Here's the next chapter! Enjoy, people who wanted this so badly *coughTheWeaverofWorldscough*
"It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!" Matthew sang in the lunch room. It was surprising that he was the one singing that song, but not unheard of for him to suddenly burst out in song during the day. Well, at least he would when he thought only his friends could hear him.
"Matthew, I swear if you don't shut up I'm going to shove his apple down your throat," Alfred spoke up from his place on the other side of the table. Matthew just smirked, knowing that one, Alfred wouldn't waste food like that even if it was an apple, two, Alfred wouldn't hurt him if he was paid too, and three the song was stuck in his head so he wasn't going to stop singing anytime soon.
"Sing with me Alfred! Sing the song of the day!" Matthew yelled before he began singing louder than before. Everyone groaned, but no one stopped him.
"Why are you guys so out of it today? Come on its Friday and tomorrow we get to have an adventure and then we can go and have fun!" Matthew wiggled in his seat, clapping his hands lightly.
"An adventure? Can I come along?" a female voice suddenly spoke up. Matthew immediately stilled his movements as he looked over to see Bethany right by Alfred, looking at them all curiously.
"He is talking about the sleepover we are having tonight," Ivan said when no one else raised their voice. Bethany cringed, obviously scared of Ivan, but unlike others who would have run off at the first chance she got, she turned to Alfred instead.
"So, can I come?" she asked him. Alfred lowered his eyes from her, trying to think of some excuse to have her not come.
"It is disrespectful to have a female at a male's sleepover. It brings dishonor to one's family," Kiku suddenly voiced. Everyone turned to him, but he was just idly munching on his carrots and celery like a little rabbit, as if he had said the most casual thing in the world.
"Sorry Bethany, but it is a bit weird to have a girl at a dude's sleepover…" Alfred pounced on the excuse. Bethany's face fell, but she smiled as if nothing was wrong.
"You're right. I'll see you after practice today?"
Lately she had been waiting around for Alfred after his football practice was over. Alfred didn't mind, afterword he would walk her home because it was on the way to his house, and they would talk about all the annoying people that they encountered during the day. For Bethany, it was mainly perverts who didn't get the hint, while for Alfred it was talking about how the teachers weren't giving him a break about the assignments that he missed.
"Sure, see you later."
That wasn't a complete lie. He was going to practice today, right after school, but he had no intention of hanging out with Bethany and walking her home like always. He had to get home to meet up with his friends, so that they could go to the carousel. It seemed as though Alfred didn't care about that though, as he took a bite into his apple that he had previously threatened Matthew with.
"She's on the hook," Matthew stated when it became apparent that no one else was going to talk about the problem involving Bethany that might quickly arise. Everyone looked at him in confusion, even Alfred, but he had expected that.
"The hook?" Kiku asked warily. It sounded familiar but he just couldn't remember.
"Yeah, the hook. Remember on that one episode of How I Met Your Mother, the one about being on the hook?" No one gave Matthew any sign that they remembered what he was talking about. "Basically, Alfred doesn't want to be with her, but he likes having her around and having someone do all that relationship stuff that they like. All the while Bethany will be waiting around, biding her time by hanging out with Alfred until he wants to be in a relationship with her, but it's not going to happen," Matthew finally finished off. There was understanding in his friends' eyes, and they all turned to Alfred to see his reaction.
"She is not on my hook!" Alfred defended, cheeks tinting a light shade of pink. Matthew smirked, placing his hands on the table in front of him.
"Fine, tell her that. Stop giving her kisses on the cheek, don't let her do that to you, and tell her that you aren't looking for a relationship. And make sure you don't say right now, otherwise you're just keeping her there on the hook while you don't think you're doing anything wrong. See how long she still wants to hang with you and be 'your best dudette'."
Alfred pouted but he didn't protest about the reasoning in Matthew's words. He didn't want to be in a relationship with Bethany, but he hadn't really told her that yet. She did deserve to know the truth so that she wouldn't get hurt more than she probably was already going to feel.
"I'll tell her right after practice," Alfred finally said.
"You're going to practice today?" Feliciano asked. He, along with everyone else, thought that Alfred was going to ditch and come with them.
"Coach says if I miss another practice I won't be able to play in the homecoming game, and I've already missed enough as it is," just then the bell rang, and began to head off to their classes, "Just go and get the stuff ready and wait for me at my house. I'll see you guys later."
-After Practice-
Alfred walked out of the locker room wishing that he hadn't gone to practice at all, the amount of soreness he felt right now in no way made up for playing in the homecoming game a month away. He walked down the halls of his school, quickly going to his locker where Bethany was waiting, playing on her phone, giggling and blushing as she looked at it.
"Hey," he spoke up as he got close.
Bethany jumped where she stood, cheeks flushing a dark red as she shoved her phone in her back pocket at the same time. She looked embarrassed, like she had been caught in the act of doing something she shouldn't have. Alfred raised one slim eyebrow, but otherwise didn't ask her about the strange behavior she was exhibiting. It wasn't any of his business-she was just a friend.
"I thought you were never getting off practice," she quickly said. As soon as the words left her mouth her blush went down, but her cheeks were still a shade or two darker than normal. "I was just texting my friend…."
"That's cool. Thanks for waiting for me, like always," Alfred said as he opened his locker. She leaned against him, resting her shoulder against his bicep and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Listen, Bethany, you know, we've been hanging out so much lately…" he started off, slamming his locker shut. Bethany flinched. That's right, Alfred thought, she doesn't like loud noises.
"What about it?"
"You know that I don't want a relationship right n- right?" He almost said right now but managed to save himself in time. Bethany's face fell, disappointment and hurt obviously spread across her features, and Alfred felt his heart break slightly at the sight. He might not want a relationship with her, but that doesn't stop her from being his friend, and he cared for his friends.
"I should have seen this coming…" Bethany muttered to herself. Alfred shook his head but he had to do what he needed to do.
"I'm sorry, we can still be friends right?" he asked tentatively.
She shook her head, before turning away and quickly walking down the hall, brushing tears off her face with the back of her hand. Alfred watched her go, wanting to call her back and take back everything he said. He simply held no romantic interest in her and it was not fair to not only her but as well as him if he kept her hanging, waiting for something that wasn't going to happen between them.
Alfred walked down the hallway, shouldering his bag, knowing that his friends were waiting for him and that they were just as excited about tonight as he was. Thoughts of his centaur and going to the carousel were plaguing his mind, quickly overrunning the thoughts of Bethany. By the time that Alfred was out of his school and walking down the street, there were no lingering thoughts of Bethany in his mind.
I just want to say, I do not like this new font on the document manager here on FF. Nope, not at all.
Anyways read and review! And yes there is a reason for this chapter, it's not just a filler so you better have paid attention to it when you read it.