her.
Holly leant against the wall, letting her head fall back and she closed her eyes. She had a sudden feeling she was being watched, and her skin prickled. That usually meant…
Holly opened her eyes and sure enough; Alex was walking towards her.
Alone.
His muscles moved with his T-shirt. His legs filling out his jeans with every step… she closed her eyes again before she said something out loud.
“Hi Holly.” He said as he neared.
She could smell his soapy smell, and the images of bubbles entered her mind. She cleared her throat, then swallowed as she felt her mouth fill with saliva.
I can’t drool now!
“Hi…Alex”
“What’s up? Why aren’t you in class?”
Holly opened her eyes but looked down at the floor. It seemed to be the only way she could communicate, if she weren't looking directly at him.
“I…um… said something I shouldn’t.” She replied as her face heated.
“What happened? Did Dev tell you to say some curse words?”
Holly could hear the smile in his voice and she wished she could look up without swooning. Holly shook her head and she risked a glance up, and she saw that he was genuinely concerned.
“I…I…” she took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead.
Alex was waiting, patiently, for her to carry on. It looked like he wasn’t letting it go this time.
Big girl pants…on
“The teacher…um…I didn’t know what she was saying. But, she…she” Holly let out another breath. “…She kept talking Spanish to me. I told her I didn’t understand…”
Alex’s phone chimed. Holly’s too. Holly took her phone out of her pocket. Dev had sent her a video…
”What the…?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Video” Holly groaned. She saw that Alex realised what she had meant.
Somebody had recorded the whole thing.
“Dev sent it.”
“Ben sent it to me.” Alex said as he checked his phone. “You mind?” he asked holding it up. “I won’t watch if you do, but I’m just going to ask you about it.”
Holly closed her eyes and leant her head back again.
“Be my guest” she waved her hand.
The video started with Holly saying “I told you, I don’t know what you said” As the video ended with Holly walking out, the person filming finished by whispering “and that’s how you say a big ‘fuck you’ to the teacher’ and they laughed.
“Well” said Alex.
“Oh God!” Holly groaned.
“You sure told her.” Alex was chuckling. Chuckling!
“It’s embarrassing.” She said as she opened her eyes, trying to look anywhere but at the perfect image of gorgeousness in front of her.
Holly had an urge to grab him, to tell him to kiss her. She stopped herself by clamping her mouth shut.
Please no!
That would be the worst thing that could happen to her today. He would just laugh at her…Wouldn’t he?
“I think you were right though” he continued.
“You do?” Holly was surprised.
“Yeah. She’s notorious for doing that to the kids in this school. Nobody has had the guts to say anything before though…until now.”
Holly groaned again as the teacher walked out of the classroom.
“Ok, Holly.” She said and paused when she saw Alex.
“Mr. Valencia. Why are you not in class?” she asked, raising her chin to look down her nose at him even though he towered over her.
“Free period” he said and just stared at her.
“Well if you could excuse us, I need to speak to Miss. Edwards.”
Alex didn’t move. There was no way he was leaving Holly alone with that woman.
No fucking way.
“I’m staying.” He said, without breaking eye contact.
“Do I have to get the principal, Mr. Valencia?” Delaney said, folding her arms.
As if that was going to get him to leave his Holly.
My Holly. Mine.
“Please do” he snapped. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to find out how you try to intimidate your beginner Spanish students.”
Delaney’s eyes widened as she glared at Holly.
“Oh Holly didn’t say anything. I saw what happened.” He said as he held out his phone and pressed ‘play’.
Delaney watched in horror at the video of the ‘evidence’ that she did, indeed, try to intimidate the students by showing off the linguistic skills that they lacked.
Once the video had ended, Alex took back his phone. He knew how to get back at the teacher.
“Si alguna vez tratas de Holly esa manera otra vez, yo personalmente te he suspendido. Le diré al director todo. Todo.” He said. Keeping it in Spanish so Holly wouldn’t know what he’d said.
Delaney’s face went white, and Alex was glaring menacingly at her. She put her head down and walked back into the classroom.
“Class dismissed.” She said quietly.
