Even Though She Doesn't Believe In Love

“Hey man, where’s your ladder at?” I asked Jack. He and Alex were already in the pool in his backyard.

“In the garage, why?”

“I’m locked out, and I’m hoping that I left my door unlocked, if not, then I’m SOL for a week or two.” He pulled himself out of the pool and retrieved the ladder for me.

I placed the ladder on the balcony and crawled over the railing. I mentally thanked myself for saying bye to the boys yesterday when I found the door was unlocked.

I changed into my swimsuit and walked out the back door. The ladder was back in his garage, and Jack was standing by the edge of the pool. “What are you doing, dipstick?” I kicked off my flip flops and threw my towel on a chair. He was still standing there, staring at me. “Jack, what on Earth are you looking at?” He ran at me with a smile on his face, tackling me into the pool.

I came up laughing. Jack was coming back towards me, and I started moving away. I had backed into another body. I looked up to see Alex smirking. Automatically, I ducked behind him before Jack started splashing at us.

Alex and I were back to back, until he turned around, grabbed me around my waist, and held me in front of the splashes that were coming. I could hear him laughing as I squealed.

When Jack had finally quit, and I had been let go, I turned around. “That, Mr. Alexander, was not nice.” He stuck out his tongue.

We messed around for a little while longer until my fingers were pruned up. “Guys, I’m walking to the store to get a soda, do you want anything?” I pulled myself out of the pool and wrapped a towel around me.

“I’m actually supposed to be home around now, and I live a block away from the store, is it all right if I walk with you?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, sure. Jack you wanna go?” He got out of the pool, looking exhausted.

“I don’t think so. I’m like super tired.”

“All right, I’ll be back later,” I kissed his cheek and went to my house to change. I grabbed some money and was greeted by Alex in my driveway. “Ready?” He nodded and we began on our five block journey.

“Can I ask you a question?” Alex broke the silence after a block and a half.

“I don’t see why not.”

“You do you look so different outside of school?”

“I don’t really know, to tell you the truth,” I laughed. “I guess I just don’t feel like doing much work in the mornings, so I just put up my hair real quick and put on my glasses.

“I think you should leave your hair down and put in contacts, you look really nice,” he blushed.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

“Do you think it’d be all right if I came by later and hung out with you, or would your parents get mad?”

I shook my head. “Jack and I hang out all the time, and they’re fine about that. Besides, they aren’t even home to get mad.”

“All right, so I guess I’ll see you later?” We had stopped in front of a really nice two story house.

“Yeah, if I’m not at home, I’m at Jack’s, so yeah, bye.” He wrapped his arms around me in a simple hug. I did the same before he pulled away.

I walked to the store and back with a Dr. Pepper and a pack of Skittles for Jack.

I went into my room and found Jack’s window open. I threw the bag of candy through it and heard a scream. I busted out laughing, knowing that I had scared him.

“Thank you!” He cried. I didn’t bother replying and turned on the stereo.

It wasn’t until about ten that night when the doorbell rang. I leaped down the stairs and opened it. “Hey,” I smiled and let Alex into the house.

“Sorry I came by so late, I was dealing with some family issues. I figured you’d still be up, and I didn’t want you to think I blew you off or something.”

“It’s totally fine, I understand,” I started walking upstairs with him not too far behind me to shut off my stereo.

“You play guitar?” He was looking at the acoustic I had sitting in the corner of my room.

“Not really. Jack’s been trying to teach me, but it isn’t working very well,” I laughed and plopped down on my bed.

“I could try to teach you, if you’d like?”

“Yeah, sure,” I smiled and he picked up the guitar, sitting beside me on the bed. He set it in my lap and moved my hand to put it on the neck. He positioned my fingers to a G chord. His chin was resting on my shoulder and I feel his breath on my ear.

I ran the pick over the strings to hear the note I was aiming for. “That was good, try this one,” he moved my fingers to a C chord and I repeated the process. He taught me a few more chords.

“Don’t tell Jack. He’d kill me if he found out I learned guitar better from you, let alone, learned guitar from you,” I set the guitar down beside me on the bed.

“Yeah, no problem.” I turned around to see him just inched from my face. He
began closing the space between us and something crashed downstairs.

I jumped up and looked out the window. There wasn’t a car in the driveway, meaning my parents weren’t home.

“Come with me?” I asked grabbing my baseball bat. We walked carefully down the stairs to find Jack sprawled out on the couch. “Jack, what the fuck are you doing?” I brought the bat down to my side.

“I came to hang out, but I see you’re busy.”

“Dude, so you just walk in here without knocking or hollering? You know I take scary movies way too seriously, which means I’m the biggest pansy ever.”

“You had Alex,” he defended himself.

“I know, but still.”

“I’m sorry,” he hugged me. “Scream if you need me, and stay decent,” he said against my ear. “Guys, I’m going home.”

“Bye Jack,” Alex and I said simultaneously.

I laughed and laid on the couch. “Well, that was fun.”

“No doubt,” he laid on top of me. I let out a groan of pain and turned onto my side. He did the same and squished me in between his back and the couch.

“Alex, you’re squishing me!” I squeaked.

