Chapter 6: Alexy

When the final bell rang, Rosaline was quite exhausted. Teachers were quite crazy and though she did like most of them but she didn't like Mr. Johansson who looked like a model and talked and taught well but everything he said was pointless to Rosaline she had learned everything he had said when she was 17 years old. He did have this charismatic sort of voice and Rose suspected that he had gotten his job thanks to his looks not his talent.

And the girls giggling all over him and he acting as if he didn't notice them but he sure as hell did notice. thought Rosaline tiredly.

She was walking down the main corridor when she glimpsed two boys, one with raven colored hair and one with blue hair. Both dressed very similarly to her dorm mates. She quickened her pace and caught up with them.

"Lexi, Leo!" both boys' heads snapped to her and she felt relieved. "it's the second time you have abandoned me today."

"Well, you left us first with that silver haired boy!" said Alexi dramatically.

"Ale, it was us first." Said Leo as a matter-of-factly.

"Right!" said Alexi clapping his hands together.

"That's okay you two were excited, but next I hope there is someone to show me around because if it were not for Rosalya and Melody here, I would have ended getting lost in this place." Rosie opened her backpack and took out a bottle of water.

"Not that that would surprise me." said Alexy sneering.

"I just got lost one time!"

"One?"

"Or two?"

"Or three?"

"or…"

"Oh, shut up."

"So how was your tour with Mr. Ainsworth?" sneered Alexy.

"And how were things with Miss Rosalya?" said Leo.

"I am not good with new people." said Rosaline blushing.

Oh, I know. thought Alexy. The first time you met us, you wouldn't call us by our names. And it was true the first time they had seen each other Rosaline had knocked into his room to ask him to please not sew first thing in the morning. Alexy had to admit he was surprised no, one for some reason, told him to not make noise but this girl asked him. And she did it so politely that he was simply charmed by her. She wasn't like other girls, she wasn't extremely loud or extremely shy and quiet. She was polite and sweet but…stiff. Like she wasn't used to talking to people her own age and had lived with some aunt that taught literature in college. Still…

"Come on Rosie, people don't bite here." said Leo soothingly.

"Except for Amber, she's a real bitch." said Alexy examining his nails.

"Alexi." She said in a dead serious voice. He looked up sighing. "please don't use slang words."

"You'll soon use them rose bud, when you grow out of your baggy clothes, meet Amber and become the girlfriend of Lysander." Rosaline who had been walking calmly choked on her drink.

"Oh, come on, surely you didn't think I saw the look you were giving him?" said Alexi casually. Rosaline glared at Alexi and Leo threw his hands up in surrender.

"Well, that's my cue to get out of here." said Leo looking at both of them. "Before Rosie kills you and then kills me." he ducked and walked briskly down the steps leading out of the North Wing.
Sunshine stroke Rosie's face giving a golden glow to her skin, she reached her forearm to guard herself form the sunlight. She still wasn't used to walking outside.

"Ugh."

"Here." Alexi gave her a pair of glasses that Rosie accepted and put them on covering her eyes. She looked up at him.

"Thanks." She said grudgingly.

"My rose bud can never hate me for too long." Rosie smiled ruefully.

"It's not something I am good at."

"True, why?" he asked in a mock serious voice.

"I'd rather spend my time loving someone than wasting it on useless hate for someone else." Alexi looked at her surprised while she looked at him calmly, smiling faintly. Alexi liked it when she said pretty things, not when she said sad things.

"Then why not love Lysander?" she glared at him but her cheeks that always gave her away, flamed.

"I am not in love with him. I have just met him."

"But you met him like heroines do in books, a confidential meeting! The lady runs into a knight who saves her from…"

"Lex, we ran into each other." said Rose flatly.

"Okay, fine, you ran into each other and you saw him and he saw you and something sparked when your gazes met."

"I think I glared at him the whole time. I might have punched him for breaking my cup." Alexy sighed exasperated.

