The Hybrid Girl (Andromeda Book 1)

Chapter 18

Alex complains relentlessly the next day as we're all sat in a study room we booked for the day, getting through as much work as we can. Jesy went all out during training on Monday night. Alex was a good sport throughout and he obviously felt bad for Sunday's training incident, but Jesy tried extremely hard to see how far she could push him. She couldn't accept the fact that nothing bothers Alex, so her goal was to annoy him to the max. I think Alex grew tired of her attempts so he faked a tantrum to appease her desire. Now, I think he's just milking it.

"I think I might have to take this to the doctor, it's not getting any better," Alex sighs, tenderly rubbing his abdomen. Perrie turns her back to Jesy when she pretends to inspect Alex's fake injury to hide her laugh, whilst Jesy shoots Alex a shaky look.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise it would hurt so badly, you know," Jesy shoots him an apologetic look. I notice Leigh biting the insides of her cheek to prevent herself from exposing Alex's ruse and I do the same. A part of me wants to put Jesy out of her misery but the other part of me says she has this coming for her antics yesterday.

"It's okay, Jesy, I'm sure you didn't mean to injure me so badly," Alex assures her and I wonder how he keeps his face so composed. Then he says, "I hope this doesn't affect my performance in our practicals, Andre. Might make my overall degree lower," and that's when Jesy's face falls even more.

"Oh, for the love of... Alex, put the poor girl out of her misery, I beg you," Leigh explodes after Alex messes around with a guilty Jesy for another half an hour. Jesy's accusing eyes focus on Alex, who bursts out laughing and she throws a ruler at his head.

"That's evil!" she rages, with only a hint of amusement in her eyes, "I was really panicking that I'd gone too far."

"You did go too far," Andre smirks, moving his pencil case out of Jesy's reach.

"Pezza, are you going to let her get away with that?" Alex complains as he dodges the ruler. Perrie raises her hands innocently and tells Alex he has it coming for prolonging his charade for so long.

A smile grows on my face as my friends bicker among themselves. Andre has his headphones plugged into his laptop as he watches something, but he spares a few seconds to take in what's going on and laugh along with us. Jesy runs out of stationary and slams her hand on the closest textbook. Suddenly, Alex pleads for mercy at the top of his lungs, causing Perrie to sternly shush him, reminding him the walls are not soundproof. 

Not long later, the boys head off to their seminar and we are left alone.

Over the weeks we've become well acquainted with each other's personalities and common habits. Despite the unconventional way we became the group that we are, we've built a relatively normal friendship and we've reached the stage where we're incredibly comfortable teasing each other. The teasing is strongest between certain members of the group. Jesy and Alex tend to tease each other, much to Perrie's extreme amusement. Andre has taken the liberty of being the one who teases me the most, whilst Leigh takes a more neutral stance and acts like a wrestling commentator with her occasional 'ooh's' and 'BURN's'. 

Having said that we haven't had very many deep and personal chats. It is the next step I guess, but no one, other than me, seems to be in any rush to take that step. As it stands, they all know a lot more about me than I know about them. I understand that they only know because of everything that's happened but it still makes me anxious. An entire month has gone by and I'd like to think maybe we could get to know each other better, so I'm not the only open book in the group. But I'm too reluctant to start those conversations.

However, for once, fate seems to be on my side as Leigh asks Perrie, "what was it like being in the army?"

Her question takes Perrie by surprise but she hides her initial shock very well. Steadily putting down the laptop she's holding, she takes a swing of her water bottle and then sighs, "I don't think there's a word for it. It's so many emotions all at one time."