My Name Is Alexander

Chapter 5

Alex's PoV

A week passes and due to the lack of caffeine, I get snappy and become even more of a dick at school. I pretty much just sleep when I'm at home, only waking up to make a video and do homework. The only thing that hasn't changed is that I've been flirting. I've flirted with Thomas even though he's pissed at me STILL, flirted with a Miss Eliza Schuyler and a Miss Angelica Schuyler, but mainly with a thought-consuming Mister John Laurens. I've become a little obsessed with him. I'm stalking him on Snapchat and Instagram. I have a dozen pictures I drew of him hidden under my bed. I stare at him constantly at school. And I'll admit it, I've jacked off to him a few times. I'm driving around on my motorcycle, letting off some steam by tearing apart the road. I drive past a park and screech to a halt. There's a certain blonde-haired beauty there. I park my motorcycle, fix my jacket, ruffle my hair to an appropriate handsomely rugged, and casually swagger his way with a charming smile like I'm totally not kinda a stalker. "Fancy seeing you here." I greet him, using my school voice. Even from the person I have a massive crush on, I'm keeping that side of me a secret. It's too soon. He looks up at me.

"Hello." He says. I sit on the bench next him, about two feet away, and casually hang my arm over the back of the bench. I pop a mint into my mouth and extend the tin.

"Want one?" I offer, making direct eye contact. He breaks it after a moment.

"Sure." He takes one and I shove them back in my jacket. "Have you finished with Paine's essay yet?" He asks slightly awkwardly. He's so cute.

"Pfft, I finished that days ago. It was easy." I say. A five page essay. Finished it in a day.

"Oh, that's good." He says. A silence settles over us for a long minute. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." I pull out a cigarette and light it. He stares at it before shaking his head slightly.

"Well, I always thought that 'rebels' or 'bad boys' or whatever, like you, didn't do well in school and failed and got kicked out and stuff." He says, slightly embarrassed. I want to kiss him so bad. "So why aren't you like that?" I laugh dryly.

"J, those only exist in movies and books. This ain't neither." I take in a lungful of smoke and release it slowly. "I'm like an onion."

"You make people cry?" He grins, playing along.

"Well, I can." I wink at him. "I have layers J. Many layers. I just like to show the 'rebel, bad boy' one while I'm at school."

"And it seems a part of that is a flirty layer." He says. I laugh genuinely.

"Oh, that one is always showing. Unless I'm at home. There's no one to flirt with there. Only my brother, but we ain't in Alabama. He is pretty hot though." I admit casually. He raises an eyebrow. "Gay but I'll flirt with anyone. Not pan, not bi. Strictly gay." I'll tell him what he needs so I can get him interested in me. "What do you do in your free time?" I ask, steering the conversation into less possibly dangerous waters.

"I like to draw. Nature. Birds, flowers, trees, animals, landscapes. You?"

"Recently my favorite pastime has been sleep." I stifle a yawn. "My father has greatly limited my caffeine intake and I'm having trouble adjusting. But before that, I would game. A lot."

"What kind of games?" He asks. I shrug.

"Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch, the works." I blow out another lungful of smoke and rub my eyes. "Sorry, after a week I still haven't gotten used to a Redbull and a coffee a day. When you basically live off of those for most your life, you get used to the energy they provide. I don't know how I'm awake right now, or how I've stayed awake. Oh, wait. Nevermind. Night..." I mumble, my eyes closing. He shakes me and my eyes snap back open. "Sorry! Sorry. I should probably get home, I shouldn't be out if I'm falling asleep."