All Planned Out

Two (Charlotte)

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know."

Alex had been driving for a half hour, mostly in circles, but had at least calmed down enough to not make me feel like I had been drafted into being an unwitting volunteer stuntwoman. I had never seen him like this. He didn't even like going over the speed limit.

"Just pull over. Let's talk about this."

He kept his eyes on the road. That was nice of him. "Talk about what?"

"Your cousin. And Stuart."

He gunned the engine, but only for a second, and then flipped on his blinker and nearly jumped a curb pulling us into a strip mall parking lot. When we were finally settled into a space he shut off the car and fell back into his seat. I made sure to give him a solid smack on the arm.

"Ow."

"What is your problem?"

His breathing was heavy and erratic. His eyes were glassed. He was sweating.

"Ow." He said again, quieter this time.

"Did I not just tell you that heart attacks were serious business?"

He chuckled. Barely. "I'm not having a heart attack."

"You didn't have to do that. You didn't have to tell Montana your secret."

"Apparently not." A longer chuckle. "Least now I know why it was so easy to talk my parents into getting me a car."

"What?"

He sighed. "Nothing. I was...I was just trying to help you."

"It might not have been the best plan." I said before dropping my hand back on his arm and massaging where I had hit him. "For either of us."

"Stuart fucking Crane..." He chewed through each word. "...has a crush on me. Me? Why me?"

"Do you think she told him?"

"She said she didn't." He went back to gripping the steering wheel and I had to double check to make sure the car was off and in park. "She wouldn't lie to me. Both our moms would kill her."

"Maybe..." I shifted around so that I could face him. "...maybe it was an innocent thing. Maybe he doesn't have a crush on you. Maybe after he came out to her he just so happened to mention that he found you attractive. Maybe he was trying to needle her. Maybe it was a joke."

"That's a lot of maybe's."

"Why are you so upset? What does it matter if someone, or anyone, has a crush on you? You don't have to engage. Hell, if you want it to stop, not engaging is probably what you should do. You can tell Montana that—"

"—I'm not telling her anything." He tilted his head back. "Already made that mistake once today."

"She already knew. She already knew and she didn't say anything to Stuart."

"Stop saying his name!" He yanked his arm away from my hand and pushed himself as close to his door as he could. It was not that I've never seen him like this, but it was usually due to a slightly too scary movie or when he thought he somehow failed his Geometry final in tenth grade. He got a B. "I don't want to talk anymore."

"Fine." Two can play at this game. I let my body fold itself back up against his seat and curl my legs into my chest. "Can we go home now?"

"Char..." he whispers. "It's just..."

"You don't want to talk." I said. "So drive."

I had my seatbelt off and my door cracked before he had fully entered his driveway. When it stopped, I was out of there and across the grass, trying not to sprint, to leave him sitting there alone.