oh! world of wonders.

Chapter 3 - Alex's Car

Elizabeth's POV
after school

After the final bell rings I catch up with my other friends and get on the bus. I sit alone, mainly because all my friends live in the other direction although we all live in the same neighborhood. I finally get home and catch up on my homework. I open my phone and check the text messages. Apparently we're meeting at Alex's house to study the project. I get dressed and grab my bag and walk out the door.

I began walking to Alex's house and saw
Roman walking with William and Manny. I catch up with them and ask " did you guys ever choose an actual topic?" they look over at me.

"Oh hey Elizabeth! Didn't see you there." Roman said while looking down at me . " Since it's a book writing project, and we all love history, we settled on writing a history-themed story."

" Uh, what's it about, like,specifically?" I asked. I didn't agree to this, surely Alex didn't either, right?

We keep walking down the street until we arrive at Alex's house, and walk inside.
"Wow! so this is the great Alex's house!" Manny exclaimed. I wasn't surprised by the clean interior of his house, I mean I've been friends with Alex for years. I've always been right by his side. I think i've started to like him a little, and I hope Clara doesn't get in the way of that...

"Hey guys, We're working in the living room." I hear a familiar voice say. We turn to see Alex in his casual clothes, slides with sweatpants.

"So you guys told Elizabeth about the project topic right?" Alex turns his head at Casey, Roman, and Manny. " You guys didn't mess around with her did you?"

That's my Alex! Always protecting me. "So anyway, yes we're doing the history thing, I really don't care." Alex huffed. He looked like he was thinking about something, it wasn't Clara, right? God they only met today, right? Can't fall in love that fast, can you?! sigh. I'm just being paranoid..

We start the outline of how the book will be set up and I start to zone out. I watch as Alex runs his hands through his hair. It's something I will never get over. His eyes meet mine and he quickly stands adjusting his clothes "I'm going to pick up Clara" he says as he grabs his keys and walks out the door.

Clara's POV
7:00 at café

I see Alex walk through the glass door of the café. I'm a bit taken aback by seeing him in casual clothes aside from only ever seeing him in the everyday school uniform.

"Are you ready to go?" Alex asks as he approaches the bar that separates the employees from the customers.

"I was wondering if we could actually stop by my place so I could change out of my work uniform before I head over to your place. If that's alright with you, if not, that's okay. I don't mean to be an inconvenience or anythi-" Everything I say is very rushed.

"of course we can stop by your place, it's no inconvenience." He says with a light smile.

Olivia,my boss, passes and gives me a shocked look. " i didn't know you had a boyfriend!" she teases.

"He's not my boyfriend!" "And we aren't dating" Alex and I say at the same time.

"We are just working on a school project with a group of students that's all." Allex says clearing things up, as he blushes.

"Well if that's the case why don't you take drinks for everyone in your group, on the house!" Olivia says, smirking.

"Wait really? Thank you so much!" I make drinks for everyone in the group and put them into a carrier. Alex takes it from my hand and gets the door. As I start to walk out of the café Olivia gives me a wink from behind the counter. I feel my face heat up at Olivia's gesture.

Alex's car is sleek white and expensive no doubt. I walk to the left side of the car and sit down in the passenger's seat. "So where to?" Alex asks.

"If you go straight down this road and take the second left my apartment complex is on that street." It's a very short drive before we are in front of my apartment complex and Alex is parking his car. "I'll be out in a few" Alexs nods his head lightly before pulling out his phone and turning his attention to that.

I walk into my apartment and make my way straight to my room. I decided to just put on leggings and a simple beatles tee shirt. I slip on white ankle socks and black vans before making my way back down to Alex's car. I see him look up from his phone and at me. His eyes are momentarily filled with an unfamiliar brightness that I could certainly get used to. The brightness leaves as quickly as it came and nonchalant Alex was back and looking at his phone.

As I sit down and as Alex starts to drive I hear 'black bird' by the beatles start to play. "Smooth, very smooth Alex" I tell him mockingly.

"Hey I just wanted to make this drive enjoyable for you" He defends

" I love car rides and bus rides and plane rides. ugh i just love going for rides" Alex gives me a dry look.

" You seem to enjoy every single thing about life"

"I do enjoy life, it's called being a biophile" I tell him, looking over and giving him a reluctant smile.

"I had no idea they had a word for that" He tells me truthfully.

"They have a word for almost everything." I explain.

"okay then what's the word for... you know when you are thinking about something but you can't seem to remember the word for it?" I nod. "What's that called?"

"That's called lethologica and it's quite common."

"Why in the world do you know that?" I shrug. I'm not sure how to respond to that.

" I don't know, I just like to know things, guess" He looks dumbfounded almost.

"It's not that serious, I just know vocabulary words," I explained.

Alex pulls up to a gate that leads into a long circular driveway. He puts in the code and drives his car into the garage. We both step out of the car and walk through the door that's in the corner of the garage.

As we walk in my eyes trail across the entryway of the home. The ceilings are high and the floor is covered in cold tile. "this is where you live?" I ask in shock. and he just nods

We continue to walk through his house until we reach the living room and are greeted by our other group members. The living room has a sleek couch that is around a circular coffee table and a flat screen big enough to be in a movie theater(it's not really that big i like to exaggerate) Im now embarrassed that alex has seen where i live considering his living room is the size of my whole apartment. I knew he was rich but I didn't know he was rich rich. "I bought coffee for everyone," I announce before I start to overthink more than I already have." I know most people can't really get to work until they have had some form of caffeine" i add

"What's the word for that?" Alex asks with a smug look.

"procaffeinating" I reply with the same smug look.

"Let's get started shall we" Eliza speaks from the couch reaching for one of the coffees.