“What…What did you say…to her? Holly asked him, nervously. She looked up at him with her big green eyes, and he wanted to kiss her. He felt as though he was leaning forward when the students came out of the room.
“Hell yeah!” one guy said to Holly and held his hand up for a high five.
Holly weakly held her hand up politely, Alex could tell, and the guy slapped it.
“That was fucking epic!” another said.
“Way to go Hols!” The guy, Alex recognized who shot the video, turned to Holly.
“You’ve got balls girl.” And he nodded a greeting at Alex which he returned.
“Thanks man” Alex said
“Just doing my duty, dude.” He said grinning as he walked off down the hall.
Holly noticed the principal, Mr. Lawson, walking towards them.
“Oh crap.”
“Don’t worry” Alex’s voice was soft as he looked into her eyes. It was as if he could see into her and it made Holly feel uncomfortable, but only because he might know she’d been having thoughts about him.
Holly turned her attention to the principal, and she could see a slight smile on his lips.
“Holly Edwards.” Mr. Lawson said as he approached.
“Sir.”
“I’ve been made aware of the situation and, while I don’t condone back chat, I took on board the reasons for your behaviour.”
Holly dropped her head down and waited for the punishment she was sure to receive.
“It was totally justified” Alex backed her up.
“Be that as it may, Alex…” Mr Lawson turned his attention back to Holly. “…Any problems and you need to come to me Ok?”
“Yes sir.”
“Ok you two, get going.”
“Really?” Holly thought she was in big trouble, but Mr. Lawson was telling them to go.
“Really. Go on.” He said as he walked into the Spanish class. “Miss. Delaney…a word.” He said, and he closed the door behind him.
“What just happened? Holly was unsure. She had expected to be given detention at least.
“You’re off the hook, that’s what happened.”
Holly looked to Alex and blushed…again.
Oh God, not now!
He just smiled at her.
“We have class in five, so we may as well get going.”
“Uh…yeah…ok.” She said, and they started to walk to class.
Crap, here I go again!
Alex was so happy to be walking next to Holly for a change. They were alone too. That is, for the whole ten seconds before Ryan and Kyle showed up.
“Duuuuude!” they shouted in unison.
I can’t catch a fucking break!
”Hey guys”
“That was awesome Holly!” Said Ryan.
“Sweet!” added Kyle.
“You saw too?” Holly groaned beside him. Alex was so tempted to put his arm around Holly to comfort her.
“Babe…”
Alex’s eyes snapped to Ryan
“…The whole school saw!” Ryan noticed his glare, which only made Ryan grin like a madman.
“Yeah…” He continued as he looked at Alex. “…You’ve got quite a mouth on you, sweetheart.” Ryan was biting his lip to stop his laugh from escaping and Alex knew his face was like thunder.
They were almost to class, and Alex was tempted, this time, to put his arm around Ryan…to choke him.
Holly walked through the door for Business class.
“Holly!” the girls screamed.
Well shit she groaned internally whist trying to smile at her friends.
Why couldn’t I have just kept my mouth shut?
On Saturday, the girls came over to Holly’s house for pizza and movies. Holly had invited Dev to stay over, and she’d almost cracked a rib when she’d hugged Holly, excitedly.
Before Riss and Kayla had gotten there. Holly had shown Dev the garden. She’d already been amazed at the pond in the front garden. With it’s mini waterfall and different flowers, shrubs, and cattails.
Dev had been mesmerised by the fish and had sat for at least fifteen minutes just looking at them. When they’d gotten into the rear garden, Dev had stood frozen to the spot.
Holly was proud of her garden. It had taken her four weeks to put it together, and she’d only finished it a few days earlier. There was a seated area, under a square, wooden pagoda that was surrounded by azaleas, rose bushes and the new saplings that she’d planted.
At the side of the house, was Holly’s greenhouse that contained the trays of seedlings she had sewn a couple of weeks ago, plus the peony-tulip hybrids she’d cross pollinated with her Dad, her real Dad.
