"Oh my-" The slips of paper fly out of my locker in a mess. I read a couple, seeing that they all have sorry written on them.

An abrupt, loud laugh comes from my right. Val laughs hard as he stands with a boy his age who i've not met. "You always have things flyin' out of your locker."

"Has she ever had dildos flying out?" The blonde boy with Val asks.

"No, but we should do that."

"Where's Alex?" I demand.

"Behind you."

I turn around, startled when I find Alex really close to me. "Seriously, Alex? You better pick all these up."

"I will if you accept my apology."

"No. This is only making me annoyed at you."

"Told yah their relationship was weird," Val says to his friend.

"Go away and fuck bimbo eighteen year olds," Alex says and Val gives him a confused look.

"Huh?"

"Did you and Amelia-" The other guys eyebrows shoot up.

"No, Sam. He did it with a fucked up slut who is too old for him." What the heck is going on?

Sam looks at Val. "That's the only girls you go for, right?"

Alex groans and looks at me one last time before walking away. I'm confused as hell.

When I get outside to the parking lot, my heart stops when I see Meredith. Across her windshield is sorry written in ketchup. Well, it's either that or blood.

Everyone around stares at it and laughs, and Alex appears beside me with his arms crossed, admiring his art. "Too far!" I yell, opening the door and throwing my bag inside.

"Are you done hating me yet?"

"I'm just getting started." Getting into my car, I turn on the windshield wipers.

"I wouldn't do that-"

The whole window gets smeared in sauce, making it all red and unable to see through. "I'm gonna kill you. Fix this!"

"Uhh," he scratches the back of his neck. "Got any water?" I reach into the backseat and grab two half filled bottles. Alex pours them over the windshield and the window wipers clear some of the sauce.

"Why did you need to do this? Couldn't you have just left another one of your stupid notes on my car?"

"That wouldn't do it for me."

"This isn't doing it for me."

"What does do it for you?" He raises a brow.

I glare and close my car door, starting the engine and driving home. Once i'm home I grab the hose and soak my car until every last drop of Alex – I mean sauce – is gone.

+++

Running always helps me to clear my mind, and it's helped me lose a lot of weight from how much i've been doing it lately, or more precisely, since Alex and I broke up.

The country park is my favourite place to run. The sound of birds is strong but peaceful and there is never really anyone here except from the casual dog walker. The sights are also beautiful, like the steam that flows on my right. There are also some ducks which-

"Owe!" I rub my elbow that slammed straight into someone chest from trying to stop my body slamming against them.

The guy leans over, a hand on his chest. "You're in pain? It's me who got your arm stabbed into my chest." He looks up with a pained expression and I see it's Ray. "Do you ever look where you're going?"

"Sorry," I bite my lip, still rubbing my sore elbow but deciding it's best not to moan about it. That must have hurt him bad.

He stands up straight and sighs. "You run down here too?"

"Yeah. So is this where you always disappear too?"

"Sometimes."

"Where else do you go?"

"That's for me to know, and you... not to know."

"Why are you always out, anyway? You hate your family or something?"

"No. They're just...overwhelming sometimes. It's better for me to get away."

"Right. I thought you were doing drugs or something."

"Why? Because some of my siblings have flew off the rails, that means I must have too?"

I look away from his intense angry eyes. "No, I just guessed that because – well, because-"

"It's fine. Forget I said anything." He takes off jogging down the way I came, and I turn around and catch up to him.

"Are you okay? You seem different than usual." He's usually really nice. The only times I've seen him like this is when he was picking a fight with Lewis, but then again, I don't really see him much. Is this how he usually is?

"Yeah, I'm a dick, right? That's why it's best I stay away from people until I've been alone for long enough and got out my energy so I can last about five minutes being around people and not jump down their throat."

"How long have you felt like that?"

"I don't feel like saying. I don't want to say anything else, actually. Alex would kill me if I made you cry."

"You couldn't make me cry."

"Sure about that?"

"Give it your best shot."

"Hmm," he thinks while I struggle to keep up with him, running out of breath. He doesn't even look tired; he really must do this a lot. "You have ugly ears."