"Fine, you don't want to see the facts don't." Rosie smiled at him.

"I don't believe in love at first sight Lexi, that's all."

"Do you believe in love at all?"

"Yes I do. But I want to see past looks. I want to fall slowly."

"We are going to fall eventually, why not make it fast?"

"Because if you do it that way then you're going to fall again and again." He looked at her and smiled ruefully.

"Touché." Alexy occasionally had philosophical conversations. Alexy didn't like to dwell upon things like that because his views weren't developed but it didn't seem to bother Rosaline she merely let him take a minute or two to decide and then let him give his opinion. She didn't try to convince him she was right, either. She wasn't like some of those religious people that were very nice when you talked to them but when you told them your views of religion and they were different from theirs, they started trying to convert you.

Both of them stopped because had reached they were just in front of the ancient tree of Sweet Amoris College. It was just by the parking lot.

"Anytime." said Rosaline and They sat in silence for a moment but Alexi couldn't hold back. There HAD to be something already between those two. The way they looked at each other was much obvious.

"Say, what did you think of him?" she looked up at him distractedly.

"Hmmm?"

"What did you think of Lysander." There were beginnings of red on her neck. Alexi had to resist the urge to say aha!

"He seems quite polite and nice." She said carefully.

No surprises there. thought Alexy inwardly rolling his eyes.

"Nothing else?" he pressed. Rosaline bit her lower lip.

"It's just…I feel vulnerable near him, Lexi." She said in a little, barely audiable voice. This surprised Alexi. He gestured with his hand, indicating her to tell him why. "he read my notebook, Lex. MY notebook." This struck as humorous to Alexi since she wouldn't let anyone near that notebook but at the same time he kind of understood what she meant after all, he never let anyone near his real sketch pad. Right now, he needed to tease Rosaline, he couldn't really help it.

"So?"

"What do you mean by so? He read my personal stuff alexy!" she cried.

"What's so bad about that?"

"I didn't read his."

"you wrote in his."

"it was an accident."

"yes but you would have read it eventually, wouldn't you?"

"I wouldn't." she said firmly. "because his contact information was written on the front page."

"Really, wouldn't your natural curiosity would have led you to take a tiny little…"

"No. One thing is being intellectually curious the other is being nosy. I don't want to pry into anyone's business. Unless it's someone very important to me."

"you're still nosy."

"Only towards the people I love."

"Like me?" Rosaline looked at him squarely.

"I am not sure about that yet Alexy." He pouted.

"Why? I haven't done anything wrong." Her eyes didn't change.

That's not it, Lex, I haven't trusted anyone but myself in a long time. That's what Rosaline wanted to say but didn't because she couldn't choke the words out instead she said.

"In time I will come to love you."

"That's mean." She looked at him smiling faintly.

"it doesn't mean I don't like you."

"Still mean." said Alexy turning his head to the side. Rosaline then did something that took him by surprise she took his hand and squeezed it lightly and laid her head on his shoulder letting out a long breath.

"I'm sorry Lex but I'd rather not lie to you. I hate to lie." She said with her eyes closed.

"You do, huh?" he peered at her over his shoulder. True, Alexy was gay but he hated the assumption that all people made that gay guys didn't find girls hot. And for Alexy, Rosie was pretty hot. She wasn't traditionally beautiful but she was hot and he would punch in the face anyone who would dare to insult her. Rosie could do that herself, though. He had seen her knock out guys with her bare knuckles and a long black skirt in less than 5 minutes. Scary as shit.

He squeezed her hand and she looked up at him lazily blinking her eyes.

"hmmm?" she inquired and Alexy had no idea what he would have said or done next if it had not been for the guy on whom he had a crush: Leo.

"Already over me, love?" he inquired lightly but everything about his posture shouted danger! Tensed shoulders, hard eyes and deep frown. If his anger hadn't been directed at Alexy he would have Leo looked pretty hot. Rosie lifted her head off his shoulder and detached her hand form his.

