Between Friends and Lovers

(21) Alexandria

New Bridgeley High School stood just outside the New Bridgeley neighbourhood, its sleek glass façade rising proudly amidst the urban landscape.

The exterior of the school was a striking blend of steel and glass, with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the classrooms and common areas with natural light. Colourful murals adorned the walls, showcasing the vibrant energy and creativity of the students, something Mrs Bradley, our principal, encouraged since she believed that it encouraged creativity despite some teachers not agreeing with her.

As students entered the school through the main entrance, they were greeted by a spacious atrium bustling with activity. The air hummed with the sound of laughter and conversation as students stood in small groups, sharing stories and catching up on the latest news.

I stood by the fountain with a ledge honouring the Neumann, Svensson, and Borges families that had built the school. Jackie was standing in front of me busy tucking in her shirt into the maroon and navy blue plaid skirt. I adjusted my white backpack while holding Jackie’s beige backpack and her blazer.

“I can’t believe you,” she said, reminding me of why I had zoned out of the conversation. “Why would you agree?”

I had spent the entire weekend trying to find ways to tell Jackie that I agreed to Oliver’s proposal. But nothing could have prepared me for this. After all, Jackie was never dull or predictable.

“Because I want to understand why I stayed with Theo for so long,” I told her. Reciting the reason Oliver had shared with me.

“Really, Alex?” She held out her hand, and I gave her the blazer. She was quiet as she put it on. “That sounds like a rehearsed answer.”

It did feel like it, it really did. But I had no other answer than that one. What other reason could be there? What Oliver said resonated with me enough that I ended up agreeing, but the look in Jackie’s eyes made me believe that there was something else.

“What do you want me to say?” I asked, pouting because she didn’t want to believe my surface level answer.

“The truth.”

“There’s no other truth.” I handed her her backpack.

“Babe, you know that I know you better than that.” She shouldered her backpack. “Be honest with me. Did you agree to do this in hopes that you and Oliver can mend things between you two?”

I glared at her. “Jacqueline.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “Glare at me all you want, Alexandria, but I refuse to believe that rehearsed answer.”

We both glared at each other for a few minutes before we burst out laughing. This was why I loved Jackie. No matter how serious the situation was, we always managed to make light of the situation.

“Okay, but be honest, Ria.” Her smile shrunk. “Why did you agree?”

“The answer is more depressing than you’d like.” I placed my backpack on my knee, opening the small pocket so I could grab my watch. “But don’t worry. I’ll discuss it with your aunt. Victoria will manage to make me understand the reason I agreed.”

“Okay, fine,” she said, distracted. “You’ll tell your psychologist, but will you tell him?” She pointed at someone behind me.

I turned to see Maverick getting out of his Range Rover; the car his parents got him last year for his birthday, and he hated with a burning passion. Everything else aside, the car suited him even though he’d disagree. The black Range Rover was exactly the type of car I’d choose for him if I were given a chance to pick a car for Maverick Bouras.

I turned back to Jackie. “Should I tell him?”

“I think so. I mean, he already knows about the proposal. You might as well let him know that there will be no more flirting sessions now that you’ve accepted Oliver’s proposal.”

“It wasn’t a flirting session.” I rolled my eyes, placing my backpack on my shoulder.

“You’re right. It was a declaration of love,” she sing-songed. “He did, after all, tell you that you’re the kind of girl he wants to be with.”

“He did not.” I clasped my watch.

“He did,” she argued. “He basically—”

“Ladies,” Ricky greeted. Even though his voice was light, he didn’t have his now becoming usual smile.

“Maverick!” Jackie grinned. “How nice to see you this morning. You look great.”

He did look great. His black hair was in a fade, and even though there was an entire school of other people wearing the same thing, his uniform was impeccable. Something to be expected for someone who went to this school, but Ricky looked like he spent a considerable amount of time in making sure that he looked great.

“Thank you,” he spoke with hesitation clear in his voice.

I avoided looking at Maverick or Jackie, focusing on looking at the time. There were ten minutes left before the first bell would ring, and Cece wasn’t here yet.

No matter how much I tried to ignore them,  though, I could feel Ricky and Jackie’s eyes on me.

“Is everything okay?” Ricky asked.

“Yes, Ria has something to tell you,” Jackie answered. “I’ll give you two space.”

“What?”

“My first class is on the other side of school.” She winked at me. “And please do tell Cece that being fashionable late is useless if everyone is wearing the same thing. Bye!”

I stared at her retreating form before turning back at Ricky when I heard him clear his throat.

“Should I be worried?”

“No.” I turned and began walking towards the steps leading to the entrance. “It’s nothing worrying, really.”

“Does it have anything to do with Oliver’s proposal?” He walked next to me, matching my pace.

“Maybe.”

“Okay.” He chuckled. “What happened?”

“Well, I may have sort of...” I cleared my throat before whispering, “Agreed.”

“Wait a second.” He placed his hand on my elbow, and we both stopped walking. “You agreed?”

The way he said it made me flinch. Embarrassment washed over me as I looked at him. For some reason, admitting to him that I agreed to this was almost painful. The words were stuck in my throat in a painful knot.

“Yes.” I cringed.

“Okay.” He nodded. The look on his face made my heart clenched, and for the umpteenth time, I wondered if I made the right decision.

“Look, I just—”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Alex,” he interjected. The smile he gave me didn’t look like his usual. “As long as you’re sure that it’s the right thing to do.”

But that was the thing, I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do.


                            ~•❤️•~


After the morning, my day didn’t get better. I didn’t know what was really bothering me. Between my brief conversation with Ricky and the lack of confidence with my agreement with Oliver, it was really hard to choose.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jackie asked while exchanging her books in her locker.

