Page 3 of My Fake Date With My Childhood Friend
“It's okay,” Alexander reassured me as he tried to help me stand up. “Let me help you.”
He pulled me to my feet, and I wobbled a little, grasping his arm for support.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched all over his face.
I nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. Standing in front of Alexander Rigby, the most handsome boy inschool, I knocked him down with my clumsy self and managed to get blood all over myself.
Alexander's gaze focused on something behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see what he was looking at. A group of freshmen girls stood in the stairwell doorway, staring at us and giggling. They must have been running late to class as well and decided it was more entertaining to watch us instead. I blushed bright red as I turned back towards Alexander. I’d thought this hallway was empty except for us, but I guess I was wrong.
Still holding the tissue to my face and trying to ignore my light-headedness, I leaned over to pick up all the stuff that had fallen out of my bag. Alexander joined me. He picked up my purple notebook, which had fallen open. He turned it over in his hands. The pages were all stuck together, and blue ink was running all over the page.
“It’s soaked,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
I sighed and shook my head. “It’s my fault. I should have closed my bag.”
I took it from him. Of course, the wet page was the one with all the French homework that I’d stayed up late doing.
“You can copy mine if you want.” When I looked at him in confusion, he pointed to the page. “My French homework, I mean. I can guarantee it’s all correct, but it’s better than handing in a blank page, right?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind,” he said. I studied his face, not quite sure what I was looking for — some sort of deceit? Something that would show he was tricking me? I guess Joseph and Nikki’s actions had done a number on me — I couldn’t even accept help from a friend without wondering about ulterior motives. But Alexander's eyes were so kind that I didn’t have it in myself to say no, regardless of the consequences.
“Thanks,” I said. “Guess it's one of those days, right?” Actually, it was one of those months, but that would be too depressing to say.
“Hey, why don't we go to the nurse and get out of first period?” Alexander suggested. “No use making the morning even worse with class.”
“You think that will work?” I asked. “You know, considering we're going there after the bell with a bleeding lip as the only injury?”
“Well, I think the solution is obvious.” He pulled me towards the nurse’s office. “We play up our injuries. Tell her you hit your head or something, and I’ll say I twisted my ankle and couldn’t possibly walk upstairs.”
I laughed for the first time in a while. Alexander had always been able to make things feel better, even when they seemed hopeless. And that was what he was doing now—making everything seem like it would be okay.
“I can't believe she's actually letting us out of the first period altogether,” Alexander laughed. We were sitting on the small cot in the office since it was more comfortable than the plastic chairs we were supposed to be in. “I really thought she would just give us a note to be late.”
Nurse Olivia had been in a rush to go somewhere when we first came in — mumbling something about gym class injuries — so she told us to just get a paper towel for my lip and ice for any other injuries and stay here for the whole period if we needed.
I hoped the nurse’s office would give me a reprieve from the holidays, but even Nurse Olivia was in the spirit. Two walls werecovered with paper snowflakes of various colours, and the wall behind her desk was adorned with wrapping paper.
“I know,” I said. “I really appreciate it, actually. I hate my English class.”
It was by far my worst class of the day, populated by my ex-boyfriend and all his jerk friends. Back when we were dating, I loved the class. But after getting abandoned by all my friends, the last thing I wanted was to see them every day.
“Not a fan of Shakespeare?”
“Not a fan of other students.”
The smile slipped off his face. “Yeah. I can imagine.”
“I didn't mean you,” I said quickly.
“I know.”
“Or your friends,” I added. I wasn't sure why he looked upset, but I wanted to make sure I hadn't accidentally offended him.
“I know what you meant, Penny,” he said quietly.
“Right. Of course.” How stupid of me to think that anyone at Falcon High wouldn’t know what Joseph did. Alexander would have to be oblivious to avoid all the gossip about me.