To the left of the door, across the lawn was a pathway, lined with arches that led to a wooden bench, side tables and outdoor lamps. The arches had twinkly lights threaded through with climbing flowers, and canes. The whole area, the reason Holly had chosen the space for her ‘hideaway’ had lots of medium sized trees and a couple of small ones that were thick, full, and had the most beautiful mixture of coloured leaves that Holly adored. The bench was only visible when walking through the arch lined path. The rear of the garden, adjoining the hideaway, was a large flowerbed with a large mix of flowers of all colours, blooming shrubs, azaleas and decorative grasses. The kind of things that she and her Dad had loved to plant together.
Her Mum had joked and said that Holly had turned their garden into a show garden and she had expected people to show up to buy entrance tickets.
Holly’s pride and joy was a small rockery at the back, straight ahead from the door and between the seated areas, visible from the kitchen and dining area. Between the rocks, Holly had planted Tulips and daffodils. A name plaque attached to the largest rock. Her Dads.
When Holly had finally been able to drag Dev back inside the house, she’d introduced her to her Mum and Step-Dad and they’d loved her immediately. Riss and Kayla too. Anybody who had made Holly happy was good in their eyes.
“What work are you having done?” Riss asked when they got to her room. The scaffolding outside was huge, and it was obvious a lot of work was going on at the side of the house.
“Oh, were changing the pool into a garage.”
“Why?” Kayla asked. “Pools are awesome!”
“Well…” Holly explained “…It was originally a garage, but the previous owner converted it. We’d never use it and it’s more practical as a garage. We have three cars and only space for one.”
“I’d rather have a pool. I always use ours.” Riss said as Kayla hooded in agreement.
“Me too”
“Yeah well you’re on the swim team so you would.” Said Dev with a smile.
“Yeah” they shrugged.
“My Mum and Dad don’t get the time and it doesn’t interest me, so it’d just be sitting there using up resources for no reason.”
“When you put it that way, it makes total sense.” Said Dev.
Holly didn’t want to tell them the real reason it was removed. She felt a little embarrassed and decided to change the subject. She would tell them; eventually…but not that day.
“So who likes cookie dough ice-cream?” she asked.
“I do!” the girls shouted out and Holly laughed.
Thank goodness for that.
“Have you had any run ins with Stacey?” Kayla asked as she was tucking into a large bowl of ice cream.
Holly had seen Stacey lurking in the background, her face screwed up as though she’d sucked on a lemon, but she hadn’t said anything to her. Although, Holly thought she saw Stacey taking a photo of her with her phone. She couldn’t be sure because as soon as Holly turned her full attention to Stacey, she had walked away. It was as if Stacey was watching her, which wouldn’t be too surprising after what had happened in the hallway, but it still felt creepy.
“No. Not at all, but I swear she’d taken a photo of me yesterday.”
“What? That’s just fucking creepy.” Said Riss.
“Extremely creepy.” Added Dev.
“I swear, that girl is a whack job.“
“With any luck, the scare you gave her will have her backing off now.” Riss nodded as if what she’d said would actually happen.
Holly doubted it.
The look in Stacey’s eyes said that there was more going on in her deluded head than they knew about.
They changed the subject to lighter topics and then decided to watch their movie. Anchorman. A much better choice than their last one.
After Riss and Kayla left, Dev stared at Holly with a grin.
“So…” she began as her eyes lit with excitement. “...You had quite the conversation with Alex on Friday.”
Holly choked on air.
“He told you?!”
“Yep” Said Dev. “He was telling me what happened with Miss. Delaney. He said you’d talked to him.” Dev was bouncing up and down as she sat on Holly’s bed.
“Well I wouldn’t actually call it a conversation, more than I can usually get out, I was a bag of nerves!”
“You’re getting a lot better.”
“I guess.” Holly replied before turning the conversation back on Dev.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Tell me about Ben.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Dev said as she shrugged a shoulder with indifference.
“Yeah. Uh huh.” Holly said, cocking an eyebrow.
“Seriously!” Dev’s voice was going higher in pitch.
“Ok. Nothing to tell except you stare at him, and sometimes you blush.”
“I do not!” Dev looked shocked.
“You do” Holly was trying hard not to giggle. Now, she knew why Dev found it funny seeing Holly’s reactions to Alex. Fun to see, not so much fun for yourself. Dev let out a long breath.
“We make a right pair don’t we?”
