Loving A Deformity

Chapter Nine

Cera stared at herself in the mirror. She tried to even her breath.
"You can do this. Just treat him as a good friend. It'll be okay." She told herself but jumped at the sound of the doorbell. She took a deep breath and opened the door. "Alec?" She narrowed her eyes and watched him walk in.
"So, he's five minutes late. Not a good sign." He sat on the couch and opened a magazine. Cera closed the door and stood by him.
"The hell are you doing here?" She asked.
"Waiting for your date to show up. I was going to stay in my car but I got bored."
"Get out." She demanded.
"Why?" Alec stood and towered over her.
"I don't want him to see you and think I get around! You're hanging out at my house!" She said.
"I usually do. What's wrong with that?"
"He might assume something about us together- alone- in my house!"
"So, what? You get a boyfriend and suddenly I can't hang out with you?"
"He's not my boyfriend and that's not what I meant at all! Just please! Listen to me this once!"
"Ummm... no." He smiled and sat back down.
"Urgh!" Cera yelled in frustration just before she heard the doorbell again. "That's him!" She panicked. Alec got up and went to the door while Cera tried holding him back. He eventually opened it to reveal Ben. "Ben!" Cera smiled. "You're here!"
"Ready to go?" He smiled before noticing Alec. "Uh, who's this?" He asked Cera, as politely as possible.
"I'm basically like an older brother to her." Alec said. "We are very close."
"Not too close." Cera added.
"Pretty close." Alec smiled and felt Cera glare.
"Are you two busy-" Ben asked, glancing at the both of them.
"No!" Cera quickly said. Alec and her exchanged glances. "He was just leaving. We can go." She pushed Alec out of the house and locked the front door before putting the spare key in her purse and walking off with Ben to his car.
"No goodbye?" Alec shouted, smiling. Cera looked back, sighed, then smiled as she said goodbye, knowing he would follow them.

***

Ben took her to a family owned Mexican restaurant, which is exactly her style. Good filling food that doesn't need candle light or violins. They sat together at a table next to a window that didn't have the setting sun in their eyes. It was perfect in Cera's mind except for the fact she could see Alec in a black hoodie sitting in a corner behind Ben. Cera tried to keep from shaking her head, rolling her eyes, and scoffing. Quickly, she turned attention on the menu in front of her.
"So, anything look good?" Ben asked.
"Uh, yeah-" Cera was about to say what she wanted off the menu when her phone went off. She was embarrassed but looked at her phone.

From: Assface
To: Ceratops

Call me so I can listen in. Set ur phone face down on the table with me on mute and phone sound off.

As much as she didn't want too, she didn't want to hear him complain later and demand to know what they talked about until she spill. After doing what he asked, she returned her focus.
"I'm sorry. My mom texted me. It was nothing." She blew off and picked the menu up. "Any way, this Enchalada I'm looking at looks good, how about for you?"
"You're looking pretty good." He joked and they laughed while Alec rolled his eyes and pretended to gag. "Sorry. I never had the opportunity to say that before, I had to seize the moment."
"Oh, believe me, I would've too!" Cera smiled. They talked and joked for a long while, comfortably. Besides Gabe, Chris, and Alec, she's never talked to someone so freely before.
"So, that guy, Alec... he's what? Ex boyfriend?" Ben asked when they were eating. Cera and Alec, both, choked on their food.
"What?" Cera asked.
"Alec, the guy from your house? He said you were pretty close... I just figured..."
"No. We never dated and never will." Cera said. Alec felt a surge of hurt.
"Wow. Never is a strong word." Ben raised an eyebrow.
"It also happens to be accurate." She jokes.
"Well, what is your relationship?"
"We're good friends. Have been for a few months now."
"Why never date?"
"A few hundred reasons. Among them being our history and the fact he's in a very serious and committed relationship with my best friend."
"Ah, I see. So, I don't have competition?"
"Nope. Just someone to get approval from." She smiled.
"I have to get his approval?"
"He's one of my closest friends. I'm not going to just blow you off if he doesn't like you too much but I respect his opinion and trust his judgment. Although, he's going have to give you a fair opportunity- otherwise his words will mean nothing to me." Cera shrugged and sipped her water. Alec smiled to himself. Really, he was worried her dating would make them grow apart... or her boyfriend would convince her to stop being his friend because he doesn't like her with other guys. Alec didn't want to give up what they've built for the past few months. But it seemed clear now, she didn't want to let him go either. No boyfriend was going to ruin their friendship. It almost made him feel bad and... made him think of Kiley and her jealousy.
"I respect that. I would want my friends to approve of you. Which, I'm sure they would." He laughed.

