Alone

Chapter 6

If there's one thing to know about me,
it's that I'm a noticer.

I pick up on every detail.
Every time I tutor Alex, I notice new little things.

Like how he furrows his eyebrows whenever he's focused,
or how his hair has grown so long he constantly runs his hands through it.

But today, I noticed something new.
He always seems to wear mismatched socks.
I find it kind of cute, knowing that he isn't perfect.

The sound of his pen scratching on paper as he worked put me at ease,
and I found myself watching his movements intently.

Then, I glanced out of the window beside me.
It was huge, barely translucent due to the rain.

But I didn't mind,I made the best of it,
watching the raindrops slowly slide down the glass.
As I watched the raindrops, I noticed the sound
of his pen scratching on paper had stopped.

So, I turned to face him.
His arm was stretched out toward me, holding his paper.
I smiled and took it.

Surprisingly, he wasn't doing so bad this time.

I glanced up, catching him running his hand
through his hair and looking out of the window.

Then, I cleared my throat, gaining his attention.

"How bad did I do this time?" he asked, uncertain of his emotions.

I just smiled and shook my head. "Actually, not that bad."

He raised his eyebrows, obviously shocked. "Are you making fun of me?"

I looked at him and handed back his paper. "No, I'm serious. Everything was almost right."

I immediately reached for my bag, searching for a pen.
My bag was messy, filled with loose papers and pens scattered everywhere.

When I finally found the one I wanted,
I heard the bell signaling someone entering the cafe.

Looking up,
I noticed Cole standing in front of me, smirking.

He was dripping wet,
his blonde hair now darkened by the rain.

His eyes seemed to pierce through me,
leaving me feeling even more confused.

He sat down next to me, and I saw Alex shoot him an ice-cold stare.

I sat uncomfortably,
feeling myself shrink smaller with each passing second.

"So," Cole started, laying an arm on my shoulders.

I flinched, the bruises still fresh
and stinging at his touch.

"Whoa, relax," he said, laughing and raising his hands as if surrendering.

I looked away from him, closing my eyes, hoping he'd disappear.
But his voice shattered my hopes.

"I see you and Alex hanging out all the time."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, if you're friends with Alex, then we're friends too."

I slowly opened my eyes, looking at Alex,
silently pleading for help.

"We meet every Saturday at my place. How about you come this week too?" Cole suggested.

"Okay, that's enough, Cole," Alex interjected,
standing up and gesturing for him to leave.

"Alright, chill, dude," Cole said, standing up, but he continued to talk.

"I'm serious, Olivia. Come this Saturday. Alex will give you my address."

And with that, he left,
leaving me alone in my perplexity.

Alex slowly sat down again and ran his hand through his hair.
He sighed and said,

"I'm sorry."

—

Tutoring came to an end, and Alex started gathering his things.

Strands of his hair fell onto his face, and I couldn't help but notice it seemed to be annoying him.

"You know, if your hair bothers you, there's something called a barber," I said, without really realizing it.

He looked up, confused. "What?"

Feeling heat rise to my cheeks, I quickly shook my head. "Oh, nothing."

Clearing my throat, I looked down, pretending to scribble something on my notepad.

I heard the sound of his backpack zipper, followed by the slow, hesitant footsteps.
Then, the pace picked up again.

"I'll drive you," he suddenly offered.

Looking up, I met his piercing green eyes and felt a gulp rising in my throat. "What?"

He gestured out the window. "It's raining, and you're here with a bike."

"Oh, no, it's okay. I still need to study," I replied hastily.

I saw him roll his eyes, muttering, "Whatever," as he turned away,
his departure seeming almost slow-motion, each step heavy and deliberate.

The sounds around me became blurred,
as if I only heard him leaving. I didn't want him to go.

When the bell signaled his departure, I snapped back to reality.
The chatter around me resumed its normal volume, and everything was back to normal.

I quickly gathered my belongings and dashed after him.
"Wait!" I called out as I reached the door.

He turned around, seeing me standing in the rain.
My breath came in ragged gasps from the run,
and I felt a flush of embarrassment under his gaze.

Then, he smiled and opened the passenger door.

Uncertain but grateful, I made my way towards him,
each step bringing me closer to the downpour.

"What about my bike?" I asked as I climbed into his car.

"I'll put it in the trunk," he assured me.

—
We didn't speak during the drive.

The sound of his motor and rain drops filling up the silence.

I just laid my head back and shut my eyes trying to relax.
And when I realised that the car was slowing down I opened one eyes,
peaking where we are.

We arrived at my house and a wave of sadness and disappointment hit me.

I mustered my home noticing that the once so colourful house I saw trough my childhood lenses, was now looking so grey and depressing to me.
All I could notice was the paint peeling off and the dirt that was spreading around.

A once house that was so full of life outside and on the inside
died the day my brother died.

"you know you don't have to go if you don't want to." Alex said.

I was caught off guard with that,
can he read my mind?

"you know, on Saturday?"

Right, that's what he meant.

I just shook my head looking down on my lap.

I would have a reason to leave my house,
but I would have to be in a house of strangers that don't like me.

I sighed.

"No, it's fine. I'll be there," I replied softly.
"Are you sure?" His concern was evident.

I simply nodded, opening the car door and feeling the cool
raindrops greet me as I stepped outside.

"See you tomorrow," Alex called after me as I closed the door behind me.

Once again, the world was enveloped in silence, save for the rhythmic drumming of raindrops against pavement.

With each step towards my house, the weight of uncertainty settled upon me.

I hope I made the right choice.

———
Sorry for not updating for a bit, I've been having an really bad writer blocker, which is why this chapter isn't that good.