Alex's POV:
Days dragged by without news from Maia, I wasn't expecting them either. I had never seen her so broken since she'd found out about that text. I knew I'd fucked up, but I had great intentions behind it actually. Once again, I repeated to myself: you need to start thinking stuff twice before you do them. As for me, I secluded myself at home, only going out with Twister for a walk. I hadn't even tried calling Miles or one of the Monkeys to see how they were doing. I was worn out, and I needed time by myself to think.
If there was one good thing that had come out of all this mess, was that I had actually managed to get some song writing done, which given the current state I found myself in, was something to be proud of. The songs sounded different than what I had been working on in the past. They were more reckless, juvenile, and whimsical. They had a tough sound, something more rock and roll. It was love and disdain at the same time, it was every teenager's romantic life, and I could relate with all of it. The image of Maia in my shirt and her knee socks had been rumbling in my head for days, and it had been the reason that first got me to put my ass to work. How wild she looked, untidy, completely pissed, but still as explosive as ever. All the nights I had called her, sometimes drunk, sometimes not; it felt so strange not to do it anymore, and I couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same way as I did. It was all going back and forth through my mind, so in the past days I had dedicated myself to putting those thought into words. Suddenly, I was taken out of my thoughts by my phone going off. I picked it up and answered, not even bothering to have a look at who might it be. I threw myself on the couch, taking my phone to my ear, and was actually shocked when I heard a familiar female voice on the other end.
"Maia?" I asked surprised after she had greeted me. Now this was unexpected.
"Hey" She softly said. "I wanted to apologize"
"Mai, there's nothing to apologize for"
"No, listen, it was wrong. I mean, you messed up pretty good, but still, I've come to realize you were probably right. It would have been way better if I had never found out about that text. I don't even want to think about it. So, yeah... I'm sorry for the way I acted"
"Don't worry about it, Mai. I fucked up pretty good, I thought you were never going to want to see me again" She laughed, and it filled me with relief to hear that everything was fine now.
"I mean, I'm not going to lie to you, you're a fucking dick. I kind of hated you when I found out about the text, but then I thought about it. You were right, Alex. It's useless. He wanted some time away, then he should have it. I need to move on"
"I'm sorry, Mai" Even when I was bursting of happiness to hear her say "I need to move on", I still felt a little taken aback whenever she talked about Ken. She sounded like she actually missed him, and that even though she needed to get a move on, it was being hard on her.
"Don't, there's nothing to be sorry about. Anyways, given that I need to get moving, I thought we could go out somewhere. I don't know, probably get drunk or something, just have fun. I mean, it's Saturday, and you said you were going to take me to that dance club I told you about at the jam. Remember?"
"Oh... yeah" I couldn't believe she had remembered that. It's not like I didn't want to take her, but I was definitely up for some self-shaming at the club. I was a terrible dancer, and she was probably a pro at dancing those latin american songs she would go crazy with. I could already imagine her hips moving along the beat as I was going terribly crazy about her.
"You're not quitting, aren't you?" I heard her say, her voice sounding more vivid than when she had first talked. "You still owe me your part of the deal, Turner"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm taking you there, Mai"
"Good"
"You should probably know I suck at dancing, though. I'm just doing this for you"
"Oh, don't get all corny on me. I'll teach you, and even if you don't learn I'll still get a couple of laughs"
"Fuck off" I said, but only earned more laughter form her part, which made me smile anyway.
"Alright, I'll see you then"
"Sure, I'll pick you up"
"Of course you will, it feels weird not to be touring all around the country on your bike" I snorted, knowing that she had been missing me too. "Anyway, I'll let Miles and Bella know, see you later, teddy boy"
"I'll see you, pretty lips" I was about to hung up, but I heard Maia calling for me before I could. "What is it?"
"Oh, it's just... thank you. For not being mad at me and for taking me to the club tonight. It means a lot to me. I used to go out dancing with my friends back in Buenos Aires like every weekend, of course it's been ages since that, but I miss it so much, Al. It just made me forget about everything, like, I really let go" Her voice was full of nostalgia, and so it hit me that this was a big deal for her, thus, I wasn't fucking up this time.
