POV: Alyssa
A few days have passed since Eden told me he has fallen for me. And a few more days remain that I have left on the committee. Today is the Halloween party. This morning everyone in the student body has gathered in the gymnasium.
Every time I look at Eden my heart beats out of my chest. Ever since he confessed to me our relationship has been in a weird limbo. I've tried to put his words in the back of my mind. Maybe because I think it's too good to be true. Or maybe because I can't speak up and tell him I want to be more than enemies.
A part of me is scared that things between us becoming more serious. Yeah, we semi-hooked-up, but we had an agreement to not fall for each other. Not to mention that lasted for like a day and we went back to hating each other's guts. Or so I thought he hated mine.
Besides Eden confessing to me he's been acting completely normal. He still jokes with me like he usually does. The only thing that has changed is the ice-cold barrier he set between us. It seems like it's been melting.
"Earth to Alyssa," Eden's voice snaps me out of my daze. I look up at him on the ladder. One of his hands is occupied by holding up the banner. The other one is reaching out to me. "I said hand me the tape like a million times."
"Oh, sorry!" I say handing him the Scotch tape.
"Space cadet," he mutters under his breath. That cracks a smile out of me.
When he's finished he shuffles down the ladder. He looks at the time on his phone and sticks it in his pocket. "I gotta go," he says.
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "No way you're going to leave me here!" I shout.
He shrugs his shoulder. "I have somewhere to be."
He turns to leave again and takes a few steps further before I grab his hand. "Where are you going, Eden?" I ask seriously.
He pulls me closer to him with our connected hands. "Why should I, Princess?" He asks. His words are breathy and as light as a feather. My eyes immediately drop down to his pink lips. Then I remember we're in a room full of people. I jump away from it like he burned me. The small smile that was once on his face is now gone.
He turns to leave again and this time I don't stop him. He walks out of the gym.
***
"What are you supposed to be?" I ask, chuckling.
Arlo rolls his eyes. "I'm a vampire, duh!" He gestures to the fangs in his mouth.
"I like it, very kid-friendly," I say as I smear facepaint on my face.
"Just wait until it's actually Halloween. Then I'll be sexy as hell. But for now, I'm just here to support the kiddos," he grins then plops down onto my bed.
"What are you? A spooky skeleton?" He asks, propping himself up by his elbow.
I nod at him. "Indeed, you have eyes," I chuckle. When I finish my makeup I open my closet a find a black turtleneck and black flannel skirt. "What do you think?" I ask Arlo. I hold the clothes up with a wide smile.
He gives me a thumbs up. "Looks good! Not that my opinion on outfits is the greatest. However, I think I've learned a thing or two." It's true. I've shown Arlo thousands of clothes over the years.
"Turn around sicko," I chuckle as I start pulling my t-shirt up. He faces the opposite wall while I change my clothes. When I finish I allow him to turn back around.
He glares at me. "Do you think I'm gay or something?" He asks, agitation clear in his voice.
My eyebrows worm together. "What?" I ask.
"You can't just change in front of me." He states plainly before covering his eyes with his arm.
Guilt washes over me. "I'm sorry, Arlo. I don't think you're gay. Not that it would matter if you are. I guess I just feel comfortable in front of you. I told you to turn around."
He sits up and smiles at me. "I know you think of me as a brother, Lyssa. But there was a time when we were just friends."
For once my tongue is caught and I'm not sure what to say. I just stand there looking like a fool. What is he trying to say? Have I misjudged our relationship?
"I'm going to go pick Maddie up. I'll see you at the fundraiser," he excuses himself.
"Okay, I'll see you later," I say back as I watch him disappear out the door. As soon as the door clicks my body slouches in a shy.
I feel like I've been ruining everything lately. My brain is scrambled. Life has been sucking lately. Not to mention tomorrow is the day I'll resign from the committee. And all I can think about is Eden.
He still hasn't returned since he mysteriously left the gymnasium. A pit is in my stomach. A pit of anxiety, worry, and anger. What if he doesn't show up to the fundraiser at all?
Whatever. I zip up my thigh-high black boots and stomp my way out the door.
***
Laugh echoes throughout the gym as children chase each other around in their Halloween costumes that were funded by the school. The games look like a hit. There are lines for almost every activity.
A lot of students from our school showed up to support the kids. I'm grateful that our students don't only care about alcohol and parties.
"That's a beautiful dress you have there. Are you a princess?" I ask a little girl. She has a bright yellow dress on and plastic heels that remind me of when I was a child.
She smiles big at the compliment. I crouch down to her level and fix the crown on the top of her head. "What's your name?" I ask the girl.
She looks down at her toes and quietly says, "Roxy." She has trouble pronouncing her r's. That makes me smile because Arlo couldn't pronounce his r's either. He had to go to speech class.
"That's a beautiful name," I say grinning. She blushes. "Do you want to go play musical chairs with me?" I ask. She nods and takes my hand.
