Did My Art Teacher Just Flirt With Me?

"Look at me Jesus Alex." Kristen snapped.

As he stiffened, all Alex could really think about was getting off the ride and away from the nightmare he calls his "date".

Kristen growled as she crossed her arms against her chest. She was angry. Alex did nothing but sulk. Too emo. She hated it. Nothing about the date was great at all. He treated her nice alright, but he never once smiled. Never. Not a laugh, or a sound of pleasure came uttering through his lips.

Alex relaxed once more as the ferris wheel stopped at it's halfway point. He stared out into the fair grounds remembering the wish he made on the night of his first date with Rachael. Thinking back on it now, he realized he'd forgotten his wish. It wasn't that he liked her like he did with Kimberly. No. He just felt... sorry for her, as a friend, he took her out and... played with her alittle bit.

He knew it was wrong now. Seeing her cry that badly. The picture she drew, the flower. The wilting flower. For some reason, he thought maybe SHE was the wilting flower.

"Ugh, stupid ride, now what?" Kristen growled as she stomped the metal floor.

Alex stirred from his thoughts and shot a look at Kristen. "Make a wish." He muttered in a dazed voice.

"Psh, I wish this ride was over."

I wish this relationship was over. He thought.
****
"Now close your ryes and have a bite of this." Dave grinned as he popped a round red cherry into our mouths. Robin and me. "Chew, taste, and tell." he said.

"Tastes like..." I paused tasting the burning sensation in the back of my throat. "A cherry dipped in alcohol."

I opened my eyes to see Dave smiling widely. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner folks!"

Robin opened his eyes and rolled them as soon as Dave spoke. "Did you have to invite this guy?"

"What? Don’t you enjoy the vast wonders of Vodka classic?" Dave protested.

I looked around, the vast crowd at the amusement park got louder as the day became dusk. "I didn’t invite him. He came on his own." I replied sighing as I stood up.

Robin looked concerned because he quickly stood up and followed me. "Everything okay?"

I looked down at the ground feeling the pebbles below nudging under the soles. I slapped Alex earlier today. No biggie right? No… it was a way biggie thing. I wished Jenine were here to comfort me but she was out with Neil on a date. They just had to hook up.

I turned back to Robin and nodded, "I just need to be alone a bit, I’ll be back later."

Robin nodded as he went back under the recreation tent with Dave who had another surprise snack for him to taste.

"Now this will rock your world, close them eyes Robin my boy." Dave grinned.

Robin sighed shaking his head. "Shut up man."
****
I stopped, wiping the tears from my face before exiting the bathroom. I took a long deep breath of the cool autumn air before exhaling tasting the surrounding breeze. I began heading back to the tent bumping into a lot of people on the way. They were all in a hurry of course. How else would they be able to ride all twenty-four rides in less than three hours?

I kept my head hung low so I didn’t notice that the guy who had just bumped into me right now was Alex. When I took a breath of his familiar acrylic paint scent it took me a moment to realize that scent belonged to him. To Alex.

I held my breath walking faster, hoping to lose him in the crowd. After a good four minutes I slowly glanced back to see he wasn’t there. I sighed in relief and turned around to walk again.

"Rachael?"

I froze.

"H-hey." He managed to croak.

I turned my head to the right to see him there, standing still with me in the middle of this large crowd. He wore the same old black coat and some jeans; his hair neatly in place as always and his face still red from earlier events. I felt my hands sweat as I held them in fists.

"What do you want?" I said in an all too cold voice.

Alex winced but recovered quickly as he shrugged in response. “Just… taking a walk.”

"And Kristen?" I snorted.

He shrugged. We said nothing for almost two minutes and then I began to walk away. I couldn’t stand looking at his face. It made my stomach clench, but just when I was about to leave he grabbed my wrists. I twirled in my heels and tugged them away but he held them firm.

"Let go. " I growled.

"Have you been crying? " He asked in a concerned voice that was too unreal for me.

"That’s none of your business. " I snapped. I tried to pull away but he held my wrist tighter and I almost yelped in pain.

Alex approached me closer, I backed away but he pulled me closer to him. Some people began to stare others ignored it and went on. I was beginning to wonder if I should’ve left Robin and Dave at all. Something I terribly regret now.

"I want to say I’m sorry. "Alex said. "About today. " His free hand went to his red cheek and rubbed it softly. "Really, really sorry. "

I rolled my eyes, I could tell he meant it, but that’s why I had to roll my eyes. I was about to cry again. Cry because he was going to hurt me. He was going to hurt me all over again. “I can’t accept your apologies.” I said quietly.

"Why? Is it because of Kristen? I’m not REALLY going on a date with her, I don’t even like her. " He said sounding desperate now.

I looked at him fiercely with my piercing yes and bore at him coldly. "Then why did you do that? Why did you say those awful things to me? " I cried trying to pull my wrist away but he held it. He wouldn’t let go.

He looked away. As if he didn’t want to answer. "Why?" I pressed.

"Because…" He muttered.

“Because what?” I said.

"Because, I… I was mad. I was angry you went with Robin. You left on a date with him." He said hesitantly. "And you guys kissed… right in front of me."

"That’s all?" I nearly choked. "That’s it? Alex! You got that mad because he tried to comfort me when… when…" I paused catching my breath while whipping the tears from my face.

"When what?" Alex said

"When you weren’t there for me." I cried. Tears flooding my eyes, flowing down my face. I felt them. Hot, filled with anger and frustration as they fell to my shirt. "You didn’t protect me, you didn’t try to help me at all when I needed it."

Alex stayed silent.

"And our date?" I said in a slightly solid voice. "I thought you-"

"What you have to understand Rachael is that… I did that to comfort you. I didn’t want to see you hurt after the incident with your mom…" He said quietly.

"Then why’d you kiss me?" I sniffed, my fists shaking as he went on.

"Because… I was just…. I was just… playing with you…" He choked. "I never really meant it to-"

"I helped you when you needed it most." I said softly. My eyes ran dry now, my cheeks still wet from leftover tears. "When I saw you that night at TSM you know what you looked like to me?"

Alex stood still, his mouth closed shut.

"I thought you looked so lonely that night. When you screamed and cried for that girl. Kimberly. You must’ve really loved her huh." I nearly laughed out of hilarity of what I was saying. "So when we were on that date, with the wishes, I hoped and wished I’d help fill that loneliness inside you." I paused to see his face, which looked like someone had stabbed him with a knife, twisting it in his gut. "But you know, wishes never do come true… this is life isn’t it?"

I couldn’t say anymore. Alex and I stood there for a moment as the crowd pasted us. He hung his head low for a while shivering as he condensed all of my words. He lifted his head up to say something when somebody came and ripped me from his grasp.

"Rachael, let’s go." Robin growled.