They talked for a long time. Eventually, it got late and Ben decided he needed to take Cera home. He walked her to her front door and awkwardly said his goodbye. Cera went in her house, to her room, and flopped on her bed with a happy sigh. He was cute.
"So, are you going out again?" A voice says at her window, making her jump and sit up to see Alec climbing in her room through the window.
"Alec?" She questioned. He smiled at her. "The hell are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you about it." He came in and sat next to her on her bed. "So, are you?" He grinned.
"I don't know. He didn't say anything." She smiled.
"He'll probably text you in the morning or talk to you at school." He bet.
"You seem so sure."
"I am. You were right. He likes you. I'm sorry I acted weird. Honestly, I'm jealous he takes up so much of your time. I was worried that once you two got together... you'd drift away from me or have to stop being friends because of some jealous ass." He explained.
"Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure you just admitted to being a jealous ass." Cera laughed at him.
"I admitted to being jealous, not an ass."
"Eh, you're both whether you admit it or not." Cera shrugged which got her to be hit over the head with her own pillow. They laughed.
"Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I'll give him a chance. But if he so much as looks at you the wrong way-"
"You'll be the first to know." Cera promised. "Thank you. I've gotta admit, I almost canceled our date today because I was worried about your vibe of him." She said. "I really like him but I've been the punch line of too many jokes. I almost took your disapproval as a sign." She bowed her head. Alec watched her. "But, I wanted it to be real so bad. More than anything, I wanted to be desirable. I never had a guy glance my way before this- you know that. I guess that's why I was so stressed about it. I didn't want to screw up my only chance to be with someone."
"Hey." Alec stopped her. She looked at him. "He's not the only fish in the sea."
"He's the only one I've managed to catch the attention of."
"So far. Don't get down on yourself- it's not attractive."
"Like I ever was before." She rolled her eyes and snorted. He hit her again.
"I'm serious. You have a lot to offer."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Loyalty, Respect... you're funny and a great listener which seems to be a rare trait for women." He joked, making her laugh. "You're sweet and kind- you care for other people and you can let go of grudges whilst not letting anyone treat you like a doormat. You're smart and a hard worker which are traits that are rare for both sexes." He, again, makes her laugh. "You have flaws- just like anyone. But you are so much more than what you can't do, Cera. I know that is what this is about. Not how your face or body looks but your disability. Am I right?" He asked and Cera sighed.
"I just don't want to doom anyone to be with me. On one hand, I'm lonely. I'm human and I crave the kind of love you and Kiley have... I guess I started guessing what was wrong with me."
"Nothing is wrong with you." He grabbed her hands, making her blush, surprised, and look in his eyes. "You hear me? Don't say stuff like that. Dating doesn't determine worth."
"I never said it did." She pulled her hands away, feeling uncomfortable, oddly, at his touch. "But you've gotta admit, it is weird no one has taken interested in me till now. It makes me wonder..." her voice trailed off.
"Well at least Ben noticed a great catch." Alec said.
"Thanks, Alec." Cera grinned. They sat there in silence for a moment.
"Well," Alec broke the tense silence was the first to stand up to leave. "I'll, uh, see you later." He smiled and started climbing back out the window, not wanting Cera's parents to show up and assume something happened.
"Alec?" Cera called, making him pause and look back. "Thank you... for giving Ben a chance. It means a lot." She smiled. For some reason, that gave him an uneasy feeling. He still had a vibe from that guy... he didn't like him. Despite it, he smiled back, nodded, and left.

***

Alec got home exhausted and went to is room only to stand and stare at his empty bed. I told Kiley I'd come back, he realized. He sighed and sat down to look at his messages.

All from an angry Kiley.