The Hooded Figure

TWENTY TWO

I spent the day under the covers, feeling no better than earlier. My mom had called earlier, but she only had a minute or two to spare.

Hey, I take what I can get.

I rolled out of bed, deciding that if I couldn't make myself feel better physically, I could ease up on my mentality. My dad had taken the bus to work this morning so I slid the key into the hole and started the engine. I was wearing as many layers as I possibly could and I had a box of tissues at my side.

I focused on not sneezing throughout the drive until I arrived at one of the few places I had to myself. As I excited the car and locked it as a precaution, I made my way through the trees with my Kleenex box in hand. I sniffled and paused just before the opening in the forestry. I put the box between my legs and blew into the tissue loudly. I heard some wings fluttering away and tried to scoff, but failed. I put the tissue in my pocket with a grimace and spread the trees apart, only to find myself millimetres away from the famous boy on TV.

I screamed as best I could, choking a little, and reaching for another tissue. Alexander screamed too, quite girlishly actually. Well, it was very high-pitched...

I blew my nose once more and rolled my eyes. "Jeez! I thought you were an elephant! Then again, I didn't think there were any elephants in this part of the world..." he trailed off. I noticed that his voice was a lot deeper than it was when he sang. Maybe he did that thing Trey does, but the opposite.

"Asshole," I muttered, pushing him aside with my hand. He visibly cringed and wiped his shirt even though there was nothing on my hands. "Nice video, by the way."

"You saw it?" He questioned, walking along side me. I was too sick to care about the fact that he was a pop star.

"Who hasn't?" I sniffled. I caught him smirking to himself out of the corner of my eye. Then, I noticed something. A tiny detail that was kind of creepy, but suspicious nonetheless.

Suddenly, I turned around. He stopped immediately, looking down at me. I peered up at him with my eyes narrowed. "Where'd you get that sweater?" I inquired curiously. I'd seen that sweater on someone else, I just couldn't pin point it.

"Where does anyone get a sweater? A store, I don't know," he defended somewhat adamantly.

"Uh-huh..." I started, looking for something specific. Alexander shoved his hands into the pocket of his pants almost nervously. "So, where do you go to school?" I asked, followed by a cough.

"I don't, I'm a pop star, remember?" He reminded me as if I needed it. No normal guy was as hot as he was. Honestly, I felt the need to ask him if he'd had plastic surgery.

"Yeah, but not right now. You ran away, remember?" I mimicked. "C'mon, the celebrities in the movies always run away because they want a 'normal' life. Let me tell you; it's overrated."

"I wouldn't say that, it's kind of nice," he argued, making my raise my eyebrows.

"But how would you know that? Never having been a normal kid and all..." I took a seat on the edge of the cliff, motioning for him to sit next to me. He sat down where I'd patted the grass and his leg brushed mine.

"Well, yeah, but-" he stopped, unsure of what to say. "Why does it matter? So what if I've never been a 'normal' kid? It's not like it's a fucking science."

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "Alright, sorry, my bad." At that point, I didn't know what to say, and neither did he by the looks of it. We sat there, in silence for a few minutes, just admiring the view. The lake below and the trees that swayed in the wind.

"Why are you wearing so much clothes?" He asked me suddenly, breaking the silence that I'd come here to find in the first place.

"Would you rather me take them off?" He froze at my reply and I fought to keep my laughter from tumbling out from my lips.

"No- I, uh, I-" I cut him off, unable to hold it in anymore. I started to laugh loudly, my throat burning as I did so.

"I was joking! You should've seen you face!" I cried, remembering the clear image of his flawless skin turning several shades redder. Oh my gosh, I just flustered a pop star. By now, I was practically howling with laughter, but eventually it subsided.

Alexander looked disapproving and vaguely angry, but I was too busy smiling to care.

"I'm sick, I figured that was why you wiped your shirt after I touched you..?" I explained slowly, nodding as I spoke.

"Oh, right, duh. I forgot about Amy the elephant." Then he started to laugh. The sound was entrancing and I would have started to laugh too, had I not noticed one slightly detail.

I never told him my name.

I said nothing, thinking it over until Alexander stopped laughing. I sniffled and tried not to blow my nose again because of his joke, but now that was all I could think about. I didn't want to call him out on it in case it scared him away, but I'd definitely be doing some research when I got back to school.

I realized that while talking to Alexander, I'd forgotten about my situation with Layla and Jade, just like I had with Asher.

"What's wrong?" He inquired, looking sideways towards me. I realized that my facial expression was focused and somewhat angry looking, but I quickly changed it to a smile as I stood up.

"I was just thinking about that fact that I had to leave your company," I said dramatically, holding a hand to my forehead. I bent down and grabbed my Kleenex box.

"Well, I do have that effect on women," he replied, equally as exaggeratedly. I laughed a little and he chuckled.

"See you around Alexander."

"Call me Alex," he answered, walking alongside me and through the trees.

"Okay," I said somewhat suspiciously. "See you around, Alex."

"See you around, Amy." He replied, surprising me once more with the use of my name and proving that I hadn't imagined it as we parted ways.

I'll definitely be seeing you around, Alexander Marauder.