Glitter

Alex stood at the door; brown hair slicked back, a black jacket slung over his arm. He was dressed up, quite nicely in fact, and had a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Hey," he grinned when he saw me open the door, "I don't suppose Nora would be done dressed, huh?"

I wasn't prepared for the fluttering in my chest at the sight of him.

Pursing my lips together, I turned away and walked back to the cushions where I'd abandoned the magazine I'd been reading. Magazine a courtesy of Mrs. Jones of course.

"No such luck," I said over my shoulder. The sound of the shutting door told me that he had followed me in.

"So, how are you? I haven't been seeing you around much." The man had the gall to sit down next to me.

It's funny that you mentioned that, actually, because I've been spending the last three weeks agonizing over the thought that we would never see each other again - just as friends, you see. I was oscillating between Never Again and Are You Crazy for a long time now. That's also not mentioning the fact that you've practically ignored my existence ever since Nora showed up again; we'd be in the same room and you wouldn't see me. Of course though, how can we forget that the one most annoying thing about it all is that I have no right to think or feel like that because we were just acquintances and yet the thought of losing you, of having to walk away and no longer care as much as I had just begun tohurts.

I didn't even look at him. "I've been fine. You?"

He began rambling, predictably.

"Just great, you know. Nora and I were hanging out the other night; it's a pity that you weren't there to celebrate. My band won an award for best single so we all went out and got wasted," he laughed, "Zack actually managed to hook up with a few girls, you know. A guy too, I think. Man, that dude is crazy."

Putting the magazine down, I looked at him. It had been a bad idea.

The same feeling came back and I turned quickly away. How pathetic was that?

I talk to the guy for a few times and suddenly, when his girlfriend comes back into the picture, I can't stand the sight of him?

Ridiculous.

This was stupid, insane, crazy and petty. Angry with myself, I picked the magazine up with more force than necessay and stood.

He surprised me when he stood too.

"Where are you going?" he asked. I gave him a look. "To my room."

"Why?"

I was confused. "Because I want to?"

Alex dropped the black jacket he'd been holding and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Did I say something to offend you?"

My mouth opened then closed again.

"I mean you're not Miss Talkative, but you're never this quiet either."

I didn't know what to say. How do you explain to someone something that you barely even understand yourself?

"You know what," and his eyes crinkled like he'd just been hit with the greatest idea ever, "you're coming with us."

My head was shaking before the thought had any time to form a word.

"No."

"Yes, you are." Now Alex was grinning. I could literally see the definity rolling off the shoulders he lifted back.

"Alex, you're being ridiculous..." there was that word again, "you're going on a date with the girl of your dreams. I'm not going to be the awkward third wheel."

"Nonsense." Something about the way that he waved what I said away annoyed me.

"It's not a date, not really. It's a stupid meet and greet thing that we have to do with our record label. Only reason I'm actually going is 'cause Nora's into things like that. C'mon, don't be such a party pooper."

Making a face, I looked down at my bare feet.

"I don't own a fancy cocktail dress."

He raked his eyes over what I was wearing - dark fitting jeans and a yellow t-shirt - and shrugged. What he did after that made me remember why it had been so easy for me to find him "good people" (as my father liked to call them). Pulling his tucked in shirt out of his pants suit, he shook his hair out, took off his tie and loosened a few buttons. In the space of three seconds, he looked like regular old Alex again. I couldn't help but smile.

"Neither do I," he winked, "but that doesn't mean that we're not going, right?"

I laughed - for the first time in a long while - I laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

It was going to be hard to resent this man, I knew that. The more time I spent around him, the more I realized that even if he was so completely enamoured by Nora to ever realize how much he was begining to mean to me, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he never truly be completely deleted out of my life. Honestly and truly, the thought of that ever happening terrified me more than anything else.