"Is that the best you can do?" I'm suddenly insecure about my ears.

"No. Like I said, Alex will kill me if I make you cry."

"No he won't considering he happily makes me cry."

"Okay," he nods. "You're an idiot. You act smart but you're actually really stupid."

"Hey, i'm smart."

"Maybe you can write a decent essay but you're a moron when it comes to your own relationship."

"I don't-"

"-Have a relationship," he rolls his eyes. "You sound like Alex."

"So do you. Well, you sound like how Alex used to be." My breathing gets even heavier and I grab Ray's shoulder, slowing to a walk. "Can we stop for a second?"

Ray stops, looking at me as I put my hands on my hips and try to catch my breath. His eyes trail down my body and I hope he's not searching for more flaws. "My Mom can run for longer than you, and she's had ten kids."

"Okay, you can stop trying to upset me now, I give in."

"I wasn't... I was just pointing that out."

"I appreciate it." Sitting down on a log, I put my hand over my stomach, feeling it start to ache.

"Geez. Are you pregnant or something?"

"No." I groan.

"How do you know?"

"Because I do."

"How can you be sure though?"

"Because I know!"

"I'm telling Alex you're pregnant."

I grab his phone from his hand before he does any damage. "I'm not! It's just that time of month, you happy now?"

"That's disappointing."

"Why? Do you want my life to be ruined from having a human grow inside of me?" I nosily look down at his phone, reading some texts he has on his home screen. Ones from Yasmin asking where he is, and ones from two other people, but he snatches his phone from me before I get to read them. Aww, I wanted to find out if he has a secret girlfriend.

"For that, I'm telling him anyway."

"Whatever. It doesn't affect me."

"Sure it won't." He types into his phone.

"You're so problematic."

"I'm bored. I need problems." He grabs my arm and pulls me up, almost detaching my arm from my body. "C'mon," he starts running again.

"I changed my mind, I am pregnant! Slow down!"

+++

"Hey!" I move in front of Jack in the lunch line after he went ahead of me. No one puts time between me and food.

He pulls me back, going in front again. "Ladies first."

"Are you calling yourself a lady?"

"I'm the lady between us. I dress way better than you."

I go in front of him again. "What's the point in dressing good for school? I have no one to look good for."

Jack puts his arms around me, my back pressed against him and he lifts me off the ground, then drops me behind him. Luckily I grab the metal bars that trays slide along before I fall and embarrass myself.

There is a loud clashing noise and I look up at Jack being pushed against the glass protecting all the food. Alex glares straight into his soul, holding Jack's shirt. "Are you fucking stupid? You can't be so careless with her. You never know what could be going on."

"Why are you being so dramatic?" I pull Alex's hands from Jack and he looks down at my stomach. That's when it clicks. Alex thinks i'm pregnant because of problematic Ray.

"You could have seriously hurt her!" Alex slams Jack against the glass again. Jacks face turns solid this time and he shoves Alex back.

Before Alex can do anything else, I grab his arm and pull him away to the cafeteria door. "I'm not pregnant, alright? Now that's clear, you can go back to your life." I try to walk away and Alex places a gentle hand on my arm.

"Ray said you were and had bad pains yesterday."

"I just had cramps. It's not 'cause i'm pregnant. I haven't even touched a guy since Chrissy-"

"When the fuck was the last time you had sex with that Chrissy dude?" He presses his lips together, clenching his jaw.

"Never. We only kissed a long time ago. Not that I owe you that explanation."

"So... You can't be pregnant?"

"No."

"Well you could and it's been like three months and you haven't noticed."

"I'm not."

"You could-"

Oh my god what is it with these Fuentes guys? "I'm not! I have my period, so i'm not!"

He raises his eyebrows. "Oh."

"Yeah. Bye."

"Are you still mad at me?" He follows me while I walk back to the queue.

"Yes." Maybe he'll stay away if he thinks i'm still mad about everything he said and did. It will make this all a lot easier like it was before he was apologising over and over again.

"I don't know how to make it up to you."

"I don't want you to. It's over, so why are you fighting for my forgiveness? Do you want to be friends or something? Or are you just trying to fix all the things you've done wrong in your life? Have you started going to church?"

