When Feelings Gets in the way.

Ariel's 7:00 AM alarm blared, jolting her awake. "Guys! Ciara!" she gasped, scrambling out of bed. Ciara, startled by the shriek, rushed in from the living room."What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Ariel, a whirlwind of anxiety, paced the room, grabbing Ciara's shoulders. "I had a nightmare! Alpha's been kidnapped! I know it, I know it, he's been snatched by some hoodlums! Alpha's in deep trouble!"

Ciara, already aware of Alpha's silence – he'd texted her earlier – tried to calm her friend. "Whoa, slow down, Ariel. You're clearly overwrought. It was just a bad dream, a case of the midnight jitters."

But Ariel was unconvinced. "No, Ciara, I saw it clearly! We need to go to the police station! Where are Maureen and Ben?" Ciara, exasperated, rubbed her temples. "Ariel, you're emotionally spent. You care deeply about Alpha and so do I, but honestly I'm not nearly as freaked out as you are. Alpha will be fine, just chill."

Her words had a calming effect. Ariel sat, worry still etched on her features. "I'll check on Alpha's mom first; I'm sure she's out of the hospital. I'll get the lowdown from her, then maybe we can relate this to the police from there." "Okay," Ariel sighed, flopping back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Ciara headed to the bathroom, leaving Ariel to her anxious thoughts.

Meanwhile, Fred and Alpha were locked in a furious argument. The living room, had it's cottons not rolled up and the blue lights on, it was indeed a cozy atmosphere, a stark contrast to the tension between them. "No way, Alpha! You vanished after your so-called 'dinner date' with Ciara, ignored my calls and texts, and now you stroll in expecting a warm welcome? Forget it!"

Alpha tried to explain. "I'm sorry, man, I needed some space," he mumbled defensively.

Fred scoffed, clapping his hands sarcastically. "Right, 'needed some space.' Brilliant cover story. So, how was your 'space'?" Alpha, clearly agitated, blurted out, "I kissed Ciara! Didn't know what I was thinking, She was furious, slapped me, and I needed to get away! I feel like a complete buffoon Fred!"

Fred, nearly falling to the floor in shock and laughter, sputtered, "Wait, you did what?! Are you serious?" Alpha's frustration boiled over. "If I hadn't taken you guys idiotic advice to ask her out, I wouldn't be on the verge of losing a friend!"

A knock interrupted their spat. Fred, recognizing Ciara from a photo Alpha had shown him, opened the door. Ciara, stylish in black jeans and a pink sweater, was a vision. "Hi, uh… Fred, right?" she asked, with a grin on her face. He nodded, completely smitten. "Is Alpha in?" " Yeah, sure his is". Fred said letting Ciara have her way in.

Alpha, having overheard their conversation, still scared of what Ciara's reaction would be pretended to be engrossed in the view outside, a sad look on his face. Ciara found him and gently touched his shoulder. "Alpha," she said softly.

He feigned surprise. "Ciara! Thank you for coming. Please, forgive me." He gazed into her eyes, pleading for understanding. "Alpha," she replied, her voice laced with concern, "how could you just disappear? You had everyone worried sick, especially your mom. She had an accident on her way to check on you at school because you and your roommate were nowhere to be found. And why weren't you answering your mom's calls?"

Alpha was overwhelmed, unsure where to begin – the kiss, his mother's accident, his own reckless behavior. Ciara, seeing his distress, pulled him into a warm hug. "Just calm down," she murmured, releasing him. "Talk to your mom first; go see her. Then we can talk." "Thank you, Ciara," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "But how did you know about my mom's accident?"

"I'm not saying," Ciara replied, a hint of mystery in her tone. "You go home and find out. I'll tell the girls you're okay." Alpha, eyes welling up, nodded gratefully. Fred, having wisely given them privacy, stepped out from the room. "Take care of yourself, bye." Ciara said. Alpha gave her a quick hug, her heart skipping a beat. She turned to take her leave. What did that mean? she wondered as she walked away.

Fred's all, "Dude!!! That girl, Ciara? Total beauty. You're one lucky dude, Alpha!" Alpha just raises an eyebrow – seriously, the man's got a poker face that could win him a lifetime supply of free poker chips – and Fred basically melts away into his room.

