India

Alex strolled into school Monday morning as care free as he could be, bag slung over his shoulder and hair still a little messy due to the lack of time he spent on it this morning.
A part of him felt different, almost settled in a sense. It was doing him good to stay away from alcohol and girls, he felt as though a part of him had become whole again. Not in the sense that he loved himself again, he was far from it. But having India by his side made him feel like everything would eventually be okay. She was his source of hope.
Jack grinned as he saw Alex walking towards him, greeting him in that same familiar fashion that the two had done for years.
Alex toppled backwards as Jack hugged him, laughing a bit. "Hey Jack." He said tiredly.
"Hey man, I havent seen you in forever."
"I know, i've been so caught up in that damn girl that i've barely had a chance to think." He said.
Jack half chuckled. "You're so whipped dude." He teased him, swinging his locker door shut.
"Am not."
"Seriously, theres so much being said about you around school. Every girl here is flipping out cause you've stopped sleeping around. Or at least you've got a lot better at hiding it."  Jack said as the two began walking down the halls.
"No, i honestly haven't been sleeping around. I havent had sex in like a month and its killing me dude."
Jack frowned. "A month? I thought you were seeing India?"
"I am."
Jack burst out laughing at that, slapping Alex on the back playfully. "You havent fucked her yet? Jesus christ, maybe you are loosing your magic touch with the ladies." Jack teased as the pair walked into biology.
"Hey fuck you, I am not." Alex said sourly as he slumped down into his seat at the back desk, the spot their group had claimed at the beginning of the year. Rian was already sitting down next to Flyzik, the two of them deep in conversation.

"Whats up, dickhead?" Jack hit the back of Rian's head as he sat down, grinning and dodging Rian's attempt at a return punch.
"Fuck you. Planning a party for Matt's 18th."
The two boys instantly sat up, grinning. "Hmm, tell us moreee." Alex mused. Although he hadnt been to a party in weeks, there was no chance he'd miss Matt's eighteenth.
"We're having it at my uncles place. He's going to be in Australia that week with his wife, so we'll have plenty of time to clean up and everything..."
"Wait, which uncle is this? The rich one?" Jack cut Matt off, sitting up straighter.
Rian and Matt grinned simultaneously.
"His lake house, its only a ten minute drive from Baltimore and nobody else lives around there, so no cops will even know. Im looking at hiring a dj as well, and maybe getting a few local bands to play." Matt said.
"And how many people?" Alex asked, genuinely curious. Maybe India would even want to come.
"Zacks got friends who are spreading the word around Towson. Its open invite so your guess is about as good as mine. Its going to be crazy."
Alex grinned to himself, pulling out his phone as it vibrated in his pocket while the guys went over the finer details of the party. He frowned a little when an unknown number popped up, unsure whether or not he should answer the call.
"Hello?" He spoke into the phone, curiousity getting the best of him.
"Hey Alex." A girls slightly shrill voice replied.
"Who's this?"
"Its Lisa. Dont you remember me?"
Alex felt his stomach drop, mentally cursing himself. The entire situation with her was one he tried to think about as little as possible.
"Oh hey Lisa, yeah sorry im just still half asleep. Whats up?" He said, deciding to keep up a friendly facade.
"Just at school. You never called me." She said gently.
"What, after the other weekend?" He asked.
"Yeah."
Alex sighed a little, pushing a hand through his hair. "Look Lisa, that was a one time thing. Just a drunken night at a party, nothing more." He said as gently as he could.
"That night didnt mean anything to you?" She asked quietly.
"No, it didnt. In all honesty, i barely remember it."
"Oh, well then."
Alex felt awful. It was evident that she was hurt.
"Im really sorry, i thought you knew that. I've just got a lot going on right now and im kinda already seeing someone." He trailed off.
Lisa bit her lip at that. "No, its whatever. I guess i'll see you around." She mumbled and hung up before Alex could say another word.