“We sure do.”
Alex had been on edge all day Saturday. Dev was staying over at Holly’s, Riss and Kayla had gone over too. Now, it was evening and he hadn’t heard a word. He ran a hand over his face, knowing that his overactive mind had no reason to behave that way.
Two weeks. It’s been two weeks and I’ve already staked my claim on her.
He snorted a laugh at himself. My Holly.
“I said she was mine for fuck’s sake!” He whispered out loud as he paced his bedroom. He was done waiting so he picked up his phone…
A: What’s happening?
D: Nothing. Just hanging out. Riss and Kay have gone.
A: What are you two talking about?
D: Oh you know, school, shopping, boys. The usual.
A: Boys? Anyone I know?
D: Nope.
A: Seriously? You’re talking about boys? Who is he?
D: Ooh jealous much?
A: Damn it, Dev, just tell me.
Instead of feeling jealous, Alex felt…upset. If Holly were interested in someone else then that meant he couldn’t be with her. But, why would Dev say that when she knew how he felt about her? It didn’t make sense. Dev wasn’t the kind of person to rub that into someone’s face, especially his.
D: Honestly, there’s nothing to tell. I was just kidding so don’t get your panties in a bunch.
A: Not funny Dev.
D: It is from here.
It wasn’t funny…even a little bit.
A: How’s Holly?
D: She’s fine, why?
A: After Friday.
D: Yep. She’s ok. I’m going to be her new tutor, so hopefully she’ll get further than asking where the local swimming pool is. LOL.
A: Yeah that’s pretty lame.
It was completely lame. That was one place Holly would never be asking for. After what he had overheard on Friday made him sure of that. Alex had been coming out of the locker room, towards the coach’s office when he heard his coach and the swim coach talking about Holly, and why she was running track. He guessed it wasn’t something she wanted broadcasted around the school, and he made sure he didn’t even tell Ben what he had heard.
D: Well we’re going to start some learning now. Adios.x
A: Adios. X
Holly walked back into her bedroom and Dev was texting in her phone.
“That was just Alex” she said as she looked up and smiled.
“Yeah?” She said trying to sound as if she weren't bursting inside with wanting to know what he’d said.
“Yeah, he was just checking up on me…and he asked about you too.” Dev was grinning and had a glint in her eye as Holly blushed.
He didn’t even have to be there to affect her!
“After what happened on Friday.”
“Oh…That was nice of him.” Holly’s stomach had a thousand butterflies banging into each other trying to escape, her veins throbbing as her heart beat faster.
“Yeah it is” Dev said as she reached for the bag of crisps ‘chips’.
“He’s a great guy.” Dev crunched a chip in her mouth as she winked at Holly.
“Well let’s get started and off the subject of Alex”
Actually, I’d like to get on Alex….Wait…What the hell?! Holly felt herself flush again, and she tried to hide it.
“What?” Dev asked as she saw Holly stop suddenly.
“Oh, nothing.”
Dev folded her lips in her mouth to stop a grin.
“Mhmm” she mumbled, raising her eyebrows as Holly rubbed her forehead.
“Spanish...now”
They got up the next morning and headed to breakfast when Dev got out her phone to text Alex.
“Just seeing how he is.” Dev explained and Holly just nodded.
She wanted to know how he was too, but she didn’t want to seem to eager. Dev knew that Holly liked Alex but what she didn’t know, was that Holly’s feelings deepened every day. Dev chuckled as she tapped the screen.
“He asked how I was and I told him ‘sound’”
Holly had taught Dev a few scouse slang words and she couldn’t wait to try them out. Dev had even tried to say them with a scouse accent, which was hilarious.
“He’s going out for a run and I said I’d see him later after we’ve picked Emily up from the airport.”
Emily, Holly’s older sister, was flying in that day and Holly had asked Dev if she wanted to go with her.
“Mmmm.” Holly said between bites of her toast.
I’d love to see him run. Watch his muscles moving under his T-shirt…
“What was that?” Dev asked, wide eyed.
“What was what?”
“That noise you made. It sounded like your toast was packing some hidden deliciousness or something.”
“I did that out loud?”