“That’s the point,” he laughed. I bit him on his shoulder, automatically making him jump away. “So that’s how this is going to be?” He went to go do it again, but I jumped
away before he could. I was now straddling him, sitting on his stomach. “Well, this is kinky,” he smirked.

I laughed and crawled off of him to retrieve a bottle of water from the fridge. I felt arms snake around my waist and the same boney chin dig into my shoulder. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck. This time there were no interruptions as his lips gently pressed against mine.

“Your breathe smells good, just so you know.” I laughed at him and sat back on the couch.

“Thank you.” He put his head in my lap, and I started playing with the curls at the ends of his hair. “You should let me straighten your hair,” I blurted.

“All right,” he sat up. I grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs with me into my personal bathroom. I turned on my straightener and sat on the counter.

“Come here,” I pulled him in front of my knees and began running his hair through the plates of the flat iron. “Alex, if you don’t sit still I’m gonna burn you,” I told him as he fidgeted.

“Does it at least look good so far?”

“Yes, it looks fine, now sit still,” I laughed. I finished up the last curly parts of his hair and let him go.

“Whoa! This looks fucking amazing!” He screeched and started fixing his part.

“I’ll be right back,” I got my knitted gray hat and put it on him. His face instantly lit up.

“This looks even more amazing! Thank you!” He kissed my nose.

“You’re welcome,” I laughed and sprawled out across my bed.

“Do you think you’re going to sleep?” Alex laid down beside me. I nodded. “No, you’re not. It’s only,” he paused. “Oh, wow. It’s two in the morning.”

I laughed. “I know it.”

“Aren’t you going to change and turn off the light?” I shook my head and rolled on my stomach. He laughed at me. “Come on,” he pulled me off the bed into his arms.

“I don’t wanna,” I whined. “Fine,” I said after a moment. I grabbed my basketball shorts and changed into them in the bathroom.

“See, isn’t that better?” I death glared him and crawled under the covers. “Can I crash here tonight? I nodded. “Where can I sleep?”

“I don’t care, wherever you want to.”

“Even next to you?”

“If you want to, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Would you be creeped out if I slept in my boxers?” I shook my head and was surrounded by darkness. A few seconds later the bed shifted, and I felt him lying beside me. His arm was behind my neck and I turned onto my side to put my head on his chest. “Goodnight Devon.”

“Night Alex,” I fell asleep listening to the beat of his heart.

I jolted up the next morning at ten o’clock from a nightmare. Alex was still sleeping soundly beside me. I crawled over him and walked downstairs.

I was finishing up my bowl of Frosted Flakes when a pant less Alex walked down the stairs. “Well now, don’t you look stunning?” He smiled at me. “Do you want a bowl?” I pointed to the one full of milk in front of me.

“I can’t, I’m lactose intolerant.”

“Do you want a Pop-tart then?” His face instantly lit up and he nodded his head rapidly. I laughed and put two in the toaster.

While he was eating I changed into some pants and a black t-shirt. “Do you wanna hang out at my house today?” He asked as I came back down.

“Yeah, sure,” I smiled. I grabbed my key and waited for him to come back with his pants. “Ready?” I asked. He nodded and I opened up the door. After the cold wind hit me I grabbed a hoodie and threw it on.

“Please tell me you don’t think it’s cold out here,” Alex said while trying to hold my hat on his head.

“I’m always cold, so yeah. I think it’s freezing,” I laughed. He laced his fingers loosely with mine and we walked to his house.

“Mom, I’m home!” He yelled after walking in the front door.

“All right,” she replied. I followed him into the living room where his mom was sitting on the couch.

“Mom, this is Devon, Devon, this is my mom, Isobel.”

“Nice to meet you,” I smiled and shook her hand.

“You too,” she mimicked my actions.

“Come on,” he told me and lead me outside into a small building. “This,” he stretched out his arms. “Is the pool house. It is also where I hang out, play guitar, and sometimes fall asleep.” It was nice on the inside, but not heated.

He turned on the TV and we both sat on the couch. I was shivering as he pulled me close to him, almost into his lap. “Hold on,” he got up and retrieved a thick comforter. We were both cuddling underneath the blanket when the door flew open. I jumped away in fright.

“Oh, sorry Lex, I didn’t think you had company.”

“It’s fine. Devon, this is my brother, Tom.” I waved at him and pulled the blanket closer to my body.

“Look at her shaking, she looks like a Chihuahua, didn’t Dad fix the heater in here?” I really hoped that was the only reason he compared me to a dog.

“He said he was going to, but I don’t think he ever got around to it.” Tom disappeared for a second before there was a hiss and warm air started to come from the vent in the floor. “I guess he did, awesome.”

“All right, bye guys,” he waved and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

“Dev, your lips are a shade of blue,” he said in real concern.

“I told you I was cold,” I laughed. He lips pressed onto mine and soon I let his tongue slide into my mouth. Making out with him had a few benefits. One: he was a good kisser, two: him being that close to my face thawed out my lips and nose, and three: I was making out with the hottest kid in school.

Alex and I had stayed in the pool house making out and snuggling until almost five that night. He walked me home, hugged me, and kissed me quickly in the middle of the road.

Tomorrow was going to take too long to get here.