Loving A Deformity

Chapter 15

Alec walked down the street with Cera laughing by his side. They were heading out to get ice cream together and just were looking to hang out... alone. It didn't feel quite normal. Everything felt almost too perfect.

They got ice cream and talked on their way to the beach. There, they splashed each other with water and joked. At one point, Cera hurt her foot and started to fall. Alec caught her and she looked up at him. It was then he realized how beautiful she was. The way her curls framed her face perfectly and how her eyes sparkled with a certain livelyness.
"You're beautiful." Alec stated randomly.
"Don't lie." Cera said flatly before gently pressing her lips against his. Alec was stunned but didn't hesitate to kiss back. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, continuing their kissing and-

"Alec, wake up!" Gabe pushed Alec's shoulder, waking him. Alec felt his heart racing. What the hell? What kind of dream was that? He wondered. Alec sat up in his bed and took a moment to breathe. "Hey, you okay?"
"Huh? Y-yeah..." Alec thought more about the dream. That's when he noticed he had sweat lining the hem of his shirt. Dammit. Chris must've turned the heat off and I couldn't kick off the blankets... "I'm gunna take another shower. I'll be out quickly."
"Okay but hurry. The girls are already ready and out getting our breakfast." Gabe warned. Alec nodded and went to shower.

While he was able to be completely alone, the thought about the dream. Did it mean anything? Alec touched his lips. It felt so vivid. He actually thought he was kissing Cera. His best friend. He loved Cera but he never saw her the way he did in that dream and he never considered kissing her. Should he tell Cera about it? Why would he? It was just a dream. Nothing more.

Alec groaned to himself. Kiley always accused him of being jealous of Ben and that he liked Cera. But he never did. Then again, he never dreamt of kissing her before. Alec sighed and got out to get ready.

After the three boys were ready, Chris answered a knock on the door. Kate and Cera walked in. Kate carried a couple boxes of doughnuts.
"We got food!" Cera said, smiling. Alec grinned ever so slightly at her. She was just as beautiful in his dream... even wore the same clothes from it. Cera got a napkin and grabbed a chocolate doughnut to give to Alec who sat on his bed. "Here you go." Cera smiled. Alec struggled but got it from her hands. "Sorry." She blushed, embarrassed by her disability getting in the way.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it." Alec said. Cera nodded, unconvinced, before getting a glaze doughnut and sitting on his bed with him. Cera ate her doughnut as Alec watched her. His dream still was at the forefront of his mind. He thought about what it could've meant, if anything at all. Cera eventually noticed he was staring at her.
"What?" She asked, grinning. Alec snapped to reality, knowing he was caught looking at her.
"Huh?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked. Alec mentally panicked for a second.
"You've got the glaze from the doughnut on your face." He said without thought.
"I'll wipe it off when I'm done." Cera blew off.
"Now, how are you going to get a boyfriend with that attitude?" He joked.
"Don't start with me, Alec." She warned.
"I'm just saying! Being messy isn't attractive."
"You're one to talk."
"What do you mean?" Alec asked before she held out a napkin.
"Here, Chocolate face." She smiled. Alec grinned and took the napkin to wipe his face. Kate watched, secretly amused.

After breakfast, the group got in the car and drove to the amusement park. In line, they talked.
"Okay, I only came to keep an eye on you four but, honestly, I think you can handle yourselves. I think I'll just go in one of the restaurants and hang out there while you guys do whatever." Kate said, not really wanting to walk around in the sun.
"You sure, mom?"
"Yeah! I trust these guys!" She smiled at Cera and turned to Alec. "Keep her out of trouble for me."
"I'll do my best but she doesn't listen to me very often." Alec joked. They laughed as they entered the park. They saw Kate off and went to do their own thing, agreeing to meet at lunch time. The four spent the whole day together. They rode rides, played games and had an overall good time. Alec and Cera even convinced Chris and Gabe to get on a couple of the roller coasters. But, eventually, it got late and the had to go back to the hotel. In the car, they talked about the day.
"I can't believe you convinced me to get on Gut Buster." Chris held his stomach. Alec and Cera laughed.
"We're really proud of you, Chris." Cera said. "Hey, since we're celebrating your birthdays, how about we go out. My treat." Cera had been doing a part time job, secretly, to save up for this.
"Seriously?" Gabe asked.
"Go anywhere you two want." She said. Since they were tired, the boys decided to just go cheap at Taco Bell. Cera was a little happy. If they didn't order a lot, she could still get them gifts at the shop in the park the next day. Alec was going to get them something in the shop too so they both planned to find a way to ditch them at the end of the day. Alec sat next to Cera on purpose. His dream had been playing over and over in his head all day. He was almost intrigued by the dream. Was kissing her really like that? The idea hung around him every time he glanced at her and saw her smile. She looked so happy to be alive. She looked confident. She usually was with everything but dating. It made Alec sad that she thought so lowly of herself. It was the one major thing that bothered him about her.
"You're looking at me again." Cera said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you okay? You can't say I have food on my face." She laughed. They hadn't got their order yet so he didn't have a good excuse.
"I... uh, S- sorry... I... spaced out." He scratched behind his ear and looked away. Cera found his behavior suspicious but didn't say anything. Kate saw what was happening and made a mental note to talk to Alec later. The group laughed and ate and before they knew it, went to the hotel to crash.

