Chapter Three: Unsaid Feelings

Alex Grey arrived at sharp five thirty today, casually waiting on the third floor hallway, looking out for someone. 

His school uniform suit him well, even with the indifferent visage of his. This young lad was charming enough to lure every lass in the school, even the girls in the senior high department were crushing on him. But who would not simp for Alex Grey, the ideal boy in town. 

But as though luck had turned its back on them, Alex didn't even spared them a glance. And the other burden was that he was anti-social, and indifferent. The girls could never in a million years have a relationship with him, even if it's of friends. 

But one time in the afternoon, during the intramurals on the second grading period, around his seventh grade year, the consistent second student in the class, Alice Hamilton, had fell in a feverish state and insisted to rest in their class room. 

He and their adviser, Lukas, went to the room to get the balls for volleyball, and the net, in the classroom. Yet upon entering the room, they'd witnessed Alice shivering in her slumber, her forehead sweating. Alex immediately known something was off. Their adviser Lukas thought of accompanying her in the clinic but he was hesitant. Alex looked at his teacher indifferently and his face immediately turned into a scowl as his thoughts wondered off. He knew their adviser was a good man but Alex was dubious; to think that a middle age man and lady were in a room together, Alex couldn't bore the thought. 

Before Lukas could suggest anything, Alex presented to accompany Alice, and relieved by the suggestion, Lukas didn't found any trouble with the idea.

When Alex woke Alice, Alice was in a hazy state. Her vision couldn't even fell to focus. When Alex coaxed her to stood up, she nearly fell, luckily, Alex caught her. Without a choice, Alex carried her to the clinic. Alice had a high fever back then that she did not even remembered she'd been carried by Alex to the clinic. 

Alex hadn't found anyone in the clinic. The assigned nurses were in the field, attending the fractured bones of the players. He laid her on the first bed in the room and fumbled the drawers in search for a medicine. When he had found one, he fetch a glass of water and placed it in the bedside table of Alice's bed. 

But then Alex immediately remembered it wasn't good to consume medicine without eating food beforehand. He had a burger bought at McDonald's which had been bitten once. Alex didn't found anything wrong with it and give it to Alice, explaining why she should take the burger before drinking a medicine. 

When Alice had eaten it without any proper thoughts in her head, Alex had then gave her a medicine and Alice then fell asleep once again. She was still shivering and Alex grabbed a quilt to keep her warm. He stayed there at the clinic watching over Alice, missing the entire intramurals. But Alex didn't seemed to mind. He wasn't gonna participate anway.

When he had spent most of his afternoon looking at his classmate, he had found Alice cute. Up close, she was actually pretty. Alex didn't payed her much attention during the times she would make fun of him cause it was really annoying. But she had always caught his attention.  He was intrigued by her high spirits and perky attitude, the things he didn't have. Every time at class hours, his eyes were locked on her person as he sat there, listening to the discussions.

Alex didn't seemed to noticed it at first but his lips were curved into a thin smile. He hardly smile during this cold lifetime of his. By the time he knew he was smiling, footsteps resounded on the hallway with the nurses laughter, and hearing this, Alex immediately fled. 

Alex was lost for a moment till a blue headed girl leapt out in his sight, coming towards the stairs, with her senior cousin, Anne Hamilton. Alex just stared at Alice as she talked with her cousin. 

Rival Alice had very keen senses, once she had set a foot on the campus, she immediately spotted her crush leaning against the railings in the hallway.

A sound of hurried footsteps also came to Alex's ears, and when he turned around, he caught a sight of a guy done in black jeans topped with a navy blue sweater complementing his fair figure. 

The guy was his cousin, transferring for the second semester in their school. He was standing in the stairway that led towards the third floor, heads down, occupied on his phone.

Alex noticed his phone buzzed, he quickly took it out from his pocket and read the message hanging in his notifications. "Where are you?" his cousin asked.

Instead of sending a reply, Alex closed his phone and strolled down the hallway, heading down to see his brother.

The transferee was too preoccupied on his phone, anxiously waiting for his cousin to reply, that every seconds seemed to slowed down. He noticed that there were incoming footsteps from downstairs, and two ladies were climbing the staircase, chatting.

He didn't paid them any mind and continued to send messages to Alex. His phone was swaying in his palms as he leaned back against the wall uncomfortably. Alice was too engrossed on chatting with Anne about the bastard Alex, that she didn't noticed the transferee's leg sprawled across the staircase. 

By the time she knew, she was already too late to react, as she fell, she let out a deafening scream. Luckily, the transferee's reflexes were fast and had caught her. But the two had been caught in an awkward position.

Anne had turned deaf ears to Alice back then before they had arrived in the campus. She was too occupied on her phone that she didn't noticed Alice had nearly fell. 

Hearing the scream, Anne had been instantly alarmed. Seeing Alice and the guy's uncomfortable position, her danger instincts arise, her hand grabbed her cousin in a swift, pulling her aside. After that, her fist quickly formed into a fist, a full powered punch was making its way towards the boy.

The guy had react just in time, blocking the attack.

"It's not what you think it is!" Alice cried out. Anne stopped in her steps, and turned to her cousin.

But Alice was looking at her classmate that had just arrived. Seeing his sousin and Alice in that position awhile ago, Alex's face had formed a scowl. That girl was always looking for trouble, thankfully his cousin had caught her, if it weren't for him, her pride won't take it, falling in front of Alex 'the bastard'. 

Alex was a bit gloomy but his face was still in a scowl. He didn't knew why she'd hated him, and as he was thinking about it, her hate would probably be the end of him.

Quite bewildered, Anne immediately retreated her fist and took a step back. The transferee's face twitched a little, his arm aching from blocking the attack.

'That woman is a thug,' he thought to himself and shouldered his bag that he had placed on the floor awhile ago. When he looked up, he finally found Alex. 

"Oi, bro!" Alex greeted perfunctorily, his frown was evident.

His cousin shrugged to himself, and gave a little nod towards the girls without bothering to make an eye contact with the two of them. 

Alex went to his feet, and the two boys went down the staircase side by side, talking indifferently.

Anne saw Alice's face had turned ashen as they headed on their room, since Class 10A was just a room away from the twelfth grade. She patted her head, and told her to not take it to heart as she pushed her on the doorway. Surprised, Alice nearly tripped and faced Anne with a nod.