"Hardly, we were just talking." he said grinning at Leo.

"About how I don't believe in love at first sight." said Rosie before Leo could phrase the question. Alexy turned his head towards her and she was peering at the sky, looking at the distance probably lost in some memory of hers. He turned to Leo who was looking at her but a little sadly, his shoulders slumped and Alexy let out a breath that he had been holding.

"You don't?" asked Leo sincerely interested.

"I don't."

"What about chemistry at first sight?" she looked at leo with lips pursed.

"I suppose it's possible." She said finally. Leo and Alexy exchanged triumphant looks. Alexy was glad that they could always make up easily.

"So, Rosie, how was…" Leo began vaguely and Rosie started laughing abruptly which confused both boys. She looked up and she looked at them with lovely smile.

"What the fuck?" asked Leo alarmed. She looked at him unsurprised by the slang.

"I'm sorry it's just that you sounded just like Alexy. What do you want to know about Lysander?" Leo sighed in relief, for a moment he thought that she had gone mad.

"Is he as hot as he looks?"

"er…I'm not sure how to answer that questioning line."

"Oh, come on you can't deny he is hot!" said Leo and Alexy felt a horrible pang of jealousy, but forgot about it when he saw Rosaline blushing like a tomato.

"I…I can't deny he has…um…good looks." She sputtered as she turned different shades of red. Alexy couldn't help but say a sarcastic comment.

"Rosie with all the different shades of red you blush I could make a photo collection." Leo snickered.

"Rosie's 50 shades of red." he said solemnly as rosie's cheeks flushed a darker red. Both boys broke out laughing while Rosie covered half of her face with her knees and glared at them.

"okay, okay…" said Leo after rubbing his stomach a little. "I still wanted to ask you. Did you tell him about the cup?" he asked seriously. Rosie's expression changed from embarrassed to serious.

"No, I can't tell him that."

"Why not? He broke your precious cup!" scoffed Leo.

"I don't want to make a fuss over a cup."

"you made a fuss with us." She smiled at them ruefully.

"if you two weren't my friends I would have said that it was okay that I didn't mind and then I'd secretly hate you for a long time. I am only truthful with my friends." She tucking her chin in her knees.

"but you don't love us." Pointed out Alexy dramatically, Rosie's smile didn't waver.

"I like you. Both of you are important to me." Both of them were astonished by her statement and there was an awkward silence that followed.

"so…I take it that you didn't like Lysander?"

"I am mad at him for breaking my cup, I'm not sure I can be civil with him." Leo and Alexy snickered at this.

"You can never stay angry for long." Alexy pointed out. She looked at leo with half-smirk.

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions." And Alexy's heart stuttered a bit in his chest. He could feel his lips part a little while Rosie turned to Leo.

"You work in Starbucks, how much does a cup cost?"

"Depends." Said Leo eagerly. Leo loved Starbucks, his dream was to one day be part of the company as a full time worker.

"For example if you want a cup like…" and that was when Alexy got bored. Sure, he liked to go to Starbucks occasionally, but Leo? He was obsessed. Just the way you are obsessed with making clothes. Rosie had told him while looking at Leo fondly. And it didn't help that he liked Leo. And really liked him. Someone snapped their fingers in front of his eyes, Alexy was jolted back to reality.

"Honestly Lex, you and your head." Said Rosie with a smile an eyebrow raised and the other upturned.

"It's just a…a design, that's all." Rosie turned eager at that, she was always eager when it came to fashion and she and Leo were the first to whom he showed his designs. She was always awed by them it didn't matter whether they were good or bad she would just squeal take out her- probably centuries old- i-pod and snapped a picture of it and kept it inside her dropbox for safekeeping. When he asked for her opinion she just smiled at him and told him.

"I am not an expert in fashion, I don't want you to say anything that will change your designs." to which he responded.

"but that's not going to happen." She would just smile at him and say.

