Ch. 5
It had been two weeks since Alex had agreed to help Lucas and they had been working almost everyday after school. Slowly, it seemed like Lucas's shoulder was getting stronger day by day, but Alex still hated seeing him wince in pain after a particularly hard session. After each work out he usually had a sheen of sweat and his face was a shade or two lighter than normal, but he refused to give up and Alex was quite impressed with his persistance. Alex and Lucas had become even closer these past two weeks. In between and during therapy sessions, they would talk about anything and everything. She had surprised herself because Alex was a pretty close-mouthed person. She never really spoke about her emotions or personal things, but for some reason it was different with Lucas. Alex found herself telling him things that she hadn't even told her closest friends back in Florida.
They were in Lucas's garage working out once again. "Ok Luke, 5 more." Alex told him.
Lucas was struggling slightly, but it was not as bad as some previous sessions. To get his mind of the pain, Lucas said. "Hey Lex, what were your parents like?"
Alex's head snapped up and looked at him in shock. I couldn't have heard him right, right? she wondered. "Umm..."
He must have seen her reaction because he said. "Hey, it's ok if it's too personal. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"No...no, that's ok." Alex sighed before replying. "My mom was like the most spontaneous person ever. Sometimes, back in grammar school, she would call up the office and say that there was a family emergency and I needed to leave. I would be waiting for her in front of the school and it would turn out that the emergency was that she had our rollerblades in the trunk and it was too lovely a day to waste it inside. We would then spend the day rollerblading on the boardwalk. And when I got older the emergencies would be a bare-back pad, and we would take out the horses and ride along the beach. I always had so much fun with her." She stopped and contemplated for a moment before continuing. "My dad was one of the friendlist people. He always had a smile on his face and everyone knew him." Alex smile remembering, "He would tell like the lamest jokes ever, but you always laughed anyway. I never really knew why. He also worked hard, but was never too busy to take my phone calls or leave a meeting because I was crying over a bad grade. They were both amazing people..." Alex hadn't noticed that the more she spoke, the quieter her voice became, until it was almost a whisper, but Lucas had. She felt her voice choking up and tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She desperately blinked them back, but it was useless, and soon tears were streaming down her cheeks. "God, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be carrying on like this."
"Alex, it's ok, I mean they were your parents. It's only been a few months, you're allowed to grieve."
"I know, it's just that I feel so stupid crying like this in front of you."
"Hey," he said softly, "what are friends for, if not to be a shoulder to lean on? Of, course I only have one good one right now, but it still works."
Alex smiled slightly and wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes. Only Lucas could manage to make me laugh right now, she thought.
"Hey, you're done with your reps, good job." Alex said changing the subject. She thought about it for a minute before adding. "Luke, can I ask you a question now?"
Lucas was relieved to see her regain composure. "Yea, sure Lex, what's up?"
"Umm, do you ever grieve over Dan? I mean I know he's not dead or anything, but still, do you?"
Ok, I really wasn't expecting that. "NO." Lucas said automatically. He looked up at Alex and saw her green eyes were filled with compassion and understanding. "Well, maybe sometimes, more so when I was younger." he explained. "But he missed out on getting to know me, and that's his loss, right? That's what my mom always would tell me anyway."
"Yea, it is." Alex said softly. "You're really a... she searched for the right word...a good guy Lucas."
Now, normally if anyone else had called him that, Lucas would have teased them for it. But Alex was different, she had a hard time opening up to people and had walls built up around her. So her calling him "good" was probably one of the highest compliments he had gotten from her.
"Thanks." he replied, "you're good too." Alex rolled her eyes and laughed at him.
"Ok, buddy I guess we're done for the day...Oh my god, what time is it?!" she suddenly exclaimed.
Lucas looked at her, startled before answering. "uh, five of five, why?"
Oh crap. "I am supposed to meet Haley at the cafe at five for a tutoring session! Oh, man, I really have to go."
"Do you want a ride?" he asked. She was really tempted. She felt so bad for being late, but she looked at Lucas, and although he seemed to have stopped sweating, he still looked completely wiped out.
