Movie || Noah Centineo

-3-

[UNEDITED]

When Alex learned how to drive in their Freshmen year, he's been Luna's ride going to and back from school; she was always willing to take the bus, but he was always more than willing to drive her instead.

When Ethan came into the picture, this became a big issue, a really big one. Once again, he claimed this as another 'proof' that her best friend was in love with her so, to control the issue, Luna stopped hitching rides from Alex - or at least until she convinced Ethan his whole view on the thing was stupid. It's not like her boyfriend at the time offered to bring her home anyway.

Looking back at it now, she was really glad Ethan didn't ruin this for her completely. Fast-forward to a few months, her rides with Alex were what made the start of her day bearable and the end of it even better.

Not today though. Today was different - today was fucking horrible. All that was pooling inside Luna's mind was Ethan. Ethan and Pia. Ethan and Pia and Nathan. She felt ill just remembering that she shares a class with them now; if this was the last few weeks of school, maybe she wouldn't have minded as much. Unfortunately, that's not the case - the year just started. They were about 3 weeks in their Junior year.

Luna, with a hand trapped beneath her jaw, shifts in her seat, her eyes never leaving the car window. The usual noise of her and Alex's conversation and laughter was absent today. As it would, Alex felt uneasy; he glances at her in the passenger's seat. She barely said a word since they got in the car.

He sighs inaudibly, not wanting her to hear him worried or bothered. He just wasn't used to her keeping to herself or not opening up; between the both of them, she was the more vocal one. Quite frankly though, he didn't mind - not at all. He loved listening to her, about anything and everything - she could talk about how the first damn glue stick was made and he'd tune in the story as if it was the greatest invention ever. She could talk about all her problems and he'd drop everything just to solve it out.

Alex was in love with Luna - he always was. He'd loved her since they were 7 as friends, but he'd fallen in love with her a few years back, around the time his mom passed away. She was there for him - in every possible way a person could. He felt so foolish only realizing his feelings then because, at that time, she and Ethan were already budding.

With that being said, her ex-boyfriend was right. He was in love with Luna, but it's not like he acted on it or was going to do anything about it. He respected their relationship even though he didn't like Ethan. He was the typical high school-cliche of a jock and that didn't sit well with him - more so the fact that Luna was dating someone like him. She deserved the best of everything and Alex was more than willing to be the best version of himself for her. Cocky, but he knew he'd treat Luna better than that guy ever could.

It proved to be true - it was one thing that Ethan would neglect their plans at times and stand her up, it was one thing that she'd be pushed to background of his life whenever other things interested him more, it was one thing that he always took her for granted, but it was another thing that he cheated on her. Alex had never seen Luna cry so hard and so long in his life - he felt like his own heart was cracking witnessing her's break apart. After that, he saw nothing but red when he saw Ethan's face around.

It might sound selfish but, despite all that, he was so happy that she finally broke up with him. It took months and months for her to start to heal - and she's still in the process of all that- but he was so proud that she's realizing her worth. When the time is right and all has fallen back in its place, Alex was going to do all that he wished he'd done sooner. Right now, though, what she needs is a friend and he was going to be that person for her, as he always has.