Aleksei & Liam

25. Dudes

(Aleksei's PoV)

When the final lesson of the day was over I dragged my feet down the hallway feeling rather queasy.

I wanted to give it to him today, I had spent the whole of Wednesday night making it and I had to give it to him sooner or later. But I was nervous. What if he read between the lines or misunderstood?

Being so preoccupied with my internal conflict, I didn't notice Alfie's leg that was placed strategically in my path which made me trip, falling into Richie's open arms.

"Dickhead." He chided Alfie whilst helping me back to my feet.

Jamie and Alfie snickered to themselves.

I scowled at the latter and regained my position.

"Practice. Today." Richie said unenthusiastically.

Shit.

I had forgotten.

"Is it necessary, though?" I mumbled.

Richie gave me an incredulous look.

"We practiced just yesterday!" I added

"He's got a point, you know." Jamie nodded.

"No, he doesn't. And shut up, Jamie."

I racked my brain for an excuse, I had to see Liam...not practice the same songs over and over again in Jamie's musty garage.

We made it to the gates and i halted, "what now?" Richie groaned.

"You know that girl I've been seeing?"

Alfie's head perked up and a cunning smile took over his face.

"Uh...I was supposed to meet her today." Yes, Aleksei. You're doing great.

"Just see her tomorrow at the party." Richie said impatiently with a dismissive wave.

"Yeah, can't your dick wait?" Alfie teased.

Knowing my luck, Charlie and Liam decided to join in that very moment, Charlie wiggled his brow at Alfie's statement and I full on panicked.

Liam was here. He can't know the context of Alfie's vulgarity.
So I tried to not so subtly changing the subject.

"So! Are we all hitching a ride together to Vera's party." I asked with the most forced smile I could muster.

"Most probably." Jamie shrugged.

"Should we pick you up from Cheryl's then?" Alfie unnecessarily added.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, praying for the power to disappear. I slowly peaked over at Liam who had an unreadable expression on his face, but he seemed largely unbothered by the entire situation as he chatted away with the others.

And for some reason it made me sad.

"I've gotta go." I said curtly and left before Alfie could come up with some nonsense assumption as to why I was leaving.

I walked away before anyone could ask me what the matter was and made it home in less than a few minutes, thanks to my nervous speed walking.

I quickly made it up the stairs, into my room and shut the door behind me. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in for so long.

I face planted myself onto the mattress and groaned into my pillow. What was the matter with me? Why was I feeling...the way I was feeling?

I'm so confused and I just don't feel myself lately but it hasn't been an entirely unpleasant experience.

It had to do with Cheryl...and Liam, that was for sure.
I liked Cheryl, I can see something with her, this was all I ever wanted. A girl.

But when I thought of Liam, Cheryl just didn't exist.
It was just him and I, his pretty face and kind soul.
I pressed my fingers against my heated cheeks.

There's no way.

I'm not into dudes.

Images of every guy at school from Alfie to Mitchell flash across my eyes and...

*Gags*

I'm definitely not into dudes.

I'm not gay.

Or bi.

None of that.

I liked girls and I liked Cheryl.

She was going to help me. Yes.

I felt good at the prospect of having Liam think I was with Cheryl.

As far as he was concerned, I was on a date with Cheryl right now.

I wasn't available.

Not for guys.

Definitely not for Liam.

I smiled into my pillow at my new found sense of certainty and fell into a peaceful sleep.

•••

I woke up with the intense urge to piss and realised I was still in my manky uniform. I dragged myself to the bathroom and back to my room where I stripped off from the annoyingly itchy clothes and got into something way more suitable for the bed.

I groggily peered at my phone screen to check the time and saw that it was already 7 in the evening.

I shot Liam a text asking him if he wasn't coming over, why wasn't he here already? I thought in my drowsy state.

I stuffed my phone under the pillow as I dozed off for the second time.

It had hardly been over 3 minutes when my phone began to ring, sending vibrations right through my skull.

I cussed as I pulled my phone out to press 'decline', I stopped and blinked at the screen a few times.

Liam?

Why was he calling me?

I accepted the call and held the phone to my ears, "Aleksei?" Came his voice from the other end of the line.

"Yes?" I was still not completely out of my sleepy daze.

"Are you done with your...date?"

My what?

I shot up to an upright position as I snapped back to my senses.

Oh no.

"Uh, y-yeah. All done. Haha."

The line went silent on his side and I wondered if he had ended the call when his voice broke the silence, "are you alright? Do you really want me to come over?"

The answer to the first question was a 'yes' and for that of the second it was a 'no'
As simple as that.

That's how I was supposed to get on the right path. By being around girls. Not being around Liam.

"I'm fine."

There was a silence and I knew he was waiting for my response to his second questions.

It may have happened due to my half asleep state or because hearing Liam's voice brought back a familiar warmth to my chest.

"Come over."