Welcome to New Haven (53 page)

“Are you kidding? I can barely walk straight when I’m with you, or even in the same room, and I have to think about sports.” He said in surprise.
 

“Really?” Holly said quietly.
 
Unable to take in that this gorgeous, sexy guy had gotten that way because of her.
 
Alex nodded, and his cheeks flushed again.
 

Holly thought about the times in class when Alex would shift in his seat, or even at the lunch table.
 
He would sit forward and lean his on his elbows and…

”Oh I get it now.” She said, mostly to herself.
 

“Get what?”
 

“Oh, nothing.”
 

“Yes it is. What do you get?” He asked, narrowing his eyes with humour.
 

“You…sometimes fidget in your seat, and you tend to lean forward onto the table like you’re sitting now.
 

Alex dropped his head and laughed.
 

“Oh my God, that’s so shameful.
 
You must think I’m a perv.”
 

“Not at all.” She replied.
 

“No?” He asked, doubtful.
 

“No.” She said and took a deep breath before slowly releasing.
 
She closed her eyes for a second.
 

“If that makes you a perv, then so am I.” Her face reddened.
 

Alex dropped his head back and grinned.
 

“What?” Holly laughed nervously.
 
She didn’t know what he was going to say to that, but she had a feeling it would play havoc with her hormones.

Alex shook his head a little.

“It’s amazing that only a few days ago, we barely spoke to each other and now…” He paused “…We’re talking about how we react to each other.”
 

“Yeah, what a difference a day makes.” She said.
 

“And to think…” He continued with an innocent look on his face “…if you hadn’t kissed me yesterday…” Holly playfully swiped at his arm.
 

“Hey! I distinctly remember you almost kissed me before that!”
 

“Yeah, but you’re Dad walked in and interrupted me.” He said.
 
“I was being a good boy but then you just kissed me in front of everybody!” He said with a hand on his chest.
 

Holly could see that Alex was trying hard not to laugh.
 

“Oh my God!” Holly squealed. “It was not just me!” She said with a shocked laugh. “Ok, I might have started it, but you kissed me back at the same time.”
 

“Yes. I did.” Alex said as he leaned towards her.
 
His voice in a low tone that made Holly’s hairs stand on end.
 
Her cheeks flushed, and her breath hitched.
 
She swallowed.
 

“Don’t do that.” She said quietly.
 

“Why?” He said in the same tone as before.
 

“Stop it Alex.” Holly said, but her breathy tone didn’t sound convincing.

He grinned.
 

“This is interesting.” He said as he saw her cheeks flush even more.

All he had to do was talk quietly and closely, and she was gone.
 
He loved watching how she reacted to things he did.
 
Text messages that got
 
a little personal, winking at her from across the room.
 
Even just smiling at her, he could sense a change in her.
 
He had noticed them before, but he was so blind to her feelings that he dismissed them.
 

Alex watched Holly’s eyes as her pupils dilated. She was as turned on as he was.
 
That, however, don’t mean that they were ready.
 
They hadn’t been on their first date yet, plus, didn’t know how she would feel about being a couple.
 
That thought reminded him about what happened in homeroom.
 
Before he could stop himself, he blurted out…

”Dev said you were my girlfriend, and I agreed.”

Oh shit!

“Huh?” Holly replied, seemingly coming out of her own trance.
 

Alex cleared his throat.
 

“This morning, in homeroom, Dev told
her
you’re my girlfriend and I agreed with her.
 
I should have said something earlier. I don’t want you to think I’m just assuming, or rushing you.” He said quickly.
 
He wanted to explain to her before she could say anything.
 

“Is that want you want?” she asked.
 
Her question threw him for a second, and he answered truthfully.
 

“Of course.
 
More than anything. But, we haven’t been on our date yet.” He looked to her for some reaction and all he saw was her beautiful smiling face.
 

“Does that matter to you?”
 

“No. But I thought it may matter to you.” He said.
 
Holly shook her head.
 
Alex was relieved.
 

“So… You’re my girlfriend?” He smiled, eyebrows raised with anticipation.
 
He just wanted to confirm that Holly was his, and he was hers.
 
Even though she owned him the first day she walked into his life. Holly sighed.
 

“It’ll be
hard
but if I must, then ok.” She giggled as Alex choked on air at her reference, then laughed.

He reached out his hand to her face as she leaned in, pressing their lips together.
 
Alex let out a low growl.

”Football, baseball, soccer, cricket…” Holly hid her mouth behind her hands as she chuckled.
 

Alex took a deep breath and stood.
 
He shook out his legs, as did Holly.
 
They walked hand-in-hand, into the building, for their cold showers.

“How was your run?” Dev asked Holly as the group met outside the changing areas.
 

“Actually, it was very informative.” Said Holly as Alex walked up and took her hand.
 

His hair was wet from the shower, freshly mussed and sexy.
 
Holly wanted to run her fingers through it.
 

“A run informative?” asked Dev, confused.
 

“Yes.
 
You can ask my boyfriend.
 
I think he would agree.” Holly said with a huge smile.
 
She looked up at Alex, and he was beaming down at her.
 

“Officially?” Squeaked Dev.
 

“Yes.” Alex said with pride in his voice as he pulled Holly close to him. His strong arm held her tight.
 

“Eeeeee!” Dev said in a high pitched tone of excitement. “That is soooo awesome!” She said with her hands on her heart.
 
“But what do you mean informative?” Trust Dev to get back to the details.
 

