School's Out: an Alex Brightman x Reader

5) Berry Shooting Writer

I let out a satisfied sigh and shoved my empty plate forwards. Next to me, Sierra sloughed back in her chair and looked guilty at the last strawberry in hers. 

"Oh come on Sierra! It's just one bite! You're not gonna leave it there, are you?" 

Two of the actors chimed in with me.

"Yeah, you got this!" one of them said.

"We believe in you!" the other agreed.

When we decided to pick an aftercourse, the others had considered ordering one too. Apart from Alex and Andrew, who just got a coffee, they had all given in and chosen a dessert of their liking.

"I'm sorry but I can't!" Sierra complained.

I gave her a disapproving look.

"Does anyone else want this delicious strawberry?" she asked innocently. 

But no one seemed very eager to help her out. Just as I was about to sacrifice myself, one of the writers snatched the berry from Sierra's plate.

"Hey Alex," she said, "catch!"

A red flash passed inches away from my face.

Alex had been unusually silent the last couple of minutes. He'd been staring into the distance most of the time, so when he heard his name, he was slow to react.  

"Huh? Wha-" he asked absently. 

Before he could finish his sentence, however, the strawberry hit him right in the face. It splatted on his nose and slowly slid down to his chin. For a moment everyone just stared at Alex, holding their breath.

But it didn't take long before the woman who was responsible for the fruity projectile couldn't hold it anymore and burst out into laughter. Soon the whole table joined her, but Alex still seemed confused as to what just happened. He wiped his chin and gave the berry shooting writer a questioning look. 

"You should've seen your face!" she chortled.

I was relieved to see a smile break through on Alex's face. He dabbed his nose clean with a napkin and joined the group in their amusement. 

A little bit later Sierra asked for the bill. Some people offered to pay for their own food but Sierra stubbornly refused. She followed a waiter to the bar to pay and when she was back at our table, Andrew and a few others rose from their chairs to put on their coats. They thanked Sierra for the meal and waved everyone goodbye. Two actors and Alex were still deep in conversation so it seemed like they wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"Is it okay if we stay a bit longer?" Julian asked.

"I still have some tea left in my cup and we are in the middle of a very exciting story from Alex, so please say yes?" Glenn, the other actor begged.

"Yeah, sure!" Sierra answered. "Take as much time as you want!" 

With that last sentence, she glanced at me and gave me a wink. I lived quite far from Sierra, so we rarely went out together and when the others left she would drive me back to the train station. I really didn't want to leave and I was pretty sure that Sierra didn't want this day to end either. Who knew when we would see each other again? With this new show she would be doing, she wasn't going to have much time left to meet up. With that in mind, Sierra and I cherished the little time we had left with each other and continued our usual chatter.

About half an hour later Alex had finished his story and he and the actors stood up from their seats. They bid us good night and prepared to leave. 

"Don't wait for me guys", Alex said when he saw Glenn and Julian standing at the entrance.

"Okay, see ya, Alex!" Glenn answered. They waved at us one last time and shut the door behind them. 

Alex turned to face me and Sierra again and our eyes met. I could feel some sort of energy sizzle in my stomach, but I ignored it and casually looked away. 

Only now I noticed how quiet the previously crowded restaurant was. Just a few people were still enjoying their last sips of coffee. All the other tables were empty. 

"Do you have any idea where I might find the toilet, Sierra?" Alex chuckled.

So that's why he wanted to stay. I felt a bit disappointed and without really knowing why, I let my shoulders drop. 

Sierra pointed him in the right direction and turned back to me to say something when her phone rang. She saw the number and apologized to me.

"I'm sorry, I really have to take this."

"No problem", I reassured her. 

She moved to a more private spot and answered her phone. After she confirmed the caller had the right number, the woman on the other side started to ramble on continuously. I couldn't understand what it was about, but with every word Sierra's eyes grew bigger and she looked very distressed. After a while, she thanked the woman for informing her and hung up. 

"What was that about?" I asked concerned.  

"My nephew fell down the stairs and now he's at the hospital."

"Oh my God! Is he going to be okay?" I sounded just as worried as Sierra. 

"I don't know, they're still taking x-rays because he might've broken his leg."

"Oh no!" I frowned. 

"I'm sorry Y/N but I really have to go!"

"Of course! But... how am I gonna get home?"

"I don't know... Maybe..."

Right then, Alex walked back into the room and Sierra instantly shot her eyes at him. 

"Alex will drive you", she said. 

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

"Sierra's nephew is at the hospital so she can't bring me to the station", I swiftly explained.

"Will you drive her?" Sierra begged him. 

"I... uh yeah, sure but..."

He hadn't even finished his sentence yet when Sierra had already jumped in her coat, rushed to the door, yelled a quick "Thank you!" and disappeared into the night.