Unspoken Emotions

Alpha and Fred are chilling in the living room, totally zoned out, when BAM! A knock on the door. It's Michael and Sarah, bursting in like a couple of happy tornadoes. "Hey guys!" Fred bellows, welcoming them in. Sarah, with a mischievous grin, points at Michael. "This dude," she announces, "has been glued to his books since math class! Total nerd!" Fred and Sarah crack up, then they head over to Alpha, showering him with hugs and handshakes. Everyone settles onto the couch – a comfy, slightly chaotic scene. Fred, immediately dives back into his video game, oblivious to the world.

Alpha, ever the gracious host, offers everyone smoothies. Fred, mid-game, shouts, "Hey! What about me?!" Alpha just chuckles, "Dude, the fridge is right there!". Sarah and Michael are all lovey-dovey, you know, the whole smitten couple thing.

Then, Fred, with a triumphant roar, slams his controller down. "Told ya I'd win! Three-time champion, baby!" He practically sprints to the kitchen for his smoothie. Sarah just rolls her eyes, good-naturedly. "Urgh, you and your games! You're only good at that," she teases, her voice laced with affection.

Fred, naturally, puffs out his chest. "Oh, I'm good at tons of stuff! Right, Alpha?" Alpha finally looks up from his phone. "Yeah, Fred's… uh… versatile, he does alot of things you know" he stammers, a little awkwardly.

Sarah and Michael chime in, " Like what?!" Alpha sputters, listing things like laundry, brushing his teeth, and maybe pooing, sending everyone into fits of laughter. "Dude, that's not exactly a 'bro code' brag," Fred declared. Alpha laughs, playfully nudging Fred.

Suddenly, Alpha's phone buzzes – a text from Ciara. "Looks like I'm ditching you guys early," he announces. "Ciara changed our plans; it's 6pm, not 8pm." Sarah, eyes darting around, asks, "Ciara? Who's Ciara?" Before Alpha can answer, Fred shouts, "Alpha's crush since high school!" He beams, a total Cheshire cat. Alpha gives him the stink eye. Michael's jaw drops. "Whoa, Alpha has a crush?" he exclaims. Alpha groans, "Can someone please let me speak?"

Sarah, ever the drama queen, plants herself right in front of Alpha, peering into his eyes. "Alright, Lover Boy, the stage is yours!" Everyone laughs except Alpha, who's looking like he's about to spontaneously combust.

"Guys, I'm trying to prepare for a dinner here, not a confession!" Alpha let out. Sarah, totally hooked, leans in closer. "Lover Boy, spill the tea!" Alpha rolls his eyes. "Enough with the 'Lover Boy' already!" Sarah grins. "Why not seize the day, Mr. Timid Crusher? Tell her how you feel! Time is ticking!" Fred, ever the helpful (and slightly theatrical) friend, chimes in, "Not that easy, but a real man like myself could totally handle it!" Michael, ever the supportive friend, gives Alpha a pep talk. He shares his own dating success story with Sarah– a bit of a rollercoaster, but hey, it worked!

Sarah urges Alpha, "Ask her out tonight before someone else does! Thank us later." Alpha, utterly flummoxed, confesses, "I've never asked anyone out before! Ciara's my first crush, and I… I really like her. But how...?" Fred interrupts, "Don't worry, Sarah's got this. She knows how to handle these things." Michael adds, "You guys have been friends forever; she probably feels the same way. Let the cat out of the bag! I'll even give you some tips." Alpha stares at his friends, a mixture of nervousness and determination etched on his face. The fate of his crush, and his first-ever date, hangs in the balance.

"Ariel! Hair emergency!" Maureen's voice, a blend of panic and exasperation, sliced through the air.

Ariel sauntered in, one eyebrow arched in that knowing way she had. "Maureen, honey, I just finished styling your hair. What in the world happened?"

Maureen's face crumpled in apology. "So sorry! My dress… well, let's just say it had a bit of a wrestling match with my perfectly coiffed locks." She gestured to her now-disheveled mane, a picture of frustrated elegance.

Ariel let out a low, exasperated "Ugh." The air crackled with the unspoken tension of a last-minute hair crisis. Just then, Ciara, a whirlwind of energy, popped her head around the doorframe.

