Fraternity | lrh

27 - "get you home"

27 | Kai

Alex sits beside me, a bowl of popcorn in her hand as she cries over the Titanic for the third time this night, she'd claimed that we hadn't seen each other in way too long so she'd insisted we hang out and watch a movie. Instead of multiple movies, however, we actually watched one, Titanic - as previously mentioned - over and over again.

She sits with a blanket pulled up as far as her shoulders as she watches Leo sink, she sobs loudly, pulling the blanket up further. I resist the urge to laugh at her over dramatic reaction, you'd think after three times she'd be used to it. The popcorn bowl is empty so as I make a grab for it she shoots me a confused look before letting her gaze drop to the bowl, then she realises the bowl is practically empty, she hands it to me as she begins to press the replay button on the film.

I make my way towards the kitchen where I begin to put a packet of pop corn in the microwave, I glance over at Alex only to see her on her phone for once and unusually more interested in it than the movie. As I wait for the popcorn I to pull out my phone only to laugh at the texts Finley has sent me.

FINEley:
Who's idea was it for me to go over Ashton's?
They're turning me into a man.
Like seriously they've bought a wig and they've drawn a beard on me.
TBH it just looks like pubes.
I actually look like Calum during no shave November.

I laugh reading the texts before I actually consider replying.

HERman:
Suck it up, you sleep over there mostly what's different now?

Her reply is almost instant, unsurprisingly but as the three dots to appear I check on the popcorn. I pull it out to inspect it, the packet is hotter than I anticipated as I begin to throw the small brown paper bag around between my hands. I eventually throw it onto the counter just as my phone lights up.

FINEly:
Yeah but it's Friday, Michael dyes his hair on Fridays despite there being a struck rule of no unnatural hair colours.
He offered to dye my hair but the only colours he had were like green and neon yellow.
Like what the fuck.

I put my phone down after reading her texts, deciding to actually take the popcorn into Alex, I'm not surprised when I see her still staring at the screen of her phone. When I step on a loose piece of wooden flooring she turns to face me.

"Hey." She says, her voice croaking simply because of how little talking we'd actually done all night,

I walk over to the sofa, sitting down and passing her the bowl as I pull some of the blanket over me. She is straight back on her phone, texts open and although I can't see the name the emojis next to it tell me it's someone she likes. I contemplate asking her, should I? Maybe not, maybe that's just digging into somebody else's business.

In the end my mind wins and I end up asking the damned question anyway, "Who you texting?"

Her gaze flutters to me and her cheeks tint pink quickly, she is quiet for a bit, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as she searches for an answer for me.

"Come one I won't tell anyone." I reassure but she just shakes her head and continues watching the movie,

Half way through my mind begins overthinking.

Is it Luke? Is that why she doesn't want to tell me?

No Alex wouldn't do that... would she?