"Now that you're not in denial about your feelings anymore, Alek," I said to myself as I was nearing the tree, " it's time to figure out if she feels the same way."
Her blonde curls came into view, and I took a deep breath, and walked towards her.
Chloe's POV
I heard footsteps, and I looked up to see Alek coming back, supplies thrown hastily over his shoulder. I smiled and stood, easing the backpack off his shoulder.
"Hey," he said softly. He backpack dropped off his shoulder and onto the ground with a thud.
"Glad to see you didn't get mauled by a raccoon on the way back," I smiled. He rolled his eyes and sat, pulling on my hand to get me to join him on the ground. There was something off about him – an uncomfortable vibe he was throwing at me. I looked at him oddly, but he wasn't making eye contact with me. He was looking down, playing with the dirt near his thighs.
"You okay?" I bumped my shoulder with his, and he bumped back.
"Yea, why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem...nervous."
Alek just shrugged. I grabbed his hand, making him drop the dirt he was running his fingers through.
"You can tell me anything. You know that. Why aren't you telling me this?" I frowned. "Did something happen while you were getting the tent? Are you hurt?"
A smile flickered onto his face and he shook his head no.
"Nothing happened, cutie. I'm just...lost in thought, I guess..." He bit his lip, and looked back down. I sent him a 'What the hell?' look, but he didn't respond.
I sighed. He would tell me eventually.
"Let's set up the tent then, yea?" I said, standing up and grabbing the backpack he brought with him.
"Good idea. Should do that before a wild raccoon attacks us again," he smirked.
I grabbed the sticks and the cloth of the tent, and set it down in front of us.
I then proceeded to stare at it helplessly, a look of confusion on my face. Alek glanced over at me and burst into laughter.
"You have no idea how to do this, do you, cutie?"
"I do! I'm just...remembering." I lied. He cocked on eyebrow.
"Oh? Alright, fine, fine. I'll just sit back and watch you 'remember', and once you do, put it up, yea?" He went back over to the tree and folded his hands behind his head, a contempt smirk on his face.
I glared at him, and looked back at the materials in front of me.
I picked up a long bendy stick thing, and poked the cloth with it. Alek threw his head back and practically cackled.
"This isn't funny!" I giggled. But I was glad he was back to his normal self again, no longer uncomfortable.
"Oh, you're right. This is a serious matter," he fixed his face into a serious expression, but I saw his lip twitch.
"Bastard," I muttered, sticking up a smaller pointier stick and jabbing it into the ground forcefully. I heard a stifled laugh behind me. I sat there for a few more minutes, playing with the tent materials.
Okay. I was officially utterly lost.
I looked back at Alek, pouting.
"I...I think I need some help," I said quietly.
"What was that?" he cocked his head to the side, bringing his hand to the ear.
"I know you heard me," I glared.
He shrugged. "I didn't."
"I think I need some help," I said again.
"What?" His accent was especially exaggerating on that word, because of the strain of containing his laugh.
"I NEED HELP PUTTING UP THE DAMN TENT!" I screeched.
"Alright, alright, no need to be so angry," he smiled, coming over and pulling me into a hug. He kissed my curls. "I'll help you put up the tent."
"Thank you," I smiled.
He put up the tent with ease, and I didn't do anything. I tried to, but he wouldn't let me. So after a while I just sat by the pile of plastic stick things and flung them at him, trying to hit him in the head.
Alek turned around and glared at me. "Is that really necessary?"
He was bending over, and I couldn't help but notice that a part of his shirt rode up so I could see a part of his smooth, tan back. I tried not to stare.
I shrugged. "You told me to bring you supplies so I wouldn't 'get in the way'. I'm giving them to you."
He turned back around, securing the tent into the ground, I think, and I tried again. It hit him square in the head. It bounced off and fell to the ground with a thump. I couldn't help but collapse to the ground and laugh. He whipped around, smirk on.
"Oh, I see how it is, King. You think this is funny? You think this is funny, eh? This. Means. War."
I shrieked and shot up, sprinting to the large expanse of trees for cover. I hid behind a thick oak tree, panting. I hid there for about five minutes.
It got quiet, and I peeked my head around the tree.
"Boo," a voice said. I shrieked and whipped around, randomly flailing my arms around. Alek ducked under them and sprinted at me. We were both laughing insanely, out of breath. I ran back to where we made camp, and saw that he had gotten the tent up. I heard his footsteps behind me, and they were getting closer. So I quickly zipped the zipper up, crawled in, and zipped it back down, hiding the zipper inside so he couldn't open it.
