Stay Awhile
By Alecia Elliott
Baby take a load off, take your coat off
Stay awhile
So it's raining, no use complaining
Just stay awhile
Why be alone, make yourself at home
There's no reason to be a leavin'
You can stay awhile
I think we both realize
How this is feeling something like love
Talking 'bout love
Baby, this love don't need nothin' but time
And it's ticking, why don't you come in
Stay awhile
It's getting cold out, nowhere to go now
Stay awhile
My arms are open, you got me hoping
That you'll stay awhile
Isabel was walking through the mall humming along to the song that was playing over the loudspeaker. She stopped to browse the rack that was standing outside of her favorite clothing store, wondering why the song was affecting her so. So what if she liked Alex? He wanted to be friends, and so didn't she… Okay, that wasn't entirely the truth, but Isabel Evans would never admit to it. She turned to go and came face to face with Alex. She absently wondered if she had conjured him from her mind but shook that thought off as being pathetic. She was really slipping these days. She had to get her thoughts back on track.
"Hey, Is. How's the shopping going?" Alex walked over to her, grinning at her as usual.
She shrugged her shoulders waving a negligent hand towards the rack behind her. "It is all right. I'm not finding anything that catches my eye, but it is better than watching Max make moon eyes over Liz." She refused to even admit that she was doing the same thing over Alex. It wasn't her style.
"Poor guy. She still hasn't caved in? I feel for Max and Maria." Alex just shook his head at the thought of his unhappy friends.
"Nope. She's still being all mysterious. So, what're you up to?" Isabel tried to look uninterested but she was really curious. Maybe they could go to the movies together… Just as friends, of course.
"I'm going to the movies with Maria. I'm going to try and cheer her up. What about you?"
She masked her face to be sure her disappointment and jealousy didn't show. Maria was her friend, perhaps her best friend. She knew that Maria only had eyes for Michael, so why was she feeling jealous?
"I'm going home and washing my hair…" What a lame excuse… Would he see right through it and invite her along out of pity?
"You mean girls really do that? I thought it was an excuse to not date the school creep." He laughed giving her a grin that melted her into a puddle… on the inside. Outward, she looked mildly interested as her eyes roamed the other racks about her barely meeting his gaze.
"Well, I've got to go. I told my dad that I'd pick him up a few things. I'll see you later, Is." He waved before heading down the mall in the opposite direction stuffing his hands into his pants as he whistled a jaunty tune. A few girls walking by stopped and smiled to him, laughing as he greeted them with a bow. Isabel fisted her hands wanting to rip the hair out of the girls' head. That was her man… Well, she considered him hers. She just had to work it out. She wondered what Liz was up to. Maybe she could ask her to the movies so she could spy on Alex and Maria. She trusted them, but she couldn't take any chances.