What was that all about, anyway? And why, oh why, was I feeling such a crazy, illogical crush on my best friend? It was completely bonkers! I couldn't possibly be falling for Alpha. Nope, nope, nope. Ciara thought to herself. The whole ride home from Alpha's place was a whirlwind of internal screaming for Ciara.

Ciara burst into her dorm room, and Ariel practically leaps out of her skin. "Ciara!! Spill! Did you hit up the police? Any Alpha news?" Ciara plastered on a wide smile. "Alpha's been found, darling! He texted me on the way to his mom's." (Total fib, by the way.) Ariel practically tackled Ciara in a hug. "Oh my god! That's amazing!" Ariel was so relieved, bless her heart. "Girl, you need a spa day! You look like you wrestled a badger with your hair– and lost." Ciara teased.They both cracked up, and Ciara headed to the kitchen to stage a diversion.

But the real question loomed: "Where had Alpha been, and what was the deal with his vanishing act?" Ciara had to think fast. "You know how guys can be," She improvised smoothly. "He just needed a break. A total mental health reboot. He's a massive bookworm, you know? Probably buried in textbooks and needed to escape the clutches of reality." Ariel, bless her simple soul, just went, "Isn't Alpha just 'adorable'?" "Since when did you develop a thing for bookish dudes, Ariel?" Ciara teased.

"Ermm, I love Alpha, bookworm or not! He's tall, dark, and…" Ciara cut her off before she could launch into a full-blown Alpha-worship session. "Snap out of it, girl!" They both laughed and settled on the couch.

"So, when's Mr. Handsome coming home for a visit?" The memory of her kiss with Alpha sent a shiver down her spine.

She tried to play it cool. "Come on, Ariel, I just said he needed some space. Let's not revisit that, okay?" "Fine, fine. But I'm sure texting him to make sure he's okay and also let him know I'm aware of his safety." Oh, crap. I'd given out his number during the whole frantic search. Ciara thought to herself. Her smile was a tad unconvincing, let's just say.

Alpha's house wasn't so fancy, no swanky decor or anything, but it was homey. Family photos of him, his mom, dad (RIP), and younger brother (also RIP) were everywhere – a poignant reminder of his losses.

"Mum! Hello?! Anyone home? Mum, I'm back!"

His mom, a striking woman, though clearly heartbroken – she had bandages on her right hand – rushed in. "Alpha? Oh, my sweet boy!" She practically inhaled him in a hug, sobbing uncontrollably. "Where have you been? You scared me half to death! You're all I have left, Alpha. Please don't ever leave me."

The sheer grief in her voice hit Alpha like a ton of bricks. He remembered the tragic accident that took his dad and brother. Tears welled in his eyes, but he held them back, gently releasing his mom from his embrace. "Don't say that, Mum. I'll never leave you! I'm here to stay."

Her face softened, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I love you so much, Alpha." "And I love you too, Mum, always." "Then why weren't you answering my calls? Why weren't you in your dorm?" Alpha avoided her gaze. He couldn't tell her about the kiss with Ciara, and he couldn't lie again to his poor mother. "Mum," Alpha said, trying for a light tone, "Could I at least get my favorite smoothie before the interrogation begins? This feels less like a mother-son chat and more like a police interview." Alpha headed for the fridge. "Oh, darling, I didn't know you were coming.

That reminds me, Ciara's all grown up now. Such a lovely young woman." Alpha's unease was palpable. "Yes, Mum, she's grown up." He grabbed some fruit. She moved closer, her eyes piercing. "No, Alpha! Tell me what's wrong. I know how close you are with her. You can tell me anything." She knew when Alpha was lying. "Nothing, Mum, nothing at all. College life, everyone's busy, right?" "Hmm, alright. If you say so. Ciara's a good girl, be nice to her always." Alpha nodded. "Sweetheart, I'm going to the store. Stay safe!" She blew Alpha a kiss and left. He finally heads to his old room and collapsed onto his bed.

Just as he was about to change, his phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number: "Hi Alpha, how are you doing? Heard you've been found and you're actually good. Thank goodness. It's Ariel, Ciara's roommate, just checking in. Bye!!" Alpha remembering Ariel's crush on him stared at the text, utterly bewildered, completely and utterly lost.

"Oh my goodness Ciara, I can't believe you could do this? How could you!?" Maureen wasn't smiling when she said this. Looking plain without an exact expression on her face. Ciara's heart beat ten times faster than the original heartbeat not knowing what exactly the bombshell Maureen was about to release.