India wrapped a scarf around her neck, making sure to lock the door behind her as she left her house. Today had been average, although she'd once again chosen to ditch school and spend the day isolated in her room. Shoving her hands into the pockets of Alex's ravens jersey, she trudged through the wet grass towards the Gaskarth house. There was just two cars in the driveway, one belonging to Alex and the other to Isobel.
Knocking on the door, India tucked a strand of hair back from her face gingerly. The door swung open, revealing a slightly tired looking Isobel with cake batter smeared on her apron, wooden spoon in hand.
"Oh hello dear, how are you?" She smiled warmly, stepping aside to let India in.
"Im good thanks, how are you?"
"Wonderful yeah. Spent the day cleaning and now im whipping up a chocolate cake to finish it all off. Alex is upstairs." She said with a smile.

Alex stared blankly at his bedroom wall as he tuned the guitar in his hands, humming the notes gently. He had a significant amount on his mind right now, the largest part of it being India.
He missed her, which Alex decided was crazy because he'd only seen her yesterday. She'd sent him a quick text that morning to inform him she wouldnt be at school, but she'd be stopping by later.
The knock on his bedroom door couldnt come soon enough, and before he had a chance to think, Alex was throwing his door open, arms wrapping around her in a hug so tight he was sure she couldnt breathe.
"Someones a little excited." She chuckled, her arms winding up around his neck to greet him.
"Hmm, i missed you."
"I saw you yesterday, silly."
"Doesnt matter, i still missed you. Come on." Alex grinned and took her hand, leading her into his room, swinging the door shut behind them.

"Can we just watch movies and make out heaps?" India said, slipping off her converse and climbing rather awkwardly onto his bed.
"That sounds pretty perfect to me. What do you wanna watch?" He asked with a small smile, sitting down beside her on his bed.
"Peter pan, and dont even bother calling me lame cause its my favourite movie."
Alex just chuckled, switching on his laptop and pulling the covers over them, his arm settling around her waist and pulling her closer.
"Wouldnt even dream of it. Its my favourite too." He said, pressing a kiss to her head.

It was barely halfway through the movie before both had lost interest, or more that they had become too consumed in each other. The laptop was perched at the end of the bed, movie still playing whilst Alex hovered over her, hands on either side of her head as the two of them kissed.
He felt like a whirlwind was stirring in the pit of his gut. Every touch of her lips against his made him shudder down to his very core.
India stopped after a few minutes of lazy kisses, her shirt slightly ridden up at the waist from where Alex's hands had began to wander, hers still firmly planted on either side of his face.
"Can i ask you something?" She said quietly, her lips just a whisper from his as he stared into her eyes lovingly.
"Sure, anything you like."
"Would you have sex with me?" She replied meekly.
Alex bit his lip at that, fingers idly tracing shapes over her hipbones.
"Are you sure you want to do that? Its a really big thing."
"Im sure, i want it." She said softly.
And truth be told, Alex was terrified. He was scared of all the girls he'd been with before, all the girls he'd used and then thrown away like yesterdays garbage. He didnt want India to feel like any one of those girls. He wanted her to feel special and cared for.
India studied his face as he thought about it, knowing exactly what he was thinking about. His mind was full of fears she'd had herself.

"I want too, Alex. I love you."

Alex felt the world around him shrink away from reality as she became the only thing he saw, her beauty raw and toxic like a shot of vodka that he craved the taste and effect of.
As Alex kissed her, and as she kissed him, a million unspoken words were shared between the pair as he became eternally a part of her world, and her eternally a part of his.

And as Alex repeated the process of sex with her like he had with a thousand other girls, he knew this time was different. His skin felt like fire whereever she touched, and his heart pounded just at the sight of her beneath him, right where she wanted to be.

He felt at peace, and so did she. It felt like two worlds colliding together as one, two hearts forming into a bond that couldnt be broken no matter how much time passed.

Alex whispered to her those three fateful words, three that he swore he would never confess in all his days to another living soul.

"I love you."