"No, thanks. I think if I run there, I will only be a few minutes late. Besides, Haley knows I'm never on time anyway. You need to take a cold shower and get some rest." She grabbed her backpack and quickly walked to the door. Bye Luke, see ya tomorrow." Before he could answer, she was already out the door, most likely running, to get to the cafe. He stared at the doorway for another minute, that girl really is something else. He thought once again, before turning to go into the house to do exactly what she had told him to.
Karen's Cafe
Haley sat in one of the booths, looking over her math notes when she looked up to see Alex dash into the cafe. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Haley." she said sort of breathelessly.
"No problem, I just got off of work a few minutes ago, besides, you're only like five minutes late."
"Yea, I, umm, was studying and completely lost track of time. Sorry." she said again. Alex really hoped that Haley hadn't noticed that she said averted her eyes while she was talking. Although, she enjoyed helping Lucas out, every time she saw Haley, she felt the guilt eating at her more and more. I'm lying to Haley right in front of her face. she thought miserably. God, if she ever found out, she would probably never speak to me again, and I totally wouldn't blame her.
"Don't worry about it, it's not like I have anywhere else I need to be right now." she answered with a friendly smile. "Ok, so I'm thinking that we start with question five?" Alex numbly nodded her head and although she tried, she couldn't hear a word Haley was saying. This isn't right, Haley should know what is going on. What is Lucas thinking, shutting his best friend out? She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear Haley at first, until she saw fingers snapping at her.
"Hello, Alex? Ya there?"
"Sorry, I guess I just zoned out." She said sheepishly.
"That's ok, math can do that to you. Ok, now let's go on to question 8..."
Alex plastered on a fake smile, that's it Lucas, one of us is going to tell her. And I have a bad feeling that it's going to have to be me....
Author's Note:
Ok, there was not really any interaction with Lucas and Haley, but it is coming up soon. I'm still in the process of setting the situation up. Next chapter will have Lucas/Haley interaction. Please keep reviewing!!
It had been two weeks since Alex had agreed to help Lucas and they had been working almost everyday after school. Slowly, it seemed like Lucas's shoulder was getting stronger day by day, but Alex still hated seeing him wince in pain after a particularly hard session. After each work out he usually had a sheen of sweat and his face was a shade or two lighter than normal, but he refused to give up and Alex was quite impressed with his persistance. Alex and Lucas had become even closer these past two weeks. In between and during therapy sessions, they would talk about anything and everything. She had surprised herself because Alex was a pretty close-mouthed person. She never really spoke about her emotions or personal things, but for some reason it was different with Lucas. Alex found herself telling him things that she hadn't even told her closest friends back in Florida.
They were in Lucas's garage working out once again. "Ok Luke, 5 more." Alex told him.
Lucas was struggling slightly, but it was not as bad as some previous sessions. To get his mind of the pain, Lucas said. "Hey Lex, what were your parents like?"
Alex's head snapped up and looked at him in shock. I couldn't have heard him right, right? she wondered. "Umm..."
He must have seen her reaction because he said. "Hey, it's ok if it's too personal. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"No...no, that's ok." Alex sighed before replying. "My mom was like the most spontaneous person ever. Sometimes, back in grammar school, she would call up the office and say that there was a family emergency and I needed to leave. I would be waiting for her in front of the school and it would turn out that the emergency was that she had our rollerblades in the trunk and it was too lovely a day to waste it inside. We would then spend the day rollerblading on the boardwalk. And when I got older the emergencies would be a bare-back pad, and we would take out the horses and ride along the beach. I always had so much fun with her." She stopped and contemplated for a moment before continuing. "My dad was one of the friendlist people. He always had a smile on his face and everyone knew him." Alex smile remembering, "He would tell like the lamest jokes ever, but you always laughed anyway. I never really knew why. He also worked hard, but was never too busy to take my phone calls or leave a meeting because I was crying over a bad grade. They were both amazing people..." Alex hadn't noticed that the more she spoke, the quieter her voice became, until it was almost a whisper, but Lucas had. She felt her voice choking up and tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She desperately blinked them back, but it was useless, and soon tears were streaming down her cheeks. "God, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be carrying on like this."
