Incomplete

Chapter 37, Alexander

My favorite shade of red hair catches my attention as I sit in the school cafeteria. Lacey is standing beside Georgi, scanning the packed room. Her eyes stop on something in front of her and a doubtful and concerned expression takes over her gorgeous face. My body suddenly wants to jump up and ask her what's wrong but I can't quite get myself to do it.

"Alex!" A cheery voice startle me and Isabelle takes over my view. She doesn't sit down, she just stands there waiting for a response.

"Um, hi," I say and try to get my brain back to where I'm sitting and away from Lacey.

"Are you guys coming to the homecoming dance?" Isabelle smiles at my friends. Dylan scratches his neck, seeming uncomfortable, and I know exactly what's going through his mind. He was hoping on taking his college girlfriend there, I mean, his ex-girlfriend. They had planned matching outfits and all.

"Well it's not like I have a choice. I'm playing in the football game before and they except the whole team to show up," Liam states but doesn't look up from his phone he's scrolling on. Isabelle nods. When she realizes nobody else is going to answer, she moves on to the next question.

"Do you have dates already?" Isabelle twirls her black hair around her finger. Liam and I shake our heads. Dylan looks down at his shoes.

"It's only a week left or so. You better hurry up or you will have to go alone," Isabelle tells us with her gaze locked on me. "Alex, you wouldn't want that, would you?"

"I don't really give a fuck," I say and Isabelle frowns. My eyes snap to the guy behind her walking towards our table. Max approaches us slowly and I feel a knot forming in my stomach. I haven't talk to him since Saturday when I fainted on his floor and acted like an idiot. I gulp.

"You have my number, right?" Isabelle asks and my attention is drawn back to her.

"I think so," I simple reply.

"Then you won't have a problem with finding a date." And with that, Isabelle turns and stamps away. She greets Max with a "hello" when she passes him. Max furrows his eyebrows at her and then takes a seat on the plastic chair next to Dylan and in front of me. I immediately feel the tension grow. Max gives me a half smile when our eyes meet.

"What was that about?" Max gestures with his head towards Isabelle, who is now chatting with some juniors.

"Isabelle wants Alex to ask her to the homecoming dance," Liam replies and finally puts his phone away.

"She begged Alex to ask her out?" Max smirks and glances at me. "Damn, when did girls get that much of courage? Or is it perhaps our friend Alex Gray here who has worked his charm?"

"Shut up Max," I say, but feel a smile creep to my lips. "You know that I don't need to 'work my charm' to get a girl to fall for me. I've got my lucid eyes for that."

"If you say so." Max lifts his hands up in surrender.

I'm glad Max is acting normal. I wouldn't have had the energy to sit through an awkward lunch break.

"So are you gonna ask her?" Dylan, who has been silent the entire time, wonders.

"Nah, don't think so," I say and run my hand through my, now pretty long, hair. "Why are we just talking about me? What about your dates?"

"I'm obviously taking Georgi," Max states and begins to chew on his food.

"What about you, Liam?" I ask and turn to face him.

"Haven't had time to think about it yet," Liam answers nervously, avoiding my eyes. Is he afraid of not finding a date? I can't think of the last time he had a fling or a crush on a girl.

"Yeah, same here," Dylan sighs, leaning with his elbows on the table. "Guess I will just have to stay home this year."

"Hell no," Max utters with a serious face. "When did y'all become so depressing? You have always been the ones who have swept a girl off her feet and made her fall in love without her realizing and then broke her heart."

The three of us stare at Max.

"And that's a good thing?" Liam questions uncertain and studies Max.

"Well, not the last part, but you know what I mean so stop looking at me as if I were crazy."

I take a deep breathe before taking Max's hand in mine. His head snaps up and he watches me confused.

"Hate to break it to you kid, but you are crazy," I try to keep my voice serious but fail and chuckle. Dylan also lets out a laugh.

"Here I am trying to give you a pep talk and that's my response? I hate you guys!" Max exclaims with a grin on his face.

***

I open up my blue metallic locker in the corridor. My backpack lets out a noise as I toss it on the floor next to me and start to stack the books from today's lessons back into the locker. I should probably check if I have any homework for tomorrow but I'm not in the mood for some stupid exercises after the weekend I've been through.

When my striped backpack is empty again, I swing it back on my right shoulder and start to head out of the building. I need to find Max somewhere because I'm too lazy to walk all the way back home. It was demanding enough without a ride in the morning.

"Alex! Wait up!" A voice that has grown to be very familiar to me shouts and I stop in my tracks. I turn around to see Lacey walking towards me. My face immediately lights up. She reaches me with the clothes I borrowed to her in her arms.

"I forgot to return this earlier today," she announces.

"Oh, thanks," I say and take the clothes from her. "You could have kept them. You know, they probably smell like me so you could have listened to love songs and dreamt about me or whatever you girls do these days," I mock her.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass," Lacey states and a small smirk forms on her lips which makes her look utterly cute, which again makes my smile even brighter.

"Are you going to the homecoming dance?" I wonder. Hopefully she is going. But if she is she probably already has a date. I mean look at her, someone has to have asked her. I don't know why but for some reason that thought makes me shiver.

"I'm not sure yet, but Georgi will probably drag me with her anyway."

"You don't have a date?" I blurt out shocked without thinking. Why did I ask that? Embarrassment slowly takes over my body. What the fuck is wrong with me?

"No, I don't," Lacey says and studies me, looking suspicious.

"Good," I utter. The word roll out of my mouth before my brain has the time to process it through. "I mean, it's not good you're going alone. Not that you are going alone because someone will definitely ask you. Not that I know that someone will do it, I just...crap."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Lacey asks a bit amused.

"That I'm a complete fucking idiot who can't keep my mouth shut and..." I trail off trying to get myself together. Have I ever had problems talking to a girl before? Well yeah, Rachel, but she doesn't count because she's just a pain in the ass.

I clear my throat before continuing. "Would you, Lacey Miller, give me the honor to take you to the dance?"

"Really? I mean, sure, yeah of course."

"Excellent," I state and move my eyes away from Lacey for a split second to analyze our surrounding for the first time after she walked up to me. The few people that are left in the corridor are watching us with curious expressions. My gaze stops at the only face I recognize, Isabelle. Her glare rapidly transforms to a smile when she notices me looking at her and then she disappears. 

***

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