***

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, continuing their kiss and deepening it. Alec felt a desire for her he never had before. It was like he finally understood what people meant when they say, "love is friendship set on fire." Cera pulled away and looked away, embarrassed. Alec couldn't hold back.
"I love you." He said, making her look at him, surprised. Cera blinked, not knowing what to say. After a moment, she looked him in the eyes and grinned ever so slightly.
"Wake up!" She smiled. He looked at her, confused. "Alec, wake up!"

"Wake up, you need to get ready." Chris said. Alec looked at Chris, angrily.
"You woke me up at the worst time!" Alec threw a pillow, hitting Chris' head.
"Ow! I'm sorry! I didn't know!" He raised his hands in surrender.
"What were you dreaming about?" Gabe asked. Alec looked at him like a deer in head lights but tried to relax.
"Nothing." Alec sighed before getting up and starting to get ready. This made Gabe interested.
"What do you mean, 'nothing'? Apparently, it was a good dream, otherwise you wouldn't have been so mad that we woke you up."
"I don't remember." He lied. Gabe dropped the subject but not his interest. Suddenly, there was a knock.
"Hey! It's just me!" Cera's voice rang. "Mom's almost ready. Can I come in?" Chris looked to Alec, the only one still getting ready. Alec shrugged indifferent before Chris opened the door. Cera walked in smiling before walking in on Alec without a shirt. "Oh my gosh! Really!" She put her back to him. "Why did you let me in if you're not decent? Why do you do this too me?"
"Nothing you haven't seen before." Alec smirked, pulling his shirt on before Cera looked at him, blushing and wide eyed. Chris and Gabe were a little shocked themselves and exchanged looked. Cera grabbed a pillow of Chris and Gabe's bed and threw it at Alec, who laughed and threw one back at her.
"It wasn't like that!" Cera insisted. "And it was totally your fault!"
"'Fault'? Who said it was a bad thing?" He grinned before getting a pillow to the face. Gabe and Chris laughed.
"Apparently, she does." Chris joked. Alec was a little hurt by that.
"Am I that ugly?" He faked a hurt expression.
"It doesn't have anything to do with your looks." Cera rolled her eyes.
"So I am good looking?" He smiled. She snorted and laughed. Ouch, Alec thought.
"Wow, Cera, harsh." Chris laughed.
"What? He knows he's better looking than my ex." She joked, stabbing his heart once more. Gabe and Chris laughed.
"You're going to pay for this." Alec warned with a grin.
"Bring it on, Rhodes." She smiled back at him.
"Hey, everyone ready to go?" Kate walked in.

***

There was another long day at the park- fun, but long. Alec and Cera were anxious to get away from the guys so they could go buy gifts. Cera noticed something was off with Alec and has been off for a couple days. He was pleasant, smiling and joking, but he seemed off in the way he would need to sit next to her at every given chance but be almost distant and quiet otherwise. He seemed to be in another world which was unlike him. Cera wondered what could've triggered it. The boys sensed something off with him as well but didn't bother pressing for answers. Alec only opens up to Cera, really. Everyone knew that. Well, everyone was right, except when it came to his dream. He read somewhere kissing in a dream could just mean loyalty or that you have a level of respect for that person that you don't have with anyone else... which could be platonic... right?

I don't like her like that, He told himself at one point. She's my best friend... that's it! But his mind was still absorbed. That was, till he saw the biggest roller coaster in the park.
"Wait, guys." Alec smiled, looking up at the structure. Alec's hand was reached out in front of him to touch Cera's shoulder. Chris, Gabe, and Cera were just huddled together, arguing on what to do next for their last ride of the day. The group of four stood near the entrance of the park but the boys wanted to go to a ride that was on the opposite end of the park, in the back. "Let's go on that." Alec suggested before the other three look to the roller coaster. Cera was intimidated by the ride. It gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach but she needed to get away from the boys. Chris and Gabe, however, would never go on that ride.
"No way." Gabe shook his head, looking at Alec. Alec squinted his eyes, due to the sun, but faced Gabe.
"Yeah, me either." Chris shook his head, keeping his eyes on the coaster.
"Fine, how about we split up." Cera said. "You go on your ride, Alec and I will go on ours, and we'll meet up with my mom. Deal?" Cera slightly raised her eyebrows with a straight face. The boys exchanged looks before looking at Cera.
"Deal." They both agreed.