Contagious Chemistry, Sian Webster [good beach reads txt] 📗

school grounds, but lost him a couple of blocks away from the school. I searched frantically, looking over fences, down back roads and alleyways, but he was nowhere to be found. That was until I heard a yell that was unmistakeably Alex.
That was when I ran. I found him lying on the sidewalk a couple of streets away from where I had been. My eyes widened when I saw him lying there and I ran over and crouched by his side. There was a cut on his right arm from the inside of his elbow to his wrist and slash marks across his chest. Not a pretty sight if you ask me, but I wasn’t exactly going to leave him there for dead.
“Alex,” I said, pulling off my mask.
He smiled up at me despite himself. “Hey there, Abby, great way to ruin your dress.”
I shook my head. “The dress doesn’t matter. Come on, we’ve gotta get you to a hospital.”
He shook his head frantically. “Not the hospital.”
“Why not?”
“My Dad,” He breathed, “He works there, and he’d want to lead a full investigation into who did this to me, when I know exactly who did it. And frankly, I deserved it too.”
“Who—?” I stopped myself. I realised it was probably better not to ask. “Come on, I’ll take you back to my house. I told my Mum not to wait up for me.”
“My house is closer,” He pointed out.
“I don’t care, I don’t want to be dragged into your rape dungeon.” I snapped. “Come on, I sure hope you can walk.”
15. Doctors & Nurses

“So, are you gonna tell me who did this to you?” I asked Alex in a whisper as I wrapped a bandage around his chest to cover the three slash marks. I had already cleaned and bandaged the cut on his arm. Thank god my Mum made me take that first aid course, I thought.
After dragging him all the way to my house, making sure Mum was sound asleep, changing out of my bloodied dress and putting it straight into wash, Alex now sat on my bed as I played Florence Nightingale. I had to admit; I much preferred Cinderella.
Alex winced and shook his head.
“Seriously?” I asked exasperatedly. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be dying out on the street. I think I deserve to know.”
Alex seemed to think about this for a while. “How did you even find me?”
“I… Uh…” I wracked my brain for a suitable lie but came up with nothing. I sighed. “I saw Jeremy and Casey kissing tonight. And I saw you standing off to the side, so I went to go and talk to you. I don’t know what I was going to say, I mean, I could’ve made fun of you because your girlfriend was kissing someone who wasn’t you, but it just so happened that she was kissing my boyfriend so…”
Alex raised his eyebrow at me.
“Anyway, I went to go and talk to you but you walked outside, so I followed you. I lost you a couple of streets away from the school, but then I heard you scream and I—” I stopped. No. I wasn’t admitting that. Not to him. Not even to myself.
“What?” He asked carefully.
I shook my head.
“What?” He repeated when I didn’t answer. “What is it?”
I shook my head again, got up from my seat on the bed and walked away, leaning my head against my bedroom wall.
“Talk to me, Abby.” Alex nearly begged.
I turned around to face him, but didn’t walk back over. Even in the dimly lit room – the only light we had coming from my little green lava lamp – worry was still clear on his face. I leant my head back against the wall and stared at the roof; I refused to make eye contact with him.
“I… I was… scared, Alex. I was so worried. When I saw you lying there… I…” I struggled for words. “I was so scared that you were already dead. I was scared that I’d not gotten to you in time or that you lying there bleeding to death would be the last time I’d see you… I was scared to death, Alex; I don’t think you understand…” I stopped and shook my head before sinking down to the floor and burying my head in my hands.
It was only after Alex had stumbled over to me, dragged me back onto my bed and wrapped his arms around me tightly that I realised I was crying.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered in my ear softly, “for scaring you, Abby.”
“I know,” I said between tears. I didn’t even fully understand why I was crying, but the tears wouldn’t stop coming. Noticing the time in the corner of my eye, I shifted so I was lying down, and I felt Alex lie down next to me.
“Abby?” Alex said ever so softly.
“Yes?” I whispered back.
“I want you to know something.” He told me.
“What?” I asked.
“I love you.”
Those three words stopped me in my tracks, and I came up with no reply. We were quiet for such a long time that I thought he fell asleep.
“I love you too,” I whispered, barely louder than a breath.
“I know,” Alex replied, making me jump slightly.
“But I can’t, Alex.” I told him. “I have a boyfriend.”
“And I had an English test yesterday.” He whispered back, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.
That was all he said. He didn’t push me to go out with him. He didn’t push me to kiss him or anything else. I imagined had I been in the same situation with Jeremy, he would have. Once again, I wondered if I had made the right decision, and if it was too late to change my mind about it. I pushed the thought out of my mind, determined to enjoy that precious moment with Alex while it lasted.
I smiled to myself and closed my eyes as I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and pull me closer to him.
I fell asleep almost instantly.
It was the best night sleep I’d had in months.

