However, Alex wasn’t at school the next day. Olivia was going to go by her house that afternoon but decided against it. She picked up her phone to call her later on that night, but just as she was scrolling down to her nickname for Alex in her address book, “Pokies,” she closed her phone. She probably won’t answer tonight either, Olivia thought bitterly.
Olivia had just about given up hope of seeing Alex at school on Friday, too. She had a dentist appointment and didn’t get to school until the middle of 3rd period. She took her French quiz and tried to keep her mind off Alex.
At practice, Olivia was running down the court to make a basket. She was turning around when she saw something, or rather, someone out of the corner of her eye. Looking out the open door, Olivia saw Alex being hoisted up on some girl’s shoulders. Her heart started racing. Holy shit, she thought.
Olivia willed for practice to go by faster. Surprisingly, basketball practice finished before cheerleading practice. Olivia flew to the locker room and showered in record time, then she grabbed her stuff and planned to wait for Alex outside the locker room. Just then, she remembered that she had a makeup quiz for Psych. “Shit!” she swore loudly. She ran up the stairs and down the halls to Mrs. Olivet’s room. Finishing the quiz in less than 10 minutes, Olivia handed it to Mrs. Olivet and ran out the room. She was on her way back to the gym when she suddenly spotted Alex at her locker.
Olivia thought her heart was going to thud right out of her chest. She walked over to Alex and asked, “How are you feeling?”
Alex glared coldly at her. “Go away, Olivia.”
Olivia felt her anger start to rise. “No, Alex! You’ve been ignoring me for three days now! You won’t text or call me back, and I’ve been worried sick about you! You at least owe me an explanation!”
Alex looked at her and growled, “I don’t owe you a damn thing, Liv. You figure it out.”
Olivia’s eyes flashed with anger. She slammed Alex’s locker door shut and stated, “I didn’t cheat on you, Alex.”
Alex stared at her. She felt a wave of relief and happiness flow over her. “You didn’t?”
Olivia saw Alex’s expression softening. With it, some of her own anger started to subside. “No, Alex. I’d never cheat on you. I love you,” Olivia responded, looking deeply into Alex’s blue eyes.
At those words, Alex felt her heart melt. However, she wasn’t ready to give in to Olivia just yet. “But Brian said…”
“I don’t care what Brian said! Neither should you because I slept with him over a year ago! And it’s not like Brian and I were even dating, either. I was at a party, we were both drunk, and we ended up having sex. That’s all it was! The next day at school he told me he wanted to see me again and I told him that night was all I’d wanted from him. He got all pissed and bent out of shape about it, and things have been tense between us ever since,” Olivia explained.
“So it was only a one-night stand?” Alex asked, chewing her lip.
“Yes, Alex,” Olivia responded.
“But you really hurt me, Liv. You made me feel dirty for touching you, and then you didn’t even defend me when he pushed me and called me a dyke. You made it seem like I was molesting you or something and didn’t even tell him I was your girlfriend. I thought you were ashamed of me,” Alex complained, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Olivia reached over and brushed away Alex’s tears. “Baby, don’t cry. Those were never my intentions. And I could never be ashamed of you! I didn’t tell him you were my girlfriend because I didn’t feel like my personal life was any of his business. I’m really sorry, Alex.”
Wrapping her arms around Olivia, Alex said, “And I’m sorry for not trusting you and making you worry. It’s just that I’ve had this happen to me before.”
“Had what happen?” Olivia asked, pulling back from her.
“I was at cheerleading camp during the summer and I started dating this girl from one of the other teams. We would make out and stuff whenever we were alone. I was waiting for her after lunch one day and when I came around the corner, she was making out with one of the guy cheerleaders. I felt so betrayed,” Alex explained, looking down.
Olivia reached up to stroke her face. “Alex, I’m not that girl. I’d never intentionally hurt you. I love you too much. It hurts that you didn’t trust me. If things are going to work out between us, we have to trust each other.”
Alex looked deeply into Olivia’s chocolate orbs. “I love you, too, Liv. I’m sorry for hurting you.”
Olivia leaned in and brushed her lips against Alex’s. Taking Alex by the hand, she nodded her head toward the parking lot and said, “Come on. Let me take you home.”
“Ok, but let me call Serena first and tell her she doesn’t have to wait for me.”
After Alex called Serena, she took Olivia’s hands. “Olivia, if I tell you something, will you promise not to get mad?”
Olivia looked at her with panic in her eyes. “What?”
“You have to promise me you won’t get mad,” Alex insisted.
“Alex, I can’t promise I won’t get mad. But I’ll try my hardest not to. What is it?” Olivia replied, searching Alex’s eyes for some sign of what she was about to tell her.
Looking down, Alex confessed, “I wasn’t really sick.”
Olivia dropped her hands and saw Alex’s eyes flash with fear. “You faked being ill just so you wouldn’t have to see me?” she asked, hurt.
Alex felt a pang in her heart at the hurt in Olivia’s voice. “Well, Tuesday afternoon I did actually throw up when I ran away from you. But I didn’t throw up the next day. Or the next. Even though some part of me believed that you didn’t cheat on me and I kept telling myself that, I wanted to protect myself if you had. I couldn’t face you because I couldn’t bear to hear you confirm my doubts. I’m sorry, Liv.”
Olivia felt a tear roll down her cheek. She was hurt at Alex’s confession but relieved that it wasn’t something more serious. “Alex, I was so worried about you. All I thought about was how I couldn’t bring you chicken noodle soup and hold you in my arms. Promise me you won’t ever do anything like that again. And promise me you’ll trust me. No matter what.”
Alex let out a long sigh of relief and smiled. “I promise, Liv,” she said, hugging Olivia tightly.
Olivia returned the hug. “You don’t have anymore surprises for me, do you?”
Alex smiled slyly. “Well, actually I do. But it’s one you’ll like.”
Smirking, Olivia waggled her eyebrows. “When do I get it?”
“Soon, very soon,” Alex responded. Pulling Olivia by the hand, she said, “Come on, let’s go.”
When they were buckled in, Alex asked, “So are we going back to my house or yours?”
Olivia grinned. “Definitely yours. I want my surprise.”