How it Began

|29|

"So... seven minutes in Heaven with Hal Cooper, how was that?" FP questions her as they lay cuddled up in her bed.

"Fine. We just talked."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Talked about our plans for after high school."

"What are your plans for after high school?"

She sighs and turns away from him. "It's stupid."

"Al, come on, nothing you want in life could possibly be stupid." He rolls onto his side and kisses her shoulder. "Tell me what your plans are, babe. I promise, I'll support you no matter what they are."

She rolls onto her back and he wraps his arms around her more securely. "I want to be a journalist," She sighs before continuing. "Maybe own my own paper someday, or work for local broadcast news maybe."

"That's not stupid, Alice."

"No?"

"No, God no! You don't give yourself enough credit, baby. You just assume that because you're from the Southside and that your parents are shitty people that you're not worth anything."

"Do you blame me? When was the last time you heard that someone from the Southside made something of themselves?"

"Well-"

"Never, that's when! Because no one wants to hire Southside scum, I'm probably going to end up like my mom and resort to taking my clothes off for strangers in exchange for money."

"Alice, I promise you, whatever you need to get where you wanna go I'm gonna help you every step of the way."

"You don't have to."

"I know I don't, I want to. You mean the world to me, baby." He presses a kiss to her forehead and she smiles. "Hey, maybe you could join the Blue and Gold? They could probably use some extra hands and it would be a good way to get some experience in the journalism field."

She grins. "I never thought about that." She straddles his hips and leans down to capture his lips. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Al." And he pecks another kiss to her lips. "So much."

_____

Just as they reach the door to the Blue & Gold office, Alice stops moving and turns to face FP. "I'm nervous, what if they turn me down?"

"Babe, it's the school newspaper, they need all the help they can get. They'd be lucky to have you." He kisses her softly and turns her towards the door. "Go knock em' dead, baby."

She walks inside, clutching a small folder full of stuff she's written. "Excuse me?" She looks around the room and doesn't see anyone in the room. "Hello?"

The supply closet door open and her mouth goes dry as she sees Hal walk out.

"Sorry I was just sorting through some stuff back there. What's up, Alice?"

"Um, uh, I talked to Mr. Brownley about joining the paper and he told me to compile a collection of some stuff I've wrote and bring it in to the head of the paper."

"That's me." He smiles and takes the folder from her. "You're interested in joining the paper?"

"Uh, yeah, should help strengthen my writing abilities and hopefully help me get into a journalism program after high school." She leaves out the part where FP suggested she join the paper. It's not like it's a secret to Hal that she and FP are together but for some reason she finds herself wanting to ignore that fact around him.

"Well," he sets the folder down on the desk and perches himself atop it. "I think the Blue and Gold would be lucky to have you."

Her eyes grow wide. "Really?" He nods with a smile. "But you didn't even read over any of my work, you're just going to let me join?"

"Like I told you at the party, I believe in you." She smiles at that and feels her cheeks heat up. "Just don't tell Mr. Brownley I let you in without reading any of your work."

"Deal."

They share a smile and he's just so darn charming she can't help but feel a flutter in her stomach.