I didn’t bother answering. Not because I didn’t want to, but I didn’t know what to say. So, I focused my attention on my surroundings.

The hallway was a dynamic fusion of modern design and school spirit, with maroon and navy blue accents adding a pop of colour to the sleek and polished surroundings. It buzzed with activity as everyone moved from class to class, footsteps echoing against the polished linoleum floors.

Bulletin boards adorned with student artwork and academic achievements lined the corridors, adding a touch of vibrancy and personality to the space. Lockers lined one side of the hallway, their metal doors painted in shades of maroon and navy blue to match the school colours.

There were digital display screens mounted on the walls, showcasing announcements, upcoming events, and important reminders. It was a high-tech touch that added a sense of modernity and efficiency to the school’s infrastructure—a token from the Neumann family—keeping us informed and connected to the pulse of campus life.

“Alexandria Rose Almeida.” Jackie slammed her locker shut, bringing me back to reality. “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

“And I believe you, babe,” she replied sarcastically before interlocking our arms and manoeuvred us towards our English Literature class. “Let’s walk and talk. Edwin won’t be happy if we’re late for her class.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I told her as we tried not to get separated.

She hummed. “Of course.”

“Okay, fine. I talked to Ricky and... I don’t know, Jackie, it messed with me.” As we get closer to our English class, I could see Cece approaching from the other direction. “And I think Ricky is ignoring me.”

Which was impressive since I shared all my classes with Ricky. We have somehow managed to end up in the same classes every year since freshman year. We were even in the same register class.

“Are you talking about the same Maverick that I know?” She glanced at Cece before turning back to me. “Maverick ignoring you?”

Before I could answer her, Maverick walked past us. He didn’t acknowledge us or even glanced at us. But before he entered the classroom, he glanced at me and gave me a small smile. Relief washed over me and I smiled.

“Ignoring you my behind,” Jackie scoffed.

Despite that smile, something told me that things have changed between us, and I didn’t know if I liked that.


                             ~•❤️•~


Deciding to take a seat in front of Ricky for the English Literature class was one of the worst mistakes I could ever make. I could hear him singing behind me, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was singing Sia’s chandelier.

The worst part about his singing was that I was paying more attention to it than to Miss Edwin’s lecture upfront. Her voice was making me sleepy. Therefore, I paid more attention to Ricky’s silent and off-key singing.

But while I tried listening to Edwin while simultaneously trying to ignore Ricky, the same couldn’t be said for Cece, whose desk was next to mine. She kept glancing back at him, probably wondering how she could get him to shut up. And while that was going on, Jackie, whose desk was behind Cece’s and next to Ricky’s, was fighting to stay awake.

English Literature was my favourite subject for two reasons. One, I was good at it, and it was an easy A. Two, it was one of the two classes that I shared with Ricky, Cece, and Jackie.

“For this term, we’ll be focusing on the Ancient Greek types of love,” Miss Edwin droned on, walking up and down the front of the classroom.

That caught my attention, and judging by how Jackie sat up straight, Cece stopped looking back, and Ricky stopped singing, I’d say it caught their attention as well.

“For today, I want each one of you to choose two types of love and explain why you chose them.” She used her weathered hands to push her glasses up her nose. “I’ll be passing down some papers. Grab one and write down your name and surname and the two types of love you picked and why you picked them.”

I zoned out after that. I knew the lecture she was about to give about how she wanted us to do this informal assignment. It was the usual song and dance, so I didn’t think it was worth paying attention to.

My mind was stuck on the types of love. We learnt about eight of them last year, briefly. It was a topic that I wasn’t that interested in before, but I was now eager to start learning more about it.

The ancient Greek types of love were: Eros, a passionate and romantic kind of love driven by desire and affection. Philia, or friendship, love, and affection that exists between close companions. Agape, selfless universal love, such as the love for strangers, nature, or God; it is a selfless or unconditional type of love that goes beyond personal desires and interests. Storge, which is a natural form of affection experienced between family members.

Ludus, a playful and affectionate type of love, the love and excitement you feel when you have a crush on someone or when you’re first getting to know them. Pragma, long-lasting love, it’s a love that has endured and matured over time and has meaning. Philautia, self-love or self-compassion, the love you have for yourself. And when love turns to obsession, it becomes mania. Mania is an obsessive and possessive love accompanied by intensity and instability.

The last time we learnt about any of this, I had become drawn to eros and mania. They seemed so different, but yet I felt like one could lead to another. Maybe I was grasping at straws, or maybe my view of these two types of love was misconstrued. But I believed that eros could lead to mania. It was something some people had experienced before. How passionate love can slowly become infected and end up being a mania love.

It was something that happened in most cases, but we haven’t gotten to a point where it was discussed freely. I didn’t know if I was the only one who felt this way, but it was something that stayed with me for some time and kept growing. I couldn’t ignore it, Lord knows I’ve tried.

Whenever someone mentioned the eight types of love, my mind instantly went to eros and mania. Today, I had been saved by Ricky’s silent singing and by how Miss Edwin’s voice was boring. Her droning voice was making it hard for me to imagine the world of Literature as full of colour and wonder, instead, I saw it as something that was doom and gloomy—as a pluviophile, a lover of rain, it wasn’t a bad thing, but as a Literature student it was a terrible thing.

“You’re only allowed to pick two. Only two! And explain why you chose them!” Miss Edwin’s loud voice brought me back to reality. “You’re submitting this today so the minute you get your paper, start writing.”

I sat back on my chair with a grin. This was my chance to convince the 60-something-year-old Lorraine Edwin that eros and mania had something in common. I just hoped she wouldn’t fail me. This was an advanced English Literature class, and no matter how stingy Edwin was with marks, I needed that A.



                               ~•🤍•~

Enjoy!

Stay safe🤍