So Wrong, It's Right

This Is How We Do

(I'm just a face for every picture, a smile for your scrapbooks and a story to be told.)

It had been three months since the night of Sofia's party, and Alex and I were almost back to full health. Alex had to stay in hospital for just over two weeks, and because I wasn't well enough to go back to school after being discharged I went to visit him everyday to make sure he was okay. Alex's parents were at the hospital for as long as they could each day, and one day the nurse showed Isobel and I how to change Alex's bandages and told us how to care for him when he was allowed home, and after a few times I ended up doing it with the nurse watching and making sure I did it correctly. Alex made it hard to concentrate, laughing and making funny remarks as I did it, making me laugh and lose concentration which angered the nurse.

It was the last day of summer before we went back to school to start our senior year, and we were meeting everyone at the beach. Alex and I were the last to arrive after his mom was fussing over him going to the beach, because it was his first proper 'outing' since the fight. Little did our parents know that we'd gone to warped when it came to Maryland, and survived that with little injuries. I drove because Alex wasn't allowed to for another few weeks, which angered him because he hates not being independant and having to rely on others. We walked over the group who were sitting around a pile of wood that Jack was trying to light the stupid way with straw and sticks. After about 20 minutes, Matt got so impatient that he got out a lighter and lit the pile, making Jack jump backwards and fall into Rian and Kara's make out session while the flames engulfed the wood and straw he was trying to use to light the fire. Let's just say that Rian wasn't amused by Jack's interruption, even if Kara and the others found it absolutely hilarious.

The sun began to set, bringing the oranges of the flames in the fire out as we roasted marshmallows. Jack being Jack, decided to throw seaweed on the fire after we'd finished pigging out on our snacks and made the air around us stink, so we all complained and decided it was time to go home anyway because we had school tomorrow. It would be Alex's first day back tomorrow, and I knew he was aprehensive about going back, seen as we'd all dealt with the whispers and stares from people as we walked down the corridors. Luckily he'd been able to take the finals at school during the holidays when he was better, and I'd studied with him and helped him catch up with what he'd missed. Alex had suffered the most that night, he was my hero for doing what he did even if it was stupid seen as he knew he wouldn't win the fight.

*****

I walked over to Alex's the next morning, carrying a small box with some cupcakes in it that I'd made the night before for our breakfast to try and cheer him up for today. I'd even put smiley faces on them, and they were chocolate, his favourite. I rang the bell before walking in and seeing a worried looking Isobel pacing up and down the hall, she was more nervous for Alex than he was. I handed her and Peter a cupcake each before heading up to Alex's room, knocking softly on the door before slowly opening it.

I found him staring at himself in the mirror looking at the long scar that went across the left side of his stomach from when the hospital stopped his internal bleeding. I watched as he traced his fingers over it as I walked in, setting the box down on his dressor and kissed the back of his neck softly, putting my hands over his, "Morning baby." I whispered. Alex chuckled, taking my hands off his before turning round and looking into my eyes smiling. "Good morning beautiful." I blushed as he took my face in his hands, bringing his head down as he lifted my head up slightly and softly placing his lips on mine. I playfully bit his lip as our lips parted, and he did it back to me in time for Isobel to come in and remind us that Alex had about 5 minutes to get ready before we had to leave.

Alex sighed, a worried frown began to form on his face while his parents stood in the doorway. I hated it when he wasn't happy, then I remembered the cupcakes. I walked over to the dressor I'd set them on, taking one out and handing it to him "I made us a special breaksfast for today." I said, looking up into his eyes as the spark came back. He chuckled, bending his head down and kissing me on the cheek, he then whispered "Thanks, I love you." A smile grew on my face as I took it back out of his hands, placing it back in the box and heading for the door where his parents still stood. "Hey!" he pouted as I pulled my tongues out at him. "The quicker you get ready, the quicker you can have one." I teased. He rolled his eyes and nodded his head. "Fine, wait in the hall?" I nodded, heading out while Alex gave a reassuring nod to his parents before we headed downstairs to let Alex get ready in peace.

Alex came down the stairs a few minutes later, his hair unbrushed with bits sticking up everywhere. I bit my lip, damn he looked good. He grabbed his bag, putting it over his shoulder and hugging his parents and taking a cupcake out of the box I was holding as we headed out the door to my car.

The drive to school was in almost silence, with Alex humming along to the radio or fidgeting. I could tell the closer we got to school, the more nervous he was getting, so when I pulled into an empty space in the parking lot and cut the engine. I sighed, taking my hands off the wheel and squeezed his thigh, making him look at me as he tried to put on a weak smile. I leant over and softly kissed him, taking the last cupcake out of the box and running my finger through the icing before putting it in my mouth, and Alex's mouth fell open. I laughed and went to do it again, but this time he took my finger and sucked the icing off, making me giggle and kiss him once he was done.

We were interrupted by Jack knocking at the window enthusiastically, with Rian and Kara stood further behind him holding hands, but also seeming slightly nervous for Alex. I took his hands in mine and he looked into my eyes, the fear gradually washing away but just to make sure I leant over and whispered in his ear "I'm here if and when you need me, like you always have been for me." He nodded, kissing me once more as Jack's knocks got louder while he got more impatient, so in the end we gave in and got out, grabbing our bags and heading over to Rian and Kara. We knew people were staring, and I could see it getting to Alex so I put my hand in his and squeezed it, making sure he knew I was there. He looked down at me and nodded smiling, I mimed 'I love you', making his smile widen before he mimed 'I love you too, so much' back. Rian cleared his throat to get our attention "Hey man, we're here for you today, although quite a lot of people see you as a hero for doing what you did." he said, before Jack added "Anyone who doesn't think that, we'll kick their asses or just shout crap at." and made us all laugh.

We all looked up to the main doors of Dulany High, the clock telling us we had 3 minutes to get to homeroom for registration. We all took a deep breath, looking at each other before Alex finally spoke "Well, lets get this over and done with." We all nodded and walked on, ignoring the stares and not giving a damn about what anyone said. We knew the truth, and thats all that mattered.