“Yep, and I’m guessing it wasn’t your toast and maybe a certain guy in his running shorts?” Dev said as she waggled her eyebrows.
“Oh my God!” squeaked Holly, her face reddening more than before. She put her hands either sides of her cheeks in embarrassment. Dev laughed.
“Don’t be ashamed, I won’t tell. But, you may want to be careful who’s around you when you’re daydreaming though.” Dev chuckled again.
“That’d be awful!” Holly groaned, still horrified that she’d vocalised her fantasy.
“Nah, you could say it was something else of course, unless you start saying ‘Oh Alex’!” Dev burst out laughing, holding her sides as she did.
“Are you messin’? That’s not even funny.”
“It is a little” Dev said as her laughter subsided to a giggle.
“To you maybe, but defo not to me. My head would be chocker if that happened.”
“What does chocker mean?”
“Oh, it means ‘messed up’…kind of. It also means busy or packed. Like, the shop was ‘chocker’ when it was really busy.”
Holly would revert back to her slang, and her accent would thicken whenever she was annoyed or worked up. Her accent had softened over the years, partly due to her lack of interaction with people and Oli, her Step-Dad was American. Holly had slowed her speech and used less slang when talking to him so he could understand what she was saying. Emily, on the other hand, hadn’t.
“Oh cool, I get it. Like my homework schedule is ‘chocker’ because I have a lot?”
“Yeah that’s it.”
“Awesome. I like picking up your slang. It’s so cool.”
“Thanks.” Said Holly as she chuckled at Dev’s excitement over her new vocabulary.
“Be prepared. My sister is quite lively.” Holly said as they waited for Emily at the airport.
“Oh that’s great! More fun.”
Dev said happily. Holly waved as she spotted Emily coming through the gate.
Emily was five years older than Holly and was studying her degree in Business. Once she graduated, in three months time, Emily would be coming over to Seattle to live. Holly was excited. She hated being so far away from Emily and, due to the eight hours time difference, it was hard to call or face time each other because of their studies. They’d emailed and texted, but it wasn’t the same.
“Wow, you’re so different. I mean, I can tell you’re sisters but you’re really different.”
It was true. Holly had green eyes and dark brown hair, whereas Emily had blue eyes and light brown hair. They had the same heart shaped face and similar noses, but Emily was taller by about three inches. Emily looked like their Mum, but tall like her Dad, and Holly looked like her Dad, but shorter like her Mum. Even though her Mum was still two inches taller.
“Aw come ‘ere tatty ‘ed. Giz a love.” Emily said as she grabbed Holly into a vice grip and kissed her head. “I’ve missed ye loads baby girl” Emily looked at Dev.
“Who’s this then, ay?”
“This is Dev. My friend from school.”
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” Said Dev with a huge smile.
“Hiya. Are you arright?” Emily replied.
“Um…yeah. I’m fine.” Dev turned to Holly, with a confused expression.
“She doesn’t mean ‘are you alright? It’s a greeting, like ‘how are you?’” Holly explained.
“Ohhh I get it.” Said Dev.
“Ave you been speaking’ all proper ‘ave yerray girl? Emily asked as they walked towards the exits.
“When have I not?” asked Holly with mock hurt, then grinning at Emily.
“Well, when you’ve gorra nark on for a start.” Laughed Emily. “Nah I’m just messin.’” She said. “Has our Hols been keeping’ outta trouble ay Dev?”
“Uh…yeah…she has” Dev said as she glanced to Holly. “Holly’s been great.”
Emily didn’t miss the look that passed between the two girls.
“Wharrav ye done?” Emily said in her best Mum voice that Holly knew well.
“Erm…well” Holly began. Dev looked down, biting her lip to stop a laugh from escaping.
“Well?”
“I may have…” then Holly reluctantly told Emily what had happened over the past few days with Stacey and the Spanish teacher. Emily exploded with laughter as they sat in Holly’s car.
“Did the girl piss ‘er kecks?”
“No!” Holly said defensively.
“Kecks?” Dev asked from the back seat.
“Pants, trousers that sort of thing.” Holly translated.
“I wasn’t there the second time” Dev added “but in the locker room, Stacey went as white as a sheet. It was awesome.”
