Page 101 of The Perfect Spiral
“No, no, go back! Describe the kiss, Alex, we want details!” Zara was prying for information about these kisses that really didn’t mean anything to either of us.
“Why? This is so embarrassing, guys, can’t we talk about something else?”
“Embarrassing? You just got kissed by the sexiest guy in the country not once but twice recently! How the hell are you embarrassed? I’d be climbing him if I were in your position. Sowould every girl in the world.”
“Girl, spill it now!” Sam demanded, munching on her sour patch kids, which she refused to share.
“It was a softer kiss, it wasn’t a make-out. It was... more... ugh, I can’t believe I’m about to say this... stupid alcohol... it was more intimate.”
“Ahhhhhh! Yessss, he likes you! You lucky bitch!” Zara screamed, throwing chocolate chips at me.
“No, he doesn’t. He’ll go back to ignoring me, just wait and see. He kisses loads of girls, it’s not really anything new to him.”
“Alex, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I think he actually does like you,” Hannah said softly. I just shook my head, disagreeing with her.
“You’re wrong, he doesn’t like me like that. It’s Knox, for God’s sake, he likes anything with two sets of lips. You’ll see him next week plastered in People magazine with a different girl on his arm.
He likes women too much and they like him. He’s a player who played me, so I’m not getting involved with that fresh after a breakup. I’m not reading into it at all.”
“Suit yourself,” Andy shrugged.
“But nobody says anything about this to my brothers, and don’t tease him about it either. It’s not a thing, it never will be one, so leave it alone. I don’t want it to be a big drama.”
They all nodded their heads in unison. I knew they would keep their word and not bring it up.
“So why did he and Wes drag Caleb away from you on New Year’s?” Sam tried to change the topic but didn’t really succeed. I shrugged because I wasn’t really sure why they dragged him away from me.
“I don’t know, I kissed him when Knox said I couldn’t. Then he dragged him away from me and I didn’t see him again?”
“So you kissed Caleb and he told you not to? Come on, Alex, if that doesn’t scream ‘I like you’ then I don’t know what will?” Sam agreed with what Andy was saying.
I understood their logic, but I didn’t believe it to be true.
“I’ll believe it if he says it, which he won’t. So can we please drop it? Let’s talk about Marcus,
Tyson, or Kyle. Actually, let’s not talk about Kyle, that’s too weird.”
Our laughter filled the room as we continued our girls' night, gossiping about the people we'd encountered at the New Year's club party. The boys, the girls, the drama—it was all fair game.
After a few hours, the boys joined us, their eyes wide as they took in our face masks. We all burst into laughter at their expressions, and they quickly settled in, eager to join the conversation. We deftly changed the topic, keeping our previous discussion a secret.
They tried their best to pry, but we remained tight-lipped. We simply told them we were discussing boys and gossiping about girls. At the mention of boys, they exchanged glances, trying to coax us into revealing more. But we held our ground, keeping our secrets between the five of us.
As midnight approached, I found myself yawning repeatedly. Deciding it was time to call it a night, I asked, “Hannah, are you staying?”
She shook her head, explaining that she had to work at eight in the morning. Zara had work too, leaving only Andy and Sam. Butwith Kyle and Tyson present, I assumed they'd be staying with them. So much for the sleepover, I thought.
After bidding everyone goodnight, I ascended the stairs to the foyer and grabbed a water bottle. Once in my room, I washed the mask off my face and climbed into bed.
Here we are again, I thought, my mind replaying the nightmare I'd had. It was the worst one yet. I remembered that night as if it were yesterday.
I was running down the stairs, past the foyer, with him hot on my heels, shouting, “Get back here, Alex!” I needed to think fast. I needed a weapon. I dashed into the kitchen, frantically searching for a knife. But I couldn't find one.
“I hid them,” he taunted.
Shit, shit, shit! What should I do? Think, Alex!
“People will be coming over soon. Mom will be back and she’ll call the police,” I tried to scare him, but he just laughed in my face.
