Kiss Of Death

03

Xandra removed her glasses and placed it on the table, as she stretched her arms up, and shifted her eyes back at her wristwatch, “I should get going now, Fred.” I lifted my gaze back at him only to find him already staring deep into my soul, I thought he was asleep.

I squinted my eyes at him, “Fred?” I called out, “you look pretty without glasses on.” I chuckled.

“Whatever you say, I need to get going, do you have somewhere else to go?” I replied as I got up.

"Nope, we can go now," Alfred said easily, as if it was the most natural thing for him to leave whenever she did. But to Xandra, the idea of them leaving together—the word "we"—felt special.

She wasn’t used to it, but it warmed her.

Alfred glanced up at the sky, a distant rumble of thunder catching his attention. "Looks like it's going to rain, Xandra," he said, his tone casual but with a hint of excitement.

"Yeah, seems like it," she replied, pulling an umbrella from her bag just in case. But as she turned back to Alfred, she noticed his smile had widened mischievously.

“I don't like that smile.” she muttered, half-laughing.

He brought up his keys, and pulled me by the wrist to the parking lot without a warning.

“You have never ridden a motorcycle before, right?” he asked, I hesitantly shook my head.

“My mother never allowed me too, since it's dangerous, I don't think we should—” they stopped on their tracks, as Fred faced her, his expression soft but persuasive.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. I promise I’ll drive safely. Look," he pulled out his leather wallet, showing off his driver's license, "I even have a license, so you don’t have to worry too much. Please?"

She took a moment to glance at the photo on his license and laughed, covering her mouth. "Wait, that’s you? You look so serious!"

Alfred faked an offended look, crossing his arms. "Wow. Did I just get roasted by Xandra Gonzalez? I didn’t know you could be such a bully," he teased.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh," she said, trying to contain her giggles. "But just drop me off a few blocks from my house. I don’t want my mom yelling at you."

Alfred grinned, throwing a fist in the air triumphantly. "Deal!" They stopped in front of his sleek black and red motorcycle. Xandra couldn’t help but admire how cool it looked. She wished she had the freedom to ride something like this.

"Here, take this," he said, handing her the helmet he was supposed to wear.

"W-What? How about you?" she stammered, concerned. "We might get pulled over—"

Before she could finish, he placed the helmet firmly on her head, silencing her worries. "Your house isn’t far. We won’t get in trouble, I promise. Just get on, and hold on tight."

Her heart raced as their eyes met, and she quickly looked away. "Alright, but be careful," she muttered, climbing onto the bike.

As they sped off, the first raindrops began to fall. "Fred! Slow down!" she yelled, her grip tightening around his waist as the wind whipped past them.

He chuckled, his voice barely audible over the sound of the engine. "Alright, alright, sorry."

Once they were out of the heavier traffic, Alfred slowed down, and Xandra felt herself relax, the rain softly drizzling now. "This is better than the bus, right?" he asked, his voice teasing but gentle.

"Yeah, I can inhale the pollution better," she shot back, making him laugh even more.

Hey! Stop laughing and focus on the road," she pleaded, her anxiety spiking as the roads became slick with rain. But soon, the streets cleared, and they found themselves on a quieter stretch of road near the hill. The view was stunning, with the city lights twinkling in the distance.

"You know what, Xandra?" Alfred’s voice cut through the sound of the wind and rain.

"What?"

"I wish we could do this more often."

Her heart skipped a beat, and she held on just a little tighter, feeling the warmth of his back against her. They reached her stop, and she removed the helmet, her hair slightly damp from the rain.

"Get home safely," she said, handing the helmet back.

"Wait," Alfred said, rummaging through his pocket. "I got this for you." He held up a small strawberry-shaped hair tie, smiling sheepishly. "It's for your...hair, I saw it the other day and thought of you."

Xandra's heart softened as she took the hair tie, her cheeks warming. "A-Alright, thank you." She quickly tied her hair into a ponytail. "Goodnight, Fred."

"Goodnight, Xandra," he replied, watching her until she disappeared into the night.

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