"No problem, Mai. Let's just have a great time. You know that even though I still kind of hate you sometimes, there's no way I could be mad at you for long. You just have that something in you that cheers me up. Besides, it's kinda cute when you call me Al"
"Oh, yeah, I didn't realize about that" She sounded embarrassed, like she hadn't meant to say it. Still, I thought it was the prettiest thing ever. "Whatever, I'll see you tonight, Alex" There she was again, being the same stubborn girl I had crossed ways at the park that first day. It still worked on me, so I couldn't help but laugh a little.
"See you, Mai" I hung up, and this time, I closed my eyes, knowing that I was up for a peaceful nap after so long.
Maia's POV:
It was past midnight by now, and I was patiently waiting for Alex to come pick me up. It had taken more guts than I thought it would to call him this afternoon. Still, something in me kind of missed his presence, so I thought the best way to heal that was to make the first move, and I was really glad I'd done it. I checked myself once again in the mirror, not knowing exactly why. I never dressed myself that neatly whenever I went to a disco. I would always choose something comfortable that would allow me to just let lose to stretch my limbs as much as I could while dancing. Besides, I would be so worn out by the end of the night, that it didn't matter how good I might have looked before, the final result would always be a total mess. Yet, for some strange reason, this must have been around the fifth time that I took a glance at my reflection, and something inside me was telling me I was trying to impress Alex, no matter how much I tried denying it. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door, and Diesel jumped off the couch, dashing towards the entrance.
"Hey" Alex greeted when I opened the door for him. He was leaning against the doorway, and I had to admit he looked great. He was wearing a shiny white shirt tucked inside a pair of tight dark jeans. His hair was all gelled backwards, but his signature quiff hung loosely over his forehead. Diesel made sure to give him a warm welcome, for he started jumping all over him. "Hello to you too, mate" He said as he crouched down to pet him.
"Come in, you prick, I was just finishing getting ready" I closed the door behind him once he had come inside, and unexpectedly kissed him on the cheek. He first looked at me bewildered, but then seemed to remember the explanation for it.
"You know, I keep forgetting those habits you still have" I smiled at him as I went to the mirror again, putting on a shiny silver necklace.
"Are Miles and Bella on their way?"
"Yeah, they'll probably be there before us, assuming you are always late" I took a glance at him from my shoulder and gave him a slight smile. He was sitting on my couch now, and he had my three cats and my dog all over him, seeking his attention. He didn't seem to care though, he was smiling like a little child. "So... are you excited?"
"It's been years since I hit the dance floor, you know, I'm thrilled. How do I look?" I turned towards him, showing off my outfit.
"Radiant, as always" I laughed at his comment. "I do have to admit that I thought you were going to pick something more formal"
"Formal?" I looked at my white summer dress hanging loosely on my body, then to my sandals. I also remembered I was barely wearing any makeup, only a little mascara. "Dude, we're going to a dance club, not to a fucking Gucci fashion show. Besides, we're going to be dancing our asses off. Trust me, there's no makeup or clothes able to resist a wild dance club night. Dancing is about being free, not looking pretty. I actually think that the prettier we look is when we're the most free" I said strengthening my dress.
"Whoa, that's deep. Just promise me you won't make me look like a complete idiot, because you're probably a way better dancer than I am" I laughed at him, going to my kitchen to search for my pets' food.
"Just so you know, I get completely wild at the club, so you'll have to excuse me" I poured the food on their bowls, and with that I was done to leave.
"Oh, I'm actually looking very forward to it"
"Well, let's hit the road, then, Turner"
Once Alex had parked his bike, I was able to hear the music coming from the inside of the club. I took Alex from his shirt and hurriedly dragged him inside, unable to contain my adrenaline. I had been wishing to come to this place for ages, but never managed to find anyone who would want to come with me. Once inside, the music was blaring out of the speakers with an intense power, pounding against the walls. I couldn't help myself but smile and let out a high-pitched squeal, causing Alex to laugh at me. I knew Miles and Bella had to be somewhere around, so I yelled to Alex that we should look out for them first.