"I still won't say anything." She would always tell him if she liked it or not but she never ever said anything specific about the design like "oh I liked this ruffle!" or I "I like the print!" but she only took the paper eagerly from his hands and looked at it, examining it thoroughly.

"Really?" asked Rosie eagerly and he was jolted again to reality. "When will you have it ready?"

"Soon." She clapped her hands together several times, heels of hands and fingers curved backwards like a wave, her excitement like a child's.

"Good, I think I'll have that story ready for you." at that Alexy shot up and fist pumped into the air shouting. Yes! Yes! YES! While Rosaline shook her head, lips curled and eyes closed.

"Alexy, why are you celebrating?" asked a feminine voice. Alexy stopped his tap dance and opened his eyes to look at very amused Rosalya and Lysander.

Alexy's lips curled mischievously. Just the person he wanted to see his eyes met Rosalya's and she nodded almost imperceptibly. And that's when they both knew they were thinking the same thing.

We need to get those two together.

"Oh, nothing Rosa just a dare Leo proposed to me." He said innocently while Leo rolled his eyes, Rosaline's eyes became cool, the energy and emotion sapped out of them in a moment. Her mask was back. Lysander, whose face wasn't very expressive was easy to read to those who knew him and a gay guy like Alexy himself prided himself as an expert people-reader and right now the silver haired boy was anxious.

"Ah." said Rosa raising her eyebrows at him. "Say, alexy you haven't shown Rosaline the mall, have you?"

"We tried to but you see…" Alexy was about to tell them the embarrassing story of how she got lost when Rosalien interrupted.

"I am afraid I can't, Miss Rosalya." said Rosaline looking at Rosalya leaning her head on her knuckles, sitting cross-legged. Rosalya seemed put out by this.

"Why not?" she asked pouting.

"I have work." She looked at her watch and said. "In fact I have to get there soon. Thank you for the invitation, though." She pulled herself to her feet ignoring Alexy's hand, brushing off leaves from her long black skirt. She looked up at him and then at Leo.

"I left dinner ready for you guys, but please do not touch the green bowl that is mine. And do clean the dishes, if you don't I am going to make horrible food." She smiled at both of them. Alexy sighed. She still wouldn't open.

"Good bye." She inclined her head to Rosalya and Lysander and started walking away. Alexy looked at Rosalya and they both nodded.

"But rose bud! You have to get there in 30 minutes." She stopped but didn't turn.

"I walk fast."

"It's far."

"then I'll run."

"In those boots?" she turned her head to the side to look at him, her lashes hiding her emotions but inquiry and suspicion was written on the outside. He gulped and luckily Rosalya stepped out for him.

"I have a car, well, it's Lys-baby's but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind if we gave you a lift." Rosaline looked at Rosalya, clearly uncomfortable.

"I do not wish to be a bother."

"It wouldn't be." said Lysander speaking out for the first time. Rosaline looked at him for the first time, clearly she had been avoiding his face, she looked at him coolly and then her gaze swept to Rosalya, softening.

"Thank you." she says smiling a little and Rosalya's eyes widened.

"You should smile more. It makes you look pretty." said Lysander voicing everybody's thoughts.

"So you're saying I am not pretty." asked Rosalie her head tilted no anger in her voice. Lysander's eyes widened and he looked taken aback.

"I…" Rosaline then smiled completely but it was only momentary.

"I was just teasing you." she said softly. She then shifted her attention to Rosalya. "Are we going?" rosalya who had been carefully watching looked at alexy and her eyes reflected what she was thinking.

Approved.

"Yes." She said smiling creepily. "Shot-gun I drive!" she looked at Lysander who sighed. Rosalya walked and looped her arm through Alexy's and they both started walking to the parking lot of the college.

"They are perfect for each other." She told Alexy in an low voice. He pretended to laugh as if she had told him a private joke.

