Fire Meets Ice

Chapter 9: Falling Deeper

After Marcus helped Alexa set up her new phone, they both got inside his car so he could drop her off at her apartment building. Alexa never had a guy help her in anything and the headstrong lion she initially was annoyed by became the keeper she had fallen deeper for. As Marcus was driving, Alexa decided to speak on her own.

"You're the first guy I've known who's never used an iPhone before," Alexa said, breaking the silence. Her tone was light, almost teasing. "All the guys I've known always put me down for sticking with Androids."

Marcus chuckled, glancing at her with an amused expression. "Even the girls?" he asked, inquisitively. 

"Especially the girls," she replied, rolling her eyes. "They all had iPhones or Apple Watches. It was like a status symbol or something."

"If I'm being honest, I don't understand them either," Marcus admitted, a smirk playing on his lips. "Even my buddy Oscar still uses iPhones, and he can't keep up with one for more than a year."

He paused, shifting gears as he navigated through the city streets. "The reason so many people don't use Androids is that they think the interface is difficult to comprehend. But I totally disagree. On iPhones, you can't do backups easily, and forget about downloading apps like NewPipe. I bought one once and regretted it so much. It was useless trying to fix it."

As he continued, Marcus suddenly recalled something important. "Oh, shoot. I forgot... It's my little sister's graduation day today. It starts in 2 hours."

He glanced at Alexa, a hint of apology in his voice. "Sorry if I have to say this, kitty, but we might not be going back to our apartment zone..."

"Oh, I understand," she replied, surprising him with her understanding tone. "It's alright. I don't feel like going home anyway. I'm actually starting to enjoy being out for a while."

Marcus raised his eyebrows, genuinely surprised. "Wow, never thought you'd say that. I guess being outdoors isn't as bad as you thought it was." He couldn't help but smile, feeling a warmth in his chest at the change he saw in her. Maybe she was beginning to let down her guard, just a little.

Marcus arrived just in time at Stockholm International School. There was a big crowd surrounding a huge graduation ceremony for seniors. The graduates were all sitting in the center on their reserved seats while their family members were cheering for them in the stadium. Everyone listened with awe as Jana Karlsson delivered her valedictorian speech out loud and speaking in front of the microphone. Marcus and his mom were both sitting in chairs at the front of the audience close to the podium. When Jana was done delivering her speech, everyone clapped and their mom was getting emotional.

"Thank you so much for your speech, Miss Jana Karlsson. You may have a seat," said the director. 

The ceremony was finally over when each and every graduate was given their diploma from summa cum laude to students who didn't receive an honors distinction. Jana's family gave her a hug when everyone got a chance to speak with their family members.

Marcus stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his sister. "I'm so proud of you, Jana. I'm happy they picked you as the valedictorian!"

"Thanks so much, Marcus," Jana replied, her smile radiant. "I'm really glad you came."

Then Marcus's family knew that Alexa was standing close by to him. "Honey, who is this girl you're with?" asked his mom. "She's very pretty." 

"Mom, this is a new friend of mine," he said, gesturing toward her. "Her name is Alexa." 

Marcus blushed slightly, glancing at Alexa. "Alexa, meet my family. This is my mom and Jana, my sister."

"It's so nice of you to accompany my brother to my graduation, Alexa," Jana said with a friendly smile. "I thought you were his new girlfriend at first."