Alright, sorry for such a wait. I had trouble deciding how I was going to write this chapter. I'm getting to the point in my story where it's more of just a rough outline rather than planned out in sequence. So Bear with me. Also, I've started work, so that's having me a bit busier.
So that episode...wow!
Unfortunately I can't write that much, as I am going to bed.
Chloe woke up to an alarm clock she didn't remember setting. She sighed and got up. After the morning she had had it didn't really surprise her she didn't remember. Seeing Alek had only made her fall even more in love with him. She was starting to wonder if Amy was right. Amy was always so dramatic, but maybe she was right. Maybe she did love him. She thought about it. He was always on her mind. She had started dreaming more and more of him. She wouldn't hesitate to give all nine lives for his one. When he wasn't with her, she ached for him. If that was love than she was hopelessly in love with him.
Chloe got up, realizing she had to meet Brian in 2 minutes. She was going to be late. It didn't affect her too much, she realized. She was dreading meeting him. Chloe threw on some jeans and a sweatshirt. She was going to tell him this whole 'we'll say we're friends but not mean it' thing had to stop. She wasn't going to rub it in his face. She looked down at the sweatshirt. It was red with a Dolphin and said Marina High School Basketball. She looked at the back in the mirror, sure enough there was 'Petrov' written across the top with the number 5 below it.
Oops. The sweatshirt must've been Alek's. She wondered if it still smelled like him. She pulled it to her nose, and inhaled deeply. Chloe's head was spinning. It still smelled like him, alright. She sat down as her heartbeat hit a normal pace. She felt more depressed than ever. She wanted Alek. She neededhim. She sighed, and walked out the door to meet Brian, vowing to never remove the sweatshirt.
Brian was sitting at the café/bookstore next to Varese Vintage. He thought about the time he walked in to buy the kitty-hat. What an excuse. He sighed, realizing any hope that Chloe would realize that she wanted to be more than a friend was going to be squashed after today. True, they hadn't been as close, but that didn't mean he didn't care about her. He perked up when he saw Chloe walk in. She didn't look too happy. He knew he friend just disappearing from her life hurt her, but she was wearing only jeans and a sweatshirt. She didn't even know she owned a sweatshirt. She walked over to Brian with a small smile on her face.
"Hey, Chloe," He hugged her as she responded with her own hello. "How're you doing? I got you a chocolate muffin if you want. And coffee of course." He added, as they sat down. Telling her was going to be harder than he thought. She already felt abandoned because of the guy – what's his face. He wasn't too happy to see her devastated over another guy, but it wasn't like he could say anything. She had deemed them 'just friends' even though they acted otherwise.
"Brian, I…" Chloe trailed off. She started again, but was cut off by Brian.
"Chloe, I've got to tell you something." Brian stated. His face told Chloe something was up. She knew her talk would have to wait. She couldn't do it when he looked that way.
"Chloe," Brian continued, "I have to leave."
"For school?" Chloe asked, confused.
"No, for work. My dad and I have to work on some large project in Baltimore. I don't know when I will be back. It could be months. It could be years." Brian confessed.
Chloe sat there disbelieving what she just heard. Was she off the hook? She didn't have to break up with him? She realized she had just been sitting there while Brian expected a response.
"Brian, I'm sorry. What about your mom? How are you going to figure out what the key is to?" She asked getting up to fix up her coffee the way she liked. Brian followed.
"Forget about my mom, that's not what's kept me in San Francisco."
Chloe turned around to meet Brian's unexpectedly close face. This was getting redundant, she thought, feeling like she had with Ryan earlier, though she trusted Brian way more.
"Then what?" Chloe asked, confused, "Your father?"
"No. Chloe, you have." He leaned in to kiss her. Chloe turned her face at the last second, Brian only getting her cheek.
"Brian, you know how I feel." Chloe chuckled awkwardly. She changed her mind. She felt just as nervous with Brian as she had with Ryan.
"Chloe, please," Brian begged. "I'm leaving in a few days. Just one kiss." He now had her pinned up against the wall. She could escape, but it would involve hurting him, and making a scene. Neither of which she wanted to do.
