I Choose You

Out of Love, Pt 2

"No use wondering

While your change in heart has wandered
So I ask you this question
'Cause it might help me sleep longer

Oh, when did you fall out of love?
Out of love
Oh, when did you run out of love for me?"

Out of Love by Alessia Cara

***

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Maggy asked not but a second after reaching me at my locker. Her eyebrows were knitted together in worry.

Despite seeing my reflection in the mirror, I played her off. "I don't know what you mean." I quickly grabbed the books I would need for the first few periods of school with the hope she would let the conversation drop.

"Hey, you two!" William said, with an electrified sound of the voice, coming up behind Maggy and me. A wide smile laid across his face.

Maggy crossed her arms over her chest, a clear sign she was frustrated and not letting go of the topic at hand. "I'm trying to figure out why Gray has bags under her eyes. She looks like she's about to tip over from exhaustion."

William studied me up and down after Maggy's comment - seeing if her allegations were true. "Did you not get enough sleep?" William presumed.

I shook my head. "I didn't but it's no big deal," I shrugged off.

Maggy raised a skeptical eyebrow at me with no belief in what I had said. I hated how she could see through me, no matter what. "This doesn't have anything to do with that boy, Icarus, does it?"

I did not know how to tell her that Icarus was only a portion of what kept me up. The bigger reason being Alexander. I had stayed up all night expecting him because he said he was on the way, however, he never showed. It angered me that he didn't at least text me he couldn't come. It would have saved me hours of sleep I needed.

A headache began to form due to my thoughts and the integration  Maggy was ensuing. "I have class," I muttered before slamming my locker door closed.

Maggy grabbed my arm, halting me from leaving. Her eyes pierced me with a bold seriousness.

I knew Maggy was going to try and talk me into telling her what kept me up all night. After all, she was relentless when she wanted to know something. "Maggy, please. Can we not talk about this now?" I pleaded, not wanting to break down, in any capacity, in the hallway.

Her eyes softened with understanding. "Okay," her hand gradually slipped from my arm. I knew her gesture meant that she was still wanting answers but was still there for me whenever I needed her. "But, we'll talk about this when you look like Hell later."

I nodded, knowing she would squeeze the answer out of me - like always.

***

Alexander had either skipped school or was avoiding me. Despite not seeing him, my mind could not continuously run wild with ideas as to why he stood me up. After a while, anger fully consumed me. The least he could have done was text me that he was not coming over.

Throughout the day I had found my thoughts circling back to Icarus and his random break-up text. I could not understand why he would do such a thing. I wondered if it was something I had done at the park. I thought there was a possibility that I did not do anything that could be the issue. I canceled our date and had not texted Icarus much over the weekend. I considered that he had wanted more from me.

"Are you okay, Grace?" Merle asked as he came up from behind me at the register.

I stood up straight, "Uhh, yeah."

Merle gave me the skeptical look I had grown accustomed to that day. "You don't look so good. I can cover your shift if you need to go home."

Shaking my head, I dismissed his kind proposal. "I'm fine, really." Glancing around at the near-empty Maine Tearoom I contemplated if it was going to remain slow through the rest of the evening. "So, did you talk to Rick about hiring both Holden and Alexander?"

"Yes. Rick gave me the go-ahead to hire both. I already called the fellas and gave them the good news. Holden starts alternating mornings with Antino and evenings with you the day after tomorrow. Alexander starts alternating evenings tomorrow."

I nodded, "Sounds good."

"There is something else, Grace."

"Hmm?" My eyebrow hitched in curiosity.

"Rick and I talked and we would like to make you an assistant manager, on days that I am not here. It comes with a pay raise too," Merle added with a smile.

"How much of a pay raise?"

"Two dollars an hour, which I know is not a lot but it does add up."

I knew he was right and I needed the money. "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow with your shift with Alexander."

Part of me couldn't help but smile in glee at the fact that I would be Alexander's supervisor. I would have something over him. Sadistically it made me happy.