Once Upon A Lie

Twenty-three: Summer between freshman and sophomore year

Twenty-three:

Summer between freshman and sophomore year

"Oh my god!" Alina exclaimed when she saw the car. "Oh my god. I can't believe your parents bought you a car."

"Why?" Aleksander asked. "It's practically a right of passage."

"Well, after the whole thing with Vasily I didn't think they'd ever let you out of the house again much less let you have a car."

Aleksander frowned. "Honestly, I think they just want me out of the house after everything that happened."

Alina smiled. "So, are we going for a ride?"

He laughed. "Yes, we're going for a ride. Come on." He opened the door for her, and Alina got in.

Aleksander sped out of the driveway, and they made their way down the road.

"So," he said, "excited for your freshman year?"

"I'm nervous," she admitted, "everyone says that it's so intense."

"Yeah, well, you've got nothing to worry about Princess. You're smart. You'll be able to handle it." He smiled over at her.

"Where are we going?" Alina asked.

"I don't know. Just thought that we would drive around a bit. Maybe go downtown. We could get lunch or something."

Alina glanced over at him. "Like a date?"

Aleksander grinned. "Yeah. Like a date."

Alina nodded. "I'd like that."

"Great." Aleksander ran a hand through his hair. "So, uh, how's it feel to have your first date with Aleksander The Great?"

Alina laughed. "Um.... I don't know how to tell you this, but you are not my first date."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not? Who asked you out and how did I not know about it?"

"Well, you don't know about it because I kind of figured you'd kill him if you found out. And um, as to the first question, it was Vasily. And the only reason I'm telling you now is because...well, obviously..."

"He's already dead," Aleksander finished sadly.

"Yeah. He asked me out the week before my birthday. We went to the movies and played mini golf."

Aleksander gripped his steering wheel tightly. "Was he.... a gentleman? I mean, he didn't try anything? Or?"

Alina glanced at him. "No, you weirdo. All he did was give me a kiss on the cheek. I mean....it probably helped that I told him I wasn't really interested."

"Why not?"

"For one, he's eighteen, and he's already started college. We both agreed that felt weird and it shouldn't have happened. For two, um...I told him that I was kind of waiting for you. Because I thought you liked me, since you kissed me on my last birthday but um.... then nothing ever happened and you kept on hooking up with Zoya."

Aleksander raised an eyebrow. "Was he high or drunk? Because that doesn't sound like Vasily."

Alina laughed. "No. I know it's bad to speak ill of the dead, but Vasily wasn't always such a..."

"Dick?" Aleksander offered.

"Aleks!"

"What? It's not wrong if it's the truth."

"Still," she said.

"Besides, it's impossible for people to be mean to you, Lina. You're too sweet."