The Girl Next Door

14. Ice Cream

The idea of ice cream after the game wasn't one to argue with, especially since Melanie was treating us and her team.

"Vanilla, really?" Geoff teased as I placed my order. "That's so... boring."

"I like it simple," I said, taking my cone and moving to our table.

Matt and Blaine got their usual chocolate overload, while Melanie and her cheer squad went for rainbow sprinkles and fancy swirls. The place was loud with our chatter and laughter, the boys recounting plays from practice and Melanie giggling at every joke Geoff made.

Geoff was in fine form tonight, slinging jokes at the table like he'd been hired to keep morale up during dessert.

"You know," he said between bites of rocky road, "I told my doctor I broke my arm in two places. He told me to stop going to those places."

Matt practically spat out his ice cream laughing, the kind of laugh that made him seem like he was auditioning for his next role as the team's official clown. He kept glancing at the cheerleaders nearby, already scheming who'd be his next conquest. Typical.

Meanwhile, Blaine sat silent as a shadow, spoon scraping rhythmically against his cup. Unbothered. Always unbothered.

I sat back, half-listening, my vanilla ice cream slowly turning into a milk puddle. Melanie, at the next table with her squad, was doing her best to catch my eye—little waves, soft smiles, exaggerated laughter. The kind of thing she thought might work.

She'd been nice enough to buy us the ice cream, sure. But I knew better than to mistake generosity for selflessness. Her intentions were obvious, and I wasn't biting. Not tonight, not ever.

The team carried on without a care, Geoff launching into another joke about a penguin in a bar. I caught the punchline through the hum of voices: "Put it on my bill!"

Matt's laughter practically echoed across the room.

I couldn't help but smirk. As much as I wanted to stay detached, it was hard not to appreciate the chaos of it all.

I was about halfway through my cone when I spotted her.

Astrid.

She was across the street, walking by herself, her hands shoved into the pockets of her oversized coat. She wasn't wearing her usual hoodie today, but her headphones were still there, slung around her neck.

"Excuse me," I said, cutting Geoff off mid-sentence.

"Wait, where are you—" I heard Melanie start talking, but I was already out the door, crossing the street without a second thought.

As I got closer, Astrid stopped and looked up, her sharp blue eyes meeting my browns.

"Hey," I said, catching my breath as I reached her. "You weren't at school today."

She tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement flickering across her face. "And you're keeping tabs on me now?"

"What? No, I just... I noticed that's all."

Astrid smirked, but it wasn't her usual playful one—it was guarded. Distant. "Relax, Alex. I had things to do."

"Things?" I repeated, frowning. "What kind of things?"

"Personal things." Her tone was light, but there was an edge to it.

I took a step closer, lowering my voice. "Are you okay?"

She blinked, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flash in her eyes—something vulnerable. But it was gone just as quickly as it came.

"I'm fine," she said firmly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

I hesitated. "I don't know. You just... seemed fine last night, and then today—"

"Alex," she interrupted, her voice soft but firm. "Not everything needs an explanation. I'm fine, okay? Drop it."

I stared at her, trying to read her expression, but it was like trying to decipher a locked diary.

"Okay," I said finally, though I didn't believe her.

She gave me a small smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thanks for checking, though. That's... sweet of you."

Before I could respond, she stepped around me and continued walking.

"Wait!" I called, turning to face her. "Are you coming to school tomorrow?"

She glanced over her shoulder, her smirk returning. "Guess you'll have to wait and see."

And just like that, she disappeared around the corner, leaving me standing there with more questions than answers.

"Alex!"

I turned to see Matt, Geoff, and Blaine standing outside the ice cream shop, watching me with amused expressions. Melanie was leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed, clearly annoyed.

"Dude, what was that about?" Geoff asked as I crossed back to them.

"Nothing," I muttered.

"Nothing?" Matt repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You ran across the street like your life depended on it, and now you look like someone just dropped a riddle on you."

"Seriously, what is it with you and Astrid?" Blaine asked, half-joking.

I didn't have an answer. Because honestly? I didn't know either.

As we walked back into the ice cream shop, Melanie shot me a glare that could have frozen my vanilla cone solid. But I barely noticed.

All I could think about was Astrid's smile, her words, and the way she'd walked away like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders—alone.

After the whole ice cream store fiasco, Matt drove us to his home. We pulled into Matt's driveway and I realized just how loaded this guy was. He is my best friend and we grew up together. I remembered him asking his mom to let us play outside this exact spot in the mansion. Mansion didn't even begin to cover it. This place had a fountain bigger than my entire living room.

The teasing started almost immediately after we stepped out of the car. I barely got a moment to admire the marble columns before Blaine hit me with his usual bluntness.

"For the record," Blaine said, smirking, "it was the first time you chased a girl."

Geoff, ever the echo, burst out laughing. "Yeah, Alex, that was something."

I wanted to defend myself, I really did, but what could I say? That I wasn't thinking when I bolted across the street after her. That I didn't even look to see if cars were coming? My heart had been racing so fast, I didn't care. But hearing it all replayed out loud was... embarrassing.

Matt, of course, played the voice of reason, his tone firm but amused. "She's your girl-next-door neighbor, Alex. You'll see her every day. You don't have to pull a stunt like that again."

He had a point, but it didn't make me feel any better. The others kept laughing, I rubbed the back of my neck, trying not to let the heat creeping up my face show.

"I wasn't chasing her," I finally muttered, knowing full well no one believed me. "I just—didn't want her to leave. And I also am worried she didn't show up to school."

"Romantic," Blaine teased, leaning on Matt's ridiculously shiny sports car. "Stupid, but romantic."

Geoff snorted. "Keyword: stupid."

I sighed, glancing toward the house, wondering if there was anywhere to hide from the relentless teasing. But even as I felt mortified, there was something about the whole situation that made me... oddly happy. She noticed me, didn't she? That had to count for something.