The Girl With the Dandelion Ring

Chapter 7: I'm Not Crazy! By the Way, the Sky Is Falling

Chapter 7: I'm Not Crazy! By the Way, the Sky Is Falling

I brush my matted hair behind my shoulders as Alex pulls a chair towards my bed. He flops down on it, tossing his backpack on the floor next to him and resting his head on my bed. I smile down at him and run my fingers through his hair. He grins back at me, "So, what's up?" he asks me.

"Not much, I've been driven mad waiting to get out of this death trap," I say staring at the ceiling, "It's so boring here."

"Yeah, I know, it's because I'm not always here, isn't it?" he teases.

I roll my eyes at him, letting out a small chuckle. "Yes, my dear Alex, I'm so bored in this bland world without your beautiful presence to brighten it up."

"Not to mention I'm sexy as hell, and a great kisser," he winks at me and I blush, averting my eyes.

"You wish," I say, turning my nose up at him. He smirks and leans forward, our noses are almost touching, his breath cooling my face.

"So, you're saying you didn't like it earlier?" His taunting grin still lays upon his face, but hidden within his eyes is a strong desire. Mine open wide, noticing how close he is. The faint scent of oranges drifts into my nose.

Orange, I catch myself thinking, not as good as cinnamon.

I blush and slightly tuck my chin into my chest, moving my lips slightly away from his. "Well..." In all honesty I did like it a little; his warm lips pressing against mine, moving with mine, was a great feeling. But I'm not sure if I have those kind of feelings towards my best friend. We've been friends since just about elementary school. It just seems... strange to me.

His grin fades as he looks into my downcast eyes and I sense the desire fade from him. His shoulders sag and he lets out a half-hearted laugh before pulling away from me. "Yeah," he says, "don't worry, I was just joking." I look down at him, but he won't meet my eyes. "By the way, I'm sorry about kissing you that time, it's just that I was glad you were finally awake. Dr. Morris said there was a high chance of you dying; the day after that you're awake and fine. I was just... overwhelmed, you know?"

I reach forward and shove his shoulder, "Don't worry about it, I'm sorry that you had to go through all of this."

His eyes slowly slide up to mine. "Don't be sorry, there's not much I wouldn't do for you, Rose." I nod with a small smile as he stands, his eyes locked onto the clock. "Hey, I think I'm going to head out early tonight, I'll see you tomorrow." He slides the chair back against the wall and reaches for his bag. Then I remember my appointment with Ben tomorrow.

"Hey, Alex," I start. His eyebrow quirks up in interest, he grabs his bag and throws it over one shoulder, waiting for me to continue. "The doctor says that I'm able to leave tomorrow..." My voice fades as I see a smile spread over his face.

"Rose, that's great! Why didn't you start with that news?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could give me a ride somewhere." He rolls his eyes at me and nods.

"Of course I will, haven't I made it clear enough that I'll do pretty much anything for you?" His jaw is clenched tightly, confusing me. Why is he angry? Did I say something wrong? I thought this would make him happy, isn't he glad that I'm finally going to be free? Instead he looks... Almost insulted.

"Sorry, I know. I just wanted to make sure you were free." I smile at him, trying to cool his irritation. His eyes soften slightly, enough to know that he'll do it.

"Well, it's a Saturday tomorrow, so I am. Where are we going?" Here comes the part I don't really want to tell him, but I will anyways. Better to get it off of my chest now.