UNEDITED: Our Forbidden Love

9: Alexander

I kiss Starley on her forehead before I went up to order our food at the cashier. I know the people who work here quite well; they're my colleagues. This is where I have my part-time job and I know my mum is out-the-back in the kitchen right now, probably baking something to take home for Paisley and I, as they'd had no orders yet.
I walk up to the cashier. Behind the register is Peter, one of my best friends from school; one of the guys who was at the lunch table when I welcomed Starley.
"Hey, mate," he says, welcoming me. "I saw you walk in with that hot chick you managed to get." Out of all of my friends, Peter definitely had the most noticeable Australian accent, and it was very clear as he spoke.
"Yeah, her name's Starley, but she's not there so other guys such as yourself can call her hot," I say, laughing slightly. "I'll get two cinnamon donuts, a snickerdoodle cookie and a vanilla milkshake." I watch as Peter types the order into the cash register. I present my credit card and he hands me the receipt.
I go back to the table Starley chose for us. She's just sitting there, watching out the window and as I follow her gaze, I can see why. Outside the cafe there's a group of maybe seven people crowded in the car park. From inside the cafe, their voices are muffled and neither of us can understand the cause of the commotion. Suddenly, one of the group members throws someone onto the ground, where they lie for a second, visibly in pain. Starley turns around looking for me, and when she sees me I can tell she feels safer already. I make my way to her, trying to ignore the issue outside the window and kneel down next to her chair.
"What's going on out there Alex?" she whispers, her voice shaking.
"I don't know, but I'll go find out." I stand up and head towards the door, but Starley tries to pull me back.
"No! Alex!" she cries, glancing out the window where again, the same girl was thrown onto the floor. "What if you get hurt?"
"I promise I won't, babygirl."

I step outside the cafe and the noise hits me like a brick wall. The air around me is filled with continuous screams and cries of pain, anger and frustration that I am surprised I couldn't hear inside. Men of varying heights and build are crowded around what appears to be a guy and the girl who has hit the floor multiple times. As I mindlessly walk towards the circle and stop just outside, I become aware of who the girl is: it's Madison. But except it certainly doesn't look like the Madison who was constantly obsessed with me until this afternoon; she is wearing a pair of short denim shorts and a midriff top which is covered in dirt; her face has scratches on it and her hands appear to be bleeding. I have no idea who the guy opposite her is. He's really tall and muscular, and looks very intimidating.
"Stop arguing with me, Madison! We're over! We have been over ever since you became obsessed with that scrawny surfer guy and cheated on me!" A sweep of 'oohs' wash around the circle. Madison never cheated on him with me. I've never had any relationship with her at all and certainly not one that involved us having sex.

Madison doesn't seem to have a comeback for his comment, until her eyes light up and apparently she does.
"Xavier," she says, "you are my only chance. Please, please." She's practically begging now. She goes forward towards him and tries to kiss him. Xavier reaches out and slaps her in the face. The slap creates a deafening noise, silencing the circle, that I am still not included in. I do not like Madison in any way, but I would never hit her or any other girl I disliked, and certainly not to that degree. Madison crumbles underneath her own legs and falls to the floor. That's how the group of guys leave her. In the middle of the car park, outside a local cafe on the Gold Coast with the guy that she's trying to plot against.

***

The group of guys don't even realise they leave me standing with Madison as they skate off on their skateboards. Starley runs out of the cafe as soon as the group leaves. She goes straight to Madison and kneels on the bitumen right beside her. She cradles Madison's head in her lap and examines the scratches and red outline of Xavier's hand.
"This is really bad Alex," she says, carefully looking at every injury and bruise she has sustained. "Do you know the the guy who did this?"
"Yeah," I say, nodding. I mean I didn't until like two seconds ago but yeah, now I do. "His name's Xavier and he used to be dating her. "
Starley nods in response and continues examining Madison. I'm a bit confused at what she's doing to be honest. I don't know why she's looking at how hurt Madison is, when it's obvious she needs medical attention.
"Alex, please don't tell anyone at school about this," she says, and as I open my mouth to question what, it's answered. A soft purple glow is shining out of the tips of her fingers. That's when I realise that she's actually missing a finger on her left hand and make a mental note to ask her about it later. The glow spreads throughout her whole hand, emitting a brighter purple light. She delicately waves her hand a few times over the visible scars on Madison's face, and they disappear. Starley does the same to her hands and knees until you could never guess that Madison had just been in a fight just moments before.
"There," Starley says, "all better." She looks up at me and begins to laugh. I close my mouth that I had unconsciously opened. She attempts to pick her up, but she struggles and I reach forward to help her. Together we move Madison to the closest bench in the carpark. "I guess that works," she says, brushing her hands together.
I offer Starley one of my hands and pull her closer. She throws her arms around my neck and I wrap mine around her waist. Her hair smells like coconuts and I love it.
"Thank you," she says, though it's a bit muffled through my neck.
"For what?" I ask.
"Everything. You're the first boyfriend I've ever had and you're also the first human I've ever talked to. You're not scared or afraid of anything and when I'm with you it makes me feel like I'm not either, though really inside, I'm shaking. You make me nervous and happy all in the same moment when you reach to hold my hand and you're making me feel so loved in every moment that we're together. You're really special Alex."
I smile into her coconut-smelling hair, bigger And brighter than I've ever smiled before. I can't see it, but I know it's bright. Brighter than the sun.