A Story of Girl Meets Boys
Chapter 16
As his phone read 3:01 PM, Alex rose from the bench awaiting the arrival of Tom. But, as the seconds ticked by, Alex was struck with the overwhelming feeling that Tom wouldn't show up. After all, he hadn't technically told him to show up. In fact, they hadn't communicated at all today. As further minutes disintegrated into the air, his chest tightened as though the passing time had stolen all of the oxygen from the atmosphere. Something wasn't right. He relished in the knowledge that Tom didn't know where he lived so would never turn up there. But this thought was crippled instantly as it dawned on him- he lived next to Jodie, and Jodie would be heading home right now. Tom knew this and could easily just follow her. This would be a disaster.
Faster than his legs could handle, Alex sprinted in the direction he had come from 25 minutes previous, heading for the place he really didn't want to head towards. If Tom truly was following Jodie, then the addition of a gasping Alex would be an awkward situation that everyone would want to avoid. But he knew, deep down, that it was inevitably going to happen at some point, so why not now?
He reached his front gate in 10 minutes, more than halving the time it took in the opposite direction. His legs burned as if dancing on the tongue of the devil, and he panted like a dog crushed in a vice. This image startled him, momentarily distracting him from the real reason he'd pushed himself past the point of agony. Until Jodie appeared on the horizon; a mirage of a woman- she was beautiful in every way imaginable, the mere sight of her silhouette made him crave to lay beside her, confusing his soul. Tom appeared minutes later, setting Alex's heart and soul at ease instantly; yes, he would happily lay beside her, but he would sacrifice a thousand moons to see Tom smile.
Considering the complexity of sacrificing moons that weren't his inconvenienced Alex's mind, and he didn't manage to think of a valid statement to say before Jodie was upon him.
"Um... hi?" Jodie said, more of a question than a statement.
"H-h-hi" Alex replied, any quick wit he'd managed to rustle up in the back of his mind now disappeared.
"Do you want something? You're stood in front of my gate. And this prick's been following me since I passed the school gates. I assume he's after you. Tell him to leave me out of it," she stated monotonously, obviously not accepting the previous night's apology. If she hasn't accepted it now when she doesn't know what it was about, then she never will, Alex thought, a tsunami of depression washing over him, threatening to drown him. Until Tom grinned mischievously at him, and the tide receded immediately, replaced with warm, dry sun and a gentle breeze.
Jodie elbowed Alex out of the way of the gate, slammed it shut and proceeded to storm up her garden path, clearly conveying anger that seemed to have no known cause. She slammed the front door violently, forcing her living room windows to vibrate, mimicking her frustration.
"Tell him to leave me out of it," Tom echoed the words, the unfamiliarity of them leaving a bitter taste in his perfectly crafted mouth. "If only she knew," he contemplated, stealing the statement directly from the recesses of Alex's brain.
"What are you doing here Tom?" he snapped, converting the crippling sadness he felt to anger. Anger was easier to deal with. Easier to release. "Sorry," he apologised immediately, unable to contain his guilt. It wasn't Tom's fault. In a way, he'd done exactly the same thing, waiting at his-now-favourite bench for Tom to arrive. Only, he hadn't had to follow anyone. It was sweet that he'd gone to all the effort.
"It's okay, I understand." He always understood. "I just thought, instead of telling Jodie about everything, why don't we show her?" A wicked grin spread across Tom's face, somehow managing to convey both lust and innocence.
That was the best idea Alex had ever heard.
Faster than his legs could handle, Alex sprinted in the direction he had come from 25 minutes previous, heading for the place he really didn't want to head towards. If Tom truly was following Jodie, then the addition of a gasping Alex would be an awkward situation that everyone would want to avoid. But he knew, deep down, that it was inevitably going to happen at some point, so why not now?
He reached his front gate in 10 minutes, more than halving the time it took in the opposite direction. His legs burned as if dancing on the tongue of the devil, and he panted like a dog crushed in a vice. This image startled him, momentarily distracting him from the real reason he'd pushed himself past the point of agony. Until Jodie appeared on the horizon; a mirage of a woman- she was beautiful in every way imaginable, the mere sight of her silhouette made him crave to lay beside her, confusing his soul. Tom appeared minutes later, setting Alex's heart and soul at ease instantly; yes, he would happily lay beside her, but he would sacrifice a thousand moons to see Tom smile.
Considering the complexity of sacrificing moons that weren't his inconvenienced Alex's mind, and he didn't manage to think of a valid statement to say before Jodie was upon him.
"Um... hi?" Jodie said, more of a question than a statement.
"H-h-hi" Alex replied, any quick wit he'd managed to rustle up in the back of his mind now disappeared.
"Do you want something? You're stood in front of my gate. And this prick's been following me since I passed the school gates. I assume he's after you. Tell him to leave me out of it," she stated monotonously, obviously not accepting the previous night's apology. If she hasn't accepted it now when she doesn't know what it was about, then she never will, Alex thought, a tsunami of depression washing over him, threatening to drown him. Until Tom grinned mischievously at him, and the tide receded immediately, replaced with warm, dry sun and a gentle breeze.
Jodie elbowed Alex out of the way of the gate, slammed it shut and proceeded to storm up her garden path, clearly conveying anger that seemed to have no known cause. She slammed the front door violently, forcing her living room windows to vibrate, mimicking her frustration.
"Tell him to leave me out of it," Tom echoed the words, the unfamiliarity of them leaving a bitter taste in his perfectly crafted mouth. "If only she knew," he contemplated, stealing the statement directly from the recesses of Alex's brain.
"What are you doing here Tom?" he snapped, converting the crippling sadness he felt to anger. Anger was easier to deal with. Easier to release. "Sorry," he apologised immediately, unable to contain his guilt. It wasn't Tom's fault. In a way, he'd done exactly the same thing, waiting at his-now-favourite bench for Tom to arrive. Only, he hadn't had to follow anyone. It was sweet that he'd gone to all the effort.
"It's okay, I understand." He always understood. "I just thought, instead of telling Jodie about everything, why don't we show her?" A wicked grin spread across Tom's face, somehow managing to convey both lust and innocence.
That was the best idea Alex had ever heard.