Dreaming of Alten

Chapter 12. Alten in Real Life

When I wake up the next morning, Alten's already gone, and Mom is knocking on my door, yelling that I'm going to be late and that Lily is already downstairs waiting for me.

It takes me fifteen minutes to get dressed and into Lily's car.

"Today's going to be a good day," says Lily, turning up the music on the radio. "I can just feel it."

"You're in a good mood."

"Three days to the dance? I'm so excited I think I'm going to explode! And I just finished the present I'm going to give Tyler for our anniversary, look."

She hands me a scrapbook filled with photographs and ticket stubs and cute messages, which looks like it's documenting every single thing they've done for the past six months. There are some pictures of me and Alten in there as well, and it makes me feel sad that I have no memory of these moments that we all spent together. Judging by the smiles we're showing to the camera, we were all really happy.

"What do you think?" Lily asks.

"It's beautiful, Lils! Tyler's totally going to love it!" I can't imagine how much work she must have put into making the scrapbook.

"I know six months is nothing on your six years with Alten, but I want our anniversary to be special anyway," she says, taking the scrapbook back and carefully sliding it back into its box.

"Aww, don't say that! Good relationships are about the relationship, not how long you've spent together. It's not a contest or anything."

"Says you!" Lily gives me a sly smile. "I saw you guys yesterday."

"What?" For a minute, I think she's saying she saw Alten climbing into my bedroom window. Not that it's a big secret or anything, but that's something I kind of want to keep to myself.

"You know, in his hotel room? He asked you to the dance, didn't he? That's why you guys were kissing."

I feel my face getting red. "Um...I didn't know you guys were...watching."

"Relax. We weren't like staring or anything. We just noticed. I mean, it was kind of hard not to. But I'm sooo happy for you! I know you just assumed you were going together, but it's always nice to have him come out and ask, isn't it?"

I think back to the moment and can't help smiling. "Yeah," I say. "It was really nice. Super romantic."

"So you said yes, right?"

"Of course I did!"

Lily laughs.

~

Because I got up late, the bell's already ringing by the time we get to school. My first class isn't with Lily, so we only have time to say a quick "see you at lunch" before we head in different directions.

I have to run to get there before class starts. Ms. Brennan is one of the strictest teachers in our school. She's been known to give two weeks of detention to people who are even one minute late to her class.

I'm so relieved to get to class before Ms. Brennan does that it's not until after I've dumped my books on my desk and dropped into my seat that I notice that Alten's sitting in the seat next to mine.

"You have this class too?" I blurt out in surprise. I suddenly feel conscious that my hair's a mess and I'm sweaty and out of breath from all the running. It's not a good look.

Alten doesn't seem to notice. "I have all your classes," he says.

Of course he does.