"No, it's 'cause-" He lets out a breath. "Because I miss you a lot, and I never even wanted us to break up. I did it because of-" he pauses, "reasons."

"What reasons?"

"Just a lot of reasons."

"It sounds like you're using this as an excuse. I can't trust you anymore." I sigh, "It feels like you just want back with me for the sex."

"I don't. We can never have sex again to prove it," he grimaces. "I mean, that would suck, but i'd do it to prove to you that I want you because I love you."

I raise my eyebrows, feeling my heartbeat quicken in my chest. He really does love me? What if he's just saying that? "I don't know, Alex. I'm questioning everything you say, wondering if it's truthful."

When we get to the front of the line, I buy a cheeseburger and soda today because of my food cravings. Alex steps away, staring hard at the ground and doesn't get anything. I've noticed he's not been eating at all since he got back to school.

"So you can never trust me again? That's it?"

I hesitate, a lump forming in my throat from hearing him say that and from the thought that we are completely done after this and will probably not talk again. When I don't speak, his expression turns to stone and he walks over to his table and grabs his bag. Yasmin says something to him but he doesn't say anything back, and instead walks out.

+++

My last classes were painful. The reality that my relationship with the boy I love is ruined lingers in my mind, tearing at my heart. I wish it had worked. Maybe if things had been different it would have, but good things never last.

I stand with my car door open, not getting in yet as i'm stuck in my thoughts, the world around me feeling empty. I don't want to go home. When i'm home all I'll do is think about everything and be alone.

"I'm sorry."

I close my eyes, the sound of his voice going through me like a knife. "Stop saying that."

"I got you something."

"I don't need gifts to encourage me to accept your apology."

"It's not because of that. Turn around." I sigh, turning to look at him and he stands holding out a chocolate bar. My eyes bulge. I've been craving that all day. "You always wanted chocolate during that time," the moron awkwardly looks down, being too much of a little girl to say the word period.

I take it from his hand. "Thanks." If this is his tactic of getting me to forgive him, then it's kind of working. It's also reminding me of how it used to be and causing me a great deal of pain.

One side of his lips tugs into a short smile. "See you around." He starts walking away.

I grip Meredith's door tight, trying to stop myself from saying anything or lunging at him. I don't want him to go.

So why am I letting him go? Why do I need to have this constant fight with myself? Why am I not allowing myself to let this go even though it's all I want to do? Because I've been treated like shit by guys in the past, and now I can't put myself in that vulnerable position to get hurt again, definitely not by the same person who has already hurt me.

But I can't make myself unhappy anymore. I want to be happy. I want to fucking be with Alex Fuentes.

My feet are moving to catch up with him before i've even decided what i'm going to say, or do. Grabbing his arm to make him stop, we stand in the middle of the parking lot, and Alex furrows his eyebrows when I hesitate. Without thinking, I reach up and kiss him.

I only planned on it being short because I don't really want to stand here making out in front of everyone, but Alex puts his arms around me, holding me close to him and we move our lips together. It still feels like we've only been kissing for five seconds, but when we pull apart and I open my eyes, half of the lot is cleared.

"I'll try to make it work," I say up to him, feeling his hot and heavy breath against my skin. The feeling makes my stomach flutter and for some reason reminds me of being alone behind closed doors with him.

He smiles. "I'll try not to fuck things up."

"On one condition." His smile drops and I hesitate, giving him a couple more seconds to be afraid. "Don't ever put ketchup on my car ever again."

He puts his hand over his heart. "I solemnly swear never to put the ketchup substance within ten feet of your vehicle." I chuckle and reach up to peck his lips.

"I take full credit for making this happen," Ray says, standing in front of us. I step back from Alex and cross my hands over my chest.

"What'd you do except make Alex attack an innocent boy?"

"The pregnancy thing totally got you guys closer." He gives me a look as if that was obvious. "Hurry up, Alex, before I get bored and end up addicted to an illegal substance."

Alex roles his eyes. "I'll call you," he tells me and I smile from the thought of talking to him all night. How did this grey world suddenly get filled with colour?

+++

teaser: cute alexia moments n stuff

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