About a month passed with no change in the status of Nate and Alex's relationship, art partners. Alex had received a call from Dean every other night since she moved to Malibu. Though he had said that he loved her, she felt like they were drifting apart. So that night instead of waiting for his call she called him.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Hello?"
"Dean? It's Alex."
"Oh Hey Russo. I wasn't expecting you to call. Y'know it's me who normally calls."
"Yeah I know. I just needed to talk to you that's all."
"What's on your mind?"
"Us."
"..."
"I just need to know that you still love me."
"Alex, what do you want me to say?"
"That you love me and everything will be the same when I get back to New York."
"Alex when you left you didn't even say that you loved me. You just said that you cared about me. Now you're expecting me to repeat something that I already said to you."
"Well..."
"I think that we need to just take a break. This isn't working out for us."
"W-Wh-What do you mean 'this isn't working out for us'? What are you trying to say?"
"Maybe I need to call you every night. Or maybe you need to start calling me."
"Do you really think that's going to fix us?"
"Why are you trying to push me away Alex?"
"I'm not. I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Bye, I love you."
"I love you too." Alex clicked 'END'.
The day after her call to Dean everything had remained the same with Nate until art. Nate still hadn't finished that sketch of Alex. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. He just got too nervous to do anything around her. Whereas Alex had finished her sketch of Nate awhile back.
The teacher being the teacher began to talk,"Okay class, I hope you like your partners because they will be your partner for the next project. I will need all of your sketches in by next class period so I can grade them and give you your new projects. Yay! Okay now get back to work."
Alex looked across the table at Nate,"So whatcha got?"
Nate lifted his empty sketchbook and Alex frowned.
"What? Why are you frowning?"
"Why don't you have anything?"
"I don't know. I think I'm just a little distracted in class. Can you come over to my house after school?"
"Yeah, I can. Today's Friday right?"'
"Yeah. So the plan's a go?"
"Yep."
"Great."
After their little conversation they became quiet and shy, so for the rest of class they just sat.
Class ended and Miley bolted to Nate's side like she did after every class.
In a wannabe seductive voice Miley said,"Nate, tonight's Friday night. We have that party to go to or do you know what that means? My house all to ourselves."
Nate shook Miley off of his arm and said,"Yeah I know it's Friday night and I know what it means too. I'm going to hang out with a friend. I'll call you later."
Just like that Nate left Miley in the art room stunned by his words. Alex had already walked out and was talking to Mitchie.
"Mitchie, I'm going over to Nate's house so is that okay if you walk home with Lilly and Oliver today?"
"Wait what? Why are you going to Nate's?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. He has to finish an art project and I'm his partner."
"Oookay if that's what you say. Just remember DEAN!"
Mitchie left and Nate walked up to Alex.
"So are you ready to go?"
"Yeah point me the way."
Nate led Alex to his usual meeting spot after school waiting for his brother Shane and his girlfriend Zoey.
Shane walked up to the spot with his arm around Zoey's shoulders,"Hey who's the girl?"
Zoey gave Alex the once over,"I like your converse, that's pretty bold of you."
Zoey was talking about Alex's paint splattered converse.
Alex accepting the compliment cautiously,"Thank you."
Shane growing impatient said,"Who's the girl!"
Nate jumped in,"This is Alex, my art partner. We have to finish a project that's due Monday so I asked her to come over."
Shane just a little confused asked,"Where's Miley?"
"She's not coming with me today."
With that little explanation Shane shrugged and led the group to his car, a convertible.
Shane jumped in the driver's seat, Zoey in the passenger's seat, and Nate and Alex in the back. Shane began to drive them home.
Shane feeling an awkward silence decided to talk,"So Alex, I hear you just moved here at the beginning of the school year."
Alex almost thankful for his question answered,"Yeah."
Shane being the outgoing guy he is then said,"I'm pretty sure you've been asked all of those typical new student questions so let's move on to the personal stuff. Do you have a boyfriend?"
Everybody in the looked at him and he just looked back.
Alex looked over at Nate who was blushing.
Zoey slapped Shane on the arm and said,"Hey don't feel like you have to answer his question."
For the rest of the ride Shane blasted some music and they didn't talk for the rest of the ride.
When they arrived and entered the Gray house, Nate grabbed Alex's hand and ran up to his room her following close behind, leaving Shane and Zoey making out on the couch.
Nate slammed his bedroom door behind them when the entered his room.
"Wow, I like your room." Alex had just caught sight of some of Nate's guitars lined up against one of his walls. She admired his choice of colors for his room black, gray, white, and red, very edgy colors.
"Thanks, okay let's get started so we can just hang after this. How long can you stay?" Nate sounded like he was in a rush to start. He threw down his backpack and pulled up a chair next to his bed and sat down. He pulled out his materials and prepared to start.
"Well I didn't mention any of this to my mom yet so I need to call her but probably as long as we need."
"Okay, go call her."
Alex pulled out her phone and called her mom.
After speaking to her mom, Alex informed Nate that she could stay as long as she needed to as long as she had a ride and Nate assured her that he'd give her a ride home. After that Nate told her to sit on his bed so he could start.
Alex plopped herself down on his bed sitting crisscross applesauce just staring at him.
Within about fifteen minutes Nate had finished, "Done!" He pulled the sketchbook up and showed Alex his sketch.
She giggled which made Nate laugh,"What? Is there something wrong with the picture?"
"No it's perfect. But how come it only took you fifteen minutes to do it here but you couldn't do it in class for a month?"
"I don't know. I just feel more comfortable here with you."
Alex just stared at Nate and Nate stared back. The tension began to grow strong and Nate was beginning to feel self-conscious and shy again. Despite how sheepish he felt, he leaned in closer to her lips.
Alex didn't stop him but she knew it was wrong if she let him kiss her.
She let him lean just about a centimeter away from her face before saying,"Wait, Nate I can't do this."
Nate pulled back,"What do you mean?"
"You have Miley and I have a boyfriend."
"This is going to make me sound like a horrible person but there not here now are they?"
"Nate."
"I know I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out so mean. It's just that I want to be with you so bad. I don't know if I can stand just staring at your eyes for any longer. I just want to kiss you."
"I think I need to go home now."
"No I'm sorry, it's cool. We're cool right? Let's just hang out."'
"No, I think I'm sorry. I need to go."
Alex ran outside and started to walk home.
Nate came after her and caught up with her.
"Okay, I know what I wanted to do was wrong. But was it so bad that you had to run out here like that? At least let me make it up to you. Let me give you a ride home. I'm sure your house isn't as close as you make it to seem."
"Why?"
"I said I was sorry and I wanted to make it up to you."
"No...why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you want to kiss me? Why do you want what you want?"
"I don't know what to say."
"Just take me home...please."
Shane had just dropped her off and Alex walked up to her room.
She pulled out her phone and speed dialed Dean's number.
"Hello?"
"It's me Alex."
"Russo? What's shakin'?"
"Dean... I just needed to hear your voice."
"Why what's the matter?"
"Why can't we have just stayed the way we were forever?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just... I got to go. Bye Dean"
"Wait Alex..." Alex clicked 'END'
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Do you guys think Alex and Dean's relationship is destined for doom? What about Alex and Nate's relationship? Did Nate ruin his chances with her? Tell me what you think and there might be a treat (another chapter before the end of the week). :D
