Ch. 4 Lucas's Question
"I swear, math is actually going to kill me one of these days." Alex muttered to herself as she closed her locker at Tree Hill High.
"I'm not so sure that's possible." Alex spun around and met Lucas's amused grin, smiling down at her. "Unless, you happen to get hit on the head with your math book, maybe. But for the most part, math is pretty harmless."
Alex sighed in exasperation. "Speak for yourself," she replied. She handed him her latest math test. A big D was circled in red and words see me, were clearly visible at the top.
"Ouch," Lucas said sympathetically. "What happened?"
"Nothing, except that I happen to be the dumbest person on earth when it comes to math." She quickly tucked a strand of light brown hair behind her ear, a nervous habit, Lucas had quickly found out. She sighed again as she took the test from his hand. "What am I going to do? If Aunt Jolene sees yet another D in math, she is going to flip!" She looked up at him, locking her emerald green eyes with his crystal blue ones. Lucas genuinely felt sorry for her, so he did the only thing he could think of, he reached out and put a friendly arm around her while saying, "I don't know what to tell you, Alex. Maybe you could ask Hales to help you, she's really good in math."
"Yea, maybe." she replied a bit hesitantly. "I feel bad though, she already has a huge workload of her own to do. She doesn't need mine on top of it... Then again, I am really desperate, and she is a tutor...but still I could always just hire a tutor, except that I don't have any money. I really do need a job at some point, but if I get a job, than my grades might suffer.."
Lucas listened to her ramble on and on. She wasn't even talking to him anymore, she was talking- actually arguing with herself. Definite sign of an only child, he thought with amusement. "Hey, Lex. Didn't anyone tell you that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity?" He said teasingly.
Alex retaliated by smacking him in the head with her test "oh, shut up. Didn't anyone tell you that calling a mentally unstable person insane is a really suicidal move?"
Lucas looked down at her in shock for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Well, I guess I'm in trouble then, huh? I mean maybe I should make sure you're not carrying any lethal weapons in your backpack. Ya, know, like scissors, or a stapler, or something."
"Ha, ha, very funny... oh wait a minute, no it's not." Alex was thoroughly enjoying this, this bantering between her and Lucas. I haven't had this much fun during a conversation for a while now. She really was feeling like she fit in here, and this teasing with Lucas made her feel even more at home.
I have to admit, the girl's damn witty. Lucas thought. I mean, I don't think anyone could have come up with a comeback so fast, with maybe the exception of Haley. At the thought of Haley, he remembered why he had come up to her in the first place. "Hey Alex, can I ask you something?"
Alex heard the seriousness in his voice and stopped joking around. "Sure, what's up?"
"Umm, you know how I've been at therapy for my shoulder for some time now, right? Well, the thing is, I spoke to Addie (Lucas's physical therapist) and she told me that I should start doing some excercises at home.
"Wait, haven't you been?" Alex asked confused.
"Yea, well, I have been, but she thinks it would be a good idea for me to have a spotter of some sort. Someone to watch me and make sure I'm doing it right and not overexerting myself." He ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair before saying, "and I was wondering...if you'd be willing to help me out."
What?! Me? "What about Haley?" She hadn't realized she had spoken that last sentence aloud until she heard Lucas say.
"Well, normally Hales is the person I would go to first for everything, but she has been really worried about my shoulder and she's always on my case about overdoing it. I don't want her to worry that my shoulder isn't healing as fast as it should. Damn, did I just say that last part out loud? Well, judging by Alex's reaction, I'm guessing that yea, I did.
"What do you mean, not as well as it should?" She demanded. "Luke.."
"I'm fine Alex, I just need to work more, less weight and more reps. I swear I won't overexert myself."
"Well.."
"Please, Alex, I don't know who else to ask and I don't want to alarm anyone." He was looking into her eyes pleadingly and she knew she was in trouble. There's was no way that she could turn him down. She took a deep breath and before answering faintly, "fine." And before he could say anything she said firmly, "but the minute I think you're overdoing it, we stop. Deal?" To his surprise and amusement, she actually stuck out her hand to him. Lucas looked at her for a moment.
"Deal." They shook on it.
"So when do you want to start?"
"I was kinda hoping that we could start today, after class?"
"Well, it will give me a chance to hold off on the wrath of Aunt Jolene for a few more hours and a chance to talk to Haley about helping me out."
"Hey, Alex, will you do me a favor?"
"Anothor one? Boy, Scott, you are starting to push your luck." She said with a smile.
"Don't..don't tell Haley about this okay?" He knew she was not expecting that by the way her eyebrows shot up. "Like I said before, she worries too much and I don't want her to worry about me."
"Uhh, ok, I guess, but she's your best friend Lucas. I think she has a right to know."
"And I will tell her, just not right away. Let's see how some training sessions work first, all right?"
"Ok." Alex answered doubtfully. Lucas looked relieved and walked away saying over his shoulder "I'll see ya after class, Lex, and thanks." As she watched him leave, Alex felt an overwhelming sense of dread. How would Haley feel about Lucas lying to her? I have a bad feeling about this...What on Earth did I just get myself into?
Author's Note:
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really means a lot to me. A few people asked me if my story follows the season finale- No, it doesn't. In fact, I wrote this before the season finale even happened. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. I promise more Laley action coming soon. Please review!