“Well, I’m telling’ ye. It could’ve gone worse than tha’.” Said Emily. “You know the expression, ‘the quiet ones are the worst?’…”
“Yeah?” Said Dev as Emily pointed at Holly and raised her eyebrows. “Really?!” squealed Dev.
“Em! I am not like that!” Holly almost shouted.
“Yeah yerrar. Not all the time though…” Emily turned to Dev as she continued “…but I tell ye…if you push her far enough, it’s like the exorcist…”
Emily laughed again and Dev joined in.
“When is your flight back again?” Said Holly with a scowl.
“Aww, I’m just messin’ babes. Our Hol’s a good girl really. Dead kind, does any’in for ye. Just don’t take the piss and you’ll be fine.”
“Noted” said Dev, grinning. “This weekend has turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected.”
“What do you want to do today?” Holly asked as they got back to the house. “I’m gonna ‘ave a lie down for a bit ‘cos I’m done in. Is that arright? I’m still running’ on UK time and I was up dead early this mornin’.” Emily said as she yawned.
“Yeah sound. Mum will be back about four anyway and I think she wants to go out for dinner about five or six.
“Nice one.” Said Emily as she picked up her suitcase. “I’ll get me ‘ed down for a bit then. Nice to meet ye again Dev.”
“You too” Dev replied. “You’re sister is crazy!” Dev whispered when Emily had gone upstairs. “God, she is such a character.”
“Yeah. She’s reeeaaally something.” Holly said as she blew out a long breath. Holly knew that her sister was playing with them, and exaggerating the way she spoke. She’d liked to confuse Oli, and thought it hilarious when she’d shorten her words right down and add slang, watching him become more confused the longer their conversation went. For all of the time he’d been in Liverpool, Emily could still confuse him.
“Should we do something before you go out?” Dev asked.
“Yeah, it’s only two thirty. We could see what the girls are doing?”
“Defo!” said Dev, pleased for using her slang.
Holly shook her head and chuckled.
Alex had just finished in the shower after his run. He’d checked his phone for the fifth time and there were still no messages from Dev.
I need to get Holly’s number. Maybe we could talk more.
Alex blew out a frustrated breath.
Two weeks, for goodness sakes’ he reminded himself.
He growled and decided to attempt to finish his algebra homework to take his mind off Holly.
“What is happening to me?” He whispered as he sat at his desk. He’d never had these feelings for anybody and to happen in such a short time, Christ, he hardly knew her either. He was beginning to freak out.
She’d freak out more if she knew.
He just stared at his homework.
“No, This is so not going to happen.” He said out loud. Maybe he should go for another run, try to clear his head. No. He didn’t want to risk running into Stacey again.
Alex had gone to the park to run and then through the area close to his house. Stacey had appeared and had tried to jog alongside him.
“Hi Alex.” She’d purred, trying to push her chest out in her running outfit. “Do you have any plans for today? I was thinking we could both go out somewhere.”
Alex had tried to ignore her when she grabbed his arm, digging her nails in.
“Did you hear me?” she spat, causing Alex to stop, shocked at her tone and the force her nails were pressing into him.
“Go away. I’m not going anywhere with you, and I never will. Give it up Stacey.”
She smiled and licked her lips.
“I’d give it up in a heartbeat, for you.” She said in a breathy tone, changing the meaning of his words.
“You’re disgusting.” Alex said as he started running again, Stacey going after him.
“You know it makes sense Alex. I want you…you want me.” “I don’t!” He yelled, stopping again. “Get it into your head, right now, I don’t want you. Not even in the slightest. Leave. Me. Alone.!” He growled and ran off, faster this time, and Stacey couldn’t keep up.
“You will eventually!!” she shouted from far behind him. The interaction had made him feel nauseated; he hadn’t even seen Stacey come out from wherever she was. It was as if she’d been lying in wait for him. How could she have known where he was? It was uncanny how she managed to be in the same places as he, as though she was getting a head's up before he even got there.
Alex had heard that a friend of hers had told her he was at the park one day, with his friends, and she’d turned up a few minutes later. They’d only made their plans to go there an hour before, at his house, so there was no way she would’ve known where he’d be.
