candy lovers | aspir | ✓

21 | licorice

For the ladies,

"Keep your heels, head and standards high."

- Coco Chanel

___________

CH 21

I pull out my phone from my pocket and check the time. Chase is five minutes late to pick me up for school and I'm busy tapping my foot impatiently, hoping that we won't be late. I stretch my head out to look at both sides of the road, wondering if I'll be able to spot him from afar. The road is deserted, save for a lone man walking towards my side.

Layla left to school early, 'cause she had cheer practice in the morning. She seems to be really enjoying cheer practice nowadays. Mikaela Benston, head cheerleader, actually feels like Layla could become the vice cheer-caption, even though she's only been going for about a month.

I take out my earphones from my bag and plug it into my phone to listen to some music. However, I keep getting the feeling that someone's calling my name. This happens to me a lot. Whenever I'm listening to music, it feels like maybe a chorus of the people are calling my name out loud. When I hear it again, I pull out my ear-phones and look around with a frown on my face.

And that's when I realize that someone has been calling my name all this while. My eyes widen in shock, and my phone clatters to the ground as I take in the sight of the boy walking towards me. Time almost comes to a standstill as I look at his unruly mess of black hair, the same grin that I got accustomed to, a few years ago, and the mischievous glint in his eyes. But now he's adorned a pair of black spectacles.

"Hey there, Fae." He comes to a stop about a foot away from me, giving me his signature grin, and time goes back to its fast pace.

"Alex Kingsley!" I rush forward and grab his elbows in mine, to check if he's actually there. "Alex Kingsley, what are you... How the hell are you here?!"

He smiles brightly. "Magic," he whispers dramatically.

"No, you goof-bag, tell me! What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?" I shake his shoulder with my head

"Remember that time I asked you for your address? This is why. Life's been miserable without you Fae. And I realized, I might as well just make it better. And that's how I'm here." He checks out my astonished gaze. "Fae, come on! It's only just a few thousand miles and all my savings. No big deal!"

I sputter out in laughter at his joke. "No big deal? You just left your school, your football team, for me? What is wrong with you!?"

"Absolutely nothing. Oh and didn't you ask for these?" He thrusts forward a plastic bag, and I delve inside, eager to find out what is in.

I pull out a box of the largest edition of Prism color pencils. A creepy smile makes its way onto my face, as I pull out a couple of the Mac Lip Crayons.

"I didn't know what colors to get your so I just got a few." He scratches the back of his head uncertainly. "I hope you like them."

I shake my head in disbelief and bound forward to give him a hug. "Thank you Alex, thank you so much. I was only kidding at that time, but you remembered!"

"Why wouldn't I?" He asks with a chuckle.

I hug him tighter. "I've missed you so much, Alex."

Suddenly the honking of a car makes us break apart. I turn around to find Chase, with a not-so-pleased expression, and Ian with a curious look.