"You fell..." I whispered though I knew how stupid it sounded to fall onto someone's lips.
"Did I?" He asked, his eyes flickering from my eyes to my lips, my breathing hitched.
What?
Time suddenly felt like it was going slow as I tried to figure out what exactly to make of this.
"You're stoned Alex, let's go home." I whispered.
It was impossible for Alex to actually like me, we were frenemies at the most. We were definitely not compatible , especially when 90% of our conversations resulted in shouting.
"That I am." He grinned and seemed to have quickly forgotten our conversation. He strode ahead of me quick and I struggled the whole way home to keep up with his fast pace.
~~~
Grabbing my coffee and rushing out of the door, I spotted Alex, who was carelessly leant ob the wall at the bottom of his driveway like he had all the time in the world - not like we had to be at school in ten minutes!
"I told you that you didn't have to wait." I walked quickly past him.
He fell into pace beside me, his sleeves rolled part way up and his hands shoved into his pocket.
I took a sip of my freshly made coffee, ignoring the slight scald it gave my tongue.
"I don't care if I'm late." He shrugged.
Of course he didn't. Alex, who yes, may have great grades and be star captain of the lacrosse team, but also is responsible for the butt prank and is on the verge of being expelled, didn't care if he was late.
I cared. I was hardly ever late. It was a stressful thing I could not deal with, to be late.
Approximately seven minutes later I was hurrying through the double doors of school and into the empty corridors.
"Shoot" I murmured as I made my way to my locker.
I was late, and being late meant walking into class and having everyone turn to stare at you - yay.
Alex strode in just before the doors closed and followed me to my locker, which was only a few away from his, but he didn't seem to be heading for his at the moment.
"Stressing you're late, cupcake?" He asked me, leaning against the locker beside me.
"Yes" I told him, I was in no mood to think up a witty comeback. He made his way around me and shoved his bag into his locker while I arranged my books into the order they'd be needed throughout the day.
"What lesson are you supposed to be in?" I glanced at him through the corner of my eye only to see him watching me, shaking his head and grinning at my need to organise - I'd hate to look in Alex's locker, I'd bet it was worse than a trash can.
"Math" I muttered while I pulled out my math book. "Shoot I forgot about the homework!" Letting out a groan of frustration, I searched for my other necessities within my bag.
"Well there's only one solution then isn't there." I raised my head to look at him, wondering what solution he was thinking of and if it was my kind of useful or Alex kind of useful.
He held eye contact, a complete serious expression set on his face "ditch."
Alex kind of useful.
I scoffed. "you're crazy. Because that would help anything at all, Alex Parker." I slammed my locker, shaking my head and chuckling.
"Think about it cupcake, go to lesson, get a late mark on your record, A missing homework negative too...but if you don't turn up, you can say you had a doctors appointment, you have an extra night to do your homework and everyone's happy."
I sighed how did he make breaking the rules sound like you'd be doing a good thing? It did seem to have its perks, just this once.
I opened my locker again, shoving the items in my hand back into it and slamming it closed. "Where are we going?"
~~~
Alex, who annoyingly ignored my constant nagging to let me in on where we were going, stopped walking when we got to the doors of the local mall. "You're helping me shop for my next prank."
I watched as his eyes glinted with excitement and he rubbed his hands together, pursing his lips.
"I do not want any part of your plan to ruin your education. I'd like to carry on attending West Vale high, thank you very much." Crossing my arms, I firmly stood a good few feet away from the entrance.
Alex rolled his eyes and against my will, easily dragged me by my arm into the mall whether I liked it or not. "Such a drama queen." He mumbled.
After protesting for what felt like hours but in reality was probably only five minutes, Alex managed to convince me that helping him pick out the equipment was not the same as committing the 'crime' therefore, it would do no harm to lend a helping hand, so I did.
"So what will your next prank be then?" I asked while browsing the isle of a near by shop.
"That's a secret." He said.
"Then how am I supposed to help you?" I abandoned looking through the products on the isle and followed Alex out of the shop, into the small populated hall and into the next shop.
"I have a list; neon paint, water bombs and spray paint." He grinned, counting the items on his fingers.
I felt the anxious lurk in the pit of my stomach.
"Somehow I feel Mr Foreman isn't going to like this any more than he did the butt prank." I followed Alex like a lost puppy, being completely useless while he picked out a few packs of water bombs.
"Well, somebody has to see how far Foreman can be pushed before he snaps." He payed for the water bombs and headed into the hall in search of the next shop.
"And that person has to be you?" I asked.
"Duh." He said in an 'isn't it obvious?' Tone. "Keeping up the reputation as the baddest of West Vales bad boys isn't a game cupcake."
"So basically you do it just to show off?" Boys. Insert eye roll here please.
"You're missing the point, it's fun! The adrenaline of doing something you're not supposed to. The thrill of watching Foreman try to catch me out and if so, how hilarious it is when he goes red faced." Alex chuckled as though remembering the last time he saw Mr Foreman like he described. I could imagine it would be pretty damn funny if I was honest. A small, skinny man with a blonde bowl cut and pale skin turning into a tomato, shaking with rage - I thought I'd find it scarier than I would funny though.
"Yeah.. I think we have different interpretations of fun, Alex."
~~~
Just under an hour later, we were prancing out of the mall, numerous small shopping bags in hand.
