You Are Nothing What You Seem

I wipe at my eyes, picking up the spoon and tossing it onto the counter. I sit down at the table and close my eyes, resting my forehead on the heel of my hand. Why was I starting to cry?

Alex is such a jerk. Who is he to tell me who I should date?

I sit at the table, seething, until I hear the water boiling. I stand up and walk over to the stove. I pick up the box of macaroni and cheese and rip it open, pulling out the cheese packet before pouring the noodles into the pot. I slowly walk across the kitchen to retrieve my spoon, then return to the stove. I set the timer for seven minutes, then start stirring the macaroni. I'm not even hungry anymore.

I finish making the macaroni and cheese and just pour it all into a container before putting it into the fridge. I carry the pot over to the sink and wash it, leaving it on a towel on the counter to dry.

I walk upstairs to my room, locking the door behind me. I flop onto the bed and pull my cell phone from my pocket. I dial, holding a pillow over my eyes as I wait for Isabel to pick up.

"Hello?"

I groan "Belle, come over, please."

She laughs. "You don't sound very happy."

"Rawr."

"I'll be over in a little bit," she says.

"Good," I say before clicking the phone off.

I throw it down to the end of the bed and stand up slowly. I unlock the door, knowing that when Isabel gets here, she'll burst in without knocking, and she'll hit me if the door is locked. I turn on my CD player and spin around the room back to my bed as Cute Is What We Aim For blast through the speakers. Risque.

"What's wrong, hon?" Isabel asks, walking in the door a few songs later.

I'm sprawled out across my bed, my head underneath a pillow. "Alex makes me mad."

"What did he do now?" She asks, flopping next to me and resting her head on my hollow stomach.

I recount the story of our fight at Common Grounds, Alex's reaction when he found me and Dylan sitting on the curb, and what he said to me down in the kitchen.

"Hmm…sounds to me like he's jealous," She says when I'm finished.

"Of what?" What could Alex possibly be jealous of, if I'm involved?

"Dylan."

"Why would he be jealous of Dylan?"

"Because Dylan has a date with you."

I lean up on my elbows, throwing the pillow off. Isabel's head slides into my lap. "Why would that make him jealous?"

"I know you're going to think I'm crazy, but it sounds to me like Alex likes you," Isabel says quietly.

I stare at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "No way!"

"Yeah, that's what it sounds like!" Isabel says, sitting up.

"I highly doubt he's jealous of Dylan because of me," I say once I've got the laughing under control. "He hates me."

"So? Maybe he wants your bod," Isabel says, laughing.

I roll my eyes. "Right. Alex is jealous of Dylan because he wants to fuck me. Because that sounds so plausible."

Isabel smacks my arm. "You never know."

"Sure," I say, standing up and walking to the door. "We'll see about that."

"What are you doing?" Isabel asks, following me as I walk out into the hallway.

"Alex!" I shout.

He comes out of the guest room – his room – and glares at me. "What?"

"Do you want to fuck me?" I ask, as seriously as I can. There's not giggling or smiling, anyway.

He makes a disgusted face. "Ew, no, why the hell would you ask me that?"

I burst out laughing, turning and pushing Isabel back into my room, shutting the door behind us.

"See?" I say, returning to the bed. "I told you so."

"Eh, I'm still not convinced," She says, sitting down at my desk and looking at me. "I still think he's jealous."

"Whatever you say, Belle," I say.