Better Late than Never

III. Trēs

ALEX

Heading to my Calculus class, I see Jason chatting up a pretty girl.

That's my boy.

I was going to grab his attention but it could wait. He needs as much time with a girl as he can get.

During the short walk, I'm met with a few fist bumps and pats on my shoulder and back from some friends.

Well, friends is a strong word. Let's just call them admirers.

Cocky, I know.

However, when you look this good, it would be a crime to not be cocky.

Joking.

I plop down in a seat in the middle of the classroom, waving to and greeting some of my classmates.

To be honest, the attention does get a little much sometimes, but I appreciate all that I can get, seeing that I don't get much anywhere else.

My home life's pretty tough. My mother passed away about 10 years ago and my dad is barely even home. He transfers money into my account every two weeks though, so at least he's not dead. Since mom passed, that's been his only form of parenting: shutting me up with money.

We live in a penthouse in the city, and he bought me a BMW for my birthday. Perks of a CEO father, I suppose.

After a grueling 50 minutes of going over the syllabus, the bell finally rings and I practically sprint out of the classroom. There's something about sitting in classrooms that makes me nauseous.

However, while attempting to decline my speed, I collide roughly with someone turning the corner.

We both topple to the ground and I hear others laughing around us. I sit up and see a girl, Jasmine, I believe, and she is already on her feet and laughing with the crowd as if she wasn't just on the ground with me.

"Damn bro, what's the rush?", jokes one of the many members of the audience that seems to have gathered to wallow in my misery. I scramble to my feet, laughing with everyone, hiding my embarrassment from this very hot girl standing 2 feet in front of me.

"Sorry 'bout that." I apologize, before recognition seeps in. "Jasmine, right?"

"Right," she confirms. "And you're..."

She trails off as if she is at a loss for my name. I don't know if she's messing around with me or what because everyone has at least some idea of who I am.

Everyone except her, I guess.

"Alex." I supply, trying to seem unaffected.

"Alex," she repeats.

"Yeah. Uh, sorry again. I was trying to slow down, but I guess it didn't work out that way", I say and chuckle awkwardly. What is going on with me today?

"Why were you running in the first place?" Jasmine questions, quirking her eyebrow.

The halls have mostly emptied by now and the bell should be ringing any minute. My class is right in front of me, but it couldn't seem any farther away than it does right now.

"I was just trying to get away from Calc. I don't need to be there any longer than I was. You know how it is." I respond with forced nonchalance.

"I don't think I know," she replies, teasingly. "I haven't yet encountered the big bad monster that is Calculus Class."

Is she mocking me?

I laugh awkwardly again and we are greeted by an awkward silence. I take this time to admire her gorgeous features.

With dark, brown skin, a head full of curly hair, and beautiful hazel eyes, this girl has me star-struck. I've been involved with my fair share of girls in the past, but no one like this one. I've seen her in the halls and some shared classes, but never this close-up.

"Well, I have to get to class so..." Jasmine trails off awkwardly.

I then realize that I probably seem like some weirdo just staring at her not saying anything.

Way to go, Alex.

"Right, haha." I chuckle awkwardly. "Sorry again. See you around...?"

She then smiles and steps around me without another word.

Where is that bell? I think as I watch her walk away (in a non-creepy way, of course).

Suddenly, as if triggered by a switch in my brain, the bell rings.

I am now late.

Great.

JASMINE

Heading to my AP Art class, that boy never leaves my mind.

The way he is always so confident and carries himself with the ego of a thousand men, but turned into an awkward mess less than 2 minutes ago.

I pretended to not know his name, just to see his reaction. I can tell it worked.

Everyone knows Alex Price. I wouldn't be surprised if my grandmother in Nigeria had heard of this boy.

I find pleasure in humbling people. Sue me.

I see my two friends, Alicia and Lukas, bickering across their desks next to each other. These two have been my closest friends since 7th grade. They're also kind of my only friends. It's not like I'm particularly super introverted or anything, I just don't connect well with others enough to call them my friends.

"Jasmine!" exclaims Lukas. "Finally, a reasonable human being in my presence. Why are you late anyway? You're never late."

"You don't need to interrogate her, Lukas," says Allie, rolling her eyes at him.

"I can't ask a question now? Have questions been outlawed? It's just unheard of for Jas to walk into her favorite class late," he replies jokingly.

"It wasn't intentional, believe me. I was almost here when Alex literally ran into me. I swear, you would think he was being chased by a serial killer the way he was running." I explain.

"Alex? Alex who? Price?" asks Allie, interest suddenly piqued.

"Yeah. That one."

"Wow, consider yourself lucky. Some girls would kill to have any sort of interaction with him," she responds.

"I'm sure you would know. Considering you always talk about how hot he is." Lukas says.

Allie rolls her eyes at him, once again.

"I don't even get all the hype," I say. "I mean, he's just some guy."

"Some super cocky guy who's completely full of himself," Lukas adds. "Like, he acts as if everyone is in love with him."

"Probably because they are," replies Allie. "Understandably so."

"Well, I'm not one of those people. I'm just someone who was minorly inconvenienced by him." I say, getting out my art supplies.

The teacher walks to the front of the class, signaling that it's time for everyone to shut up.

As Ms. Braun speaks, however, I can't get a particular pair of green eyes out of my mind.