The Acceptance Game

Chapter 6

"Alex!" Lauren whispered into Alexi's ear from behind cheekily.

"WOAH, LAUREN," Alexis flinched. "Oh, and call me Alexis."

"Fine, you boring ass-. How are you? Running away after hearing Daryl's little secret, huh?" Lauren grinned. Her grin always meant something.

"Sorry, I wasn't feeling well. I had to puke."

"Right," Lauren responded seriously as she walked away. "Don't play with trust, my dear Alex. Especially not with me."

Alexis stood frozen.

Oh damn, nothing could escape Lauren's eyes. If I continue to lie about the truth, Lauren would find out everything about me.

<<>>

Alexis roughly opened her locker and threw her stupid books inside. She turned and noticed the photograph pasted to her locker door. It was the one of Nico and the familiar stranger.  Alexis stared into the stranger's eyes. She thought for a moment and shivered, having goosebumps all over. Alexis shook her head and gathered herself back to reality. She decided to keep that photograph until Nico asked for it. She closed her locker quickly, picked up her fake, black leather bag from Target and headed for home.

<<>>

It was Sunday.

Amanda had organized a class gathering with the help of Daryl and everyone, except Nico, was present. They were going to hang out at the beach and have a picnic. Alexis adjusted her dry fit T-shirt and sat uncomfortably on a pinic mat in the shade. She looked around, embarrassed for no apparent reason but probably because what she wore was different. She didn't have beach wear like the rest and no jaw dropping body to flaunt, she thought. Alexis helped Amanda and Daryl to prepare the food while everyone else played beach volleyball and went for a swim in the sparkling blue ocean.

"Here, have some fruits and hydrate yourselves, kids!" Amanda offered cheerfully.

Daryl refused but Alexis ate a slice of watermelon. It looked too mouthwatering under the scorching hot sun to resist.

She asked as she sipped onto the juice, "Is Nico coming?"

Daryl looked up from the papers he was reading, what seemed like office work and Amanda stopped arranging the sandwiches.

"He's coming. And why do you care?" Daryl replied. He was the exact opposite from the sun. He was undeniably cold.

Alexis was at a lost for words. She opened her mouth and allowed whatever words to escape. She had to say something. "I am just worried for him. I haven't seen him for days and I want to see him. That's all."

That's all?! Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Daryl gave a slight smile, his eyes back to his papers.

Amanda laughed, her laughter a forced one. Alexis was now burning with embarrassment as she resumed to eating the fruit. She was now extra mindful of her actions. She did not want anyone to misinterpret her feelings for Nico. Nico was just a close friend whom she could always rely on and nothing more, nothing less.

It wasn't before long when Nico arrived. He jumped off his skateboard and strided across the beach towards the group.

Alexis was aware of his presence but did not dare look him in the eyes. She remembered how she yelled at him and scolded him like a mad cow when it wasn't his fault. Every time she thought of his face of disappointment that afternoon, she would be too ashamed to meet him. But she wanted to, and so she did. She looked up and caught Nico admiring her as if she was an expensive artwork. Alexis' cheeks turned red again. Nico also snapped out of it as soon as he realized what was going on.

"Hey, Nico. Where have you been?" she tried her luck.

"Uh, nowhere, just busy with school and there were problems at home. I haven't seen you since that day. Are you feeling better?"

His caring character never failed to make Alexis' heart melt a little inside.

"Yeah, so much better. Sorry for the other time, you know. I didn't mean it."

Nico gave the brightest smile Alexis had ever seen. He was too kind to her but she was sorry that they could never be an item. Never.