Alex leant to whisper in Holly’s ear and she gasped in shock.
 

“Do I really want to know?” asked Dev.
 

“Um…I’d rather not say” Holly said as she chewed on her lip, her face flushed.
 

Dev narrowed her eyes at Alex, and then turned to inform the others that they were officially a couple.
 

“What’s the matter babe?” Alex asked, innocently.
 

“I can’t believe you said that!” Holly whispered.
 

“What?”
 

“You know what, mister.”
 

“I just said I know how to get you hot.” He said as he stifled a laugh.
 

“Exactly!” Holly said, trying to keep her voice down.
 

“I meant running.
 
Running gets you hot. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do for Phys.Ed?” He smiled.
 

“You did
not
mean that and you know it.” She said, shaking her head but smiling with disbelief.
 

He leant right in, his lips so close to her ear she could feel their heat.
 

“No. I didn’t, babe.”
 

“Oh dear God!” She squeaked, and saw that everybody had turned to them.
 

“We
were
 
going to congratulate you, but we can see you’re a little busy.” Said Ben.
 

“I think you need to stop whatever you’re doing Alex.” Laughed Ryan.
 
“Holly looks like she’s going to faint!”
 

“Leave them alone, Ryan, or…” Said Riss and she whispered something in his ear.
 

“Sorry.” He said, immediately and made the motion of zipping his mouth.
 

“Congrats dude” Ben said as he walked alongside them. “I’m happy for you both.” He said as he clapped Alex on the back.
 

“Thanks, Man.”

“Ok, let’s blow this joint!” shouted Kyle as they left the building and entered the parking lot.

Students were standing around talking and pointing…at Holly’s car.

The windscreen had been smashed, the tyres slashed and the word ‘Bitch’ scratched into the bonnet.
 

“What the fuck?!” Shouted Alex. They walked to the car to see the full extent of the damage.
 

“I’ll call the police” Said Dev.
 

Holly was in shock at what had happened to her car.
 

“Babe, I’m so sorry.” Said Alex.
 
“This is my fault.” This woke Holly from her frozen state.
 

“How?
 
How is it your fault? Don’t blame yourself for the actions of a psychopath!”

Alex looked as though he had tears in his eyes.
 
Holly was furious seeing what this had done to him.
 

“You couldn’t have known.” She said, putting her hands on either side of his face.
 
“She was delusional, yes, but I don’t think anybody knew she would do this.
 
Even Cerise walked away from her.” She said as she looked into his eyes.
 

“How can you be so calm?” He asked.
 

“Because I’m not letting her win.
 
She thinks damaging my car will suddenly break us up?” Holly asked.
 

“That’s not happening, ever.” Alex said.
 

Holly was relieved.
 
Nothing was going to separate them.
 
It hurt even to think about it.
 

“That’s good, because
 
I’m not going anywhere.” She smiled.

He tightened his arms around her. The principal came running out of the building as the police showed up.
 

"Holy hell!” Said Mr. Lawson. “Holly, are you alright?”
 

“Yes sir, I’m fine.” She said as she was tucked into Alex’s chest.
 

“I’m sorry this happened, Holly.
 
We have CCTV so we’ll see who was responsible.”
 

“Thanks sir. I’ve got a pretty good idea though.”
 

The officers walked over to Holly and Alex.
 

“We’ve been informed that this is your vehicle miss.” Said the officer.
 
He was almost as tall as Alex, about forty-ish with a no-nonsense air about him.
 

“Can you tell me the events leading up to finding your vehicle in this condition?”
 

Holly, Alex and Dev all recounted the incident in homeroom.
 
When Stacey’s name was mentioned, the officers looked at each other in recognition.
 

“She said ‘you’ll pay for this’?”
 

“Yes sir.” Said Alex.

”One of my staff have just viewed the CCTV footage.” Said Mr. Lawson as he put his phone away. “It was Stacey Scutter.”
 

“We’ll need to view the footage.
 
Said the officer.
 

“Certainly, this way.” Said Mr. Lawson and he led the officer, along with Holly, Alex, and Dev, inside the building.

“I can’t believe she did this.” Said Dev as she walked along the hallway.

Alex had his arm around Holly’s shoulder, and her arm was around his waist.
 
He squeezed her, gently, closer to him.
 

“I’m going to get a protection order for all of us.” He said.
 
“I don’t want her anywhere near either of you.”
 

“I think that’s a good idea.” Said Dev.
 
“With her doing this, I doubt she’ll be allowed back here.
 
We won’t know where to look.”
 

Listening to what they were saying, Holly felt as if she were coming apart.
 
Her breaths were becoming short and quick.
 
Her heart rate was increasing.
 
The thought of Stacey coming back and going after Alex…
 

“Holly!” Said Alex.
 

“Shit!” Said Dev as she looked at Holly’s face.
 

Holly knew it would be white.
 
That’s what happened when she started to panic.
 

“If she…hurts you…” She said. “I can’t…I won’t…” Holly’s breaths came faster.
 
“…I don’t know…” more erratic breathing.
 
“…What I’ll do.” Holly began to hyperventilate.
 

“What’s happening?” asked an officer.
 

“Panic attack.” Said Alex.
 
He was frantic with worry.
 
He picked Holly up and carried her quickly down the hallway and through the doorway into the principals office. He sat her into a chair and kneeled in front of her.
 

“We need to get her to control her breathing.” Said the officer. “Have you dealt with this before?”