Alex's POV
I couldn't believe it. Madison and Dean? No way. Impossible. It couldn't be…
But maybe it was true. After all, I barely knew either of them, and Madison did look so happy with Dean. I felt a pang as I remembered the way she had smiled up at him – I wish I could make her smile like that.
'Whoa, slow down!' said a voice in my head. 'Stop it, Alex. What's wrong with you? You can't fall for some girl you just met.'
I took a deep breath.
'I am not falling for Madison. I am not falling for Madison, I am not falling for Madison,' I chanted in my head.
"Took you long enough," said Eagle as I approached his car and got in.
"Sorry," I grinned sheepishly.
"No problem kiddo," Eagle replied with an easy smile, relaxing back in his seat and starting the engine. "How was school? You looked like you were deep in thought back then."
"School was fine," I said shortly. "I was just… thinking about something."
"Wanna talk?"
"No thanks."
The house wasn't far from the school; the rest of the journey passed in silence.
"You know I'm always here if you need to talk," he said as we entered. I took my leave immediately, avoiding the offer.
"Good day at school, Alex?" Wolf inquired as I passed him on the stairs.
"Not bad. Call me for dinner!" I yelled over the railing.
I walked into my room, dropped my bag, kicked off my shoes, and then jumped onto the bed. I must have dozed off because I awoke abruptly to a knock on the door, and according to my alarm clock 2 hours had passed.
"Alex?" I heard Eagle's voice, slightly muffled, from the other side of the door. "You have a friend who wants to see you."
Friend? I ran a hand through my hair and got up off my bed. So far, I'd been unsuccessful at making any friends, so who would be here? Who would know where I lived? Feeling more wary, I got up and opened the door.
But I could only see Eagle in the doorway.
"Well, where are they?" I crossed my arms over my chest. This was probably just a ploy to get me out of my room. "If you want me to help get dinner ready, just say—"
I stopped mid-sentence as a shorter person stepped out sheepishly from behind Eagle.
"Am I hallucinating?" I said when I found my voice.
"No, you're not. Your friend Madison called round." He put far too much emphasis on the word 'friend', like he'd already guessed I liked her. Not that I did like her. Whatever.
"Eagle?" Madison looked at me properly, taking in the bed hair and rumpled clothes that I'd worn to school earlier.
"Nick name," Eagle said simply, now grinning outright. "You know what? I'll leave you two and go help Wolf."
Before I could stop him, he retreated down the stairs, whistling to himself.
"Eagle and Wolf?" Madison laughed. "Let me guess – you're Snake? Or Rabbit?"
"I'm Cu— I mean, I'm nothing. I – I'm just Alex." I could feel myself beginning to flush. "You wanna come in?"
She nodded a little and we stepped into my room. I dropped into my beanbag and she stood a little awkwardly, holding her bag with both hands. Finally I broke the awkward silence.
"Is there a reason you came? Because I didn't think we were exactly friends."
She fiddled with her hands. "Well… I maybe wondered if we could be. And I sort of wanted to say sorry, for… for being so cold with you."
"Gee, are we besties now?" I replied sarcastically, hoping the remark would hide the way my heart was pounding like crazy and the millions of butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
She looked a little hurt. "No, we don't have to be besties or anything, but could we at least try at being friends?"
Her face was full of hope when she looked up at me. I tried to speak, but my words stuck in my throat.
"How did you know where I live?" I blurted out eventually.
She looked a little confused. "I… uh… I just asked where the new British trio had moved in. By the way, are Wolf and Eagle – er – together?"
"Together? As in a couple?" I burst out laughing, imagining the look on Wolf's face if she'd have asked him that." No, they're just friends. Friends who also happen to be my friends."
"Just the way they were arguing, cooking and talking downstairs together…it gave off a sort of vibe…it was cute."
I bit my lip so I wouldn't start laughing again. She smiled, and held my gaze a moment longer than was necessary.
"I'd like to be friends," I managed to say. "If you would."
"Great! Well… anyways, I gotta go." She cleared her throat and headed for the door.
"I'll take you downstairs."
"No, it's fine, I'll manage."
'I wish you didn't have to go,' I wanted to say, but I didn't. 'I wish I knew what to say to you.'
"Well thanks for coming, I guess." I gave her a parting smile and was about to close the door, but she put her hand out at the last minute.
"Oh, and Alex? A piece of advice: don' t make an enemy of Dean."
But the warning barely registered. As soon as the door closed, I began dancing and jumping up and down. We were actually friends! I stopped suddenly, catching sight of myself in the mirror. What was wrong with me? I couldn't fall for another girl, I couldn't…
But who cared, really? Sabina had moved on. I was free. I resumed my little victory dance around the room, feeling happier than I had in years.