When they were out and away from the house, their hands were no longer interlocked. They now swayed down at their sides while they walked down the sidewalk. The cold air didn’t hesitate to die down; if anything, it picked up.
“Damn, it’s freezing,” she said.
“Really? I didn’t notice.” Alex smirked. Margo lightly punched his arm while they continued walking. Light conversation came up all about small memories and random thoughts. Margo would burst out in a little giggle at some small things that would just slip through her mind.
“There are still stains on that shirt,” Margo said pointing a finger at him.
“Hey, you started it,” Alex said in defense before they both smile. That one night in August resulted in an all-out war at the Paisley house hold. It was almost one in the morning, and while Margo was wide awake, everyone else slept soundly. After one call without an answer, Margo gave up calling Jonathon hoping that Alex would answer, which he did. She unlocked the back sliding door where Alex tiptoed in with a pizza that they would enjoy on Margo’s kitchen floor using the light from the refrigerator as their main source of light.
Eventually, Alex let his temptations get the best of him. He took a jab shaking some parmesan cheese in Margo’s face wearing nothing but a surprised expression. She laughed swiping a dash of sauce on his nose, but it only started tossed of pepper flakes, sprinkles of cheeses, and ambushed of crumbs. “Look what you started,” she whispered standing up to brush herself off. “You continued it,” Alex replied removing a piece of pepperoni from his hair. He removed his phone from his pocket slipping one of the ear buds into his ears. “May I have this dance Princess Pizza,” Alex bowed holding out his hand in a dramatic matter. “It’d be an honor, Prince Pizza,” Margo replied just as theatrical. He handed her the other ear bud as they danced around with the spotlight from the fridge. Margo dashing around in her checkered pajama pants and one of Jonathon’s t-shirts; Alex gallantly skipping in old jeans and a flannel. It was probably one of his favorite memories with Margo. The one night where it was just them being stupid, fearless teenagers—even if it was as simple as talking in hushed tones and dancing to the music from Alex’s phone in pajamas.
Alex stuck around to help Margo clean up the battle aftermath before sneaking out the sliding glass door and out of her backyard at three in the morning. How he got in and out of the house without his mom and dad still puzzled him. He would have thought that they would have heard the creaks from the hardwood as Alex tiptoed up the stairs or the click from opening and closing the front door, but somehow they didn’t.
The two of them were now sitting in the sand under the boardwalk somewhere on eighth. Alex looked down playing with the sand that drained from his fingers when picking it up. They were having a few moments of silence for no particular reason. But he—and she—enjoyed the silence.
“Hey, Alex?” Margo piped up.
“Yep?” he said.
She turned to him and sneered. “I got an English paper due on Monday.” She dropped her head back before falling back to lay in the sand.
“I think you may be screwed,” Alex concluded.
She snickered knowing that he was right, “I have to read and write a book critique about Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Reading the book I did. Wasn’t too hard when I work at the library. Writing it was the part I have been lacking.”
“Have fun doing that tomorrow night,” Alex leaned back on his side so he was lying down in the sand next to her. She opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped feeling her phone vibrate from her pocket. She murmured something before answering it with a hesitant hello.
Margo bit her lip before mouthing to Alex “I’ll be right back”. He sighed falling on his back. He knew it was Jonathon. He honestly had no reason to hate Jonathon, and he didn’t. He just hated what he did to her, so his feeling toward him wasn’t too good at the moment. He just lay there before turning to look at Margo who seemed calm listening to Jonathon explain what happened.
Alex finished his drink from the party, but the cup remained in his hand. He forgot he had it until not taking the last sips. He could really use another. He sat up brushing the sand off his shirt and out of his hair. Margo was still on the phone with a plain expression. Every now and then there would be a flash of a smile or puff of laughter. Her hair tossed up in a messy ponytail that was tangled from the sandy gusts of wind.
Thinking about things with Margo and Jonathon only made Alex think about things with his last girlfriend. What he and Emily had seemed to be a pretty average relationship that consisted of cute little dates and surprises with hand holding and tight hugs. As things continued, he and Emily just didn’t feel right with things anymore with their little infatuation ending. They left on decent terms wanting different things after a three month relationship that slipped away just before he had met Margo.
It didn’t take long for Margo to come back over and plant herself down next to Alex. He gave her the how-did-it-go look only assuming it went well from the look on her face. “He confessed that me made an asshole move, and he said he was sorry. He didn’t know that I ‘felt tied down’ not being able to hang out with you guys, but we worked it out. To say the least, he’s a bit more understanding.”
“Well, that’s good,” Alex replied putting on his best enthusiasm.
“I know you’re not the biggest fan of him, but he’s not a bad guy.” Margo shook her head, “I care about him—a lot, but sometimes…I don’t know.”
Sometimes things that you don’t mean to say slip out. This was a perfect example of one of those moments. Alex swore to himself after saying it hoping she didn’t notice. “Do you love him?” he would ask. It didn’t seem to catch Margo off guard but rather rub her lips together.
“I don’t know. I want to say yes, but I don’t know what love feels like or what it is. Is it bad that I’m questioning it?”
