The True Happiness

Chapter 12

Hanna entered to the retirement home with bloodshot eyes and without her usual smile.

“What happened?” James asks her when she sits next to him.

“Josh and I argue,” she tells him in a whisper.

“Oh, dear. What about if you read a little to distract yourself?

Hanna takes out the book and opens it. She begins to read with calm voice.

Alex drove concentrated on the road. Her hands were still on the wheel. She turned to see me and smiled.

When we got to school it was early and almost nobody had arrived. We both got out of the car. I opened the door to the back seat. I grabbed our backpacks. I handed her backpack and Alex smiled at me. Any of our "friends" hadn’t arrived. Alex started walking towards the entrance and I decided to follow her. She looked at me over her shoulder and stopped so I could reach her. When I was at her side we began to walk.

“I thought that you’ll stay outside,” she commented.

“Nobody has arrived yet,” I shrugged.

She gave a small smile as she looked down. She stopped in front of her locker. I leaned against a locker and stared at her.

“What?” She asked when she realized that I was watching her.

“Nothing,” I shrugged. I had read something similar to this on a book ant it seemed to be working.

She continued to take out her stuff. I bit my lip debating if I should go with the others or accompany her. Alex closed her locker as she closed her bag; she looked into my eyes and gave me a small smile. I had no classes with her but still I decided to accompany her. That could add points to my favor. She looked at me puzzled.

“I think you are taking wrong class,” she said when we arrived History class. She entered and I followed her.

She put her things on a desk near the board.

“And I think you got the wrong time,” I said referring to that we were the only ones on the classroom.

“I wanted to come early,” she shrugged.

“Are you still angry?” I asked her and she looked at me.

“You drove me crazy,” was all she said.

I approached her. Scenarios of thousand books I had read flashed through my mind. She wanted beautiful words. And that was what gave her.

“Why don’t you like me to touch you?” I asked her. She looked at me and shook her head no.

“I have a boyfriend,” she answered. I stoked the skin of her cheek and her neck with my fingers.

“That's not an excuse,” I said looking into her eyes while the tips of my fingers brushed her skin.

“It's an excuse for me,” she said, took my hand and pulled away.

“Is not that I touch you. What really bothers you is what my touch makes you feel.”

She said nothing. The bell rang and the classroom began to fill. I turned around and left the room before someone made hasty conclusions.

At lunch time, when I headed to the cafeteria, Audrey grabbed me by my shirt collar and cornered me against the wall.

“You seem to have lost strength,” I said smiling.

“Don’t tease me, Horan. I want to know how things are going with Alex.”

“She had been three years with her boyfriend, she isn’t a fast girl. You have to be patient.”

“If you can’t do this I will ask someone else to make this,” she said.