Chapter Three: Can this be happening?

As soon as I walked in the door I ran to the phone. I had to find out, even though it was like a one in a million chance. I dialed Violet’s house number, and with each ring my heart raced even faster. “Hello?” A female voice, thank goodness. I let out a sigh of relief and replied “Hi, Violet?”

“Yea, Nicole?”

“Mhm.”

“Hey! What’s up?”

“Oh just got home, listen uhm, did your brother happen to go to Wonderland today?”

“Uhh, well he was out with Laura, I don’t know where they went though, why?”

“I’ll explain in a minute, is he there? Could you ask him?” Oh s**t, I shouldn’t have said that. I should not have said that. If she says “Nicole wants to know” then it could be really bad.

“Sure. One sec.” Then I heard in the background, “Hey Alezander! Did you go to Wonderland today?”

“Yea. Why?” I heard him reply. My heart raced even faster, quadruple time, because he had been and because he had asked why. “Just wondering.” Violet’s faint voice replied. I let out a small sigh of relief at that.

“Nicole? Yea he said he was.”

I hoped he hadn’t heard that...Unfortunately, it would seem he had, “Nicole? You’re talking to Nicole? Why the hell would she want to know if I went to Wonderland today?”

“W-what?” Violet seemed confused.

“Tell him to go on the phone Violet.” I said. No, I didn’t say that! What would I say to him? Well, he probably wouldn’t even pick up the phone, would he?

It turns out he would. “Here Alex, Nicole wants to talk to you.” I heard from Violet.

“What Nicole? Stalking me again?”

I tried to contain myself. “No.” I said through gritted teeth. “You happen to take your elantra?”

“Well duh, it is my car.”

“You happen to park next to a purple-ish minivan?” I asked, my teeth still clenched together, my heart still racing.

“Y-yea, how’d you- Are you? No.” I heard the astonishment in his voice as the realization kicked in.

“You leave a note on it Alex? Hmm? Tell me.” I asked him, a little more sarcastically then I intended to.

“No, no. It wasn’t your car.”

“Yea, it was.” I answered

“Well, tell your dad I’m sorry and-”

Well that sort of ticked me. Tell my dad he’s sorry? Why couldn’t he apologize to me? I knew it was my dad’s car, but he still should be apologizing for how rude he was talking to me anyways. And how rude he was talking about me. Plus, he totally overreacted. It was my fault, though. So I did something remarkable, “Alex, I’m sorry about the other night.”

“What? I blocked you.”

“Yea I know, but I can’t control other people’s actions, but I can control my own. And what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry.” I realize when he said “I blocked you” he probably meant he blocked me because he didn’t want to talk to me, so it was done, end of story. But I said it anyway.

The next thing I heard was dial-tone. My heart kept thumping but I hung up the phone and tried to steady myself. I put away all of my stuff from Wonderland, and tried not to think about it, realizing I’d have to tell daddy eventually, that it was Alex. Then what would daddy think of him? He hadn’t known about the last few days, he only knew up to where Alex apologized to me, but he still hadn’t really forgiven Alex for what he did to me. This would not be good.

Still, I went downstairs and told him. “Dad uhh, you know Alex drives a black elantra right?” I asked.

“Yea?” he looked up.

“Yea, so I called and well, it was Alex, and he said he was really sorry.” I said in one breath.

“Really?” Dad looked at me.

Just then the doorbell rang. Dad got up to get it, trying to contain what I knew he would say later. About how screwed up Alex is and that he always told me that. I don’t know why, but this bothered me, even though it shouldn’t. I should be thinking the same thing, shouldn’t I? Because he hurt me so much. Yet, I still wanted to stand up for him, which was weird.

I don’t know who was at the door, but next thing I knew, daddy was in the garage with whoever it was. So I decided to go and see. I almost collapsed as the first thing I saw when I stepped into the garage was two male heads bent over the driver’s side door. One was my dad, the other was...Alex.

I stepped into the garage anyway, noticing Alex’s elantra in the driveway, and addressed my dad “Uhm dad? Is it bad?” he knew I was talking about the dent. Alex looked up briefly, and then bent over the car again.

