It Started With a Dare

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 (Re-Written)

~~~

"Ms. Alstreim, may I have a word with you?" my art teacher and the school's guidance counselor, Ms. Loski, asked. Classes were already done for the day, and students were already leaving the classroom.

I walked up to her desk and looked at her in question. "Is there a problem, Ms. Loski?" I asked.

"Not exactly," Ms. Loski said. "Well, you are quite good in art, but you seem to be missing classes sometimes. I should be the one asking you if there's a problem, Ms. Alstreim."

I can feel my eyebrows furrowing. Despite the fact that she was my teacher and was only watching out for my well-being, I didn't like being pried upon. "Nothing's wrong, Ms. Loski," I said.

"But you seem quite glum lately," Ms. Loski pressed on. "I know it's quite difficult living on your own and opening up to a teacher, but you can tell me if something is bothering you. Is it personal reasons? A boy? Your parents?"

"Nothing," I said, this time in a firmer tone. "I'm completely fine. I promise."

Ms. Loski didn't look convinced, but with the defeated face and tone, she said, "Alright. You may go now."

~~~

"So, what did Ms. Loski want?" Belle asked as she browsed through the varieties of cakes on display.

Drake and Sara had decided to go on a date today, but they didn't want to make it seem obvious to others, so they invited a third — and fourth — wheel along to the cafe. Since the couple also agreed to pay whatever we wanted to eat, Belle and I can't resist taking on the offer. After all, the cafe did make the best cakes in town.

"Nothing much," I shrugged, my eyes set on a set of blueberry cheesecake. "She wanted me to talk about my problems and stuff like that."

"And did you?"

"No," I replied. "I don't have any problems. Why do everybody seem to assume I have a problem?" I turned to the person working over the counter. "Two slices of blueberry cheesecake."

"You seem glum lately, that's why," Belle said. "Is it your mum? Or Alex?" She stared at my face for an answer. "Oh, both then. That bad?"

I just huffed as I grabbed my plate of cheesecake and headed for the empty table close to where Drake and Sara were while Belle followed behind me. I took a seat, and Belle did the same on the seat across from me.

"You should have something to distract yourself from that lonely apartment of yours," Belle said, taking a bite from a tart she just ordered.

"It's not so lonely anymore," I said. "Dad just sent me a puppy yesterday."

"Really? Did he finally get you that Shiba you always wanted?" Belle asked. I shook my head and continued eating cheesecake. "Don't tell me he actually bought you that wolfdog you kept blabbing about from Game of Thrones?"

"Nah, he wouldn't consider a wolfdog for me," I sighed. "He's afraid that it's going to eat me in my sleep. Well, he did give me a puppy that he got from our old neighbour's litter. It's a mixed breed, but he probably has some Spitz breed in him since the tail curls up."

"What'd you name it then?"

I paused, then decided not to answer her question. I pretended not to have heard her question and continued digging into my cheesecake. However, Belle obviously caught onto my reaction.

"Alex," was all she said before I started choking and flinched at the mention of the name. Belle started laughing hysterically, which was absolutely terrifying. She's usually well known for her wry, dry, and skeptical laughs, but when she really laughs, it's pretty damn scary. "You're so easy to read," she said.

"So what?" I grumbled, feeding myself a mouthful of cake.

"I take it that you guys made up."

"No," I mumbled, my mouth still full of cake. I did it to make Belle annoyed. She was pretty keen on the application of table manners, especially in public places.

"I don't really get the score between the two of you," Belle shook her head. "It's too bad. You'd make a good couple."

I narrowed my eyes at her as I pointed my fork at her as a mock threat. "There is no score," I said. "I'd rather stab my ass with this fork than have a score with that jerk." Then I continued pigging on my cheesecake.

"So the fight was that bad, huh?"

"He started it," I mumbled.

"Alex always starts the fight," Belle said, her tone expressing how much she had heard this story in different circumstances, in different versions many times. It was almost funny how she knew more about me than Sara, who was my friend longer than she was. Probably because she's absolutely level-headed and never headbutts using her feelings. Well, unless you piss her off or you're being sexist or both. Belle is one big pro-feminist. "Boys can be massive jerks," she added.

I laughed at that, knowing that Alex is one massive jerk himself. Having a talk with Belle while we talk behind Alex's back makes me want to shoot myself in the head for liking a guy like Alex. It doesn't really make sense, but I did like him. I just want it to go away.

~~~

After the Alex conversation, we mostly just spoke about our literature homework and other books we've recently read. Then Sara and Drake thought that it would be a good time to end the date when I ate another slice of cheesecake, a red velvet cupcake, and a giant cookie while Belle just ordered a mocha frappe. We just headed our separate ways home afterwards.

I got home at around six, an hour late for Puppy Alex's dinner. By the time that I got inside my flat, Alex was jumping on his hind legs while whining for food. I headed straight for the kitchen and served him a bowl of food. I left him to finish his meal, patting him on his back before leaving the kitchen.

I took a quick shower then grabbed some crisps and chilled in the living room, watching some action movie that was playing on a channel that I stumbled on. I was so into the main character being beaten up but still able to fight back that I almost missed my phone alerting me of a new message. Still munching on a mouthful of chips and not taking my eyes off the TV screen, I blindly grabbed my phone and opened the message. I took my eyes off the screen, and my anger just woke up and flared to a hundred degrees.

Alex: Hey.