#Chapter 14 An Exercise In Self–Reflection
When he and the other guys look to confront him, they all freeze up.
Alex looks irritated again, his large hand starting to curl into his shoulder. The bully goes pale and starts to sweat, reaching up to try and dislodge it. But the instant his fingers touch Alex’s, the hockey player clenches further.
“Ghh!”
He whimpers. Honestly, fully, whimpers, and loses his balance, his right elbow supporting his weight on the table. Alex leans down, easily looking over everyone with his eyes narrowed.
“It really takes six guys to bully a single person? What a pathetic pack.” He sighs, seeming genuinely disappointed. “Fuck off, will you?”
The five guys he isn’t physically holding in place give each other looks before they decide to back off, none of them brave enough to try him. The one he’s clenching on tries to leave, but Alex shoves him down onto the bench attached to the table.
“Before you leave, clean up that mess you made. Aight?”
“Y–Yeah…”
“Cool.” Alex hands him some paper towels, that unkind smile back on his face. “Here.”
He only lets go of him once the guy collects some of the towels. After that, he doesn’t pay any more attention to him, taking a seat across from me.
“Ah, sorry about your lunch. Uh…I can use my lunch credits to get you another one if you don’t have enough.”
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It would be so easy for me to thank him for this yet again. He just always seems to save me when I’m in situations like this. Popping up out of nowhere like he has some kind of bully
radar.
And yet, I can’t help but think of the things I’d said to him not long ago. The way we parted, frustrated and angry at each other. I was…not the nicest person at that time, even if I don’t completely regret what I said.
I feel a bit…tired. Not even hungry anymore either. And I know my voice isn’t going to work.
So, I just shake my head and look down at the table.
Alex doesn’t seem disturbed by this, so he settles in his seat. From the upper corner of my eye, I even see him take out his phone. I guess he just…wants to stick around.
Or maybe he’s looking for the ‘thank you‘ that’s honestly due to him.
Before I can continue wondering, my phone vibrates with a text message. I reach into my pocket and pull it out, seeing it’s something from Alex.
He sent a stick figure picture of something that looks like a deer. Only, it’s standing on its hind legs and looks to be very upset. There are even flames sprouting from its head, its
front hooves on its hips as it huffs.
It looks like one of my early drawings, but I know it’s not my art style… Did Alex draw this?
It’s…pretty cute.
My smile squirms into existence unconsciously, and that seems to lift Alex’s spirit, relief
plain on his face. Though, when I look up, that relief turns into remorse.
“…I thought about what you said when we last spoke. And I think you’re right.” He starts
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scrolling through his phone, still speaking, “I haven’t really been acting like someone who’d be dating someone else. And I see what you mean about Charlie misunderstanding You don’t hang around a bunch of guys or anything, so I shouldn’t do the same with girls.”
He then turns his phone toward me. It’s a bunch of threads in his direct messages on Instapost. In most of them, I see that he’s made the last comment to them.
“Srry, can’t keep talkin w you like this, Got a girlfriend,”
Some followed up with complaints, others with a simple “Ok” or other one–word responses. Some don’t have any replies at all. I’m simply surprised by the sheer amount of people he’s had to reply to at all,
“So, I’m going to take this thing seriously, like you have been. I’m sorry, I’m supposed to be focusing on the upcoming games anyway, so I’m stitching it up from here on.”
He pulls his phone back, then shows his Instapost profile, revealing a new set of pictures he’s put there.
One of them is of the two of us together, with Alex posing, and me too zoned into the art I’m making for Drama Club to notice. I hadn’t realized he’d taken W…
The second picture is….
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It’s one of the photos I’d kept in my locker before I cleaned it out! The one with me in braces and wearing the round Little Ophelia outfit!
I never gave him the picture, so how does he have a copy of it? Where did he get it from?! When Danielle trashed my locker??
I quickly scroll over to the “Delete” option, but Alex snatches his phone back, realizing
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what I’m about to do. He holds it away from me as I reach for it from across the table,
fussing.
“W–What the hell, Alex?! D–Delete it! Now!”
“Eh? But it’s such a cute picture. You made such a cute crow!”
“Ophelia’s a m–ag–pie! Different! From crows! But th–at’s not the p–point!”
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I get up and rush over to the other side of the table as he stands. I try to snatch his phone again, but he extends his arm into the air. He’s already stupidly tall, so even when I stand
on the tips of my toes, his phone is far from my reach.
My eyes scrunch shut as I keep reaching.
“Y–Yooooou!!”
He laughs, which only makes me more embarrassed.
But it’s the way he laughs that calms me down a bit. There’s no mocking tone in it, just that mischievousness he’s always had since I first met him.
…Agh, dammit. I can’t stay mad at him, especially since he’s apologized.
Ever since he’s realized that we’re cool again, he’s returned to obnoxiously hovering around me whenever he has the time. Although, this time it’s much more comfortable since he’s doing better at setting boundaries with the curious girls who come around him.
“Yo, Cynth. What’s that?”
I look up from where I’m taping a notice to the wall. Despite the words being right there, he
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still looks at me eagerly, waiting for me to answer.
“…Looking for a, uhm, lead a–actor.”
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“Eh? Lead actor? For what?” He finally looks at the ad and tilts his head. Somehow, it’s somewhat puppy–like. Though, his brows scrunch with displeasure. “Oh, for that werewolf play Charlie was talking about.”
“Yeah.” I start heading over to where some other club members are putting up signs and he follows.
As we approach, he waves at them in greeting. A few guys and girls come closer, though he sticks closer to me when the girls approach.
…I’m not addressing the satisfaction that settles in my chest at that. Nope.
“Looking for lead actors, I see… But why? Don’t you guys have a few folks who could play it?”
“Ah, sure, I suppose,” Jonathan replies, “But none of us fit the, er, aesthetic.”
“Hmm?”
I nudge him, and he looks down at me.
“Hot w–werewolf g–uy. T–Tall and handsome. Club members could f–fit, but m–might be better to get outside p–participation.”
“Oi, isn’t that kinda dissing your crew?” he laughs.
“No, it’s not dissing us.” Jonathan shrugs. “I know I’m not a Hollywood dreamboat. It’s
just that finding someone who is has been a chore and a half. Especially someone willing to participate in the play… Someone who knows us pretty well… Someone who could mesh
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with the team…”
Jonathan trails off, his eyes locking onto Alex.
Ah.
I’ve been in this and other drama clubs long enough to know what that look means. However, Alex is unaware of the true fearsomeness of a theatre fanatic who finds the
perfect face they’re looking for.
Alex blinks, confused. Then he looks around, feeling the others looking at him.
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All of the nearby club members have stopped putting up posters, staring up at him with eyes that practically sparkle. It makes me think of a bunch of hamsters looking at someone holding
Except, Alex is, like, made of millet and they want to eat him alive instead.
P
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