“I’m really sorry Paul. It was a complete accident, usually I’m a really good driver, I was with Laura, I don’t know-”

“Hmph. Good drivers don’t dent other people’s cars when they park. Were you too busy with your girlfriend? You have to pay attention to what you’re doing-”

This wasn’t good, both my dad and Alex were temper mental, this could get really ugly. My dad was blowing up on him, instead of on me, as he would have done if Alex hadn’t shown up. I tried to convince myself that I stepped in because I didn’t want things to get ugly, but I think the truth was, I just couldn’t let my dad blow up on Alex, because I knew it was an accident.

“Dad. DAD! Alex really is a good driver; it was just an accident, okay? Everyone has accidents, even really good drivers. You’re an awesome driver, but you still go over the curb occasionally.” I pointed out, giving him the eye, hoping he’d understand to shut up. It was true too; he did go over too many curbs.

“Yea. It’s okay.” He mumbled, and walked back into the house saying he’d be back.

I hoped he wasn’t going to do anything stupid.

Now, though, this was weird, because Alex and I were alone in the garage.

I just stood there, frozen for a minute; then Alex covered the two steps in between us.

“So uhh, you said the same thing I said to you in the car that night didn’t you?” He asked.

I knew what he was talking about, the apology I had blurted on the phone with him. It was true, I had. “Yea.” I whispered.

“Sorry I hung up on you.”

“Whatever.” I said.

“Listen, uhm, I went off. I know you heard what I was saying before Violet handed me the phone and all, I guess I just can’t stop thinking that you like me, it’s like implanted in my brain or something. There’s just this small part of me that always worries you’ll screw everything up for me and Laura. Not that you always screw up!” He rushed to explain. “But, I always feel bad when I hurt you, it was happening again. And you’re so forgiving, it just hurts me more. So can we try...again?” Alex asked, really emphasizing the ‘again’. “I’m so sorry I blocked you and everything, again.” He emphasized ‘again’ this time, too. “And Laura, I don’t know, I think she feels the same way.” He looked at his feet.

What was I supposed to do? I just had to watch myself from now on, because he really did want to be my friend, right? I realized I’d never really be sure, but I had to try, because I tried at everything. I took a deep breath, “Okay, let’s try...again.”

Alex laughed nervously, “I didn’t think you’d accept my apology again. Not that I didn’t want you too!” he threw his hands up.

I laughed nervously too, “It’s okay, I know. Yea I forgive you, it was my fault really. I hit home with those words that I really shouldn’t have said.”

“Yea.” Alex nodded slowly, “But it’s okay. I understand it’s hard to get over, because I just proved that I’m not really over it yet either.” He smiled sheepishly.

“Thanks for sticking up for me by the way, with your dad.” He whispered.

“No problem, my dad can be temper mental, and that isn’t fair.”

“Sounds like me.” He tried to giggle.

“Very like you.” I smiled.

He smiled back.

My dad came back out then, interrupting us. “Paul, really I’m sorry. If you want me to pay for-”

“Don’t worry Alex. It’s a small dent on an old van. We’ll just let it go.” I was a bit surprised at what my dad said, but it was true. I mean, to fix a dent like that was a bit pointless.

“Seriously? Thanks.” Alex lightened up.

“You’re welcome.”

“Well, anyways, it’s kind of getting late.” Alex said awkwardly, patting the back of his head.

“Yea, a bit.” My dad said.

“But it’s Saturday.” I blurted out. Whoops.

“Yea, and I’m tired.” My dad eyed me.

“Well, I mean, if you don’t mind Paul. Nicole and I could just hang out at the park for a bit or something. Since she’s probably not tired yet.”

Now I was even more shocked, which is hard to believe. I looked at my dad for his reaction. “Well, it’s nine, I guess...if you’re back by ten thirty or so...”

“Thanks dad!” I smiled.

Alex gestured for me to follow him, and I did, as my dad closed the garage door behind us.

 

Author's Note

to be continued...

Reviews

[After the Blackbird Sin..]

Well, so far pretty good. I'm rather curious to know what happened between these people "the first time".