"I swear, math is actually going to kill me one of these days." Alex muttered to herself as she closed her locker at Tree Hill High.
"I'm not so sure that's possible." Alex spun around and met Lucas's amused grin, smiling down at her. "Unless, you happen to get hit on the head with your math book, maybe. But for the most part, math is pretty harmless."
Alex sighed in exasperation. "Speak for yourself," she replied. She handed him her latest math test. A big D was circled in red and words see me, were clearly visible at the top.
"Ouch," Lucas said sympathetically. "What happened?"
"Nothing, except that I happen to be the dumbest person on earth when it comes to math." She quickly tucked a strand of light brown hair behind her ear, a nervous habit, Lucas had quickly found out. She sighed again as she took the test from his hand. "What am I going to do? If Aunt Jolene sees yet another D in math, she is going to flip!" She looked up at him, locking her emerald green eyes with his crystal blue ones. Lucas genuinely felt sorry for her, so he did the only thing he could think of, he reached out and put a friendly arm around her while saying, "I don't know what to tell you, Alex. Maybe you could ask Hales to help you, she's really good in math."
"Yea, maybe." she replied a bit hesitantly. "I feel bad though, she already has a huge workload of her own to do. She doesn't need mine on top of it... Then again, I am really desperate, and she is a tutor...but still I could always just hire a tutor, except that I don't have any money. I really do need a job at some point, but if I get a job, than my grades might suffer.."
Lucas listened to her ramble on and on. She wasn't even talking to him anymore, she was talking- actually arguing with herself. Definite sign of an only child, he thought with amusement. "Hey, Lex. Didn't anyone tell you that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity?" He said teasingly.
Alex retaliated by smacking him in the head with her test "oh, shut up. Didn't anyone tell you that calling a mentally unstable person insane is a really suicidal move?"
Lucas looked down at her in shock for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Well, I guess I'm in trouble then, huh? I mean maybe I should make sure you're not carrying any lethal weapons in your backpack. Ya, know, like scissors, or a stapler, or something."
"Ha, ha, very funny... oh wait a minute, no it's not." Alex was thoroughly enjoying this, this bantering between her and Lucas. I haven't had this much fun during a conversation for a while now. She really was feeling like she fit in here, and this teasing with Lucas made her feel even more at home.
I have to admit, the girl's damn witty. Lucas thought. I mean, I don't think anyone could have come up with a comeback so fast, with maybe the exception of Haley. At the thought of Haley, he remembered why he had come up to her in the first place. "Hey Alex, can I ask you something?"
Alex heard the seriousness in his voice and stopped joking around. "Sure, what's up?"
"Umm, you know how I've been at therapy for my shoulder for some time now, right? Well, the thing is, I spoke to Addie (Lucas's physical therapist) and she told me that I should start doing some excercises at home.
"Wait, haven't you been?" Alex asked confused.
"Yea, well, I have been, but she thinks it would be a good idea for me to have a spotter of some sort. Someone to watch me and make sure I'm doing it right and not overexerting myself." He ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair before saying, "and I was wondering...if you'd be willing to help me out."
What?! Me? "What about Haley?" She hadn't realized she had spoken that last sentence aloud until she heard Lucas say.
"Well, normally Hales is the person I would go to first for everything, but she has been really worried about my shoulder and she's always on my case about overdoing it. I don't want her to worry that my shoulder isn't healing as fast as it should. Damn, did I just say that last part out loud? Well, judging by Alex's reaction, I'm guessing that yea, I did.
"What do you mean, not as well as it should?" She demanded. "Luke.."
"I'm fine Alex, I just need to work more, less weight and more reps. I swear I won't overexert myself."
"Well.."
"Please, Alex, I don't know who else to ask and I don't want to alarm anyone." He was looking into her eyes pleadingly and she knew she was in trouble. There's was no way that she could turn him down. She took a deep breath and before answering faintly, "fine." And before he could say anything she said firmly, "but the minute I think you're overdoing it, we stop. Deal?" To his surprise and amusement, she actually stuck out her hand to him. Lucas looked at her for a moment.
"Deal." They shook on it.
"So when do you want to start?"
"I was kinda hoping that we could start today, after class?"
"Well, it will give me a chance to hold off on the wrath of Aunt Jolene for a few more hours and a chance to talk to Haley about helping me out."
"Hey, Alex, will you do me a favor?"
"Anothor one? Boy, Scott, you are starting to push your luck." She said with a smile.
"Don't..don't tell Haley about this okay?" He knew she was not expecting that by the way her eyebrows shot up. "Like I said before, she worries too much and I don't want her to worry about me."
"Uhh, ok, I guess, but she's your best friend Lucas. I think she has a right to know."
"And I will tell her, just not right away. Let's see how some training sessions work first, all right?"
"Ok." Alex answered doubtfully. Lucas looked relieved and walked away saying over his shoulder "I'll see ya after class, Lex, and thanks." As she watched him leave, Alex felt an overwhelming sense of dread. How would Haley feel about Lucas lying to her? I have a bad feeling about this...What on Earth did I just get myself into?
Author's Note:
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really means a lot to me. A few people asked me if my story follows the season finale- No, it doesn't. In fact, I wrote this before the season finale even happened. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. I promise more Laley action coming soon. Please review!