We headed back to school quick so we could make it in time for second period. It shouldn't be too hard to convince the teacher I really did have a doctors appointment should it? Maybe I should write a note.
We made it to school with five minutes before the bell was to ring. "Okay, I'll leave you too it. I'm going to my History class." I grinned and headed for the door.
Obviously, I should have known he wouldn't let me leave that easily, he gripped my elbow, dragging me back a few steps so I was at his side. "Oh no you don't."
I gave him a confused stare, but the look he returned to me wasn't quite as innocent. Alex Parker's infamous smirk crept upon his lips and that was when I knew I should have just gone ahead and made a run for it, but I didn't.
Nope.
Me being Max Carrington, the overly curious girl I am stupidly made the decision to hear him out.
"Sometimes a doctors appointment takes more than one hour. I need your help to pull this off." He picked up water balloons and paint, flashing his teeth.
I backed away horrified, there was no way I'd get caught up in his prank! "No. No way Alex Parker! I refuse. I refuse to take part!" I babbled nonsense, hands up in form of surrender and shaking my head violently.
"Why do you do that?" There's a curious hint to his voice that left me puzzled.
"Do what?"
" you use my full name."
"Technically your full name is Alexander Parker.." I started and his eyes widened as his hands moved to cover my mouth.
"Nobody calls me Alexander" He spoke in a hushed tone, eyebrows raised as if to ask 'got it?'
I smiled under his hand "oh but Alexander, I do." He narrowed his eyes.
"We have more important things to deal with here Cupcake okay? You're helping me, that's that."
"No thanks. I choose life." I nodded thinking of how my mother would kill me if I got caught and Foreman may suspend - if not expel me.
"We won't get caught. Just help me...please." I groaned and he grinned victoriously as though if he were alone he may have even done a fist pump.
"So what's the plan?"
Behind the school, Alex and I set ourselves up against the wall, a different color of paint each and began squirting them into the water bombs.
"Don't get any on you." Alex warned and my heart thudded.
If I got some on me, I was done for. Was there CCTV around here?
Not long after, we had a full bag of multi- colored water bombs and spray paints in hand, I held up a green and a pink and held my fingers lightly over the nozzle. With a flick of the head signalling me to follow him, we made our way around to the side of the school closest to the gates.
"Time to show Foreman just how much of a mess we can make, Cupcake." Looking at him hesitantly, I realised I really was going to do this. Alex took two paint bombs out, one in each hand. He threw them as hard as he could at the wall, making it splatter gorgeous mixed colours of swirled, intertwined paint. I did the same and it splattered against the wall just like Alex's. Alex took out his blue spray can and started to write rude words.
Once again, boys ..insert eye roll here please.
I took out my pink one, thinking for a moment before writing the first thing that comes to mind when I thought of vandalizing school property. When was finished, Alex looked at what I'd call my master piece, but from the look he gave me, I would assume he didn't agree.
"School sucks?" He arched his right eyebrow mockingly. I shrugged, it was the only thing I could think of.
"Be more creative, Maxy."
"I'm not creative? Apposed to writing the word 'shit' and drawing male genitals." I grinned.
"Believe it or not Max, you can say penis." He shook his can three times. "Besides, I'm not done yet."
Alex's got back to work and I watched as he concentrates, spelling it out as he went along. Soon, written in big bold capitals was the words 'MR. WHOREMAN'.
"Nice play on Foreman." I said to which he beamed, proud of himself before turning back to draw an exclamation mark.
Picking up another paint bomb, I didn't bother to aim. I just tossed it at the wall and the moment I did, I swear my life flashed before my eyes and I died of a panic attack as I watched the paint filled bomb strike Alex's back. Uh oh.
He spun, looking at me accusingly, his eyes glaring.
"It was an accident." I blurted.
He didn't say anything, he didn't break eye contact while reaching toward the bag. I stared horrified, if he even dared.
Then he made the move. Before I had chance to react, Alex was launching a paint bomb at me and it splattered on the stomach of my shirt.
Another lovely shirt ruined by Alex Parker.
I gasped, mortified and instantly grabbed another, hitting him successfully and darting, dodging as many of the paint bombs he threw as possible while trying to hit him myself. Unfortunately, Alex made the decision to guard the paint bombs so I could no longer have access to them so I grabbed at the spray cans on the floor. I pushed back my paint plastered hair and rested my fingers on the nozzle.
We stared for a moment at each other, daring the other to strike first. Alex waited a second to long and I couldn't help pushing down on the nozzles, spraying his clothes with the paint as he launched the next paint bomb at my chest.
He was soon only inches away, prying the can out of my hand as we both ran out of ammunition and burst into fits of laughter. I thought I looked like a dying walrus, but I didn't care. I gasped in between the laughs and Alex did the same. I looked up to him, seeing him look so beautiful yet so messy and then, before I gave myself time to think, I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his.
~~~
SO BECAUSE I WAS ANNOYING AND DIDN'T UPDATE WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO, I DECIDED UPON A CLIFF HANGER.
DUN DUN DUN
how do y'all think Alex will react? Take a guess In the comments since I already have this planned out:)
Let me know how you liked this chapter, if you liked it at all. Don't forget to comment, vote etc
Lotta love ~ Jay xoxo