Give 'Em Hell, Kid

I didn’t get to talk to her again until the school bell rang to call an end to the day. She had been quiet throughout our classes, barely looking at me and I knew she was hiding something. I don’t remember ever being so happy to leave a class as I was today, picking up my bag and almost flying out of my seat before the teacher had even finished his sentence without waiting for Alexia. While I had no work due for tomorrow I had an assignment that had to be handed in for Friday. That could wait until Thursday night or Friday morning if I was really lazy. I didn’t care either way as I made my way to my locker, my mind would only think about one thing.: What happened between Alexia and that asshole of a jock when I left. Even though I was sure Alexia wouldn’t accept any advances he would make I knew girls were funny creatures who would do stupid crazy things just for the sake of it. She never had a boyfriend before so maybe she would decide now was the time to get one. I shook my head as the thought entered my mind, knowing Alexia wouldn’t do that. She was too good a person to string someone along just for the sake of it. But then again, how could I be certain she didn’t like him? We were best friends but we never spoke about our love lives, or what was a pathetic excuse for one. I only had eyes for her which is why I never brought it up, but for all I knew Alexia had watched him from afar and I was just too blind to notice.

​​​I made it out to my car within five minutes of the final bell, not surprised to see Mikey already waiting for me.

​​​‘Sup dude?’

​​​I cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering if I had heard him correctly.

​​​‘If you ever say those words to me again you’ll be walking home’ I threatened uselessly as he grinned at me, knowing it was an empty threat.

​​​‘Get a sense of humour man’ he muttered when I unlocked the car, throwing his bag in the back seat before he got in. I threw my own in the trunk before slamming it shut with a bang, venting my anger and anxiety a little.

​​​Alexia came just as I let go of the door, I watched her closely to see if there were any signs of what had happened earlier. She didn’t look particularly happy or sad at first glance, but I could see the glint in her eye which only appeared when she lied or when she was excited about something. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I felt genuine fear for the first time in years.

​​​‘Hey’ I tried to keep my emotions under wrap, my tone monotonous as a result.

​​​‘Bleh. Thank fuck today is over’ was the response I got as she opened the front passenger door and got in the car. I knew I couldn’t ask her what had happened, not in front of the guys. I didn’t have to wait too long for Frank and Ray to show up, both of whom looked miserable as fuck when they arrived.

​​​‘At least it can’t get any worse, right?’ Frank whined from the back seat as I reversed out of the parking space and sped it out of the car park.

​​​‘For fuck sake Frankie’ Alexia growled, throwing something that looked like a ball of paper at him.

​​​‘What?’ he asked indignantly.

​​​‘You’re fucking cursing us you idiot!’

​​​‘I thought you weren’t superstitious!’

​​​‘I’m not but for Christ’s sake don’t fucking tempt fate in case it decides to exist!’

​​​He laughed at her, while Ray shook his head at her. Mikey was zoned out, his eyes closed as he ignored what was going on around him.

​​​‘That doesn’t make any sense!’

​​​‘Yes it does.

​​​‘You’re nuts.’

​​​‘No, you have nuts. I have a vagina, which you verified six years ago when you looked up my skirt.’

​​​Frank went red at the memory and kept quiet after that, everyone went silent as we all entered our own worlds. The silence continued until Alexia’s phone beeped with an obnoxiously loud sound. From my peripheral vision I could see her check the message she received and blush. I gripped the wheel tightly, my knuckles white as I instinctively knew who it was. Nobody else would get that reaction from her. I had to stop myself from growling in my anger, and I had an urge to grab her phone and throw it out the window just to wipe the smile off her face.

​​​‘Ooooh, who’s got Alexia all hot and bothered’ Mike teased as he came out of his reverie and spotted Alexia’s blushing from her reflection in the wing view mirror.

​​​‘No one, so shut up!’ she hissed with venom as she replied to the text, as she did when she felt guilty or lying.

​​​‘Alexia has a boyfriend’ he continued to tease.

​​​‘Shut the fuck up Mikey!’

​​​‘Alexia and her boyfriend, sitting in a tree-’ he began to sing.

​​​‘Shut it Mikey’ I snapped loudly as the car to a sudden halt, my anger making me see red as my vision blurred. I was beyond pissed and it scared me. I shouldn’t be reacting this way. It wasn’t normal for jealousy to make someone feel this crazy, was it? I’d never felt this before and it frightened me that I was losing control over my own emotions.

​​​Alexia looked at me with concern while Mikey refused to look in my direction, his tell tale sign of being upset. I started moving the car again when my vision returned to normal and the atmosphere in the car was tense and fell of anxiety as everyone worried about my mental stability. I was beginning to fear for my own sanity myself.

​​​When I pulled up at Frankie’s house he jumped out of the vehicle without so much as a backward glance or a farewell. He hated awkward situations, like the one my dumb ass had just created. When we reached Ray’s place he does a little better, mumbling a ‘See you later’ before calmly opening the door and exiting the car. Unlike Frank he doesn’t flee up his drive way to get into his house.

​​​‘Are you still coming over to mine?’ I manage to ask in a normal voice, directing my question to the only non family member left in my car.

​​​‘Sure’ she replies hesitantly and I know she’s afraid that I’ll go off again.

​​​‘Fucking Mondays’ I muttered.

​​​‘A-fucking-men’ she agreed, giving me a sympathetic smile before staring out her window as she watched the world whirl by.

​​​When I finally got to my place I turned the ignition off, and Mikey shot out of the car, slamming the door with a vicious slam. He stormed into the house, leaving me and Alexia in the car.

​​​‘Are you okay?’ She asked cautiously.

​​​‘Yeah, just stressful first day back. I’m just tired is all.’

​​​She nodded, her lips pulled into a thin line in a tell tale sign she didn’t believe me.

​​​‘So…who was texting you?’

​​​I wanted to punch myself in the face as the words left my mouth, my face flushing red as Alexia looked at me as though I had two heads.

​​​‘Not that it matters…but it was Darren.’

​​​‘What did he want?’ I couldn’t stop myself. Please God kill me now before I dig an even hole for ​​myself.

​​​‘He was asking if I was going to Homecoming. I said I wasn’t sure.’

​​​‘But we never go to Homecoming, remember? It’s a load of bullshit, that’s what you said and we all agreed.’

​​​‘Well maybe I changed my mind.’ She realised quickly the effects her words were having on me before she swiftly added ‘I mean, it is our final year Gerard. Maybe we should go.’

​​​‘Why, so you can get with Mr. Jock face?’

​​​I regretted my words as I saw her face crumble with hurt for a split second before it changed to anger.

​​​‘Fuck you, why would you care if I go out with him or not? I’m seventeen Gerard; it’s not unusual for people our age to want to date, to want to feel special!’

​​​The words cut through me, white hot and deep. I didn’t make her feel special? I always tried to, but maybe it wasn’t enough. Girls wanted guys who showed them affection, who made them feel wanted and cared for. I suppose somewhere along the line that even though Alexia acts like one of the guys deep down she wants the same thing ever girl wants.

​​​‘Maybe, but he’s not the kind of guy you’d want to be with Alexia, trust me.’

​​​‘Why?’

​​​‘I’ve heard things about him Lexi, he’s not as nice as he seems.’

​​​‘Well if all you have are rumours to base your dislike of him on than you’re worse than the Preps are.’

​​​With those words she got out of the car, calmly walking into my house as I felt like my world was beginning to tear at the seams.
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