"There they are, Al!" I yelled, pointing towards the bar's direction. I took Alex's hand again and headed towards the bar. I was beyond excited tonight.
"Tell me again, are you sure you weren't given some weird substance somewhere? Because you're very hyped tonight" He screamed in my ear, unable to contain his laugh.
"Umm, no, but I could definitely use a drink right now"
"Alright, pretty lips, let's get fucked up" We locked eyes, playfully staring at each other, knowing very well that we were up to no good tonight. When we were close enough to the bar, Miles was the first one to notice us, throwing his hands in the air and yelling at us.
"Hey, mates!" Miles shouted as Bella turned our way, grinning as soon as she saw us. I buried myself on Miles' embrace and then proceeded to hug Bella as well. We all ordered our drinks and remained drinking and talking for some time, up until I heard one of my songs of the moment being played.
"Oh my God!" I squealed, holding my hands out to stop everyone from talking, trying to determine if it was actually my song or if I was mistaking it over the club's noise.
"Oh, here she goes" Alex warned. "Is this another of those songs you love?" I stayed still, trying to listen carefully, until I could finally prove it.
"Oh my God, yes!" I jumped out of my seat, and rushed towards the dance floor, not really caring if the guys were following behind me. I was going to dance my heart out tonight, whether I was alone or not. I started moving my hips to the beat, completely losing myself in the music. I closed my eyes and felt myself smiling, images of home reeling through my mind. I put my hands up, breathing in the hot air from the place. I could already feel a little sweat on the back of my neck, but I couldn't care less. In my mind, my friends were there with me, and it was Buenos Aires again. It was youthful, careless, and most importantly free. I suddenly felt my hand being taken, and just as I thought it was probably one of my friends trying to pull me closer to dance side by side with her, I opened my eyes to see Alex, waking me up from my dream. I stood frozen on my spot for a minute, but instantly gave in to him as I smiled, shaking those memories from my head.
"I've confirmed it" Alex said into my ear.
"What?!" I yelled.
"That you're definitely going to make me look like an idiot tonight, Maia. You've got the hottest moves around here" I laughed, taking his hands in mine.
"It's like marking the beat with your foot, you know. Like, whenever you're listening to a song. The difference is that you do it with your hips, you should try it" I winked at him, and he would only stare at me with dreamy eyes, which was something I had never seen in him before. I let go of him and continued with my dancing, stealing a glance at Alex every now and then, only to find that the guy was actually struggling to keep up with me. We were shortly followed by Miles and Bella, who had decided to join into the party.
We kept going for a good couple of hours, and I don't think I'd had so much fun here in England until now. I was now dancing hand in hand with Alex, and he wouldn't stop spinning me around. I had tried teaching him some harder typical dance moves, but he was as flexible as a piece of wood. He was at least trying, which was really fun to watch. As I kept spinning and swaying all around, surrounded by the guys' cheers and claps, I noticed a familiar figure from the distance. I stopped dead in my tracks to check it twice, only to feel my heart breaking in a million pieces. Standing a couple of metres away stood James, chatting up a random girl. His face was close to hers, and the dude was pulling that smile that had first caught me too.
I was paralyzed, all the buzz from before immediately abandoning my body. People were pushing against me, but I was unable to move a muscle. I felt a tear running down my cheek, and noticed my breathing had become unsteady. Was he already over me? That fast? What was worse, what was he doing here? He had never wanted to come to a place like this when I had asked him to.
"Hey, Mai, what's up?" I felt Alex placing his hands on my waist from behind me, but I didn't reply. He knew there was something going down, so he looked towards the direction my eyes were locked on. "Maia, forget it, you don't need him"
"I... I need to go for some fresh air" I declared. "Excuse me" I pushed Alex out of the way before he could stop me, and fastly walked to the back door of the club. Once I was out, I let all the tears lose. I leaned against the wall, finding it hard to keep my balance or even breathe. Even though I was trying to make the lowest sound possible, the gate had been opened, and my crying was becoming uncontrollable. I didn't know if it was because I was already feeling a little tipsy or because it had actually hurt me to see him, but there was no way of stopping the tears now, and my emotions became stronger with every minute that went by.
