Chapter 21: There's A Class For This

Alex's POV

After School Monday

A dozen red roses in my hand, I walked up to Autumn's front door while fixing my hair with my free hand. I took a deep breath and raised my fist to knock.

In the thirty seconds it took for her to come to the door, a million thoughts of doubt ran through my mind. She's going to say no, she already has a date, she's not going to prom all together. Shit! This was a dumb idea. I shouldn't have done it. I should just turn around and leave right-

The door opened and Autumn looked from the flowers then to my eyes. "Alex?"

Despite the thoughts of doubts and my nerves, I smiled at her. "Hi."

"Hey." She looked really confused, but I saw hope in those coffee brown eyes of hers.

"So, I was wondering," I started, "will you go to prom with me?"

Surprise crossed Autumn's face, but she smiled wide and nodded. "Yeah," she answered nervously, which I thought was cute.

I grinned. "Awesome. Um," I held the flowers out to her, "these are for you."

She took them before stepping over the threshold and wrapping her free arm around my neck. "Thank you."

Hugging her back, I said, "You're welcome."

Our embrace ended and I said, "So, I actually have to go to band practice, but I'll see you tomorrow?" She nodded and I added, "Cool. See ya later." I waved a little and turned before walking down the steps. When I looked back, she was inside her house and the door was cracked just enough for her to wave at me. I waved and climbed into my mom's car.

I gripped the steering wheel and rested my forehead against it before chuckling to myself. It worked.

Autumn's POV

Once I shut the door, I leaned against it and looked down at the roses. Smiling to myself, I squealed, then ran into the kitchen. "Mom!"

"Autumn!" she called back, turning around from the stove. She looked down at the roses in my hand, confused.

My dad grinned at me from the sink. "Who are those from?" he teased.

My dad was covered in tattoos and his lip was pierced as well. He was skinny, but muscular, and had short brown hair that is my natural hair color. He was tall, over six foot, and had eyes so green they were almost the color of grass on a spring day.

I blushed and before I could say anything, Mom asked, "Alex?" an eyebrow raised.

My mother had a lighter shade of brown, but it was still dark, for a hair color. She had my brown eyes, was skinny, but had the right curves. I was taller than her, but only by about an inch or two.

I blushed brighter and nodded. "Yeah. He asked me to go to prom with him!"

"Autumn!" she said at the same time Dad said, "Awww!" They both grinned and my mom hugged me.

"That's so cute!" my mom said. "Oh, hey." She took the flowers from me. "Let's put these in a vase."

After putting the roses in a vase, getting made fun of all through dinner, and cleaning up the dishes, I went to my room to do homework. But after I shut the door, I only fell onto my bed and screamed into my pillow. I was going to prom with Alex!

My phone vibrating bought me out of my trance and I rolled over onto my back before digging it out of my pocket. I had a text from Alex that said, "Name three colors. Go!"

I giggled and texted back, "Sky blue, lime green, black."

": / I cant use black."

"How's purple?"

"Purple works."

"What's this for?"

"You'll see ; )"

I shrugged that off and decided to text Kara to tell her I needed another dress, prom style. My mother pretty much said she was taking me to get a dress and said I could invite someone if I wanted to. Kara started freaking out because she didn't know Alex was going to ask me yet and thirty minutes later, I got a phone call from Jack.

"YOU ARE GOING TO PROM WITH ALEX?"

I pulled the phone back from my ear, wincing at Jack. "Yeah."

"That's awesome!"

I laughed. "Who are you going with, Jacky?"

"Me, myself, and I."

"That's not cool. You gotta go with somebody."

"Autumn, prom is in two weeks. I'm not gonna find a date that fast."

"Not with that attitude."

"Just let me go alone."

"Fine. But I'll still dance with you."

"I appreciate that."

We talked a little while longer, but I told him I had to go because I still had homework to do and it was 8:30. We hung up and I started doing my homework, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

XXXX

"So, this summer we're gonna try to go on a tour...maybe."

I looked at Rian, eyes wide. "That's awesome!"

He laughed. "Yeah. We're excited. Even though we dunno if we can go for sure yet."

I nodded. "I bet you can go."

"Yup. And we need another best friend to help out on tour and stuff." He grinned. "Would Autumn like to come with us?"

"Anything to get out of this town." I smirked and hugged him from the side since we were walking down the hallway. "Thanks, Rian."

"No problem. So, you're going to the prom with Alex?"

I nodded again, not being able to hide my smile. "Yes."

"You're blushing."

"Stop it."

Rian chuckled and was about to say something when we saw Jack. This wouldn't have been a rare occurrence, except he was talking to Madison. Well, more like trying to get away from her. She had Jack pinned against the lockers.

