Forgetting Logic | Book One

Chapter 3

Jefferson's cheeks reddened faster than a tomato in a microwave when I popped the question. At first, I thought he was going to implode from sheer embarrassment, but then I saw a glimmer of flattery dancing in his eyes.

"Wine and dine? Seriously? You, the king of sloppy eating, appreciate fine dining now?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes with all the melodrama of a soap opera star, before sauntering off, chuckling like he just delivered the joke of the century.

Talk about an overreaction. I mean, the joke was only mildly amusing at best, but hey, to each their own.

Lafayette sidled up beside me and let out an exasperated sigh. "Men," he muttered, shaking his head in mock despair, "you can't live with 'em..."

...

"Hey, aren't you gonna finish that?" I asked.

He shook his head, a grin playing at the corners of his lips. "Nah, that's all I had to say."

Leave it to Laf to always lighten the mood. He was our resident class clown, forever toeing the line between hilarious and downright ridiculous. And us? Well, we were always there to bail him out, no questions asked. I guess that's what friends are for, right?

"Where you headed?" he inquired, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Off to face the dreaded midterm," I groaned, pulling out my phone to ch—

OH CRAP

"I need a favor!"

And just like that, I found myself clinging to the back of Lafayette's motorcycle, zooming through campus like a bat out of hell. With only five minutes until showtime, I was torn between appreciating the wind whipping through my hair and panicking about all the terms I'd forgotten from last night's cram session.

"LEX!"

Lafayette's shout jolted me out of my study-induced stupor. I must've zoned out. Grateful for the ride, I thanked him and hopped off the bike just in time to stumble into class.

Twenty minutes in, and all I had to show for it was my name scrawled at the top of the page. I mean, I'd spent all night cramming, and now my brain decided to take a vacation? Typical.

As the sound of papers shuffling filled the room, panic bubbled up inside me. I was falling behind, and fast.

Darn it, I wasn't just going slow, I was stuck in neutral!

"Psst."

...

"Psst. Alex."

I slowly turned my head, trying to avoid drawing attention. Across the room, Angelica was shooting me a concerned look, her brow furrowed in worry.

Angelica lived one floor above Herc and me. She was the kind of person who always seemed to have it together, like she had a secret stash of wisdom hidden somewhere.

She slipped a half-empty water bottle onto my desk as she passed by, not breaking her stride.

"What the heck am I supposed to do with this?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

No response.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Then thirty. Class was almost over, and I was still stuck on question one. I watched in frustration as my classmates finished their tests and filed out of the room.

Crushing the water bottle in my hand, I took a sip and nearly spat it out when I saw it.

Angelica had written the answers to the test on the inside of the bottle label.

"You're a genius, you know that?" She muttered sarcastically as she watched me slip out of the classroom into the hallway. 

"I didn't figure it out until I reached the third page," I confessed. "Where'd you even get the idea with the water bottle?"

"The internet, Alex," she replied with a knowing smirk. "Maybe you should try using it sometime. Speaking of which..." She trailed off, her eyes lighting up with mischief. "Joust has been buzzing about a showdown at Starbucks. Care to spill?"

Joust was basically Twitter for our college. A virtual battleground where rumors spread like wildfire and drama was always just a click away. If it was on Joust, there was no point in trying to hide it.

"It wasn't technically a fight," I started, but Angelica cut me off.

"You kicked Jefferson in the balls!"

Ugh, just hearing his name made my skin crawl.

"I don't feel like explaining it," I huffed. "It's all over Joust anyway. I'm pretty sure there's a video and a remix by now."

"I'll take that as a yes," Angelica replied, her tone teasing. "But seriously, Alex, maybe you should consider a career in celebrity gossip. You seem to have a knack for stirring up drama."

"Stop caring," I retorted, more sharply than I intended.

"Get a grip, Alexander," Angelica shot back before walking away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I don't mean to be so cold, but sometimes it feels like I'm constantly juggling other people's expectations. But hey, nobody's gonna look out for me like I can. Keep 'em at arm's length, that's my motto.

Most people spend their college years trying to "find themselves." Me? I've been living life on my own terms for as long as I can remember. I've got it all figured out.

Every evening, I make my way up The Hill to watch the city come alive with twinkling lights. I bring along my journal to jot down my thoughts, just like always. Tonight was no different. As I sat on the bench, taking in the breathtaking view, I spoke out into the void, knowing the presence behind me.

"You know, humans have a sixth sense that alerts them to nearby presences. It's part of our fight-or-flight response. So if you were planning on sneaking up to push me off this ledge, you might want to work on your stealth skills."

"John mentioned you'd be up here," a voice said.

"Jefferson likes to lurk," I chuckled bitterly, still refusing to look at him.

"Haha, very funny," he replied, taking a seat beside me. "I wouldn't call it lurking, but hey, everyone has their own thing."

I kept my gaze fixed on the city below. "Shouldn't you be icing down your... um, injury? What are you doing up here with me?"

He fell silent, the tension between us thickening with every passing second. My mom always said that silence speaks volumes, and this time was no exception. It was unbearable, suffocating even.

Finally, he broke the silence. "I lov—"

"Don't," I interrupted, my voice barely above a whisper.

"We can't just pretend like nothing happened, Alex."

"...I know."