Beautiful ➳ Neil Perry.

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Six more days passed since Neil tried to reach Alice.

He hadn't tried to call again since that night, caught up with his studies, the play, and the Dead Poets Society. Truthfully, he had found time between balancing the three, but couldn't find the will to find answers after the phone calls.

"Maybe it's something you said that night," Charlie said, flicking through his textbook lazily, "Did you say something to piss her off?"

"No . . ." Neil replied, lowering his head onto his desk. He just couldn't figure out why Alice was suddenly avoiding him.

"Maybe her phone broke," Meeks added, "Did you guys ever think about that?"

"Her phone is fine, Chris told me that yesterday," Knox said from the other side of the room, earning a disapproving look from Pitts.

"I still think you should try to talk to her," Todd said, his voice laced with concern.

Neil knew Alice enough to know she doesn't have it in her to ghost him like that. She must have a reason of her own. And it wasn't fair to her that he and his friends were making conclusions of their own without her input. Perhaps it was because he trusted Todd the most. But Neil took his friend's advice, swallowing his pride as he took off to pay Alice a surprise visit.

* * *

The moment Neil stepped foot into Alice's high school was the first time he ever entered the hallways of a public school.

He was sure to draw attention to himself with his well-dressed attire, but he paid no attention to that. He'd come all this way for one reason and that was to find her. As he walked down the bustling hallways, too many pairs of eyes found themselves studying him from head to toe out of curiosity. They'd heard about Welton Academy before, but never imagined a student from the prestigious high school would ever find themselves in the same crowd.

Despite the ruckus around him, Neil focused on scanning the students ahead of him, eyes searching for the blonde-haired girl. As he was nearing the end of the hallway, he paused when he heard a familiar voice call out his name.

"Neil . . . What are you doing here?"

He turned on his heel, a slight smile forming on his face at the sight of Alice.

She had still been dressed in her sports gear, her hair tied in a loose ponytail, a baseball bat held tightly in her right hand. Alice didn't necessarily look mad, nor did she sound that way.

"You seem disappointed to see me," he chuckled, stopping himself from taking a step forward.

"No, not disappointed," she replied, unlocking her locker as she continued, "Just . . . surprised."

If there was one thing Neil couldn't help but notice about Alice this time, it was the fact that she seemed unhappy. And for some reason, he felt somewhat responsible to find out what it was. He, so badly, wanted to see the smile he missed so much.

Neil allowed Alice to finish packing away her things before he parted his lips again to speak.

"Hey . . . Can we talk?"

He looked past Alice's shoulder to see Chris and the twins walk the other direction, giggling amongst themselves. His eyes returned to look at Alice, who nodded her head.

"Of course."

The school hallway was emptying fast to Neil's relief. It was like the two were given time to themselves, to find all the answers to the questions he gathered in the past seven days.

The silence between them felt somewhat unnatural, very unlikely as the pair often always had something to talk about. Neil watched as Alice's gaze fell to the ground, her lips parting though no words ever came out for a while.

"I'm sorry I missed your calls," she sighed, "There's . . . A lot going on at home. My parents are back, for one."

Neil nods to show he understood, but felt his heart break at the news. Did their presence mean he'd see her less often? Were her parents wedging them apart somehow?

"Are you alright?"

* * *

Alice could barely look up at Neil.

Not because she didn't want to see him right now. God, she missed him. But she knew that if she took a single glance at him, she'd break down crying.

"Are you alright?" he asked, in the most gentle voice he could manage.

The pain in her chest begged her to jump forward and take Neil into her arms, but she couldn't afford to lose her composure that quick. After all, she owed him an apology and a dozen more like it.

"No," she confessed, trying her best to hide her quivering lips, "My parents . . . they're—"

Alice turned away from him, a hand muffling her cries. There had never been a time in her life she had felt so heartbroken. She closed her eyes shut, tears springing down like rainfall. She couldn't tell Neil. Not yet. It was too soon for him to hear and the last thing Alice wants is Neil walking away from her now.

When his arms found its place around her waist, it was like she melted into his touch. Like they were made for each other. And the feeling in her chest in that one, swift moment told her one thing. She really loved him.

It wasn't the moment they first met when she knew, but it was like every moment they spent together pieced it all together like a puzzle. She always believed she wanted someone who'd walk into her life, making everything easier. But no, that's not what she truly wanted. She wanted Neil— he didn't make it easier, but he indeed made every step less lonely.

Neil spun her around to face him, wiping her tears gently with his thumb. He smiled down at her, kissing her softly on the forehead.

Alice parted her lips, as though she owed him an explanation. Which she did, for that matter. But he hushed her before he took her into his arms again, whispering words of comfort and in a brief moment did her tears dry.