***

When I woke up the next morning, someone was banging around downstairs really loudly, and I thought it was my Mum because behind closed lids I could see the red haze of sunlight creeping through my closed curtains. I huddled deeper into my blankets, trying to fall asleep again. Under the covers, Alex had one arm still around my waist, and with the other he was holding my hand. I smiled to myself as I felt myself begin to slip back into unconsciousness.
That was when the person that had been banging around downstairs decided to bound up the stairs and throw open my bedroom door.
“Abby! I said to meet me at the square at 10 so we could talk about Alex kissing you for the second time! It is now 11:30! If I don’t get a valid reason, I swear—”
It was Emily. I cursed internally then realised that it being Emily was better than it being my Mum. She had stopped mid-sentence and stood in my bedroom doorway with an incredibly perplexed look on her face.
Alex and I jumped apart so quickly that he bashed his head on the wall next to my bed. It was an awkward manoeuvre to say the least, because he had his arm around my waist and was still holding my hand. Emily’s eyes travelled down to the place where my hand sat on the mattress, with Alex’s fingers entwined through mine. Then they travelled up Alex’s bandaged arm and across to his bandaged chest.
When she got over her shock, she pulled out my chair from under my desk and sat down on it with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Explain.” Was all she said.
I looked from Emily to Alex and back. “Uh…”
Alex jumped off the bed and pulled his shirt back over his head. “I think it’s time for me to go,” he said, making a break for the door.
Emily got there first and pushed him back onto the bed. He winced as she pushed on his chest and didn’t try to leave again.
“No, you’re staying, pretty boy.” Emily said sternly.
“What’s your problem?” I asked her. “A couple of weeks ago you were complaining because Alex and I weren’t dating.”
“Yeah, except now you and Alex can’t be dating because he has a girlfriend and you have a boyfriend, in case you’ve forgotten.” Emily pointed out.
“Alex and I aren’t dating!” I told her. “Plus, my so called ‘boyfriend’ and his so called ‘girlfriend’ were kissing each other last night at the masked ball.”
“Ok, we’ll get onto Jeremy and Casey later, but first explain to me why the hell Alex Parker was sleeping in your bed last night.” Emily ordered.
“You know, I’m still here,” Alex said.
Emily and I ignored him.
“Last night at the masked ball, I needed some air, so I went for a walk. I never realised how long I’d walked for, but eventually I found Alex practically half dead on the sidewalk.” I said, telling her the short version of the story. “And that’s why Alex Parker was sleeping in my bed last night.”
“So you saved him?” She asked exasperatedly. “A week ago when I complained that the two of you weren’t dating, I’m pretty sure you said you wanted him dead—”
I smacked my hand over Emily’s mouth and turned to Alex. “Excuse us,” I told him.
He nodded in reply.
I dragged Emily out of the bedroom and shut the door behind us.
“What?” She grumbled when I took my hand away from her mouth. “He knows you hate him!”
“Well… I… Uh…” I mumbled, staring at the floor and shifting my feet awkwardly.
He eyes widened. “You don’t hate him?”
I shook my head, still looking at the floor.
“Did you kiss him again?” She asked.
I shook my head.
Her eyes widened. “You didn’t kiss him? You were playing Nurse Nancy, and you didn’t kiss him?” She asked exasperatedly.
“Of course not! I’d never take advantage of him that way!” I told her. “And keep your voice down, he’s right behind that door.”
“He’s not right behind that door.” Emily said. “He may be in that room but I doubt he’s right behind that door.”
I rolled my eyes and opened the door, knowing he’d be there. He made a sound resembling a squeak as the door handle dug into his stomach, but other than that, he did nothing but stand there with a guilty look on his face.”
“Now,” Emily sighed,