Stephanie & Xander

Chapter 9

About a kilometre away from the house, we stopped to rest. The moon is bright. That's always the case in Sacramento. Even the citiest places in Sacramento are still so Polaroid.

At this hour, almost everyone is inside their homes. Only the rebels are out and I feel that we're also rebels for running away from our wedding. It's not our fault. It's just a phase, Dad.

But seriously, I have no idea if they're searching for us. So far, both are phones are left in our rooms so we really have no clue and they won't have any way of contacting us. Whether they've realized we're gone or not are still a mystery. We're not too far from home so it's possible that there are some people in pursuit but if there is, Alexa would've probably sensed it meters away. She's kinda like a wolf.

Uh yeah, that reminds me, who the hell is this girl anyway?

I keep on calling her Alexa but maybe she's not even Alexa. She can't be that barbaric. If she's that man-girl, I'll kill myself and I'll take that prince with me.

We're both waiting underneath the waiting shed. It feels like we're targets in neon standing in the middle of the barren field waiting to be sniped. It's all because we're both wearing white and her hair is so noticeable, it's actually very hard to hide.

"Hey, your name is?" I initiate.

She clicks her tongue and smirks. Oh, she loves smirking and I've never seen someone smirk as handsome as her, "Alexandra Woodward. Call me Alex."

"Not Alexa?"

It started with a chuckle before she burst out laughing like an old drunk man, guffawing without a care about anything else, "That's so girly, just no, just call me Alex."

"You're really different than back when we're just texting each other. I can't believe it."

"We've never texted. That might not be Alexandra Woodward. You might be talking to a different Alex. Are you sure that it's me?" now, she's mocking me. This is so infuriating.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's you. You're Ed Woodward's daughter, right? I'm talking to Ed Woodward's daughter 'Alexa.'"

She scratches the back of her neck as if thinking and then she smiles again. "I got it." She says before chuckling, "I got it. I got it. My dad promised me to wed me to someone reliable." She looks at me, raising her eyebrows, "He said he'll balance me. I didn't know what he means by 'balance me' but I know he'll engage me to someone so..."

"What do you mean?" I'm growing impatient.

"He means by 'balance me' is to throw someone so feminine to my masculinity and there you are. He likes you so much." I don't know if that's a compliment but it hits her too so I let it slide.

"So, what does that has something to do with the Alexa I'm texting with?" I ask.

"That might be my father." I feel my stomach churn, "You see, he's a very good actor and he likes you so much for me and there's no way you would like the real me and there's no way I would like you so he made the stage himself." She spreads both her palms lackadaisically as if it wasn't a big deal at all.

"So, all those years, I'm talking to your father?" I'm seriously annoyed right now.

"What's the big deal? It's not like you guys are sexting. That would be hilarious. I can totally risk my life to get your phone from the mansion just to read your convos." She laughs loudly again, hitting me. I guess there really are these kinds of people who can't laugh unless they're injuring someone.

Well, she's definitely right. It's not like we're texting sex jokes to each other. Well, Alexa... nope her dad, this is actually kind of awkward, he's very good at acting like a sweet, pastel girl. There's just no room to joke about something outrageous. Gawd, but this is still so fucking weird.

"So, now that we both ran away. What should we do?" she asks, moving on. I still couldn't quite move on though. I hate the fact that Alexa has been my diary for 3 years and he's someone's dad. This is a nightmare. I even imagined her as a bedridden sweet girl.

Damn, it was rhetorical but I really wanna kill myself right now.

"I don't know for you but as for me, I'll search for Emily." I finally say, shaking the thoughts off my head.

"Who's Emily?" She asks. And, obviously if she's the Alexa I know, she would've known her. I didn't spend my 3 years of life talking to my only best friend about Emily just for her to forget.

"My true love. Your dad knows her. She's everything I talk about."

She jumps off out of the bench and claps her hands, then, she points at me, "That's it! We can use her!" she sits down again but this time she's all pumped-up rubbing her palm together, "My dad is romantic. He's probably a fan of you two if she's the only one you talk about. If we brought her back, then, I'm sure he'll nullify the marriage. You'll get to be with the woman you love and I'll get to enjoy my freedom a little more and Dad wouldn't have any say to it!"

Oh, that's plausible. She might not look like it but she's smart. She randomly punches in the air out of excitement. Even she's not punching anything; I can totally tell she's strong and swift because of the whooshes I hear every time she punches, almost like a pro boxer. I will never wish for that punch to land on my face. Um, actually not on my stomach either, or anywhere else.

"I'm so hungry. Did you bring any money?" she asks all of the sudden. If she's going to be hungry, she shouldn't have wasted her energy punching at nothing.

"I only brought myself." I say. Honestly, this is surprising. Even I didn't know I'll escape.

"You're useless." And she begins fumbling herself, looking for some valuables and found nothing but a golden pendant with her cursive name 'Alexa' on it, "We can sell this. My father gave it to me. I wear it all the time for situations like these."

"So you're really planning to sell it?"

"Uh yeah." She nods honestly, "Why? Do you think I'm wearing this? For fashion? You think something as cheesy as this is FASHION? No way, bruh. I'm not wearing a pendant with my name on it, in full cursive. I'm wearing a gold necklace, alright? Gold necklace. Value! This thing is supposed to be molten down back into gold." And I hear her whisper, "This is such a trash."

So, she disappeared for a moment and I try to search myself for some valuables too. It wouldn't sit well with me if she's the only one to have something to contribute. Yeah, but I still have my watch. Dad gave it to me last Christmas. Not sentimental. I can sell this. And, I found the pendant with Emily's photo. It has a compartment at the back, not counting the glass at the front. The compartment has five photos of her: one when she's seven, nine, ten, thirteen, and lastly when she was fifteen. The one on the front is when she was sixteen, so like 3 months ago.

She whistles at me and I look at her, "Alexa." I whisper.

"Stop calling me Alexa. Just fucking call me Alex." She repeats. Uh yeah, Alexa doesn't suit her.

"Alexander." I say. She didn't seem to mind it much. Perhaps, someone teases her Alexander before so it's not anything new.

"Who's that? Emily?" she sits beside me, forcing a Strawberry Popsicle in my mouth, "So pretty. I wish I look like that."

"Aren't you lesbian?" I ask.

"No." she says. I thought it would be awkward but it wasn't. She must be used to being called a lesbian. Well, she can't be lesbian. She's too cool for a lesbian, even cooler than men, and even cooler than beefcakes. She's just an embodiment of coolness, "So," she says, "We'll sell that?"

"What the?! No way!" like hell I would sell this! This is so fucking sentimental. Although, I don't think there's any point in keeping the pendant, just the pictures, but, I bought this pendant nine years ago! This is just as important as the pictures, "Here's the thing, Alexander, this is almost like a wedding ring."

"For your unrequited love? You're such a miserable boy. Are you intentionally hurting yourself?" she hoots contemptuously, but I'm not offended, not in the least. She's worried I can tell, "We'll search for her though. Let's see if this time she's waiting. Just keep that little necklace of yours and we'll try to walk a little more, alright? We need money."