"Alex, it's ok, I mean they were your parents. It's only been a few months, you're allowed to grieve."
"I know, it's just that I feel so stupid crying like this in front of you."
"Hey," he said softly, "what are friends for, if not to be a shoulder to lean on? Of, course I only have one good one right now, but it still works."
Alex smiled slightly and wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes. Only Lucas could manage to make me laugh right now, she thought.
"Hey, you're done with your reps, good job." Alex said changing the subject. She thought about it for a minute before adding. "Luke, can I ask you a question now?"
Lucas was relieved to see her regain composure. "Yea, sure Lex, what's up?"
"Umm, do you ever grieve over Dan? I mean I know he's not dead or anything, but still, do you?"
Ok, I really wasn't expecting that. "NO." Lucas said automatically. He looked up at Alex and saw her green eyes were filled with compassion and understanding. "Well, maybe sometimes, more so when I was younger." he explained. "But he missed out on getting to know me, and that's his loss, right? That's what my mom always would tell me anyway."
"Yea, it is." Alex said softly. "You're really a... she searched for the right word...a good guy Lucas."
Now, normally if anyone else had called him that, Lucas would have teased them for it. But Alex was different, she had a hard time opening up to people and had walls built up around her. So her calling him "good" was probably one of the highest compliments he had gotten from her.
"Thanks." he replied, "you're good too." Alex rolled her eyes and laughed at him.
"Ok, buddy I guess we're done for the day...Oh my god, what time is it?!" she suddenly exclaimed.
Lucas looked at her, startled before answering. "uh, five of five, why?"
Oh crap. "I am supposed to meet Haley at the cafe at five for a tutoring session! Oh, man, I really have to go."
"Do you want a ride?" he asked. She was really tempted. She felt so bad for being late, but she looked at Lucas, and although he seemed to have stopped sweating, he still looked completely wiped out.
"No, thanks. I think if I run there, I will only be a few minutes late. Besides, Haley knows I'm never on time anyway. You need to take a cold shower and get some rest." She grabbed her backpack and quickly walked to the door. Bye Luke, see ya tomorrow." Before he could answer, she was already out the door, most likely running, to get to the cafe. He stared at the doorway for another minute, that girl really is something else. He thought once again, before turning to go into the house to do exactly what she had told him to.
Karen's Cafe
Haley sat in one of the booths, looking over her math notes when she looked up to see Alex dash into the cafe. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Haley." she said sort of breathelessly.
"No problem, I just got off of work a few minutes ago, besides, you're only like five minutes late."
"Yea, I, umm, was studying and completely lost track of time. Sorry." she said again. Alex really hoped that Haley hadn't noticed that she said averted her eyes while she was talking. Although, she enjoyed helping Lucas out, every time she saw Haley, she felt the guilt eating at her more and more. I'm lying to Haley right in front of her face. she thought miserably. God, if she ever found out, she would probably never speak to me again, and I totally wouldn't blame her.
"Don't worry about it, it's not like I have anywhere else I need to be right now." she answered with a friendly smile. "Ok, so I'm thinking that we start with question five?" Alex numbly nodded her head and although she tried, she couldn't hear a word Haley was saying. This isn't right, Haley should know what is going on. What is Lucas thinking, shutting his best friend out? She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear Haley at first, until she saw fingers snapping at her.
"Hello, Alex? Ya there?"
"Sorry, I guess I just zoned out." She said sheepishly.
"That's ok, math can do that to you. Ok, now let's go on to question 8..."
Alex plastered on a fake smile, that's it Lucas, one of us is going to tell her. And I have a bad feeling that it's going to have to be me....
Author's Note:
Ok, there was not really any interaction with Lucas and Haley, but it is coming up soon. I'm still in the process of setting the situation up. Next chapter will have Lucas/Haley interaction. Please keep reviewing!!