Driving to School

The sun slowly rose up in the sky. It painted it in a beautiful blue color. The fluffy pillow-like clouds drifted by leisurely. A flock of birds flew towards the south. The trees had blanketed their surroundings with orange leaves overnight. The temperature dropped further as winter approached, counting the remaining days.

It was a peaceful start of a new day.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Alex yelled.

Her eyes flickered to the car window. The buildings outside passed by in a blur. The convertible sped up too fast for her to read the signs on the stores. She could barely make out any face among the bystanders. They eventually overtook a few cars.

What a morning rush, she thought.

"I am!"

"It doesn't seem like that to me!"

"Shut up," Logan grumbled. His hands clenched the steering wheel. "I am a good driver."

Alex scoffed, "Right."

"Hey! You've ridden with me before. Have I ever let you down?"

"Is that a trick question?"

Logan rolled his green eyes. The traffic light ahead lit into green. He stepped on the gas pedal. He figured it would be fine since there weren't any cars. He made a right turn, taking the familiar route to school. The smell of freshly baked bread filled his nose.

This part of town always made him hungry.

"I can't wait for the weekend."

He chuckled at her words.

"Because of our date?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. He placed his left elbow on the open car window. His damp hair fluttered from the wind. It was a free blow dry session, the secret to its messy style

Alex snorted and bit her bottom lip. She dropped her gaze to the floor, hiding her face. Her ears became hot. "No, it's because Emily, Lauren and I will go out shopping."

"For our date." Logan smirked. He had already heard about it from Emily. He had been warned not to come unless she gave the go signal.

His ears perked up. He went completely silent, listening to faint mutters.

"... don't think about it… don't think about it… don't think about it…"

He smiled lopsidedly, "Are you thinking about our first kiss?"

Gray eyes flew open. "I am not!"

"It doesn't seem like that to me," he shot back. Smugness crawled up his skin. Nothing could stop the wide grin on his lips. He loved teasing her about it. He grabbed every opportunity to do so. Her reactions never disappointed him.

Ah, the liberty of confessing.

He didn't need to hold back anymore.

"Get your own lines."

"I didn't know you trademarked it." Logan directed his convertible to the school gates. A few other cars had lined up ahead of him. He joined in and waited patiently. "Anyway, about our date…"

Alex stared out the window. She focused on her breathing. Loud thumps pounded in her chest. Who would know she'd ever go on a date? She had thought it would be far into the future. Yet, here she was, about to have one on Saturday.

It was crazy.

"Wh-what do you even have in mind?" She replied with hesitation. She had known of 'dating' before. Whatever she heard, read and seen did not prepare her enough for the experience. She couldn't even talk about it.

She flustered over the simplest things.

Emily ended up frustrated each time. She couldn't provide the details her cousin wanted. It also scared her how Emily could predict what happened just from her expression—and that was the story of her cousin about the confession and the kiss inside a janitor's closet.

Something Alex wouldn't want anyone else to know, especially her parents.

What parent would approve of a closet kiss?

"Hmm," Logan hummed for a bit. He passed through the gates and drove to his usual parking spot. The other students stopped to let his car pass. "How about a movie?"

Alex scowled, "Which movie?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "What do you like?"

"I—hmm," she replied. She would have returned the question but changed her mind. Knowing Logan, he'd pick a movie with ulterior motives. She needed to narrow down the choices. When was the last time she went to the cinema? Was it last summer? It was usually Emily who invited her to one. She listed out the genres in her head, evaluating them.

"Anything but romance and horror?" She finally suggested. She disliked scary movies while romance…, well, that one just smelled like trouble. She didn't know how couples handled it but she didn't have that prowess.

"Well, damn," Logan cursed.

"What?"

"You just killed my chance to have you jump in my arms." He laughed, his shoulders shaking. He could barely see the parking lot from his squinted eyes.

Alex blushed for the nth time that morning. Nostrils flaring, her back went rigid. "One, that would never happen. Two, I knew you had hidden intentions!"

"Ah, but didn't that happen when we joined that game at the mall?" Logan reminded her.

"..."

"And that time you stood out my doorway when I was sick…" he continued when she didn't say anything, "Also when we sat outside my bedroom, when we fell to the floor of yours…"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Alex held up a hand, closing her eyes. She refused to hear more of it. Had they really done all of that? What was she thinking?

"Did you?" He chuckled, "Because you didn't act like you had a problem with it before."

"I told you that I got it. Please, stop." She whined in response. She leaned back and hid her face with one hand. If her face wasn't as red as a tomato before, it was definitely one now.

"You are so cute."

What was redder than a tomato? Alex wondered. Because those words just kicked it up a notch. She ignored him and focused on her blushing face. She can't go to school looking like this. Hell, how was she gonna survive around Logan?

She never stepped foot into the world of romance before. She hardly knew what to do. Most of what Emily had said sounded embarrassing! How did people live with this? She could hardly breathe properly. Her heart also palpitated in an unhealthy manner.

Logan guided his car into his usual spot. He tried to hide his amused grin. He failed. The tires halted just before he hit the parking block. His windshield displayed the red bricks of Woodlands Academy.

He killed the engine and remained seated. Elbow still on the car window, he bit one finger knuckle with his lips. His other hand drummed on the steering wheel. The corners of his eyes drooped. The smile he wore slowly vanished.

The silence inside the car had seeped into his mind.

He bumped his head against the headrest.

Then, he turned it towards the passenger seat.

"Are you there yet?" He asked.

Alex gripped the phone in her hand, noticing the tone in his voice right away. She glanced to her left. Her eyes landed on a small black leather backpack. It had a strap for when she wanted it as a messenger bag instead. Its gold zipper slider had a silver charm dangling off it.

It was shaped like an acorn.

Her family's car skidded to a stop.

Reaching for her new bag, Alex heard the car door open. She placed her phone near her shoulder. The heel of her black leather shoes tapped on the pavement as she climbed out. Her A-line navy blue skirt limited her leg movement. Her blazer of the same color hid the matching vest and white dress shirt that she wore underneath.

The sun peeked from behind a medieval castle.

"Welcome to Freccia Preparatory Academy, Young Miss."

"Thank you, Jeffrey." Alex whispered in reply, nodding her head. She slung her backpack over one shoulder and pressed the phone back to her ear, "Yes, I'm here. What about you?"

Logan let go of the steering wheel. He pushed the bluetooth headphone closer, finding it hard to hear her now that she was in a wide open space, "Yeah, I'm at school. Told you that I was a good driver."

No noise could muffle out her snort from him.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. It was only the first day of her absence in Woodlands Academy. The week before felt like a long time ago. The Farewell Party they had also felt the same. The ache in his chest became aggravated. His resolve began to dwindle.

He missed her.

A lot.

For this one moment, he let down his guard and allowed himself to be vulnerable.

"I'll wait for you."

"Can you really?" Alex teased. She bowed her head towards Jeffrey and walked towards the school gates. Her ID flapped over her stomach. The guards let her in without a hitch.

It was Logan's turn to snort, "Do I look like a quitter to you?"

"Yeah, you're right. You're an annoying persistent cockroach."

"Why thank you for the compliment, milady." He chuckled. He climbed out of his car and locked it. He stared up at the sky, wondering if she did too. "Hope you have a good day."

Alex stopped before the courtyard. The trees had lost all of their leaves, giving her a clear view of the clouds. They hid the sun away. She took a deep breath and soaked in the air of her new school environment. This would now be her second home until graduation.

Steeling her nerves, her voice came out firm.

"You too."