Summer of Discovery

Chapter 4: A Friendship Blooms

My phone buzzes waking me up. I drag myself from my bed and look at my phone.

Are you not going to answer me?
Hello?
Charlie!
We need to talk.

I sigh. There was a time that I had wished for Jesse to send me multiple texts; not anymore. My thumb hovers over his contact information. With a sigh I hit delete and then confirm. The clocks tells me it is eight in the morning and my stomach tells me its time for breakfast.

I pour a bowl of cereal and add milk. As I take my first bite my phone starts to ring. I look down to see it's Evie. I slide the green icon over to answer.

"Hello?" I mumble around the cereal in my mouth.

"Charlie!" Evie yells a panic in her voice.

"What happened?" Lissa chimes in.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Jesse has been texting me and Lissa asking about where you live. How does he not know? Did you not tell him?" Evie explains.

"Did you tell him?" I ask feeling my chest tighten again.

"No. We don't know your address." I can hear the frown in Lissa's voice. "Charlie, what's going on?"

I sigh and push my bowl of cereal away from me.

"Jesse and I are no longer together." I explain leaning against the counter. "He's been cheating on me with a girl here. Since he started school last year."

"WHAT?!" They exclaim.

I pull the phone away from my ear to stop the ringing.

"Are you okay? Did you fight with her?" Evie asks. "Do you want me to come fight her?"

"No." I sigh. "She doesn't know he had a girl back home."

I rub my temple and explain to my friends what happened.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Lissa questions concern in her voice. "I mean, wouldn't you have wanted her to tell you if it was the other way around?"

I frown. "I don't know what I would have wanted Lissa. I want this all to be a dream."

"I'm going to kill him when I see him." Evie growls.

"Don't. I'd rather this just all blow over." I sigh. "I don't want to see him or hear his explanation. I just want to forget him, let him disappear into a memory."

"Do you want us to come early?" Lissa asks sweetly.

"No, you guys need to enjoy your summer. You're coming in a few weeks, that's close enough." I look at the clock, nine o'clock glares at me. "I gotta go. Alexander will be here to pick me up in an hour and I need to make myself presentable."

I hang up the phone and rush to get ready.

                           ****

At 9:45 I'm locking my door and walking downstairs. Outside the sun is shining and I reach to slide my sunglasses down when I notice a wisp of blond hair out the corner of my eye. I turn slowly and come face to face with Jesse.

"What are you doing here?" I ask trying to keep my jaw from dropping.

"I told you we needed to talk." Jesse answers, a scowl on his face.

I take a deep breath. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is Charlie. What are you doing here?"

"Does it matter? I'm going to school here. I was accepted and I already sent my response, I'll be staring when the fall semester begins in August." I stare up at him. "How did you find out where I lived?"

"I called your parents."

My nails dig into the palm of my hands. "You called my parents?!"

"You wouldn't answer your phone!"

"Why would I?!" I scream back. "There's nothing between us anymore. You ruined that!"

"What about you? Aren't you dating Blackburn?"

"What?"

An arm wraps around my shoulders and I jump in surprise. Alexander is standing beside me his arm resting casually on my shoulder. He turns his brown eyes on me and his lips turn up in a half-smile.

"Sorry I'm late Charlie, you ready to go?"

My cheeks burn with embarrassment but my chest feels warm. "Yeah let's go." I turn to Jesse who is looking between Alexander and me bewildered. "Don't ever come to my apartment building again. Goodbye Jesse."
I wrap my arm around Alexander's waist and steer him away.

We continue walking with our arms around each other for awhile.

"Do you see him?" I ask keeping my eyes straight ahead.

"Nope." Alexander replies and steps away from me.

I stop resting my hands on my knees and sigh. "You didn't have to do that."

He smirks. "I'll put it on your tab." He leans against the bus stop sign and tucks his hands into his pockets lazily.

"Why'd you do that?" I ask. "I can't pay you $60 again. I gotta eat ya know."

"Then buy me lunch at the cafeteria and we'll call it even for today." His smile is care-free and his brown eyes are sparkling. "Did you see his face? Honestly that was worth not getting paid."

I stand up and push my long hair away from my face. "Is there something you have against Jesse?"

"Other than him being a cheating ass?" Alexander raises an eyebrow.

I nod. "There seems to be some animosity towards each other."

Alexander shrugs but doesn't answer my question. I decide not to pry and wait for the bus with him in silence. The sidewalks are full of people window shopping, laughing, and enjoying the summer. I turn my face heavenward enjoying the warmth of the sun kissing my skin.

What am I going to do? Will I be able to avoid Jesse for the next three years before he graduates?

Alexander nudges my arm interrupting my thoughts and inclines his head towards the bus that has pulled up. I follow him onto the bus and pay my fare for the ride before following him to a seat towards the back of the bus.

"Thank you, by the way, for doing what you did." I murmur as I settle down next to him on the seat.

He shrugs. "Customer service." He replies with a mischievous glimmer in his brown eyes. "Need that five star rating."

I chuckle. "Right, I'll give you a 10/10."

"I was just thinking we'll probably see a good bit of each other once school starts. Would be nice if we could be friends." He muses looking out the window.

"I'd like that." I beam. "You gotta nickname? Like Alex or something? Alexander just feels too long."

"Zander." He replies.

"All right then." I say with a small smile and lean back against the back of the seat.

This seems like a good beginning to a wonderful friendship.