This Girl

Chapter 46: Those are the Rules of Masculinity

The door bangs open and I rub my eyes, standing up. Alex stands there, staring at me. I look at the ground.

"Nat," he says. He's sweaty from his morning NFL training and his shirt is off. I look at him. He stares back before his face collapses and he walks forward, bringing me into him with one arm and wrapping the other around my back. I wrap mine around his neck and cry into him.

"Alex," I cry. "I wanted to tell you."'

"Why didn't you?" he asks. I feel a tear leak onto his shoulder.

"I... didn't know how," I say. He pulls me into him further and threads a hand into my hair, softly combing it so that I calm down. He runs a hand up and down my back as I sob into him.

"How long?" he asks. I shrug.

"A few months," I whisper.

"Nat," he whispers into my ear, his head moves down to my neck and I stop crying finally.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. He runs his hands through my hair and my breathing starts to even out. 

"You should've told me, Dude," he says. I pull him into me further.

"I couldn't have," I say quietly. 

"Why not? I would've stopped it. You know... I lo-"

 You would've broken up with her!" I say. His hold weakens and he looks down at me. Oh no.

"What?" he asks.

My phone vibrates. Alex picks it up. His mouth falls open and he slams it on the desk with so much force the whole thing rattles and I'm surprised it doesn't break. He storms out and I slump down on the seat again, picking up my phone. Its a text from Amanda's spam account that I haven't accepted yet.

Alex is already out of the room and I lay my head on the desk. Damn, why does this have to happen to me?

***

"Natalie Bennett!" Bubbles yells from ten feet away from our table. She slams her butt down on the seat and places her back down firmly beside her. "What in God's name is going on?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, munching on my burrito. Kate and I are the only ones here, Meghan and Chloe are doing their Japanese homework.

"The... What! Alex! Amanda! You! Alex and Amanda! Amanda and you! What the flip is going on!" she asks, pulling out her phone from her back. "Look!"

"Wha-" I start but she turns up the volume and the video starts playing. I scoot over on the bench and peer at the phone. Kate moves over and bites into her sandwich, listening closely.

The video features two people. One - a shirtless Alex and two - a Gucci clad Amanda. They're yelling at each other against the lockers. A couple of other people have their phone out.

"You're sick!" Alex yells at her.

"Sorry!" Amanda screams back. "Not my fault she's a cow!"

"Excuse me?" Alex says, walking right up to her. "She is not a cow. She is fantastic! You're more of a cow than she ever could be! She's beautiful! She's not fake like you, and she's funny! How dare you call her a cow!"

"Come on Alex. You like me, remember, it's alright. I'm sorry, we can work this out," she says, placing a hand on his chest and looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

"No!" he pushes her hand away. "I never liked you! And you f***ing think we can work this out? We're done, Amanda. It's over! And don't you ever touch her again," he says, chucking a piece of paper at her and walking away.