Roxy has two older brothers at St. Maria's. Their names are Alex and Jose. Roxy is five while Alex is seven and Jose is ten. They're such cute kids it breaks my heart that they don't have a family to look after them.
I watch them run around the chairs while the music plays. Obviously, I got out in the second round. These boots aren't made to run in. So instead I just stand next to Jameson while he man's the music. He pauses the music on his phone and the kids scurry to get a seat.
Grayson Thompson, the sophomore on the committee, gets on. He smiles and gets back in line again.
"These kids are really cute, huh," Jameson says when he presses play on his phone again. The music bursts through the Bluetooth speaker.
I smile. "I know. I have to keep telling myself that I'm too young to have children." Jameson chuckles.
"Me too," he laughs. He pauses the music and Chloe takes another chair out. "Where's Eden at?" He asks.
I shrug my shoulders. "Not sure. He hasn't said a thing to me." A frown forms on my lips.
Jameson raises a suspicious brow. "Did something happen between you?" He asks.
I feel my cheek turn rosy. "I haven't been honest about my feelings toward him," I admit. Truth be told, I already know my feelings toward Eden. I've known for a while. I knew when he could pull any emotion out of me. I've felt things I've never felt before.
The event comes to an end and the kids line up to get on the bus. "It was nice to meet you and your brothers," I say to Roxy. She smiles and hugs my legs. I crouch down to give her a proper hug. My eyes wander back to the boys. "You two take care of her and yourselves, okay?" They nod in unison.
The bus peels off with all the children inside. I'm glad to have been able to give them a fun night. I'm not sure how many they have.
The committee and the lingering students work together to clean up the place. My mind is glued to Eden as I remove plastic cups and plates from a table.
I need to speak with him. I need to tell him how I feel. I don't want him to wait any longer. We've been playing this game for too long.
Suddenly I watch him walk through those doors. His electric blue eyes meet with mine. I feel myself lean forward. It's almost as if my heart is telling me to run to him. But my stubborn brain gets in the way.
My eyes narrow at him. I take in his appearance. Disheveled golden hair, dark under eyes, black hoodie, and sweatpants. He looks like he couldn't give a shit about anything, but his eyes remain on me.
He makes his way across the room in a beeline for me. I just stand there, watching his every move with sweaty palms. He's in front of me in no time.
"You're late," I remark.
He smirks. "Better late than never." He sticks his hands in his pockets. "Come with me. I have to tell you something."
My brows lace in confusion, but I follow him out of the gym anyway. He leads me outside where there aren't people lingering. The cold nips at my skin, but the blood rushing in my veins keeps me warm.
We're in the same place that Eden told me he didn't care what I did. Times have changed after the homecoming dance. Now Eden and I don't despise each other. Maybe we never did.
"You don't have to resign." He states. In an instant that pit returns.
"I know you don't want me to go, but I have to. Dean Markus gave me no choice." I deadpan. It hurts to even have this conversation. I raise my hand to tuck my hair behind my ear, but he catches it.
His cold hands clasp mine tight. He looks me dead in the eye. I almost want to shield myself from his gaze. "I'm telling you that you don't have to resign. I dealt with it." He says. Honesty is woven into his words.
"What? How?" I ask. I grip his hand tighter. My mind clouds in confusion.
"I talked to the Dean and Vice Principal. I had help from your dad. Your dad threatened to sue them for blackmail. He also said he'd stop the funding." He explains. I just stare at him like he's a madman. "You get to stay, Alyssa."
Tears well up in my eyes. "A-are you serious?" I croak. My heart squeezes.
He nods his head. "And you don't have to worry about Gemma and Levi. The Vice Principal is to watch over them. They won't go near you."
He's talking but none of the dots are connecting. "That's where you went earlier?" I ask.
He nods. "I got your dad's number from your phone last night. I called him this morning. Obviously, he agreed to go with me."
I release Eden's hand. A part of me is embarrassed that my dad knows everything. But I'm glad he helped me. "He didn't mention anything to me," I say.
"He wants you to come to him about it. You should call him, Alyssa. He was heartbroken," Eden says.
More tears flow out of my eyes. "Are you okay?" He asks.
I'm more than okay. I want to say but I'm all choked up. Instead, I grab the fabric on his chest and pull with all my might. I step on my tiptoes and smash my lips to his.
He responds immediately. His fingers lace into my hair while mine trace the sharp bone along his jaw. He cups my cheek, no doubt smearing my face paint.
My heart beats wildly in my chest. My body wants to melt into a puddle, but Eden holds me in place. Something has awakened inside me. Like a wick being lit for the first time.
I pull my mouth away to mutter the words I've been thinking all day, "I love you."
He looks almost stunned at first, but he recovers quickly. He pushes me against the cold wall once again. Eden stares down at me with hunger in his eyes. "So, you're done hating me?" He asks.
"Maybe I never did," I admit. I try to pull him back into my lips but he resists.
"Say it again," he demands.
My eyes wander to his swollen pink lips then back to his electric eyes. "I love you. Now kiss me," I demand back.
A smirk forms on his lips. "Your wish is my command."