Stacey had ruined things for him, in the past. Well, this was something she wasn’t ruining. Alex enjoyed going for his runs so he’d just have to change his route.
Running his hands through his hair and taking a calming breath, Alex picked up his art pad, and loose papers. The special paper he liked to draw his best pictures on, was running low. He’d have to go to the art supply store to get more.
He went downstairs and sat at the dining table instead, because he’d have more room on the table to spread out. He put his earbuds in, switched on his music and opened his pad. He took out the loose paper, and continued with his new drawing. It was coming along well, drawing from memory.
After about an hour, he’d turned off his music and gone up to his room, just as he heard Dev coming home. As she was walking up the stairs, he opened his bedroom door wide.
“Hi Dev. Have a good day?”
“Hi Alex! I’ve had a great day. We’ve been out to the park with Kay and Riss. It was good.” Dev turned to go into her room, before quickly turning back. “Oh, and I met Holly’s sister, Emily, today.” She said and grinned at him.
“What’s she like?”
“Insane” Dev shook her head as she went into her room and shut the door, chuckling.
Alex was confused.
Insane as in ‘funny’ or as in actually insane?
At dinner, Dev told their parents about Holly’s older sister, Emily, and that she was quite the character.
“She’s fun. When I can understand her that is. Holly had to translate for me.”
“Translate? Why?” Asked their Mom, Evie.
“Her slang and her accent.” Dev told them about the words ‘chocker’ and ‘kecks’. “She’s insane!” Dev laughed.
“She does sound like a character, their Dad, Rami, said.
“Even funnier together though, I swear my stomach has had a workout from laughing so hard!”
Once dinner was over, Dev told Alex what Emily had said about Holly’s personality.
“Holly’s sweet and caring, but from what Emily was saying, I’d hate to see her bad side. I think we saw some of it with Stacey.”
“According to Ben…” Alex added “…Holly was pretty scary and we all saw what happened with Delaney.” He smiled. Pissing off Holly was not a good idea.
“She sure showed her.”
“She really did” Alex said proudly.
He remembered back to the incident on Friday and how Holly looked as she stood in the Hallway. His chest began to hurt.
“Alex are you ok?” Dev asked.
“Wha? Oh yeah, I’m fine. I'm just going to finish my algebra homework.” He said, trying to cover up his daydream.
“Do you mind if we do it together? Holly’s helped a lot but I need to get this last piece finished.”
Alex wanted to be alone, with his thoughts, but he also didn’t want to brush off his twin sister.
“Yeah sure. I’ll get my books and I’ll be down in a minute.”
Dev had texted Holly a few times, during their studying, for help.
“Maybe I should ask her to tutor us both.” Dev snorted.
“Like that would do me any good.”
“What do you mean? Holly’s a great tutor.” Dev asked with a frown.
“I mean, how would I do my homework with Holly teaching me? I can barely concentrate in class as it is.”
“Aww, Alex, you little romantic, you.” Dev batted her eyes.
“Shut up.” He grumbled.
“I think it’s sweet. You gotta let me say something to her.”
“No!” He snapped. “Don’t tell her.”
“But why?” Dev whined.
“You know why. You said it yourself…she’s new here, she’s shy, and I’ve only known her for two weeks. If she finds out that I like her then she may avoid me again and possibly altogether. I’m not risking it, Dev, so can you please drop it?”
“But Alex, how do you know if you don’t take a chance?”
“No.” He said again.
Alex wasn’t going to budge on it. He’d finally gotten over a ‘sort of’ communicative hurdle with Holly. There was no way he was going to ruin it, by telling her.
Oh Holly, by the way, I like you and I think about kissing you, all the time. Somehow, he didn’t think that would go over too well.
“Look” Dev interrupted his thoughts, “I know you’ve not done this before, and I get it. I totally do. But, I think she should know, maybe just a little bit, how you feel. Maybe I could say ‘I think Alex likes you’ or something like that.”
“No Dev.” Alex shook his head as he put his books away. “Just leave it alone. I’ll tell her myself when I’m ready.”
Alex left the room and went upstairs.