Hidden Girl

16- Morse Code

I sit in chemistry next to Alex, but I can't focus on this Monday afternoon. Azalea is forcing me to talk to him today or she said she would tell Alex, but mention that it is his name I scream when I have nightmares. Even though these nightmares are usually about people from my past hurting me, I scream Alex's name.

Alex has been bugging me all day because he could tell that my mind is a little off today, but I don't tell him; not yet. Maybe I'll just tell him that we need to talk so at least he might stop bugging me about it.

Out of instinct of what to do in a situation like this, I do what I normally think to do; a thing I do to calm me down and for other reasons. With my pointer finger resting on the table, I lift it up and tap a simple pattern.

Three short taps, three long taps, and three short taps.

I repeat this pattern over and over again with pauses in between the repeats. By the end of class I have this pattern ingrained in my mind.

"What the hell was that all about?" Alex asks me as we walk down the hallway. "You've been off today, Aurora, and you continue to confuse me. Daily."

"What was what all about?" I reply confused.

"The tapping that pattern," Alex rolls his eyes at me.

"Um it's um Morse code," I admit.

Alex looks down at me surprised. "You know Morse code?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I got bored one day. We had been learning about the Titanic in class and how they were the first ship to use SOS. I looked into and became a little bit obsessive over Morse code and memorized it."

"You continue to amaze me every day," Alex smiles at me, making me blush. "So. What did it mean? What were you tapping out?"

"SOS," I admit with a laugh.

"Did you tap this out hoping I knew that you were signaling to me SOS?" Alex smiles, trying not to laugh.

"Maybe," I admit as we both burst out laughing.

"Well sorry I don't waste my time learning Morse Code," he jokingly complains to me.

"Well sorry for dumping this new information onto you then," I smile.

"From now on then," Alex says. "This will be our thing."

I raise my eyebrow at him and he continues to explain. "Whenever we're in need, we can just simply tap it. Three short, three long, three short."

"Works for me," I smile again as Alex swings his arm around me. "Do you ever wonder how we ended up here?"

"Here as in on this earth, or here as in together?" Alex asks.

"Together," I say almost sadly. "How did the outcast end up with... someone as perfect as you?"

Alex stops and turns to face me, both of his hands on my shoulders. "Nobody's perfect-"

"That's a Hannah Montana song," I tell him, kinda annoyed with myself for bringing up this topic.

He rolls his eyes at me and continues. "I'm not perfect. Azalea's not perfect. Sebastian isn't perfect. Nobody's perfect. But in all my years, I've never met someone as nearly perfect as you."

"I'm no where near perfect," I tell him as I look down at the floor. He's said that once before, but it still sounds so strange to my ears.

"Well who cares if you aren't perfect. Nobody is. But you're perfect to me," Alex says to me as he lifts my chin with his fingers. His face is so close to mine, I want to kiss his perfect lips.

Wait.

WHAT?!?!?!

I avoid that thought that popped into my head and instead hug him. "Well you're perfect to me," I say, smiling as I realize he quoted one of my favorite One Direction songs without realizing it.

"Wait," Alex says as he pulls away from me but keeps his arms on my shoulder. I see the concern in his eyes, and I'm instantly a little concerned and confused. "Why do you need an SOS sent out to me? What's wrong?"

"Um well," I try to say as I tuck a hair behind my ear and bite my lip in nervousness. "I meant to talk to you about that, possibly later in not such a public place." Most of the school population was now staring us, and I didn't want to announce the nightmares to the whole school.

He nods his head in understanding and we start off down the hallway again. "And you will tell me, no backing down."

I nod my head, hoping that I made the right choice.