"Oh, you think you can hide? You think you can hide from me in there?" came his voice.
"Yes!" I laughed, huddling in the back of the tent.
Suddenly, the tent rolled over onto its side, making me tumble over with it.
"Alek!" I shouted, tangled up in the tent's cloth. I flailed around, and a hand suddenly grabbed my ankle. He dragged me out from the tent as I clawed at the ground, gasping for air, trying to resist. But he got me out and he tackled me, pinning me to the ground. He was smirking.
"Gotcha," he said.
I scrunched my nose at him. "Cheater!"
"Oh? How, in any way, did I cheat, Miss King?"
"You're stronger than me. All muscley. And you're taller. And...ya know. Stronger." I said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll be sure to get fat and short next for the next time we play a game of intense hide and seek." He said sarcastically.
But I nodded. "Do just that," I agreed.
Alek got off of me and had to set up the tent again, and I laughed at him, teasing him about how that backfired on him. He just shrugged and said, 'It was worth it.'
He got it set up, but after that, we were utterly and hopelessly bored. We sat back to back, leaning on each other. He was playing with the dirt again, and I was plucking petals off of nearby dandelions.
"You know," I said, holding the flower close to my face and picking the yellow petals slowly, watching them drift to the ground. "I thought this would be a lot more fun."
"Me, too," he said.
"This is a lot better than home, but yea," I trailed off. He nodded.
"I have ants in my pants," I said, using the second-grade term for that tingly feeling you get when your legs are about to fall asleep. He laughed.
"Let's dance," he said. I blinked.
"What?"
"Let's dance! Come on, get up," he stood up, and took my hand and pulled my close. I put a hand around his shoulder, and he put one around my waist. We connected hands with our other arms.
We danced, but there was no noise except for the crunch of leaves and pebbles under our feet. He twirled me, and then dipped me. We slow-danced around for a long time, until I got tired of it.
"We need music," I announced.
Alek thought for a moment, and he shrugged.
"I got my mind set on you. There's nothing you can do to change my mind about it. Inside out you're beautiful. There's nothing you can do to change my mind about you," he sang. I threw my head back and laughed. We stopped waltzing around the forest and started jumping up and down, flailing our limbs and doing hair flips.
It started innocent enough with a,
Day just like any other,
Woke up late and now I'm behind,
Americano on the corner,
She came without a warning,
Knocked my drink all over me,
She said "sorry I was rushing and I,
Gotta get to work",
After that I didn't hear a single word she said,
I was caught off guard by her turquoise eyes,
I knew right then I had to make her mine,
I got my mindset on you,
There's nothing you can do to change my mind about it,
Inside out you're beautiful,
There's nothing you can do,
To change my mind about you,
Turn out my pocket,
A crumpled up paper,
She gave me the day before,
A scribbled message and a number,
Said call me later,
Who am I to keep her waiting,
So without hesitation,
I sat down started contemplating,
If I were to call her,
Would it be too late?
I'm staring at the phone,
But I don't know what I'd say,
Something about this girl drives me crazy,
I got my mindset on you,
There's nothing you can do to change my mind about it,
Inside out you're beautiful,
There's nothing you can do,
To change my mind about you,
It started innocent enough with a,
Day just like any other,
Woke up late but right on time,
I got halfway out the door then heard,
"Where are you going?",
She grabbed me by the wrist,
She pulled me back into bed,
Pressed her lips against my ear and,
Here's what she said,
I got my mindset on you,
There's nothing you can do to change my mind about it,
Inside out you're beautiful,
There's nothing you can do,
To change my mind about you,
I got my mindset on you,
There's nothing you can do to change my mind about it,
Inside out you're beautiful,
There's nothing you can do,
To change my mind about you.
By the end we weren't even singing anymore, we were basically just shouting the lyrics and air-guitaring.
We stopped, grinning from ear to ear, out of breath.
"We are such dorks," he said.
"And don't you forget it," I laughed.
The sun had set now, and we laid on our back and watched the stars.
"I see Orion's belt!" I pointed.
He nodded. "Me, too."
"...Yea, that's the only constellation I know." I said.
"...I didn't even know that was Orion's belt until you pointed it out to me."
I yawned, and he sat up.
"Let's get to sleep, yea?"
I shook my head. "I'm too tired to move. Can we just sleep here on the floor?" I whined.
"Remember the raccoons," he whispered.