"Brian, no." Chloe said firmly. "Let me by, please." She looked him directly in the eyes. She couldn't believe what he was doing. She had never seen this side of Brian.
"I tried to do it the easy way, Chloe," Anger lit up Brian's face. Chloe didn't want to, but she was ready to forcefully remove Brian, when she was saved.
"The lady said no." He said angrily, walking in the doors. "Now let her leave peacefully."
Chloe had never seen him like this. As Brian backed off Chloe, people starting to stare, Chloe ran to the boy and hugged him. Brian rushed out the door.
"Thanks, Paul," Chloe said, "You're the best sidekick ever." He gave him a squeeze and released him from her grip.
Paul beamed, before quickly recovering into a 'tough guy' mask. "Anytime," He said, deepening his voice, and striking his best Superman pose, feet wide, shoulders back, with his fists on his hips.
Chloe laughed at her comic-loving friend. "Why are you here anyway?"
"To get you. C'mon let's go."
"Paul, I can't. I have work." She said, pointing over at Varese.
"Jasmine was supposed to take care of that." Paul said, scrunching up his face. Looking over at Lana, she confirmed this with a nod to Chloe.
"Thanks, Lana!" Chloe yelled, while Lana just smiled and got back to work.
"Jasmine?" Chloe questioned. Her human friends rarely mingled with her Mai friends. "Where are we going?" Chloe was suspicious. She was secretely glad it had been Paul to pick her up. He was the easiest to get information out of.
"Dinner. Amy though you needed it after today." Paul said, knowingly.
Chloe winced. "Everyone was talking about it today, weren't they?" Paul just nodded. They walked out of the coffee shop and saw Amy in her red converitible, Jasmine smiling next to her. Chloe smiled genuinely for the first time in what felt like months. Her friends were chatting and giggling like close friends. She liked to see her friends get along. Especially when considering how strong Amy could come off. Jasmine got out of the car, and Paul took her seat.
"Sorry, Chloe. Dinner's destination is a secret." She said as she tied a bandana around her eyes and led her safely into the car.
She decided to tell Jasmine, Amy, and Paul about what happened with Alek earlier at dinner, but they had nothing to say. Amy had nothing to comfort Chloe with, and Paul was pretty oblivious, but he knew it and smartly kept his mouth shut. Jasmine she thought knew something more, but Chloe didn't press it. She figured it wasn't good news, and she wasn't in the mood for bad news.
Chloe and friends walked out of Fisherman's Grotto Number Nine at the Fisherman's Wharf laughing. They used to go there all the time when they were younger, and she had missed it. She loved the touristy atmosphere, and the clam chowder. They had laughed at the Bushman, as he scared countless tourists, and enjoyed their seafood.
They decided to get ice cream and walk around. Chloe and Jasmine occasionally doing some Mai trick for fun.
"This is so fun." Jasmine laughed, "I've never just had fun being Mai. It's always been so serious at home. It's fun to just let loose." Jasmine yelled, and ran at some seagulls, arms thrown out at her sides.
The friends laughed, joking around. They didn't notice that Chloe had stopped looking off in the distance.
"Chloe?" Jasmine asked, suddenly reverting back to her serious, protector side.
"Boo!" Chloe yelled at her friend. Jasmine jumped, then laughed, and they went back to joking around. Chloe had seen something. Or someone, more specifically. A certain blond-haired boy. She looked back to where she thought she saw him, but he was gone.
'Oh, great I'm hallucinating now.' She thought. She sighed trying to return to the jovial state she had managed to be in for the past couple hours. Her eyes kept darting around, searching for something she was pretty sure wasn't there.
She walked away from her friends a bit, trying to get full control of her senses. That's when her eyes fell on him.
Alek.
Alek was standing only 30 feet away, watching her.
So yeah! How many thought Paul was Alek? haha.
There will officially be some Chloe Alek action next chapter. Not saying they'll get together, but they will talk.
I'm hoping to write the next chapter tomorrow if I have time. Reviews motivate me to update sooner!