"Maia" I heard Alex say from behind me. I quickly turned my back to him and took my hands to my face, desperately trying to clear the tears away.
"Alex, please, leave"
"I'm not going to leave you out here alone while you're crying, Maia" He said taking my arm.
"I'm not crying" He spun me around softly, cupping my face between his hands as he took a strand of my hair between his fingers, twisting it and then placing it behind my ear.
"Stop pretending, Mai" I looked at him and realized there was no way he was buying any of my lies. His eyes were glued on mine, harshly asking for the truth.
"He moved on" I stated, my voice cracking when I noticed how much the words hurt. "That fast"
"You've moved on too"
"Alex, I clearly haven't. I'm here crying like a fucking idiot"
"Maia, you don't realize, don't you?"
"What do you mean?" I took a step back from him, but in the dim lights of the street, I wasn't able to decipher his look.
"You could literally go inside that club, point at any lad you want, and just have him, Mai" I shook my head, not really understanding him.
"That's not moving on"
"Even if you knew there's someone trying to make a move on you?"
"There's nobody trying to make a move on me, Alex" I stated, but Alex only answered with a big sigh as he combed his hair back with his hand.
"Are you sure about it?"
"Yeah, pretty sure. No one has been bothering on taking me out on a date, or sending love letters, or whatever it is people do nowadays. No, from what I can recall, nobody has actually told me they liked me"
"Well, I like you" My head shot up to meet his gaze. Had he really said what I thought he had said? "And I know you like me too, Maia"
"Oh, excuse me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him. How dare he?
"Well, say it, then. Say you don't like me, Maia" I tried mumbling an answer, but even though my lips were apart from each other, I could make out absolutely nothing at all. The truth was that he was right, and I had never given it enough thought. I liked him. I actually liked him. I wasn't going to tell him I didn't, it was stupid. But still, I couldn't make out when I had started feeling this way towards him, and why hadn't I ever given it importance. "See? You've moved on, and you never realized" I blinked, the weight of the conversation falling on me. "You've moved on" He repeated as he took a step closer to me, grinning devilishly. Our faces were only inches apart from each other, and he took me firmly by my waist, closing whatever space was left between our bodies. I had to admit, I'd never been turned on by him like this. "And trust me, that's the best you have done for yourself"
Then his lips were on mine, kissing me fiercefully. His grip on my hips was strong and tight, and I stiffened under his touch. At first, I wasn't sure of what I was doing, but I ended up relaxing and giving in to the kiss. And fuck, he was a good kisser. It was at that moment that I came to realize that I'd been unconsciously waiting for this to happen someday. I put my hands on his chest and slowly raised them up to the back of his head, deepening the kiss. He softly pushed me against the wall, almost throwing himself all over me. It was beginning to get rougher, like we had both been craving this for long, and we were finally making our desire come true. It was raw, as if we were hungry for it, passionately moving our tongues together. It was so good that it had made me forget about everything, like there was nothing else but just us at this moment. It was so hot that when we finally broke apart, we were panting, holding on to the other.
"You and I, Maia, we're both fuck ups. You know, we're hurt, broken hearted and stuff" He whispered, pressing his forehead on mine.
"And this is so wrong, Alex" I smiled, feeling his lips close on mine.
"Yeah" He chuckled, making me join in. "But it feels so good, Mai"
"We should go back inside" I said, trying to stiffen a small laugh. "Keep on dancing, you know. Forget about the ones who harmed us together"
"You're right, you always are, and I still kind of hate you sometimes for it. But it's a good kind of hate. You're just way too clever" He admitted.
"Don't worry about it, I hate you more" Alex grinned, kissing me once again, only lighter this time. I didn't know if it was the alcohol taking decisions for me, but I wasn't regretting anything of what I was doing and saying. I took Alex by his shirt, and slowly dragged him inside the club once again, as he followed like a puppy behind me. I didn't know what was going on with me, but this guy had somehow managed to make me forget about everything with just one simple kiss, and suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not James, not the girl he was talking to, nothing at all. I had moved on, and Alex was right, so as I walked with him, I couldn't help but feel this night was only beginning.