Chapter 65. Alexis’ Thoughts
I frowned at him, despite being a bit of a block head like Jayden, not noticing how Blair was showing off our relationship, but he was able to pick up on Alexis’ interest in me. I sighed while leaning back in the stool, Alexis’ wondering what her brother said to me. “Little too late for that…” I grumbled, thinking about yesterday. Atticus chuckled while leaning back into the bed as well. He glanced over at Alexis, she seemed to be blushing, imagining what was said between the two of us while still hung up on now knowing Blair and I… Bollywood
“Haha! Look at her pouting! Reminds me of when we were kids and she-!” He started laughing, but Alexis quickly covered his mouth with a loud slap. “Shut up!” She yelled at him, before scowling back at me for some reason. “And both of you! Outside! We need to talk!” She said, grabbing my shirt, and pulling me behind her. Atticus kept laughing at the sight, but he was soon quieted by the shut door behind us. Blair, still attached to me at the hip, giggled while rubbing her head into my side.
“Stop that!” Alexis yelled while trying to separate Blair and I. Blair whined, but I wasn’t going to try and stop Alexis from what she was doing and make her more pissed. She then pressed her finger into my chest, her nail digging into my torso as she leered at me. “You said, you wouldn’t…” She muttered, trying to keep her voice down while she was still riled up. I bit my lip, knowing that it was something I shouldn’t have done. “But… She is just really tenacious…” I said while avoiding eye contact.
Alexis hit Rakki’s arm in retaliation, the slight stinging pain making him rub the area as she spoke. “You are just- Ugh…” She couldn’t get a full sentence formed with how furious she was. However, beyond that anger, was a hint of depression. The night Rakki broke his rule of staying at arm's length, was close to when her brother was found. Alexis felt that the main reason Rakki faltered in his rules was due to the reminder of his own family gone. ‘Alone… Huh?’ She thought before looking back up at the frowning Rakki.
“Is this what you meant by ‘not alone’?” Alexis asked while I still had my arm around Blair’s shoulder. I sighed while my face heated up from embarrassment. ‘Knew that would come back to bite me…’ I began taking out some gum, explaining while doing so. “Not entirely…” The crinkling of the wrapper coming undone, helping offset the sharp soundlessness in the hallway. “I mean… You’re right here, right?” I continued while tossing the piece of mint gum between my teeth.
I smirked at Alexis’ surprised expression, wondering how she could be astonished at my less than hidden thoughts. I slowly brought my hand over to Alexis, reaching closer and closer to her cheek. She froze, and squeezed her eyes shut, too embarrassed to look at me, but for some reason, not pushing me away from what I was doing. I then lowered my hand to her shoulder, removing my jacket resting on her back, the sudden change causing Alexis to jump in response.
She then opened her eyes as I put my jacket back on. Her face turned more and more vibrant and red than my jacket. I smirked as I fixed the collar, the vague aroma of her perfume, water lilies, still lingering. “Sorry, but I’m gonna need this one back.” Alexis began stammering, not knowing what to say about all that was happening at once. I began laughing at her innocence, while she paused to stare at me. After I was done, I let out a sigh of contentment. “You can keep the first jacket though.” I finished with a slight smirk, making Alexis’ anger lash out again, smacking and hitting me as she grumbled under her breath about being a player, and leacher.
Alexis angrily attacked Rakki, smirking in front of her. She hated him. He had great dueling potential. He could teach her so much about becoming a better Duelist. He would stick out his neck for her. Protect her. Care for her. There were so many good things about him… But… But he was a worse player than her brother was! Even while the girl he slept with was in his arms, he was still saying lines that made her heart jump. Combine that with his rare laughter, and happy attitude. She hated how much she liked him. ‘I hate him. I hate him so much!’ She thought with grit teeth.
What astonished her more was how Blair seemed to enjoy watching this scene. She happily rubbed her head into Rakki’s hand as he rested it on her. Was she too enamored with physical contact that she failed to notice his infidelity? ‘But she is looking right at me with a smile… She has to be paying attention…’ It then struck Alexis that Blair might be those kinds of people that don’t mind multiple partners. Her mind began to spin in confusion of everything about Rakki’s and Blair’s relationship, or how Alexis herself fit into it all. ‘Wait! What am I thinking!?’
“Hey! We got the message!” Just then, a loud voice could be heard along with plentiful rushed footsteps running down the hall. Alexis looked up to see every one of her friends rushing to see Atticus’ condition. “Oh, is that where you guys went off to first? Wait, did you ditch class?” Jayden Asked Rakki and Blair, causing Rakki to smirk with a shrug. “You gotta take me next time!” “Or at least tell us, so we have a good excuse to leave too.” Chazz said with a snide smirk.
“How is Atticus?” Zane asked quietly, getting away from the noise that Jayden always created. However, hearing him say that, everyone quieted down to hear what Alexis had to say. She smiled as she opened the door. “He’s doing fine. So he says.” She finished with an eye roll, but part of her was really ecstatic over how much he seemed like his old self already. Everyone piled inside, leaving just Blair, Rakki, and her alone in the hallway for a moment. She looked at Rakki, but saw a strange conflicted expression as he entered the room. However, she did hear him mumble under his breath as he walked inside. “Tell… Something… But at least… Alone-time…”
Alexis felt she understood what he was saying. An instinctual part of her, pointing out that he was upset having his time with her being cut short. She felt her lips curling upwards into a grin despite her best efforts. She had to take a page out of Rakki’s book, and use her hand to forcibly contort her lips back down before heading inside the room herself.
I let everyone get to know Atticus, and explain how they were each close to Alexis. Atticus kept teasing Alexis about how she made friends at all, and was quickly forced silent under her stinging punches. It was a nice scene, but one that I would have to end after there was a slight lull. “Anyway. I have something I need to talk about last night.” Everyone looked over at me, wondering what I might have to say. “Blair and I had a run in with another Shadow Rider last night.”
Everyone had varying degrees of surprise, but Bastion raised his arms in question. “And you didn’t think to tell us about this before? C’mon man.” I scoffed, and shook my head. “I didn’t want to take away from Atticus’ recovery, and nothing much happened anyway.” The moment I said that, Blair pinched my side, causing me to yelp in shock. “Ah!!” I looked down at her, to see her slightly frowning at me, unhappy that I would claim my own soul being captured as nothing.
“Well the point is, we have one less Shadow Rider.” I said, trying to open and close the case ASAP. “I smell a story.” Atticus responded, Jayden joining along with a big grin. “How was the Duel!? What kind of cards did they play!? You gotta give us something man! You can’t just say you had an epic Duel and not give any deets!” I sighed in response. “Deets? Really Jayden?” I asked, but he just continued to laugh it off while patting my back in comradery.
I shook my head, with a shrug. “She uses a Vampire Deck. Oh they’re a vampire by the way. Anyway-” I was going to continue, but was stopped by almost everyone in the room all talking over me. “Wait, wait, wait!” “Don’t just ‘by the way’ that!” “Ok! Now I gotta hear all about this Duel!” “What do you mean Vampire!?” "Oh for fuck's sake..." I groaned while scowling at Blair, she only smiled back innocently, like it was just the right thing to do.