New Beginnings

Chapter 14

As we came back to the table we were all sharing Lexa was playing with Alex' tie. It made me kind of jealous and it was not a sight I enjoyed. So instead of staying seated here, I decided to get Alex' attention in another way. "Damien?", I asked and he turned and smiled at me, letting me know I had his full attention. At the corner of my eye, I watched as Alex listened in as well. "Do you want to dance?", I asked and Damien's smile grew wider. "Sure". He reached out his hand to take mine and without a glance back at the others I went with him to the dance floor. I remember the first time I asked someone to dance with me. It was a dare; the first time I ever went to PJ's house. I remember Alex looking reserved on the staircase as I approached him. Back then he seemed so mysterious, and he still was, to a big degree but... I now felt like I understood him more. I remember his hands on my waist, our bodies close together. His cocky attitude when I was clearly flustered from being so close to him. It was all I could think about when I danced with Damien, and it made me want to throw up. I wasn't like this. I had to get my act together and focus on the person right in front of me. Yet all I could was look behind him at the guy I really wanted to dance with. After Damien and I had left to go to the dancefloor it looked as if Lexa had dragged Alex with her as well. I looked at them dancing closely and felt a stab in the heart. But I had no right to feel that. At one moment I felt Alex' eyes on me and we made eye contact. He looked... I couldn't really put my finger on it. "Maya?", Damien asked and I quickly returned to paying attention to him. "I need to use the restroom. I'll be back alright?". I nodded and smiled as he left me on the dance floor. For a second I just stood there. Remembering Alex leaving me at the party after Jack had won the first football game I had attended. That was until I felt a hand on my arm. I was about to swat it away when I looked up. My breath hitched and I froze. Alex was here, without Lexa by his side. "Hey". His voice was quiet and collected. I was amazed I could even hear him despite the noise from the music. "Hi". The side of his lip bent upwards in a smile and I smiled back at him, though the smile didn't reach my eyes. "Can I have this dance?", he asked and I was taken aback. "Y-you're here with Lexa. Shouldn't you dance with her?". My face went red because of the completely unnecessary stuttering and he chuckled. "She's gone to take a break. And I can dance with others if I want to". Slowly nodding he quickly swept his arms around my waist and pulled me close. Unsure of what to do I placed my hands on his shoulders and it wasn't until now that I noticed how he looked tonight. He was wearing a white shirt with a black vest. A tie was tucked into the vest and it was straightened to perfection. He looked like perfection. His emerald green eyes lit up in the room and his dark hair was still messy. "You look beautiful tonight Maya". As we danced to a slow song his grip tightened on my waist and I allowed myself to snake my arms around his neck. I felt guilty for doing this knowing Lexa was in the room but he invited. And I told myself I'd let him make the decisions. "You don't look too bad for yourself". "Do you remember the first time we danced together? At the party PJ held". I nodded, my heart warming up now knowing he was recalling the same thing as I. "Of course I do. You were like the first guy I ever danced with". His eyes widened slightly. "I was?". I nodded now feeling shy. He didn't know. "Well, it's an honor". I didn't want this moment to end. Just... Being close to him again. Feeling him against me. But I had to know. Even if it would ruin everything. "Alex?", I asked and he nodded as if asking me to continue. "That day when we were studying science... Were you going to kiss me? Before Lexa yelled". I looked down and I could feel Alex freezing. This was it. This is where he was going to tell me that was never his intention and he's going to think it's awkward and I can never talk to him again. He slowly released me. "We should talk about this somewhere else". He looked first of all taken aback at my question but composed himself, grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the gym. We ended up in a secluded hallway at school. It was dark and quiet. If Alex hadn't been here I would have been scared but I wasn't. I coughed uncomfortably and slowly Alex approached me. "That day...", he started and took a deep breath. "-Yes. To answer your question flat out and honest. Yes. I was going to kiss you". He looked to see what reaction I had. But suddenly I felt all warm inside. Gooey almost. Then I thought of something. "Why are you with Lexa?", I asked. If he liked me, then why didn't he break up with her? He seemed to think about it. "All I know is that I don't have a reason anymore". I froze and stopped breathing. Did he really mean that? "You don't?". "I still remember PJ almost letting you drown because of his incompetent self. I don't think I've ever felt that much anger". His voice was still soft but a lot clearer than at the party still going on not far away. As he took a few steps towards me I leaned up against the lockers my brain fantasizing about all sorts of stuff. Particularly me thinking back to everyone telling me that it was Alex who saved me. "Maya". Alex placed his hands on my shoulders and slid one down to my waist excruciatingly slowly. His other hand placed itself on my cheek and his fingers were soft and slightly cold. I had expected him to say more but he didn't. Instead, he slowly leaned in. His face was so close to mine that I could see every small detail about his face. The small spots in his eyes that seemed to be more green than the others', the small crevices in his lips. Deciding I was too impatient I snaked my arms around his neck and pulled him into me. With closed eyes, I felt his lips colliding with mine. It was my first kiss, and more important: It was my first kiss with Alex. The Alex I had been crushing on for so long. His lips were unbelievably soft and warm and I felt like melting into him. It was one of those kisses where you never wanted to let go. Where you could hear the blood pumping in your veins, feel your heart beat faster. I could feel Alex's heartbeat. It was like my own and that made me happy. To know that I made him nervous too. My entire world faded away and it felt as though I was floating in space. My knees felt weak and a warm feeling spread throughout my body. Alex pulled away too soon. It left me wanting more and I knew he felt the same way by his staggered breathing as we both caught our breaths. "We probably shouldn't be gone for too long. The others would notice". I huffed thinking about Lexa. I wouldn't be able to deal with her now. "Hey, you came with a date as well", he said as if he knew exactly what I was thinking about. "Damien is just a friend", I rolled my eyes. Alex chuckled before lightly pushing me as we were walking next to each other. I felt ecstatic. Over the moon. Like I was the ruler of the world. Nothing could stop me...