Sink or Swim✓ (Teen Romance)

Chapter Eight

AN: Sorry it's been a while.  I've been busy editing my other book!  Expect an update every Wednesday!  Vote & Comment:)

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          So, remember that whole ask Alex Mathews on a date thing?  Yeah, well I've pretty much chickened out of it every day for a week now.  It's already been over a week since the terrible Spin the Bottle incident, but I've been too scarred by it to man up and ask Alex out.  What if he thinks I'm too big of a loser to say yes?  Or worse, what if he only says yes because he knows Cassi would want him to?

            Speaking of Cassi, I haven't talked to her much since the team dinner.  Our conversations have pretty much been limited to asking for the salt or to say 'bye' once we get to school.  I'm not sure if she knows that I'm pissed at her, but she certainly hasn't apologized yet.  I suppose I could at least be grateful that she hasn't been pestering me about my kiss with Alex.  I thought she would surely hound me about that as soon as the party ended.  Maybe she finally realized that I'm a person with feelings...or maybe she just didn't care.  I'm not sure, but either way, I'm glad she's left me alone about it.

            "Mind if I sit here?" asks Alex, jerking me back to reality.

            Our entire team is loading onto a smelly school bus to head to our first swim meet of the season.  It'll take nearly an hour and half to get there.  Until now, I had been planning to spend that time sleeping and listening to my IPod, but this is almost like fate.  Obviously the universe wants me to get some nerve and ask Alex out, even if I don't want to all that much.  It's time for me to finally get in the dating scene, and this may be the only way it will happen for me.  I'm obviously not going to be the girl that gets asked out, so I'll just have to switch the roles up a little bit.

            "Sure," I say, but my voice croaks slightly.  To be fair, I only woke up like ten minutes ago, but that doesn't lessen the embarrassment any.  I sounded like a man.  I quickly clear my throat and try again.  "I mean, yeah, sure."

            "Thanks."  Alex shoves his swim bag under the seat and crunches in beside me.  I swear, these seats have gotten much smaller over the years. 

            For a long while, Alex and I don't say anything at all.  Half of the team is still outside the bus, either lingering around or waiting for their friends to show up.  I really wish they'd just hurry up and sit down so that we could end this awkwardness.  For some reason, I feel like Alex and I will have something to talk about if the bus is in motion.

            "Awww, look at the cute lovebirds!" someone calls from the front of the bus.  A few more kids throw in their own squeals of delight, as though they just caught us kissing, rather than sitting next to each other.  Our arms aren't even touching.

            "That's awkward," I say, glancing down at my feet.  I'm sure my face is bright red, but I'm sort of used to that by now.

            "Yeah...I'm gonna get some water.  You want anything?" asks Alex.  His face, too,  is starting to blush.

            "Um, no thanks."  I'm glad when Alex leaves.  It gives me a chance to think things through. 

            I'm not sure if Alex will say yes if I ask him out, but I figure I don't have much to lose.  The entire team already thinks we're dating, so I might as well roll with the idea, right?  I don't know.

            Elliot boards the bus with Cassi not far behind him.  He's even carrying her bag, which I think is just stupid.  Cassi is perfectly capable of carrying her own things.  I huff silently in my head and cross my arms over my chest.