"I don't care," I pouted like a child. "Let them come! The worst they can do is eat me!"
He sighed and bent down, and scooped me up.
"You are the laziest cutie ever."
"I'm your only cutie," I said into his shoulder. He nodded.
"That's a good point."
His smell overwhelmed me – a mixture of mint and some spicy soap, and I tried to discretely take deep breaths so I could breathe his scent in.
He set me down in the tent and closed the zipper. I could hear the crickets outside chirping, and the noise of animals far away walking.
We were both laying on our backs, our shoulders touching.
"Do you think my mom's alright?" I whispered. He rolled onto his side and faced me, supporting his head on his hand, leaning onto his elbow. His hair fell over his eyes, making me unable to see them.
"I don't know, Chlo. She will be, though. I think she will be."
I nodded silently, throwing my arms over my eyes to keep them from tearing up.
"I hate my dad," I muttered. He smoothed some of my hair.
"Let's not think about that now, alright? Let's sleep."
I nodded. "Okay. Good night."
"Sweet dreams. Don't let the raccoons bite."
"Oh, they would go for you first. You have more meat on you." I smirked in the dark.
"Are you calling me fat, King?"
"Maybe." I had to snort, because Alek was anything but fat. Oh well. Didn't need his self-esteem to get any higher.
Alek fell asleep shortly after that, but I laid awake, staring at him.
He was on his side facing me, and I was on my side facing him. We had a blanket we were sharing, but I suddenly had an extremely strong urge to crawl over and snuggle into his arms.
But friends don't do that.
Why do I even want to sleep in his arms? Friends don't feel like this to other friends. Even if he is your best friend.
"I want to be more," I whispered. But he was asleep.
So I rolled over onto my back and shut my eyes, drifting off into dreamland.
I woke up and groaned, groggily kicking the blanket off. The air was warm now, and the crickets were replaced by the birds' songs.
I reached my hand out to find Alek, but he wasn't there.
Huh.
I went outside, and grabbed a brush that Alek had remembered to bring from his backpack. I ran it through my curls and rubbed my eyes. I was still in the same clothes as yesterday.
"Alek?" He wasn't there. Suddenly, I spotted a dandelion on my left.
That's weird. It was picked, and just laying there on the ground. When I was picking the petals yesterday, we were to the right of the tent. I went over to it, and about five feet away, was another one.
What is this?
I came up to the 2nd flower, and I saw a paper attached to a tree. I ripped it off and folded it open.
Good morning, cutie.
I smiled. Alek. I went up to the third flower, folding the first note up, and ripping the note off of the tree next to the 3rd flower.
Did you sleep well?
Fourth flower. What I'm about to say, or write, might change our lives forever.
Fifth flower. Dramatic, I know, but it's true, Chloe.
Sixth flower. I've been thinking about this for a very, very long time...
Seventh flower. The trail and tent wasn't even in sight anymore. And I finally got an answer. I've come to a conclusion.
Eighth flower. I finally know how I feel
What is he talking about? How he feels about what?
Ninth flower. Our whole lives, we've been best friends. More than that.
Tenth flower. But...have you ever thought of us as something more...?
I stopped in my tracks, staring at the paper with wide eyes. Something more? Does he feel the same as I do...?
I hurried to the next flower, glancing around at the trees for the paper. I found it. I have. I've thought about it a lot, Chloe.
Twelfth flower. And I realize that...
Thirteenth flower. I looked around at the trees, but there was no paper. I looked up.
Alek was standing there, holding a piece of paper and a dandelion. He was just standing there, biting his lip, the paper positioned in both of his hands.
I love you.
Oh my goodness this was long. I'm proud of myself.[:
So this time, in a review, would you guys mind doing something for me? Would you mind telling me what your favorite part was, or your favorite line...? Something like that? I would really like that.[: Thank you!
Sorry for not updating in a while, guys. I hope you liked this chapter, though! Reviewing would make my day, thank you!
ScissorLuv21: AHAHA your poor father! Probably thought you guys were getting robbed, or something.[': And he brings a broom for self-defense...ohh you make me laugh. XD He's FINALLY told her! I'm so happy! AHAH you've trained them yourself, have you? That's nice. Take pride in that. XD Must have been difficult. Thanks so much for reviewing!
TwilightFreak28: Thank you so much! :'D
gator19: I'm sorry it took a while! D: Your review made my day. Thanks so much! I hope you liked this chapter!
mbj2323: Yay! Thank you so much