Alpha Female

~12~

I lean back against the headboard of my bed, my knees tucked to my chest while I rest my chin on them. I stay quiet as I watch Alex look around my room, her expression full of conflicting emotions, eyebrows knitted together over her pretty gold eyes. Her body looks tense, like she's trying to restrain herself from something...or maybe she got into a fight again and is feeling sore, I'm not sure.

It's just very distracting having her here in my room with me, sitting on my bed.

"Look Cece, I'm not avoiding you." She sighs after what feels a lifetime.

"You aren't? Then why weren't you in school at all this week?" I ask, recalling how she disappeared after the fight with Carlos.

"No, I was just...out of town with my family." She says, and even though I can tell she's being honest, I can sense that she's leaving out something.

"But you seemed so upset with me before you left, I figured it was because I was spending so much time with Carlos..."

"Trust me Cece, I'm not mad at you, I never was...Hell, I don't think I have the capability to be upset with you."

"I thought you liked him, and that's why you were mad at me...?"

"I never liked that two-faced asshole," She bites out, "though I'm sure that's not what he told you."

I frown, recalling how smug he seemed when he said that Alex was attracted to him...he's the only one who implied that Alex was mad at me too. Jerk.

"No, it wasn't...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, he's the one who lied to you. You didn't do anything wrong." She replies swiftly, turning to face me with a fierce expression.

"I should have asked you though, instead of just believing him."

"It's fine, I wasn't exactly giving off the 'talk to me' vibe, so don't blame yourself."

After a moment of silence, and internal debate on my part, I decide to ask a question that's been bothering me surprisingly more than I expected.

"Then why did he claim that you liked him, to me of all people?"

She stays silent for a minute, a crease between her furrowed brows.

"Because he wishes I did, and because he loves nothing more than pissing me off...and what better way to do that than by making me jealous." She closes her eyes and begins rubbing her temples, like just the thought of him gives her a headache.

I tilt my head in confusion. "Jealous? I thought you didn't like him?"

She sighs heavily, running a hand through her wet hair. The frustration on her face is obvious, but I'm not sure why she is.

"I don't, he's a gigantic prick."

"But, then why-?"

"What the hell? It's now or never." She grumbles to herself before turning to face me once again, the intensity in her eyes just as strong as it was the first time we locked eyes almost two months ago.

"Alex?"

"I don't like guys at all Cece, because I'm a lesbian."

My mind goes blank with shock, my lips parted as my jaw goes a little slack. I wasn't quite prepared for that answer.

"So I wasn't jealous of you spending time with him, I was jealous because he kept taking up my time with you."

She scoots a little closer, the body spray she always wears making her smell like my favorite hot cinnamon candies...which again makes my heart race just like everything else about her...why am I feeling like this?