Chapter ZWEI
The morning was cool, yet warm enough not to wear any kind of coat. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, turning the trees a brilliant green, and gave clouds a silver lining.
As Tom, Bill, and Alix made their way towards the high school, Alix kept having the urge to just randomly grab Tom's hand, like they did when they were kids. It would be different than then, of course, because they were almost adults, and in that harmonic stage of puberty. Alix wondered why she was thinking of Tom so differently that particular day.
Of course, Alix had feelings that she hadn't discovered yet. The truth that lied in her heart was that she deep down loved Tom, as more than a friend. Her subconscious mind was bringing this feature of her emotions out that day.
Beyond Alix's knowledge, Tom and Bill both had a crush on her, in different ways. Tom had the same feelings for Alix in his subconscious, as Alix did for him in hers. Bill just felt like he needed someone like Alix in his life. He was the younger, more sensitive twin, after all. But Alix hadn't had time to think about all that. It was hard to worry about that kind of stuff when there were dictators like Hitler conquering everyone.
"So…um, how was your, um, morning?" Bill asked Alix, hesitant of what to say. Bill was sensitive and shy, so it was hard for him to make conversation with Alix. He definitely had a habit of stuttering around her, and taking long pauses in his words.
"Um… fine." Alix said. "Why?" She never noticed that Bill had feelings for her, considering she was just used to him stuttering and being hesitant around her.
"No reason" Bill answered, staring at the ground as he walked.
Most of the walk to school was silent. Then, Tom decided to talk.
"Um, I heard our cousin is getting married" Tom said, looking at Alix.
"Really, which one?" Alix asked him. She was more wondering why this was relevant.
"The fat one" Tom replied with a chuckle. Alix laughed.
"That's mean!" she yelled at Tom and hit him. This resulted in them wrestling on the ground, laughing. Bill stood above them, laughing at the situation. Alix then pinned Tom to the ground.
"Well that's good for him" Alix said smiling down at him, panting. She then got up and helped Tom up as well. She tried letting go of his hand, but his fingers wouldn't budge.
"I guess" said Tom, letting Alix's hand go. Bill ceased laughing a bit before that, and looked longingly at Alix when she wasn't looking.
"Lets go" Bill said, breaking his gaze from Alix.
During the remainder of the walk to school Alix was thinking about Tom's fat cousin, Gustav Listing who was getting married. Gustav was disgusting. He was greasy, fat, perverted, and bald. Who would love him? She thought.
"What?" Alix heard Bill and Tom say in unison. Alix stood there, confused. She hadn't realized that she had said her thoughts out loud.
When she finally realized what she had said, she relented with a squeak of "Nothing" Alix looked down at her feet. Tom then thought for a moment, and caught why she had said that.
"It's an arranged marriage. We don't know to whom he will be wed." Tom said, answering the question Alix had accidentally asked.
"Oh, sorry" she said.