ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ✓

F O R T Y

Alexa

"Are you mad at me?" Michael quickly questioned me the next day as soon I joined him, Jackson and Elliot at our usual table. I looked at him, confused, and then glanced at Elliot and Jackson, but they looked as if they were waiting for a response, as well.

"Why would you think I'm mad at you?" I asked him, raising my eyebrow. Then I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "...Did you do something that I should be mad at you over?"

"I dunno! That's why I'm asking!" Michael practically whined. "Whatever it is, I'M SORRY!"

"Yo," Jackson leaned over Michael, "You never apologize so submissively to a girl. It makes you look like an idiot...." He thinks about his statement, hopefully realizing that it was a dumb thing to say. "Well, more of an idiot than you already are, Mikey." Guess not.

I decided to pretend that I wasn't deeply offended.

"Well, I don't listen to you, soooo I AM SORRY, ALEXAAA!" Michel whined.

Elliot glanced at Michael, then at me, and took out a book and began reading, seemingly bored with this conversation — and Micheal's constant weirdness. Jackson just rolled his eyes.

I stared at him for a second before I responded. I hoped Michael wasn't drawing any attention to us, because talk about awkward. "Why are you apologizing?" I questioned.

Micheal looked sad.

Like, really sad.

Like a kicked puppy.

Or a kid that just lost something precious to them — their ice cream cone.

"Because I did something! I dunno what, though, but whatever it is, I'm—"

"Stop apologizing!" I said, stopping him from doing so. I looked at Jackson. "What's with Michael, exactly?"

Jackson shrugged. "He didn't say, just going on about how you must be mad at him before you got here. So, I should be asking you, what did Michael do?"

"No clue! That's what I wanna know!" Great. Now I'm whining.

Elliot continued to read as he said calmly, "Well, are you mad at Michael?"

"No!"

"Liar!" Michael shouted. "If you're not mad, then why did you ignore me?"

I blinked, suddenly confused. "What? When did I ignore you?"

Jackson looked between us.

Michael huffed, crossing his arms. "Oh, sure! Act like you don't know!" he said sarcastically. Okay.... is Michael the somewhat lovable goofball to all  (except Jackson, of course) mad at me... after accusing me of  being mad at him?

"Um, I actually don't know?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's going on? You good?"

Michael finally decided to give me an answer.

"I texted—"

"Spammed," Jackson and Elliot inputted from the sidelines.

"Yes, that." Michael nodded in agreement. "I spammed you yesterday and you didn't reply! You always reply, no matter what! So.... are you mad at Me or something?! At least be able to tell me so!"

Oh.

I bit my lip. Jackson was staring at me, too, and Elliot was peeking up from beyond his book. Well, this is a bit awkward. It never even occurred to me that Michael might have jumped to conclusions like this. I don't blame him, though. I would have assumed the same thing.

"I-I'm not mad, promise." Something in my voice must have made Elliot put his book down and stare at me suspiciously. "It's just, well..." Jackson and Michael was still staring at me, and now Elliot is too, gosh, can things be any more awkward? "Erm, welllll—"

"Just spit it out already, woman!" Jackson demanded.

Great. Since when was he apart of Michael's and my conversation? Things just keep getting more awkward by the second.

"Oi! Jackson, don't yell at her!" Michael glared at him. The he looked back at me. "Spit it out already, woman!"

Is it too late to just not go to school today?

"Well, my dad broke it!" I blurted out. "Er, my phone. He broke my phone. I'm sorry." Please don't be mad, please don't be mad, please don't be mad. I was referring to all three of them, but I felt like Elliot had the most reason to be mad — he was the one that gave me that phone, after all.

Speaking of, Elliot lost his normally calm demeanor. "He did what?" Elliot questioned, his facial expression darkening.

Michael and Jackson both glanced at him, looked over him at each other, looked at me, and then scooted their chairs away, since both of them sat on either side of him. I, too, was nervous by Elliot's tone... since that very same tone always lacks emotion... except for now. It was weird. Maybe he's possessed or something.

"He, um, broke the phone you gave me?" I repeated, a bit more unsure of myself than before.

"On purpose or accident?" Michael asked.

"Er, purpose," I muttered, fiddling my fingers.

"Okay, who else wants to have a little chat with her dad?" Jackson asked, clenching his fists.

"I do!" Michael was quick to reply. "And I know where he lives!"

I sigh. "Please don't visit my dad," was all I said.

Elliot looked pissed. "So, how much longer to the trial?"

"A week, I think," I replied.

"Well, we're gonna testify for sure," Elliot said, his eyes narrowed at nothing in particular.

"We are?" Michael questioned.

"We are," Elliot confirmed.

"Count me in," Jackson said.

"Can kids even testify?" I asked.

"I dunno," Jackson and Michael said together, causing Jackson to slap him.

"I'll look it up," Elliot said with a slight shrug, "but even if it's not allowed, well, I have... connections."

"Oh... Kay." I allowed the subject to drop.

"I'll still like a chat with your dad," Jackson said.

"Absolutely not!"

Okay, I think I know who Alexa will end up with, but that's a secret for now. Buuuut my mind could always change. So if you want to sway me — cuz it's possible that your ship isn't picked — then you can give reasons into why you ship your ship if you want :D And why you don't like the other ships as much

Also is their anything that you ship that doesn't involve Alexa? I've been hinting at something, but it's not too obvious just yet, and it might or might not end up cannon