"Now we have to get them together." He said to her. "we need a plan." Rosalya smield at him creepily.

"Oh, I have many."

Rosaline was peering outside the window, her hand covering her mouth to not give away any expression. Her eyes darting constantly as she tried to memorize everything she was seeing. She didn't realize that Lysander was doing the same thing too but where Rosaline's eyes were on the ground, his were looking skyward. She was thinking, analyzing, trying to take something from her surroundings to help her with her book while he kept trying to think of a new lyrics for a song but his mind kept wandering to Rosaline's notebook and what he had read in it. Rosalya and Alexy were chattering talking about the fashion show that took place in the city.

"I know! I head Donatella Versace herself will be part of the judging panel."

"I heard that Andrej Perdij will also be part of it." said Alexy fanning his face with his hand. Still looking out of the window, Rosaline was glad that her hand covered her mouth because otherwise she would be smiling and she didn't like smiling in a place where there were people she didn't really know. She had just made that mistake before and now she regretted it. She wasn't supposed to get familiar with these people. Still, it was just like Alexy to fangirl over Andrej Perdij. Whoever that person was.

"Rose bud you've been awfully quiet, what's up?" he asked looking at her concerned. She shifted her gaze from the outside to Alexy.

"Nothing." she lied he narrowed his eyes knowingly. "I am just a little tired." She admitted. Alexy grinned sheepishly.

"I suppose I should take blame for that."

"Yes you should." She said mercilessly. "Who throws a party one day before the start of term?" Alexy pouted.

"Leo also…"

"it was your idea don't blame Leo."

"Ha-ha! She likes me more than you." Said Leo wrapping his arms around Rosie's waist. She rolled her eyes Alexy glared daggers into Leo while he stuck out his tongue at the blue haired boy. Rosalya was laughing. Lysander looked at them momentarily forgetting his song, notebook and other jumbled emotions in his head.

"You don't like Leo more than me, do you?" asked Alexy in an exaggerated tragically voice.

"I like you both but not the same way."

"So you do like Leo more than me!" creid Alexy.

"I don't like one of you more than the other because you two are different people and I couldn't like both of you the same way. I like you as you are: two different individuals."

"You have a knack for saying way too serious things in a light atmosphere." Said Alexy.

"It's just the way I am."

"You have a tiny waist." Leo blurted. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Alexy was confused, Rosalya still driving was confused by his comment.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rosalya asked.

"That I can wrap one whole arm around all your waist!" he reached out his arm but Rosie took his arm.

"I am not an experimentation subject Leo." She said mildly. Leo made his puppy eyes to her and she looked at him squarely.

"Puppy eyes don't work on me." Alexy smiled devilishly and jumped at the opportunity to force her to talk.

"Then what works on you?" he asked wiggling her eyebrows. She shrugged her shoulders.

"And you?"

"Well, let's see. Lots of attention, love and sex, sex, sex." He said the last one as a joke knowing that rosie would get embarrassed. And when he looked at her she was indeed blushing a little. However, Leo was eyeing him quite blatantly, lip curling devilishly and without remorse. Alexy was sure he was going to get an erection if he didn't stop eyeing him. Fortunately Rosie distracted his attention.

"Oh." he turned to her confused by her worried expression.

"What?" he asked her. She jerked chin forward and Alexy turned around surprised by the immense traffic jam. Alexy eyes opened like plates.

"Holy shit!" he turned to Rosaline.

"What now?"

"This is the part where we run." She opened the door of the care that luckily was beside street. She didn't look at Leo or Alexy and sarted running without saying goodbye. Alexy looked at Leo.

"We also have to go and thanks Rosa." Alexy gathered his things and got out. Leo following suit. He then peered into the passengers seat where Rosalya was looking at him expectantly.

"Oh and please text me about that plan you have I think I might find a way to work." Rosalya smiled like a chesire cat at this.

"Okay." And alexy closed the door running like a devil trying to get to work on time.

