How to Date Alexis Brighten

Come Monday, and I dreaded going back to school. Lacey was still mad at me and it looked like I’d be spending another day surrounded by people, but all alone. I stressed about what I should wear, and after much deliberation, I pulled on a pair of designer jeans and a bright green top. I grabbed my short, cropped jacket on the way out the door. My Dad had the day off, and he’d said I could drive the Jeep again.

My Dad and I had always been close. My Mum was always stressing about Isaac, and Dad cared about him, too, but he always made time for me, even if it was just five minutes to ask how I was going. I didn’t think he knew just how much it meant to me, that he bothered to make the effort for me, at all.

I opened the door to the Jeep and climbed in, tossing my bag on the passenger seat. I turned the keys in the ignition and the vehicle roared to life. I drove to school slowly, focusing on the road in an attempt to clear my head. I couldn’t understand why I was so nervous. Lacey should be scared of me, not the other way around.

I sighed as I parked the Jeep in the school parking lot and got out. I made sure it was locked before pocketing the keys. I slipped on my cropped jacket and slung my bag over my shoulders before approaching the school gates. People glanced my way lazily as I entered, but they didn’t break out in whispers like they had the previous week. Maybe I was old news? I hoped so.

When I ventured over to our table on the front lawn, Lacey and Amelia weren’t there, and Melody sat on her own, glancing around the grounds pointedly. When she spotted me, she lifted her hand in greeting, a smile spreading across her face. I was hesitant, but waved back, a nauseous feeling building up in my stomach.

When I reached the table, Melody grabbed my hand and pulled me down to sit next to her. I shrugged my bag off my shoulders and waited for her to say something first.

“Hi,” she offered.

“Hey,” I said suspiciously. There was definitely something weird going on. When Melody didn’t offer anything more to the conversation, I continued.

“Where’s Lacey and Amelia?” I asked her. Melody fiddled with her long, auburn hair nervously.

“Lacey’s still mad at you about the Justin thing. Amelia’s with her, I guess,” Melody said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. It appeared as though she’d got her confidence back.

“Nothing happened between Justin and I, just so you know,” I said. Melody nodded.

“Oh, I know that,” Melody said with a laugh.

“Then why did you ditch me?” I said, feeling hurt.

“You know how persuasive Lacey can be.”

“You could’ve stood up to her,” I said.

“And get smashed into the lockers like you?” Melody said, raising her eyebrows. “No thanks.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re scared of her.”

“Who isn’t!?” Melody exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

“So why the sudden change of heart, then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Talking to me,” I said. “Lacey won’t be happy.”

“Honestly, I don’t think she cares if you got with Justin or not. She just started the fight for the attention if you ask me,” Melody said. I sighed and held my face in my hands. It was just like Lacey to do something like that. Melody was right.

“So are we good again?” Melody asked me just as the bell rang, signalling the start of the day. I was sick of all the drama, and whether or not Melody talked to me didn’t bother me in the slightest.

“We’re fine,” I said, attempting a smile.

“See you later, then,” Melody said, dashing off to her homeroom.

I walked to mine, feeling a little better about myself. Melody was my friend again, it seemed, and everyone else had moved on from the rumour. Nobody really cared anymore, apart from a few of Justin’s friends, who gave me dirty looks and hollered at me as I passed them in the hall. As far as the students were concerned, what had happened on the weekend was much more exciting than a rumour that had been going around the previous week.

People moved on fast, that’s just how school was. Sure, they latched onto things quickly, and rumours spread like wildfire, growing in size as they went. But just as soon as it had started, it was forgotten and the crowd had moved on to the next best thing.

Homeroom passed without a hitch, and my day was actually looking up. Out in the halls, I ran into Melody, who told me everything that Lacey had said to her in homeroom. Apparently, she wasn’t even mad at me anymore, and Amelia was indifferent about the whole thing. I had guessed as much as Amelia never focused on anyone but herself apart from maybe the British exchange student. I told Melody that I’d see her at lunch, where we were to meet Lacey and Amelia at our usual table by the floor-to-ceiling windows. My stomach twisted in nausea as I thought about what would happen when Lacey and I came face to face again.

