It Started With a Dare

Chapter 13

Honestly, I actually finished this chapter last December. I don't even know why I didn't wanna publish it. So, uhh, here ya go.

~

I sat on the opposite side of Alex. I stared at the paper bag that smelled of lasagna. If I don't eat it soon, the lasagna will probably cry because it feels and tastes cold.

Puppy Alex walked out of the open door of my flat. Once he caught sight of Alex, he growled, but stopped when he noticed that he was asleep. He ignored him and jumped on my lap, making himself comfortable.

Then I had an idea.

"Alex, lick his face," I whispered. Then I realised I was talking to a dog. He won't understand me. But Puppy Alex did understand me.

Puppy Alex sneakily climbed on Alex's lap and stood on his back paws while his front was on his chest. Then he struck. Although Puppy Alex can only reach Alex's chin, he did his job well. He playfully bit and licked at his chin.

Alex stirred, and his face contorted in disgust. With his eyes still shut, he said, "Hailey! Out of all the ways you do to wake me up, this is, by far, the most disgusting." Then he opened his eyes.

At first, Alex's eyes met mine, then Puppy Alex's, then back to mine. His eyebrows furrowed, but he wasn't angry. "That's sick, Annie," he muttered. "I brought lasagna for you."

"Why?"

"Just to thank you, and I probably upset you back there," Alex said.

I smiled tightly, "Don't worry about it." I stood up and went back inside my flat.

Alex stood up, grabbed the paper bag, and followed me. "That's the thing, " he said. "It does worry me." He handed me the paper bag. "Does it make your uncomfortable to talk about your family?"

"Sometimes," I shrugged. "I feel like they sent me here to keep me out of their hair. But you gotta live with it."

"That's what worries me."

I raised my brow at him in astonishment. Alex, of all people, is worried about me-again-, of all people? I snorted and slumped down on the couch. "It doesn't bother me, trust me," I assured.

"I know you, Annie," Alex narrowed his eyes on me. "You keep it bottled up, until you explode and don't know what to do with yourself." He sat down beside me. "Anna, you keep everything to yourself. I know you probably won't believe me, but I'm worried you're gonna explode and this time, you won't be able to fix yourself."

"I won't," I assured. "I always do. Thanks for the concern." I patted his back. Sometimes, I just wish for the 'normal' self. I'm not accustomed to see him so... nice.

"Hey, I'm always nice," Alex nudged my shoulder.

Oh, I said that out loud.

"Really? Throwing my shoe on the roof three years ago?"

"How do you still remember that? That one was one of my good ol' jokes."

"I walked home with one shoe and got the pair two days later," I reminded him. "But I forgive you."

As I reached over for my lasagna, I heard Alex's voice mutter faintly, "What is it with women guilt-tripping men then forgive them right after?"

"Circle of life, buddy," I patted his shoulder. "You guys give us a hard time too, you know." Puppy Alex came over and started licking my toes. I grabbed a piece of the pasta and fed it to him.

"You're welcome," Alex said, lightly flicking Puppy Alex's tail. "I bought that lasagna." He quickly pulled his fingers back when Puppy Alex made a snap at him. "What is your problem?"

"You," I said. "He's just jealous. He doesn't see me with that much people around here."

Alex did an eye scope around my place and whistled long and low. "If I owned this place, I would throw parties and stuff," he said.

"I don't like strangers here, and I don't think my parents would appreciate me 'partying.'"

"Scaredy-cat, afraid you'll get shipped back to England?"

"No," I answered. No, I just don't want them to be disappointed in me. "In fact, I wanna go home. I hate being alone in here."

"Why don't you tell them that then?" Alex asked.

"Because," I said.

"That's not an answer."

"Because!" I exhaled, exasperated. "They sent me here to be all responsible. If I tell them now that I want to go home, they'll think I'm sort of failure, because I can't take care of myself."

"Oh, please," Alex waved his arm at me as if he was scolding me for being a drama queen. "No proper parent would ever call their child a failure."

That's because you haven't met my mother. I didn't reply to him. If I went home, she'll probably just ship me off to some boarding school.

"Hey, do you wanna watch a movie?" Alex offered. He probably sensed something for him to change the subject, which I was grateful for.

"I don't wanna go outside," I moaned lazily, slouching back in the couch.

"Do you have any DVDs?"

"They're in the drawer under the TV," I pointed. "Take your pick."

Alex rummaged through many cases of DVD. Yes, I bask myself in movies, books, and video games. Then he froze. He pulled up three cases of DVD. It was Game of Thrones. All three seasons of them. I have yet to buy the fourth season.

"I never thought of you as a Game of Thrones person," Alex grinned. Then he added quietly, "Pervert."

I stood up and pointed my finger at him. "Hey, you don't know that much about me, so don't call me a pervert just because I have all three seasons of Game of Thrones," I snapped. "I happen to find the plot absolutely fantastic. Unlike you boys who watch for the boobs."

"Who's side are you on?" Alex asked suddenly, clearly avoiding my last statement.

"Pardon?"

"The houses? Targaryen? Lannister? Stark?"

Soon, we talked about Game of Thrones. He was on the Stark's side, as I was on the Targaryen's. Since we were talking about houses, we ended up talking about Harry Potter too.

To sum it all up, Alex and I watched the entire season one of Game of Thrones and the first three movies of Harry Potter.

Talk about productive.

~

Feedback is greatly appreciated. The next two chapters are also already done, but I'll post them in a week. Or if I get the feedback I expected for this chapter. ┐('д｀)┌