Later, alexy would get to work but his mind was not on work it was on the plan. His mind racing a million miles per minute, his head already plotting, creating and guessing, hatching the great plan.

The plan to get Lysander Ainsworth and Rosaline Walker together.

It was almost midnight when Leo, Alexy and Rosaline arrived to their apartment. The three of them were exhausted particularly Rosaline who wasn't used to work because she had never worked before at all. She collapsed, sinking gratefully into the soft, leathery sofa.

"I really want to sleep." She said rubbing her eyes with her fingers, trying to keep herself awake. Alexy thought that she looked particularly adorable while she did that.

"But I thought you said you had homework." she looked at him ruefully.

"While I was waiting for you guys I did half of my homework."

"When is it due?"

"In two weeks."

"And you already have it done?!"

"I know some of the material beforehand." Alexy looked at her incredulously while she stifled a yawn with her hand.

"Do you?" asked Leo. She looked at both of them looking non-chalant.

"Yeah. Now, how about we eat some food?" she got up and walked tiredly to the kitchen without changing her clothes. At home she wore a loose training trousers and a loose black shirt with a tank top underneath. He had seen her without that loose short and alexy had to admit she had quite a nice body, especially…

"Alexy! DID YOU EAT MY AVOCADO SANDWICH?!" Alexy gulped, he looked at Leo but he just threw his hands up and walked away. The little git. He looked at the kitchen door to find Roslaine standing with her eyes flaming, jaw clenched and hands on her hips. Anger written on every feature of her face. Alexy though that she looked very cute when she was angry but he knew that she was also dangerous, he had seen her beat the shit out of a whole gang with her bare fists. How she didn't do that to him every time she was angry Alexy would never know. She liked him obviously and right now he was glad about it.

"Er…well, maybe I did so because it was a hasty morning." He said weakly. Rosaline's shoulder slumped a little and her gaze softened. But it only lasted a moment. She shot daggers at him with her eyes.

"I am sorry?" Alexy said weakly. Rosaline looked at him angrily but then she did something unexpected. She groaned, raising her head and rolling her eyes backwards. She muttered something in a language that Leo didn't understand.

"You're my friend. You know that, do you?" she asked him. Alexy nodded.

"and as my friend I think you should remember that I told you that that sandwich was my dinner, right?" he looked at her hopelessly.

"I…" he was at loss to what to say. He knew that Rosaline' economical situation was a bit…difficult and that she planned everything carefully. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Then she smiled and looked at him, attempting a half-smile.

"It's okay." She said and walked to her room, closing it softly. He turned and saw Leo drapped casually on the sofa.

"Ya know, love, I think she should demand something from you but she doesn't. I don't know why." He said as he examined his nails.

"That's because she's selfless." said Alexy automatically.

"Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically looking at him bitterly. "because you know her so well, don't you?" he walked closer to him until they were nose to nose. "why don't you tell her you like her? Or are you so…" Alexy grabbed Leo by his shirt and kissed him fiercely, Leo seemed surprised but he didn't object as he dug his fingers on his hair and kissed him deeper. When they paused for air Alexy looked at Leo squarely.

"I may like her but it isn't her who I snog." Leo groaned and Alexy could feel why. He grabbed him by the back of his shirt and bit hard on his neck.

"I think we need to get out before we get started." At that Alexy snapped. He pushed him away roughly.

"Who said we were doing anything?" said Alexy crossing his arms, creating a little space between them. Leo just raised an eyebrow and said.

"Fine." He said turning around and walking to the corridor. He paused by the door jamb to eye him lazily. "When you're broken by the sexual tension you can come to me anytime." He said in a whisper that sent shivers down his body. When he heard the door close, Alexy collapsed on his knees on the floor covering his face with his hands to hide the red in his cheeks. He was a relationship type of guy, so why did this one that obviously wasn't a relationship type guy drive him so mad?

Surely it was only a one-timing thing?

Wasn't it?