I turned and waved at Melody as I stepped backwards and right into someone. I dropped my books and the person’s hands grabbed me by the hips, steadying me. I turned my head, my mouth already half-open ready to deliver an apology, when I was met with a familiar set of turquoise eyes.

Daniel.

My hips burned under his touch and I squirmed free, retrieving my books from the ground. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks from embarrassment and I picked my books up slowly on purpose, in the hope that Daniel would disappear by the time I’d finished. I collected them all in my arms and stood back up, whirling around to walk to my next class. Daniel was still standing there, looking as smug as ever.

“You should watch where you’re going,” he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and let out a huff of frustration, adjusting my backpack on my shoulders. I wished I had something witty to say right back at him, something that would take him by surprise and wipe the stupid smirk off his face.

“You shouldn’t be standing in my way,” I said, lifting my chin a little, in an attempt to appear more confident. I had a feeling it failed spectacularly. Daniel let out a throaty laugh, shaking his head slowly.

“Alexis Brighten, you’re a riot, you know that?” Daniel said with a chuckle.

“So glad I could be of entertainment value to you,” I said sarcastically, walking quickly past him. My heels clicked against the linoleum as I quickened my pace. I felt the heat rising to my cheeks once again and cursed to myself. I hated how flustered Daniel always made me feel.

______

At lunch, I approached the table where Lacey was seated cautiously. Amelia was sitting beside her and Melody was sitting opposite them. When she spotted me on the other side of the cafeteria, she waved me over, a huge smile on her face. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion and weaved my way through the tables over to the girls.

When I reached them, Melody patted the seat next to her, and I slid into it, dumping my bag on the ground at my feet. Amelia picked at a salad and didn’t acknowledge my presence. Lacey, however, looked up from her phone and raised her eyebrows, her eyes working their way up and down my body.

“Alexis,” she said simply.

“Lacey,” I said narrowing my eyes.

That was all the communication she offered, but it was better than nothing. I shrugged and retrieved the apple from my bag, taking small bites of it as Amelia chatted with Melody about the exchange student.

“He’s so adorable,” Amelia said. “Have you heard him talk?”

“I know! Every time he says hello to me I think I’m gonna faint,” Melody replied.

“He’s spoken to you?” Amelia said in disbelief. I could feel an argument arising, and I only hoped that Melody was smart enough to pick up on Amelia’s mood and get herself out of it.

“Only once,” Melody shrugged. Smart girl.

“Well, he’s talked to me hundreds of times,” Amelia bragged. I rolled my eyes.

“When are you going out with him?” I asked her sweetly. Amelia pouted and her brows knitted together in a frown.

“He hasn’t asked me out yet,” she said sourly. I saw Lacey suppress a laugh.

“But he will,” Amelia said, regaining her confidence. With that, she gathered her things and left.

“As if,” Lacey said once Amelia was gone. “He’d never go for her.”

“Why not?” Melody challenged.

“Why would he?” Lacey sneered. Melody and Lacey started to point out Amelia’s good and bad points and I tuned out of the conversation. I didn’t want any part in it. Usually, I probably would have joined in their gossip eagerly, but I was determined to cross judgemental off that damn list. The bell rang, successfully breaking up their gossiping.

I rushed to my gym class, where everyone was already getting changed. I quickly put on my gym uniform – navy blue shorts and a white tank top featuring the school emblem. I ran out into the gym to catch up to the others, piling my hair up into a messy ponytail on the way. Out in the gymnasium, I was surprised to see that the headmaster was addressing the class.

“It’s unfortunate, but we’ll just have to be flexible here,” he said.

“What’s going on?” I asked Emily, a shy girl in my class.

“Our class is being cut,” she whispered.

“What?” I squeaked.

“Our teacher resigned and we’re joining the other senior class,” Emily said.

“As Ms. Gaius was the track and field coach, that aspect of the Physical Education Department has also been cut, until we can find a suitable replacement,” the headmaster continued.

“But we’re a track and field class!” one of the boys complained.

“Not anymore,” the headmaster said. “You’ll be joining the swim team's class.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered to myself. The pool was the last place I wanted to be. Daniel would be there.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.