Salem Falls

Alexa knew she should have been focusing on her schoolwork, but she couldn’t. Her history teacher was standing in the front of the classroom, going on and on about World War II, but she didn’t hear a weird of it. Michelle was on her left, glaring at her in her attempt to tell her to focus, but Alexa didn’t notice. Maggie sat to her right, tapping her pen against her desk, clearly as distracted as Alexa was, but the brunette girl didn’t know why.

If she’d been less distracted herself, she would have asked Maggie what had her so preoccupied, but she hardly had any focus of her own. Both girls were off in their own worlds, neither of them paying attention, but luckily Michelle was doing enough of that for both of them.

They’d been best friends all their lives – Alexa, Michelle, and Maggie – so when something was going on with one of them, the others always knew. It just so happened that on that day there was something going on with both Maggie and Alexa, and of course, Michelle being Michelle, she wouldn’t let the subject drop until she knew every little detail. Alexa knew exactly what she was about to be up against.

By the time the bell rang and class was dismissed, Alexa was nearly about to wet her pants in excitement. All she wanted to do was go out into the woods and meet Harry, but she knew she’d have to deal with the pestering from Michelle first. With any luck, her soft haired friend would focus more on the far off look in Maggie’s eyes than Alexa’s, but Devereaux’s had never been known for their good luck, only for their bad luck.

“Alright, spill,” Michelle said, before neither Alexa nor Maggie could sit up from their seats. Their classmates were filing out of the room faster than a jack rabbit, so within seconds the girls were left alone, with Mr. Fierce staring at them.

“Later,” Alexa replied, as she piled her books into her hands. Maggie did the same thing before looking over at the two girls.

“You know that won’t happen,” Maggie joked. Alexa did know it wouldn’t happen, but she could dream, right? The sooner she got rid of Michelle, the sooner she’d be able to get out to the woods.

“That’s right,” Michelle said, hands on her hips. “Now, spill.”

Alexa rolled her eyes. “Fine. Drive us home and we’ll tell you.”

She didn’t have Maggie’s agreement on that, but she didn’t care. She knew Maggie would do just about anything to get a ride home from Michelle, seeing as she was a senior and didn’t have a car of her own. For her, it was either take the bus home or get a ride in the back of her dad’s cop car, and she usually chose the latter.

Alexa didn’t particularly need the ride home, as she lived just a few blocks from the school, but the added walk time from the classroom to the car would give her more opportunities to come up with a believable lie that would fool Michelle. It was hard, but it wasn’t impossible.

When the three girls arrived at Michelle’s red Camaro, Maggie hopped in the backseat before Alexa could get the chance, and she mentally scolded the girl. The two always joked about how the front seat was the hot seat. Anyone who sat there was destined for at least twenty minutes of non-stop grilling from Michelle.

Alexa took a deep breath, as the lies filled her head. She only had a few seconds to come up with something, and when Michelle turned, her thin eyes piercing Alexa’s skin, she knew her time was up.

“Alright, alright,” Alexa said, tossing her hands in the air. “You know that guy from fifth period?”

“The one with the red hair?”

Alexa nodded. “He messaged me on Facebook last night.”

“Really?” Michelle practically squealed. “He’s dreamy. He’s the one for you, Alexa. I know he is.”

Alexa could have sworn she heard Maggie chuckle in the backseat, so she swiveled her head just a tad to glare at her blonde friend. Maggie was smiling back at her, the look in her eyes telling Alexa that she knew she was lying. Maggie had always been better at judging that than Michelle, who believed most things as long as it was what she wanted to hear.

“What about you, Maggie?” Alexa asked, a wicked grin on her face. “What’s going on with you?”

Maggie glared back at her, pursing her lips. When Michelle turned, she brought her face back to a smile, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear.

“You remember Louis Tomlinson?” Maggie asked. Both girls nodded. “Well, I saw him this morning and he’s looking rather fit.”

“He looks fit?” Michelle nearly shouted at Maggie, a chuckle filling her voice. “You broke it off with him. You can’t think he looks fit anymore.”

“I can think whatever I please,” Maggie said, lifting her nose in the air. “I think he looks fit. And besides, he’s got the best lips in all of Salem Falls.”

The girls chuckled, the car erupting into a fit of laughter. She was, of course, making a stab at Michelle, who had gone a date the night before with a guy who tried to suck her face off.

Alexa pushed her hair behind her ear, before falling back into the seat of the car. Her fingers fell to her lips, brushing against them, and she found herself wondering what Harry’s lips would feel like against them. Shaking her head, she let out a sigh, before attempting to conceal it with another chuckle.

She shouldn’t be thinking things like that about Harry, and she knew it. Not only had she just met him, everything about him was off limits. His family was part of the Sixth Circle, while hers had been banned from it, and if that wasn’t enough, everything about them had to stay a secret. It couldn’t even be known that they knew each other, which was why Alexa had to lie to her best friends. She hated that – especially when it came to lying to Maggie – but it was something that just was.

Alexa and Harry’s meetings had to be kept secret, and Alexa would to whatever she needed to make sure they did.