"Bye guys! I'm officially tardy. Fifteen minutes behind schedule, and counting! Catch ya later, love ya!" she chirped, already halfway out the door.

Ariel, ever the pragmatist, swiftly intercepted Ciara. A quick adjustment to Ciara's hair, a subtle but significant touch. "Darling," she whispered, her voice laced with a conspiratorial urgency, "Remember our little plan? Don't forget to mention me to Alpha and extend a most gracious invitation. You could even put a call across to me when it's time so I could gauge his words and reaction myself". She said with an innocent look on her face.

Ciara's grin was positively mischievous, a glint of amusement in her eyes. She executed a playful curtsy, a perfect blend of sass and obedience. "Consider it done, my lady." And with that, she was gone.

Ariel returned to Maureen's hair, her fingers deftly weaving through the tangled strands. But her mind was miles away, already envisioning her rendezvous with Alpha. The air hummed with unspoken anticipation. The whole scene, a perfect blend of pre-event jitters and carefully orchestrated plans.

It was 6:40 pm, and Alpha, perched in a swanky restaurant, practically vibrating with anticipation. Ciara was late, and the poor waitress had asked Alpha what he wanted, like, five times. He just kept waving her off; couldn't order a thing until Ciara arrives.

Then, bam – Ciara. She looked absolutely stunning in a pretty blue dress layered with a cute white sweater. Wine-colored purse, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail with a few perfectly messy curls escaping – and a killer red lipstick. Seriously, she was a knockout.

She spotted Alpha right away, and he gave a little wave. As soon as she reached the table, Alpha was up and giving her a hug. After the pleasantries, they dove straight into the reason for this little ,fancy dinner date.

"Alpha," she started, a little playfully irritated, "you totally ghosted me the other day! No goodbye, nothing. I didn't hear a peep until I texted you the next morning!"

"Ciara, I'm so sorry," Alpha stammered. "It wasn't intentional, I explained it all in the text. Seriously, my bad."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," she said, waving it off. "But don't even think about pulling that again, or you'll be facing my wrath – especially now that I've got my girls backing me up!" They both laughed, a genuine, easy laugh. Alpha flagged down the waiter, and they ordered two glasses of wine.

Then Ciara remembered her master plan – a little scheme involving her roommate, Ariel. Mid-sip of wine, she pulled out her phone and put a call across to Ariel discretely. "Okay, Alpha," she said, "tell me what's been going on. And please, spare me the 'classes' excuse. I'm so sick of hearing that word!" She rolled her eyes, a mischievous glint in them.

"Erm...nothing much besides classes, except maybe some roommate drama with Fred. Nothing too exciting."

"C'mon, Alpha," Ciara teased, "you're in college now! Loosen up a bit! Actually," she grinned, a smile that made Alpha's heart skip a beat (Sarah's words – "ask her out today and thank us later" – echoed in Alpha's head), "I think I have something to tell you." Ciara added. Alpha felt a knot of nerves tighten in his stomach.

"Oh spit it out, Ciara. Enough with the suspense!"

"Well," she said, leaning in conspiratorially, "I think my roommate, Ariel, has a bit of a crush on you… a big one, maybe. Top secret, okay?"

Alpha sputtered, "What?! I... I didn't... how...?"

"Don't be a doofus, Alpha!" she chuckled. "Ariel's a great girl, pretty and sweet. She thinks you're cute, apparently. She's even said I should invite you over more often!"

"Al...right..." Alpha managed to say, trying to sound cool, though Alpha knew his plans to confess his feelings to Ciara had been aborted already with this hell of a news he just heard.

"See? That's more like it, my Alpha!" Ciara said, beaming. She ended the call with Ariel, and her phone buzzed immediately – a text from Ariel: "I love you girl, made meatballs for dinner, come home soon!"

They left the restaurant, Alpha feeling a strange mixture of excitement and...disappointment? As they walked, Alpha stopped, turning to Ciara. "There's something I need to tell you," Alpha blurted out, his voice serious, intense. They were close, their eyes locked, and for the first time, Ciara saw a vulnerability in Alpha she'd never seen before. The air crackled with unspoken possibilities.