Summer of Discovery

Chapter 3: A Hail Mary

Alexander smiles good naturedly at me from where he stands.

"Who's that?" Emily asks then wiggles her eyebrows, "Your boyfriend?"

Fighting the tightness in my chest I give her a smirk and shrug. I turn to Jesse who is staring at me with disbelief.

"See you around Jesse." I say and quickly walk over to Alexander I grab his arm and he looks down at me shocked. "Let's go, now." I whisper urgently.

"Charlie, wait!" Emily calls. "Why don't you two stay for coffee?"

"Yeah, why don't you?" Jesse calls out taunting me.

I sigh. "Yeah sure, just gives a moment!" I call back to them.

I pull Alexander out the door and turn down an alley.

"What are you doing?" He asks indignantly.

I swipe a tear that is trying to escape away and look at Alexander squaring my shoulders. "Okay, that guy is my boyfriend, or at least I thought he was, but he's been dating that girl behind my back for a year out of the two we were suppose to be together. I don't want to embarrass her as it seems she didn't even know-"

"What does any of that have to do with me?" Alexander asks crossing his arms.

I swallow the lump that is forming in my throat. "I may have eluded that you were my boyfriend."

He scoffs.

"So I'm asking you to pretend to be my boyfriend." I say looking at him pleadingly

"No." His response is quick.

"Please?" I beg.

"No." He repeats.

"Why? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem?" I question furrowing my eyebrows.

He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't get paid enough to do this."

An idea clicks. "I'll pay you extra!"

"What?!"

"Look, I'm desperate here....I probably won't see them ever again, so please? I'll pay you extra, and leave a fantastic review." I rub my hands together in a begging motion."Please, you're my hail mary"

Alexander sighs. "Fine."

I clap and jump up and down excitedly. "Thank you. Just let me do the talking." I take his hand in mine and lead him back into the coffee shop.

Jesse and Emily are still sitting where we left them. I lead Alexander to the table next to them and sit down.

"Sorry. I just wanted a moment alone with him first." I tell them faking innocence.

"No problem. So how did you meet?" Emily asks resting her head in her hands.

"We met on campus last month when I went for a tour." I reply.

"She's going into the same major as me." Alexander offers.

I look at him and he smiles and winks at me.

"I thought you looked familiar." Jesse says his eyes looking at Alexander with intensity.

I raise an eyebrow at Alexander. "You two shared a class?"

"Yeah, you're Jesse Sanders right?" Alexander asks looking back with a bored expression.

"Yeah. We had a gen eds class together." Jesse continues. "Psych 101."

"Great!" I cringe inwardly. "How did you and Jesse meet?" I ask turning my attention towards Emily.

"We met in Biology." Emily smiles dreamily, "we became lab partners and the rest is history."

The tightness in my chest is threatening to cave my ribcage in on itself. Their story sounds like one out of a movie. Something warm squeezes my hand and I look down to see I still had Alexander's hand in mine.

"It was really nice meeting you two, but Charlotte and I have some places to be, I offered to show her around town today." Alexander tells them smoothly.

I take a deep breath. "Yeah, sorry to be in a rush." I stand up bringing Alexander with me.

"That's fine. See you around?" Emily asks with a dazzling smile.

I shrug. "Yeah, maybe."

I turn and leave the couple behind. I leave the coffee shop determined to never step foot in there again. I'm a good fifty feet away before I feel Alexander rip his hand away from mine and sigh. I look down at my now empty hand and then up at the boy who was my hail mary.

"I'm sorry." I murmur.

He shrugs a bored expression on his face.

"I'll make sure I leave a shinning review so you'll get requested for this." I give him a smile still fighting back the tears.

"Sure, so long as you don't add the fact that I pretended to be your boyfriend. That's not part of the business." He retorts.

I sigh. "I know. Thank you again."

He shoves his hands into his pockets and starts to walk down the street. "Why didn't you just confront him about it?"

I match his leisurely stroll down the sidewalk passing stores and food joints. "She had no clue who I was." I reply quietly, "I didn't want to make a scene on my first day here in Irvine. I honestly don't know how I did any of that." I reach up and tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Did you come to this school just because of your boyfriend? Well I guess ex-boyfriend?"

I wince at his bluntness. "No. I actually came to Irvine to see him off on his first day here. I really liked the city and the campus." I look down at my feet, "having him here seemed like an added bonus."

"Well, thankfully he has a different major." Alexander muses. "You probably won't have any classes with him or even see him after today."

I nod. I had already thought about that. My plan was to have meals with him and see him on the weekends, but seeing how things have changed I would have to rearrange my thoughts. I have to make some friends.

"Are you really a med student?" I ask Alexander. As we pass a bar with outdoor seating.

"Yeah," he glances at me with a smile.

I have to admit that he was attractive. He has deep-set light brown eyes that were warm and welcoming.

"That's why they assigned me to be your guide for the town and school."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense." I respond.

                         ****

I had over sixty dollars to Alexander as we approach my apartment building.

"Thanks again for today." I sigh. "You really helped me out, sorry I dragged you into it."

He waves the cash in my face and smiles. "Money well earned. I'll pick you up here tomorrow around ten so I can show you around campus and the medical labs."

I nod. "Ok. See you then." I wave and enter my apartment building.

The weight of today's events crash on top of me as I make my way up to my apartment. Tears are streaming down my face as I unlock the door and walk into my empty apartment.

My phone buzzes and I look down to see a text from Jesse.

Where are you staying? We need to talk.

I put my phone down and drag myself to bed.