P. M. | Completed

2 # nerve damaging cringes

Chapter 2:- Nerve Damaging Cringes

"I'm sorry. Can I bribe you with a coffee, or chocolate or food or whatever you like?"

"No. You can't." I said. I was going to make full use of his apology gift to me. I smirked inwardly.

"I know that look, baby. What is it?" Alex asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." I replied, smiling sweetly. Oh, Alexander. You are in so much trouble.

He looked at me skeptically and smiled just as sweetly, which looked sickeningly fake. "Okay." he replied, cheerfully. Too cheerfully.

Walking out of the busy corridor, dodging students and some glances, Alexander was trying to make up for his classroom ethics. Or lack thereof. McLaren had asked me to wait after class. He seemed to be concerned about my...choices about whom I sit with.

"Miss. Carter, you've been a good student since the beginning. I wonder why you've decided to...befriend someone like Mr. Bishop. Your grades have been amazing do far...and I'd hate to see you doing bad in my subject."

He went on to tell me how much of a bad student Alexander is and that he has no hope in future. I couldn't believe how I kept a straight face throughout the nerve damaging cringing session.

"What did McLaren tell you?" Alex asked, just as we were going out of the building. I had run out of ramen noodles and coffee to get me through the nights and Alex had to work. We had decided to go out together.

"A lot of things about you," I said, just as he turned his head towards me, "none of which I believe are true."

"Good." he said.

"You really thought I'd actually consider his opinion about you?" I asked incredulously. Alexander was a very self-confident individual. I could hardly imagine him giving a damn about professor McLaren's judgment of his character.

"No. But, you wanted to keep up your grades and if you wanna do that, I'd suggest you not getting in his bad books, which you will, if you stay with me."

Oh, Alexander.

I laughed and said, "So, shall we?"

"What?" he raised his eyebrow in a question.

"Break up?" I asked.

He gave me one of his half-smiles before asking, "Over McLaren?"

"Yes." I said, faking seriousness.

"Then, you choose, Norah. McLaren or," he pointed towards himself, "McDonald's?"

I grinned cheekily at his offer, "You play dirty, Bishop."

"You mean to say, oily?"

I smacked his chest. "Oh, please. Don't act like you are overly health conscious. In fact, if we're talking about health conscious levels, I might be close to zero. But, you'd run into negatives."

"And how would you know?"

I pursed my lips, and told him, "Oh, let me guess. How many years it had been since you had a decent breakfast before meeting me?"

He scowled. "Fair enough."

"But I will demand my compensation, alright." I said.

"Oh will you?" he asked. "What do you demand my lady?"

"I want to go to the tracks tonight." I said. I watched him closely, dodging his reaction.

He stayed quiet for a moment, his shoulders stiff. It seemed like he was thinking about it.

Just on time, I saw Lucas Rivera coming near us. Black leather jacket, white shirt underneath which gave a glimpse of his tattoos near his neck and black jeans paired with boots, Lucas could set any girl fanning herself. Me too, if the man beside me wasn't just as attractive if not more.

His jaw set in a hard line, he matched Alex's brooding expression. Both of them stared at each other for the longest time and locked eyes. The people around us, just couldn't hide their curious expressions. So much for subtlety.

Despite how everyone interpreted their intense stares as signs of enmity, I could sense it wasn't exactly that. If there was any, I would've sensed something. But, what I sensed here, was a silent conversation. Some kind of an important message. Something, that Alexander never talked about.

Lucas went past us and we just kept walking. My patience levels with Alex were high, but so was my curiosity. I couldn't help asking, "Is there something going on between you two?"

Alex had the audacity to look horrified and say, "Did you just question my sexuality?"

I glared at him. "Oh, come on Alex, you know that's not what I was asking."

"Then, what were you asking?"

"My question was simple, you two look at each other like one of you is going to rip the other's throat out. And when the time comes, you stand with him to rip someone else's throat out. I just wanna ask why this contrasting behavior."

"It's not as gory as you make it to be, I promise." he said, looking ahead.

"That was a metaphor and you still didn't answer me." I stated, a bit frustrated.

He met my eyes and asked me, "What do you want Norah? A lie or blissful ignorance?"

I was too stunned to say anything. This was him telling me that he wasn't prepared to say anything about him. He wasn't prepared to trust me with whatever he was facing.

I felt my eyes sting for a second or two and I looked at the ground. Why couldn't we trust each other, was beyond me. Were we fighting to hold on to something that was slipping away from us?

Alex put an arm around me, perhaps sensing my turbulent thoughts. Shuffling closer to him, feeling his heat, I put my worries aside. "I'm sorry for asking." I whispered.

I felt him kiss my forehead. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Norah."

We reached Vibe, his Harley. "Zip up your jacket, it gets cold." he advised.

I did as he asked. And asked him again, "What about my apology present? "

"The track?" he asked, not looking at me.

"Yes." I replied, getting on the bike.

He revved up the engine and said, "Not tonight. I'm busy with an upcoming project. Some other night, maybe?"

I ignored the stab of disappointment and said, "Sure, how about you completing my pending paper on Semiconductor robotics, then?"

I watched him raise his eyebrows in the side mirror while he asked, "I thought you didn't like physics?"

"No choice. Elective course. The other option was Geography." I hated Geography.

"Good choice, in that case. And deal, I'll do it. Consider yourself blessed to have me." he mocked, laughing his way outside the campus.

I glared at him, although he couldn't see me. "Un huh? What about the countless Political science papers I've covered for you? Do you know how hard is it to gather original ideas for two bloody papers? You ungrateful ass!"

And we simply laughed, not good with words.

***
Hi,

Ah, academic goals.

Also, it's great to have you guys back. Waiting for your comments...

Love,
SA