A/N: Thank you so much for your support, everyone! It means a lot to me, and I love how the reviews doubled with one chapter. XD
Someone mentioned how my chapters are short, so what do you guys think? What do you prefer: shorter chapters with faster update times or longer chapters with slower update times? I personally enjoy updating about three times in a two week period.
Anyway, the next few chapters have more Jalex interaction, and the story really starts to progress. Remember to check my profile during the week for info about updates and such stuff. :D
Disclaimer: Come on, people. I don't own WOWP.
The end of school doesn't come soon enough for Justin. He's managed to avoid Alex all day, but she finally finds him in the hallway. He spots her coming from the corner of his eye, so he slams his locker shut and tries to make a run for it. But she's always been faster than him, so she easily catches up and grabs his arm to force him around face-to-face.
"Justin, what's the matter with you?" Alex asks. "You've been acting really strange today."
He finds it difficult to look into her dark, expecting eyes and lie. "A-Alex," his voice cracks around her name, making him flush hotly. "I'm fine."
"If it's about this morning, I really don't care what you were doing in the bathroom. I was only joking, you know that."
He nods, but looks away, out over her head where it appears that Harper might want to join them. Justin's startled when Alex grabs the front of his shirt.
"Why won't you look at me?" she asks, though it's more of a command, and he obeys like always. "Just get over it. It's perfectly normal, right?"
Justin doesn't know what to make of the fact that she's almost blushing herself and starting to do her awkward shrug and hand movement (as if she could wave off her embarrassment). He takes her hand in his so he can pull it away, but all he can feel is soft, smooth skin, and Justin knows he's made a big mistake.
"I wasn't doing anything, Alex," he finally says. He hasn't released her yet, and she doesn't seem eager to move away.
"Then are you angry at me?" Her voice wavers in that way he knows means she's vulnerable, and the last thing he wants is to hurt her.
"I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at myself, and just leave it at that." He swipes his thumb across the back of her hand, and realizes they're standing too close, and he's starting to get paranoid that other people might be able to notice that something is terribly wrong with him -- that Justin is actually attracted to Alex.
He steps back and drops her hand. When he runs his hand over the top of his head, it faintly smells of vanilla. He doesn't dislike the scent, but it's Alex's and he shouldn't smell like her. He shouldn't want to hold Alex close just to feel her warmth or want to feel comforted by resting his head against hers, like two lovers. It just isn't right, and thinking this way will end up hurting both of them.
"Justin?" His name from her lips sounds too good, and she's looking up at him with wide, confused eyes.
"I-I'm going to the library," he stutters out as he walks away. "Go home with Max."
He feels bad about leaving her behind to stare at his back, but it's too dangerous to be so close to her. Justin's used to doubting himself when it comes to girls because he's always such a dork, and he never knows what to say. And if anything, he's always unsure when it comes to romantic stuff, or something like kissing -- which he shouldn't even be thinking about doing with his sister.
Justin's never had to worry about being too forward with a girl, or too forceful, but for once he doubts his control, and he hates that it's around Alex. One of the few people he's never tried to act cool around because even if she teases him for it, she accepts that he's a raving geek who likes to build robots and speak alien languages. He doesn't want to have to pretend to be someone else around her, but what other choice does he have when the real him is so revolting?
At the library, Justin looks up as many addresses and phone numbers he can find for nearby professional help. It takes him nearly two hours of calls before he finds a place that has a free consultation visit. He knows it's probably useless because he'd just be told what he already knows: that he needs a lot of help, and that he might be making many, many visits. Plus, it's depressing to hear that he can't get in until Friday afternoon, and Justin doesn't know if he can last an entire week in his current state of mind.
Back on Waverly Place, Justin hesitates outside the Sub Station. It's the dinner rush hour, and he doesn't particularly feel up to working. He doesn't even want to do his homework, which is very much unlike him. Yet Justin pushes open the doors to release the cacophony of too many people talking too loudly during a time that should be relaxing after a long, hard day.
He stands on the steps for a moment. Theresa is taking orders, Max is bringing drinks, and Alex is at the register between helping Jerry with the trays of sandwiches. Justin breathes deeply before proceeding to weave his way through the occupied tables and chairs. He sets down his backpack behind the counter, grabs his apron, pulling it around his neck and tying it quickly around his waist.
"I'll take over," he says.
Alex turns around with a smile that quickly disappears as she narrows her eyes. "Oh? Good, I've got better things to do."
She shoves the paper pad and pen into his chest, and he barely manages to catch it before she's already hopping away up the stairs. Justin sighs. He hadn't figured Alex might be mad at him now. The idea makes his chest ache because he knows it's his fault, and even though he didn't want to hurt her, he somehow ended up doing just that.
Justin tries to take his mind off Alex, so he takes over when his mom goes on break. He writes down one order and flips to the next page, only to find a rough sketch of a park scene with two people sitting on a bench. He smiles because even though her talent for art has grown, Alex's trees look like green lollipops. Justin wonders about the two faceless people, but he goes back to work because his imagination wants to put him there with Alex, and that just won't do. Justin crumples the paper, tosses it into the trash, and desperately wishes he could do the same with the conflicted feelings threatening to tear him apart.