Alena felt a wave of anxiety wash over her as she walked through the hallways, the events of the night before still weighing heavily on her mind. Her thoughts were consumed by Alexo and the way he had teased her, leaving her more confused than she wanted to admit.
"Lexy, I need to use the restroom," she whispered.
Lexy, always attentive, nodded with a concerned glance but allowed her to go.
As Alena walked down the hall, her thoughts raced. When she turned a corner, she froze.
There, leaning casually against the lockers, was Alexo.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately wanted to turn around.
But it was too late.
"Alena," Alexo called, his voice low.
She stopped and slowly turned toward him.
Alexo pushed himself away from the lockers and walked toward her, his eyes fixed on hers.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked.
"I haven't been avoiding you."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes."
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"Then why do you keep looking away whenever you see me?"
Alena frowned.
"I don't."
"You do."
She crossed her arms. "You're imagining things."
Alexo chuckled.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
He stepped slightly closer.
"You're nervous."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Alena felt her cheeks grow warm.
Alexo noticed immediately.
"There," he said with a quiet smirk. "You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Blushing."
"I am not."
"You're terrible at lying."
Alena sighed in frustration.
"Alexo, you're annoying."
"And yet you're still standing here."
She opened her mouth but couldn't think of a response.
His teasing only made her more flustered.
Then his expression became more serious.
"Meet me tonight."
Alena's smile faded.
"Where?"
"The old garden behind the library."
Her stomach tightened.
"When?"
"Eight."
"Why?"
"You'll find out when you get there."
Alena shook her head.
"Alexo, I don't think that's a good idea."
He watched her quietly.
"You don't have to be afraid."
"I'm not afraid."
"Then come."
She hesitated.
"Do I have a choice?"
Alexo's eyes remained on hers.
"You always have a choice."
His words surprised her.
"But I'll be there at eight."
Alena didn't know what to say.
Alexo stepped back.
"Eight o'clock, Alena."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Alena remained standing there for a moment, her heart beating faster than before.
Back in class, Alena tried to force a smile as she rejoined Lexy.
He looked at her with concern, sensing something was off, but didn't press her.
"Everything okay?" Lexy asked gently.
"Yeah, just needed a moment," Alena replied, her voice flat as she tried to mask her inner turmoil.
Throughout the rest of the day, Alena struggled to concentrate. Every class felt like a blur.
The meeting with Alexo was all she could think about.
Why had he asked her to meet him?
What did he want to talk about?
Lexy, noticing her distraction, insisted they grab lunch together. His attempts to cheer her up with silly stories and jokes helped her push the anxiety back for a while.
Afterward, as they walked back to the dorm, Lexy kept talking to her, trying to keep her mind occupied.
Alena was grateful for his presence, though guilt tugged at her.
She had to keep her distance from Emma, and the thought made her stomach churn.
"It's not right, Lexy. Everyone's starting to notice," she murmured as they reached the dorm.
Lexy smiled reassuringly, his tone gentle.
"We're friends, Alena. Let them watch. You don't have to worry about that."
Alena smiled weakly as she thanked him.
She watched him leave, her heart heavy.
Once inside, she stripped off her clothes and took a long, hot shower, hoping to wash away the lingering tension.
Afterward, she set an alarm for the meeting and lay down, her mind racing with what to do.
When the time came, Alena found an excuse to avoid Emma, who had been looking for company. Alena couldn't risk seeing her, not when everything was so fragile.
With a deep breath, she stepped out of the dorm and made her way to the old garden.
Her footsteps felt too loud against the quiet evening air.
The garden was serene, with tall trees casting long shadows and flowers blooming in the soft glow of the setting sun. It felt like another world compared to the chaos inside her head.
Alexo was already there, sitting on a bench, looking out at the landscape.
He turned to face her as she approached.
"You're here," he said, his voice quieter than before.
Alena nodded, her throat tight with nerves.
"I didn't have much of a choice," she replied, her voice wavering as the weight of the situation pressed heavily on her chest.
They sat in silence for a while, the air thick with unspoken words.
Alexo broke the silence first.
"I used to come here when my parents fought. It was my escape," he said softly, his gaze distant as though the memories were haunting him.
Alena felt a pang of empathy.
She understood what it was like to want to escape from the noise of a broken home.
"My parents..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "They used to fight all the time."
She lowered her gaze.
"I would hide in the dark, trying to block out the sound, holding my knees to my chest. My baby brother would cry, and I felt helpless. Like nothing would ever get better."
Alexo looked at her, his expression softening with understanding.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he murmured.
Alena wiped her tears away, feeling an unexpected comfort from his words.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "I've never really talked about it before."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence between them no longer felt uncomfortable.
They walked back toward her dorm together, sharing small, comforting stories, their laughter filling the space between them.
Alena realized that Alexo wasn't just the cold, distant person everyone thought he was.
He had his own scars.
His own vulnerabilities.
That night, as she lay in bed, Alena whispered a prayer of gratitude.
For the first time in a long while, she felt a spark of hope, a sense that things might not be as hopeless as they seemed.