UGLY (Vol.1)

Pg 9. Roads Ahead

"Alyssa? Alyssa!" Linda's high pitched voice woke Alyssa awake from her daydreams.

"Huh? Uh- yeah!" Alyssa quickly stuttered.

"What are you doing? I'm gonna go and order some drinks- so what do you want? This is like- the third time I asked." Linda spoke rapidly, her voice like a hummingbird.

"Sorry- uh, Triple Mocha Frappuccino," Alyssa answered, her face flushing. Quietly she thought- 'It's what Tyler ordered for me.'

Ever since her trip to Taco Bell with Tyler, she felt some queer emotion flow through her body, not just her heart and brain, but somehow through her veins, whenever she thought of Tyler. It was something she lost for too long, maybe almost forgot. But somehow it was clinging on the edge of her mind, and Tyler had aroused it again.

"See, see? She's doing that again. Hello? Earth to Alyssa? You hear me?" Linda's hummingbird-voice broke through Alyssa's mind and shook her again.

"Yeah, Yeah, I'm here." Alyssa rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

"Leave her be, Linda- she's dreaming!" Catherine teased, her perfect eyelashes fluttering accusingly as she held her arms out while saying the word 'dreaming.'

"Haha, very funny- Catherine." Alyssa gave a sideways glance at her, sheepishly taking a huge inhale on her straw.

"Oh-ho your gonna get a brain freeze, that's for sure." Ryan chuckled, and Alyssa regretted sucking so much in, just as she got a massive wave of brain freeze crashing on her. She scrunched her face, and all her friends roar in laughter.

By the time Alyssa was starting to have fun, join in the conversation for real, she got a -ting- sound on her hip.

She looked down and took her iPhone out to find a text lying there.

- I'm free today, how about you?

It was much formal than she expected, but clearly an invitation to hang out. Alyssa bit her lips, hesitating. It always seemed right to be calm and sassy at all times when getting an invite, trying not to sound too excited, but now it looked ridiculous. Whatever this was, she was to ask her friends- just sitting there, ready to help her.

"Hey, guys?" She called, nervously looking over them.

As usual, all the kids looked up; their eyes fixed on her.

"Um, how do you kind of- sound not so excited, but say yes at the same time?" She asked, her words spilling out of her mouth before she knew it.

Linda seemed shocked, and Blake met Isabel's eyes, looking surprised as well.

"Aye- come on, you, of all people, should know that." Richard rolled his blue eyes. He once asked Alyssa for all the tips he needed to get a girl's attention.

"Yeah girl, you know 'sassy' like you know your ass!" Blake encouraged, softly laughing at her own joke.

Alyssa blushed again- but felt the need to ask.

"It's really really weird, you know- I thought I knew- I really did. But then Tyler- Tyler's so different, and..." Alyssa blurted, her drink clutched tightly in her hands.

The girls all looked at each other smugly, and the boys hooted.

"Damn, our Alyssa's in love!" Kaylee howled, her ponytail wavering about the place. The way she said 'love' sounded like 'Laauuuuve.' All the kids snickered, but in an approving way, although some kids had a hint of jealousy in their voices.

"No- It's just-" Alyssa muttered, but couldn't go on.

"Come on; you can't take it back now!" Linda teased, laughter breaking through.

Alyssa just cocked her head and texted back.

- I think so?

A few moments later, the -ting- came back.

- You're at Starbucks?

Damn, he really knew her so well. Alyssa let her friends and their voices slip away, focusing on the phone that held a fracture of Tyler.

- Yup

Alyssa looked up to see her friends surrounding her, capturing the air, making it cloudy.

"Guys, please! It's nothing, really. Just Tyler!" This time, Alyssa laughed- looking over at her friends.

"And you can't hear a word we say? Mmhm, that's not true." Blake stated, Ryan, laughing beside her.

"Did you say Tyler? The kid who came over to our school last time?" Isabel added, with a matter-of-factly accent. Kaylee was right beside her, her eyes twinkling.

"C'mon- it really isn't-" Before Alyssa could finish, a -ting- filled the air, making everybody quiet. Alyssa looked down.

- I'm here.

Alyssa's eyes widened, her face turning towards the window in an instance. There, parked nicely on the side of the sidewalk, was a white Corvette, the same one she rode last time.

All the kids' eyes were fixed on her now, quiet and waiting, for the action and expression. The moments stretched until Alyssa murmured something as an excuse, grabbed her purse and phone, and ran out.

Tyler was leaning beside his car, waving at Alyssa. Alyssa forced herself to walk slowly towards Tyler. Her heart was running to him, a broad smile across it, but her legs were commanded to stay strong.

"I thought you'd never come out." Tyler teased, smiling without showing his teeth.

"Sorry, I had some- uh, things- back there." Alyssa murmured, climbing into the front seat.

"Nah, it's fine. I just wanted to go out somewhere- this time, not taco bell." Tyler said as Alyssa scrambled for the seat belt.

"So where exactly are you planning to go?" Alyssa asked, but Tyler was already holding the wheel, his feet on the pedal.

"You'll see." Tyler shortly replied.

Alyssa could feel her heart thump in rhythmically. It screamed of unknown emotions.

"You can link your phone to the speaker if you want- it's Bluetooth," Tyler said, his eyes not leaving the road.

Alyssa looked at her phone, then the speaker, taking a moment to realize what he meant. When she finally understood, she linked it and turned on her normal track, something she listens with someone else, with universal tastes every human would like.

Soon after the newest Maroon5 song, Tyler added-

"Nah, you have any electronics? Remix? Dubstep?"

Alyssa looked at Tyler, surprised. Something inside her told her Tyler would like her killer track. Encouraged, she turned it on, eyeing Tyler's reactions.

"Yeah, that's more like it!" Tyler exclaimed, his fingers drumming on the wheel.

Alyssa grinned at him and grooved along.

There were roads before them, riding their emotions.

But it felt fine.

That road was all that mattered to them, for now.

Everything else was a blur.