Chapter 8 - Michael's Suspicions

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As we leave the class with our questionable "fat storing" brownies, Axel tells me, "You know, Mia, if you ever need help with anything in that class, you can always ask me." He smiles and walks beside me down the hallway.

I smile too, but then I remember myself. The smile falls from my face. "I'll tell you if something comes up," I say quietly.

The smile falls from his face too. "Oh, ok..."

I nod.

"Or," he tries again. "If you need help with gym or science, Carson or Aiden could help you."

"I'm at the gym 24/7, so whatever time works for you," Carson rolls his shoulders out dramatically, basically patting himself on the back. Stroking his ego as usual.

Aiden, on the other hand, looks Axel dead in the eyes and says, "Volunteer your own time."

Axel deadpans but tries to keep it together. "Uh, just ignore him. He's just being... him. He'll help you though. I think," He chuckles.

I move away from him a little. "I think I'm good," I say under my breath.

In that moment, Axel looks more like Aiden. In that he looks as cold as him. He looks away from me, his lips a straight immovable line. His eyes hard. "Why do you keep doing that?" he asks.

"What?" I'm surprised by the emotionlessness of his tone.

He sighs and keeps walking. The distance between us increases and it doesn't sit well with me.

Never in my life has it been so hard to avoid someone. Or should I say someones. I think back to Suzie's warning long and hard. Maybe she was just talking about Carson? We make eye contact, and Carson lifts an eyebrow, smirking. I look away from him, shaking my head. I nod mentally. She had to be talking about Carson.

Axel is this pure angelic boy from above who can do no wrong in my eyes. I just don't want to proven wrong.

The thing is, I don't think I will be. I look at him from the corner of my eyes, and I just want to take a chance with him, you know?

But even as I say that, I can't stop seeing Carson in my peripheral and... well, unfortunately, Aiden too. I stare at his back like I've done so many times now. Somehow in this one day I've grown so used to even his presence. His cold, egotistical, stupidly handsome.

I shake that thought from my head. If anyone's a player, it's Carson's cocky self. And if anyone's dangerous, it's Aiden. Clearly Axel, the lovable geek of the group for lack of better words, is my only logical option. And he's awesome and sweet and quite literally just as hot as him brothers on top of that. I should try to talk to him at least, make my own judgement of his character. If Suzie's right, she's right, but let me see that.

"Axel," I say.

He looks at me, still as cold as before. "Yes? Is something wrong?"

"No," I take a step closer to him. "I just wanted to say I'm a ravenclaw."

He looks surprised, then he smiles hesitantly. "Hufflepuff."

I smile. "Nice."

He gestures towards Aiden. "Slytherin."

I laugh. "Well that's obvious. And..." I look at Carson.

"Gryffindor," we say in unison.

I whisper to him, "I like Hufflepuff, though."

He stares at me, the same way he did on that gym floor. "...I like Ravenclaw."

My heart stops all over again and then speeds up like a freight train. Suzie has to be wrong.

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