The Original Eighth Graders: An Original Miller South Teens Story

Chapter 13: A Night on the Rooftop

The next morning, Mason and Finn were walking upstairs to their homeroom. They were in the middle of a conversation.

"I couldn't sleep, Finn. I think I took it too far last night," Mason explained.

"Come on, man. I bet it wasn't that bad," said Finn.

Mason spots Lexi in the hallway at her locker.

"Hey, Lexi," Mason said, trying to sound cheerful. Lexi just closed her locker and rolled away to her homeroom.

"I was wrong," said Finn. "It's very bad."

"I feel like an idiot. All I had to do was stay at the school and I blew it," Mason groaned. "Who am I kidding? It's your fault! If you didn't backup Sam, she wouldn't be mad at us."

"Okay, I'll agree. It is my fault," Finn admitted. "But she's not mad at you per se. Just what you said last night. Happens all the time."

"I wish there was something I can do."

"Just remind her of why you're friends with her in the first place."

Mason thinks for a minute until he gets an idea. "That's it. Thanks, Finn. I think I know what to do."

"Do what? Mason?" Mason was already heading to class. "Okay. Well...you work on whatever it is...you have planned."

Later on, Mason was carrying Lexi up to the roof of the school while Comedy Night was going on.

"This better be good, Mason," Lexi said.

"Trust me, it will. Just keep your eyes close."

"Why do I have to close my eyes?"

"Just keep them close."

When the teens reached the roof, Mason carried Lexi over to a blanket and sat her down.

"Okay. You can open them."

When Lexi opened her eyes, she saw that Mason had a yearbook on the blanket.

"What is this, Mason?"

"I just thought we would chill tonight. Take your mind off of your leg."

"Mason..."

"Please, Lexi. I know I messed up yesterday and you don't want to be bothered, but can I at least show you something, please?"

Not wanting to hear Mason's whines, Lexi moved over next to Mason. When she tried to straighten her legs, she felt a sharp pain in her weak leg.

"Ow!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. My leg. It still hurts."

"Oh...are you gonna be alright?"

"It's a broken leg, Mason. I'll be fine."

"Okay."

Mason opens the yearbook and Lexi notices.

"Is that our yearbook from last year?"

"Actually, two years ago. When we were the 'original sixth graders.' " He turns to the sixth graders page and groans in disgust. "Check our this guy."

Mason showed Lexi a picture of him and she laughs. All Mason could do was blush.

"You look cute."

"No, I don't. You're just saying that."

"I'm serious. Hey, if you wanna see bad, look at this."

Mason laughed when he saw a picture of sixth grade Lexi.

"Wow," he said with a chuckle.

"If Sam thinks I'm fat now, he's obviously never been around long enough."

Mason continues to flip pages in the yearbook until he stumbles across a picture.

"Oh, remember this?"

"The time when you and Finn tried to create an indoor swimming pool using the drinking fountains?"

"It was awesome and hilarious."

"Almost as funny as the time you brought in your 'pet' hissing cockroaches for 'show and tell Friday'?"

"At least they didn't hurt anybody. And don't act like you've never pulled any stunts yourself. Remember when Sam locked Finn out the gym in his underwear..."

"So I tricked him into sleepwalking to school..."

"While he was in a Peppa Pig onesie." They both laughed until they doubled over. As they settled down, Mason thought to himself "the time is now." When he gathered enough courage, he finally spoke.

"Lexi," Mason began. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday about the wheelchair and I shouldn't have said that."

"I'm sorry too," said Lexi. "About the whole 'tough guy wannabe' stuff...I got carried away."

"No, you didn't. You're right. I am a 'Mr. 'I'm the cool, big shot, tough guy wannabe.' It's obvious I'm not good at this protector thing like you are."

"That's what I thought, too. I thought I wouldn't be able to protect anyone here. Then, I thought about you."

"What?"

"I figure if I can protect you, I can protect them. Every time I'm on watch or fighting off zombies, I think about you."

Mason thinks for a minute then asked Lexi: "So, you like me?"

"Yeah...is that a problem?"

"No. No, it's not," Mason stutters. "I just thought maybe...you still...like..." Mason tried to spit it out but shut it down quickly.

"Maybe I do...maybe I don't"

Then, Lexi kissed Mason on the cheek which caught him by surprise. He looks at her and smiles warmly in response. Mason then laid down on the blanket and Lexi laid her head on top of his chest while Mason wrapped his arm around her. They both gazed at the stars until they fell asleep.