"Madison, leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you!" Jack managed to get out from in between the lockers and her. He walked over to Rian and I, a look of relief coming over his face. He grabbed my hand, to which I grabbed Rian's, and started pulling us in the other direction.

"I swear to God...that chick...I can't get away from her lately!" Jack vented. "Ever since you guys fought." He shook his head and we stopped on one side of the hallway against the lockers. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like it was your fault." He half smiled at me.

I shrugged. "It didn't. But what happened?"

"She won't leave me alone!" Jack exclaimed.

Rian dropped my hand, but I was still holding Jack's. "How come she won't leave you alone?" Rian asked.

"I don't know. Last night, she called me. I deleted her number, so I didn't recognize it, so I answered it. She tried to apologize, but I hung up on her."

"And then what?" I asked.

"Like, what happened just a second ago?" Rian said.

"She pretty much pinned me against the lockers and tried to hit on me," Jack said bluntly. "I can't fucking stand that chick anymore! Then she started talking shit on you," he pointed to me, "so I told her to leave me alone and then you showed up." He sighed. "Why do I have a bad feeling she's just trying to piss you off?" Jack raised an eyebrow at me.

"Because she thinks I like you because she found out I kissed you," I answered.

"You guys kissed? What?" Rian looked at Jack and I, confusion all over his face. "Does nobody tell me anything anymore?"

I sighed. "Do you guys have band practice tonight?"

Jack and Rian shook their heads. "Alex is flunking two classes, so his mom is making him stay home to do his missing work to get his grades up," Jack explained.

"And because if he's flunking two classes that means he can't go to prom with Autumn," Rian added.

I smirked to myself then looked at Rian. "Wanna come over tonight? I'll explain everything you don't already know."

Rian nodded and Jack said, "Hey! I wanna come!"

I shrugged. "Figured it was implied you'd be there."

"Yeah, I'll be there." Rian smiled just as the half bell rang, signaling we only had five minutes to get to class. Rian and I said goodbye to Jack before he started walking off in the opposite direction we were headed in.

Gym Class

"Hey, Autumn!"

I looked up from my small gym locker at Alexis, a girl I had known since eighth grade. We'd hung out a few times, but weren't friends. More of acquaintances who had each other's backs. I trusted her, she trusted me. Since she was just like me, we kept each other posted about shit that might or might not go down with us.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

She flipped her now bleach blonde hair over her shoulder. Alexis was about an inch taller than me, muscular because she was a gymnast and a cheerleader, and one of the most level-headed people I knew. She was smart, but in a clever kind of way, and that's why I trusted her. She knew things other people didn't because she could piece stuff together and was almost always right about her assumptions.

"Madison's spreading all kinds of rumors about you." Alexis crossed her arms and leaned against the lockers to my right.

That's another thing, Madison was a stone cold enemy to both of us. We hated her, and she constantly found new ways to piss us off.

I sighed, annoyed. "What now?"

"Pretty much saying you slept with, what's his name? Has hair that looks like a skunk?"

"That's Jack," I said.

"Right! I couldn't remember. He's cute, by the way. Anyways," she shifted her feet, "she's saying you slept with him and Alex."

"Just Alex." I shook my head, stuffing my backpack into my locker. "But that's not important. That chick wants me dead."

Thankfully, my locker and her locker were the only ones occupied in this section of the locker room. Privacy was included. I had no problem telling Alexis this stuff because I knew she wouldn't tell anyone and wouldn't judge. Same goes for me with her secrets.

"That doesn't matter." Alexis shook her head. "She's also been telling everyone she's dating Jack again and that you guys fought because you kissed him while she was dating him."

That made me face Alexis completely. "How did you find all of this out?"

She shrugged. "I overheard her talking at lunch. She said some chick in your history class heard you tell Alex."

"So, that's how she knew," I whispered loudly. Slamming my little locker shut, I said, "She talks a lot of shit, you know that?"

Alexis laughed. "Ohhh, yeah. She also said Jack's taking her to prom."

"Ha," I scoffed. "Jack hates her."

"That what I figured." Alexis smirked. "Just wanted to give you a heads up. And next time you fight her, call me up, 'kay?"

I chuckled. "That was spontaneous, Alexis. I didn't plan that at all." By now, we were both changed into our gym clothes.

"Alright, I'll just hang out with you more then. That way, I can be there if something happens."

I shook my head, smiling at her as we walked out of the locker room to the gym. "You're devious."

"I know." She shrugged and smiled at me.

I don't know why, but I had a bad feeling before going into the gym. Something was going to happen, but I had no idea what, when, or where.