Page 17 of Tell Me Everything
Elena jumped from one foot to the other. She'd looked tough for a second; now she just looked like a cream puff. Alex felt like wrapping her in a blanket and feeding her ice cream.Wait, that's weird. He shook his head.
“Why are you being so nice to me? I don't deserve it.”
“I like you, so get used to it.”
She sat down on a bench in the park opposite the school. Kelsey walked past them without glancing in their direction. At first, he thought she hadn't seen them, but seeing Elena's face scrunch together, he knew something was up. Just as he turnedback to her to ask the question, she spoke.
“Alex, do you think I'm a bad person?”
“No, I don’t. Why would you think that?”
“You think I'm selfish?”
“You are. We all are. That's what makes us human.”
“Am I too selfish?”
Where was this coming from? Sure, Elena could be difficult from time to time, and sure, it was hard to get through to her because she was stubborn and refused to let people in. But of all her flaws, selfishness was not a word that came to mind when he thought of her. Elena was always trying to please others to the point of not living for herself. Alex crossed his arms.
“Okay, what's going on?”
For a moment, she didn’t speak. Alex waited; no sound came. He decided to push her a little. She was the kind of person who sometimes needed a push.
“Elena, talk to me.”
She looked up at him and sighed. While she told him, Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. At first, he'd judged Kelsey while giving her the benefit of the doubt. In the end, he'd been right. She was a pest. Not having those kind of people in her life was the best thing that could happen to Elena, even if it hurt her.
“I think it's time for you to spend your life with people who care about you.”
“I guess I'll always be alone, then.”
“Nah, you got me.”
Elena rested her head on his shoulder. “Poor you.”
Chapter 9
Elena
I bundled up in my burgundy coat and mustard scarf and hurried outside to wait for Alex. After a few minutes, the Polo pulled up in front of the house. My friend raised an eyebrow when he found me outside. He was dressed in faded jeans and one of his eternal hoodies. This one was dark blue, like his car.
“You could have stayed inside. I wasn't going to forget you.”
“What if we went to your place instead?”
I could see the hesitation in his eyes. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that.
“Why? This place is fine, too.”
“I don't feel like staying here today,” I admitted.
My parents had gotten into a fight just a few hours earlier, and I'd rather not be around when my father returned from God knows where.
On the other hand, seeing Alex's wary look, had I made a mistake by asking him to go to his house? Maybe he didn't want me to meet his family? That would be absurd. I already knew them. Maybe he'd prefer our friendship and the rest of his life to stay separated. But were we real friends then? As always, my thoughts spiralled out of control. One negative idea came after another. Alex put a hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of it.
“I know what you're thinking. Don't make that face. We'll go if you want.”
I shook my head and took a step back. What had I been thinking? I shouldn't have left my room. “You don't want me in your house. I won’t insist.”
