Midnight:
Chapter 8:
April 3rd
Campus Library
2 PM
It had been a few weeks since John had been up front and told Alexander about Martha and it had been weeks since he had last seen or heard from him. To say that he was avoiding him was a big understatement. It had been weeks since he had last even seen him.
John started down at his phone for a long moment, fingers hovering over the screen for a moment. He kept sending messages but at this point it seemed pointless. None of the messages even seemed like they were evening being read.
Letting out a breath, he quickly typed one last message to Alexander: Just message me when we can talk. Please?
He grabbed his phone and shoved it into his pocket. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Dining Hall
2 PM
"How can you work and at the same time?"
Blinking, Alexander glanced over as he saw Ellie setting down her food tray at the same table that he was currently seated at. He glanced down at his salad before looking at the books that were open in front of him before shrugging. "Well, sometimes when you have an exam after lunch you need to do your best to be prepared."
Ellie rolled her eyes as she lowered herself down into the chair.
Alexander's phone buzzed moments later, glancing over. He frowned seeing who the message was from before slipping the phone into his bookbag, ignoring it.
Ellie rose an eyebrow. "John, again?"
Alexander nodded as he took a bite of his food without much of a word. He let out a sigh before shutting his book and putting it in his bag. "You know it wouldn't be so bad if he had told me up front."
Ellie blinked. "About his fiancé?"
Alexander nodded.
"Would your reaction be any different than it is now?"
Without much of another word, he stooped down and picked up his book bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "I have an exam to take, I'll see you later."
Ellie nodded as he turned and left. "See you later…" She said softly.
May 14th
John's Dorm
1 PM
"Did you ever talk to Alexander again?" Gilbert asked, frowning as he watched John move back and forth across the room, packing his clothes into the suitcase that lay open on the bed next to where Gilbert was sitting.
John shook his head as he stopped in front of the wardrobe. "No," he commented as he grabbed the last couple of clothes.
Gilbert blinked and nodded his head. Before he could say a word, the door opened, and Marta came into the room. "Hey, are you done packing? I tried texting you, but you didn't answer."
John shook hie head as he threw his clothes on top of the open suitcase. "Not yet," he commented as he zipped up his suitcase. "I have books to back and my computer still. You didn't need to come as early as you did." A small pause as he narrowed his eyes at her. "You know I could have taken a plane back to Charleston, right?"
Marta shrugged as she flopped onto the bed next to Gilbert. She gave him a quick nod before turning back to John. "Gives me an excuse to get away from Dad for a while. Besides, I don't mind driving you back."
"Fine," John let out an exasperated sigh as he picked up a shoe and tossed it at her. "If you're going to sit there, you can help me back." He turned back to Gilbert with a raised eyebrow. "That goes for you too."
"Well, as much as I would like to," Gilbert began as h slid off the bed, his French accent growing thicker with the faster he talked. "I have somewhere else to be, that's not here. Bye, text me later."
After Gilbert left the room, John turned back to Marta, eyebrow raised. She let out a small sigh. "Fine, fine, I'll take your suitcase down to the car. I'll be back in a few minutes," she called as she left the room.
Marta's Car
3 PM
"Are you ready?" Marta asked from the driver's seat of the car, checking in the back as John loaded the last box into the car.
John nodded as he shut the back-passenger door, coming around the front. He slid into front seat, shutting the door. He looked at the school before pulling his phone out of his pocket, pulling up Alexander's phone number.
"Is that your boyfriend?"
John looked up, shaking his head and closing out of the text messages. "He's not my boyfriend, Marta."
"And whose fault is that?" She asked, coming to a stop at the red light raising an eyebrow at him.
"Is this why you wanted to drive me?" He asked as he tossed the phone into backseat of the car. "Am I going to have to listen to you talk about this for the next eleven hours?"
Marta grinned as she put pressure on the gas pedal. "Maybe." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Come on, John. I just want to be a supportive sibling and you came out to me. I really respect that. I also want you to be happy."
John nodded as he glanced down. "I know."
"Did Dad tell you?"
John blinked and looked over at her. "Tell me what?"
Marta came to a stop again at another red light. "Oh, boy, you're not going to like it. At all." She took in a deep breath. "Dad and the Manning's are talking about moving up the wedding to June."
"WHAT?"
"It's because Martha is showing more than expected. Don't shoot the messenger. So, when we get back to South Carolina you have some major work to do." She paused before letting out a soft sigh. "That is if you don't want to be married to a woman you don't love for the rest of your life. Or I mean, a woman in gereral."
"Not really."
Marta grinned as she nodded. "Exactly what I thought. We have eleven hours to come up with what we're going to do."
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean telling Dad and everyone else." She paused before nodding her head to the back seat.
John froze in his seat. "Marta, I…I can't tell him."
"You can and it's going to be okay, don't worry."
A hand came up and rubbed the back of his neck as he shifted in his seat. "How do you know that."
"Because I will be there with you," she commented as she reached over, placing a hand on her brother's knee. "Just like I always am."
John let out a small sigh. "Thank you, Marta. You're the best."
Marta grinned. "I know. Now let's get planning. We have under eleven hours."