“It’s fine, Margs. You’re seventeen; you don’t have to know. But I’m sure when it comes, you’ll just know when you are.” Alex said ending almost on a whisper. He seemed to be having a lot of these deep conversations lately about “feelings” which only made him want to sort his out. He was seventeen. What’s the rush?
“Let’s go in the water,” Margo winked changing the subject not bothering to wipe the sand off of herself when she got up. Alex just looked at her, but with another beg from her, he got up with her pulling on his hand to the coast. She dropped off Alex’s coat and left it a few feet away from the current. Her toothy grin was anxious knowing exactly what she was doing.
“Shit, here goes nothing,” she said slipping off her black Vans and cardigan. She remained in her black leggings and tank top as she jumped around. “Fuck that’s cold,” she squealed when dipping her feet in it.
“There’s no fucking way,” Alex said when Margo turned to him motioning in toward her. “You’re barely a foot in and your lips are fucking purple,” he had grin on his face knowing that he wasn’t going to win this one.
“One time,” she begged, “We’ll run in and then out real quick.”
“Dammit, Paisley, you owe me,” he snickered slipping off his shoes and flannel shirt. On the count of three, Margo was first to run in, but Alex was barely a half a step behind her. He swore and she screamed at the temperatures of the water. It was fucking cold. Altogether it was a seven second process that consisted mostly of splashes, screaming, and cursing. He wouldn’t be surprised if his whole lower half would be cut off, and that wasn’t something he was okay with.
“What the fuck did you make me do?” Alex shuttered putting on the little clothing that he took off. They were both shaking with teeth chattering and goose bumps on their skins. One thing worse than getting out of cold water was getting out of cold water and into wind bustling air.
Margo just laughed. They tried their best to share the oversized jacket that Alex had wrapping it around each other while they huddled together. “What now?” she breathed out into his shoulder.
“There’s only one thing to do at a time like this,” he replied. They walked barely warming up at all until he led them to the McDonalds that he met Bristol just that morning. It was like they were able to relax every muscle in their body from the warmth. The almost forever ten minute walk goes to show how worth it it was.
They slid in the first booth that they saw rubbing their hands together. They’ve never been so grateful for the existence of a McDonalds.
Alex went and got two number fives for the two of them, and they sat in the booth taking bites of their cheeseburgers and picking at their fries. It was quiet for a little bit with little pop ups of giggles or small talk. The silence wasn’t bad though; it was comfortable. They were both on their phones at the moment. Alex scrolled through his Twitter before looking at a text from Rian.
From: Rian Dawson
We’re you two run off to? We’re back at the tents.
To: Rian Dawson
Went for a quick swim and headed to McDonalds. We’ll be back soon. How was the party?
From: Rian Dawson
Not bad. Not bad at all. I started talking to that Bristol girl, and she seems pretty into you. Whats up with her?(;
To: Rian Dawson
Glad the party was good, see yah when we get back(;
He replied ignoring the topic of Bristol. He didn’t want to get into details of her when he wasn’t so sure of what those details were anyway. Alex didn’t realize that his face was red until Margo spoke up about it. He wasn’t sure what part made him blush. But then he saw that the only part that could have made him tinted was the part about Bristol. It definitely wasn’t about them being back at the tents.
“What’s up with you?” Margo asked. Alex just told her that everyone was back at the tents, but that didn’t explain why he was blushing. He didn’t even know he could blush.
She nodded her head finishing her burger and crumbling the wrapper. She looked up at Alex with a suspicious smirk. When he asked what got her grinning, she simply replied with “nothing”. “Oh, c’mon what is it?” he continued tapping the table.
“Nothing,” she said one last time before laughing. “Getting tired. We should head back.” She turned tossing the things in the trashcan which was right behind their booth. This was one of those moments Alex didn’t know what Margo was thinking. The way she was looking at him with a small grin and blinking of her eyes was something he couldn’t read. All he knew was it was getting her curious, but she didn’t want to bring it up.
“C’mon, loser,” he sighed helping her up. She rolled her eyes at him as they left. The small conversation that he had with Rian remained in his head. She seemed pretty into you. Whats up with her? He honestly couldn’t tell you. Another good question was what did he want to happen with Bristol. She was pretty, sweet, bubbly, pretty free spirit, and that was just one day of knowing her. He wanted to know more about her that was for sure. Maybe he would take her up on that breakfast date in the morning if she was feeling okay from the effects of tonight. The fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about her was a pretty good indication that maybe things could work out well with Bristol.
They made it back with a quiet walk. Alex was tired, but everyone else still seemed very much alive from the party. They set everything back up and were now sitting outside trying to hold conversations about who knows what. Their personalities were interestingly all over the place when they were tipsy. Cassadee just seemed calm and giggly, and Jack had a big grin showing his enthusiasm for everything that was occurring. Rian and Zack were taking heavy breaths bringing up little things that were bouncing around in their mind eventually complaining about those things.
“Alex! Margo!” Jack cheered coming over and embracing them both in a hug.
“Awh, how are you, Jacky?” Margo asked giggling at their intoxicated friend.
“Fabulous,” he replied, “absolutely fucking fabulous.”
“Hey, your Bristol wants you to call her tomorrow,” Rian piped up. Your. Why was that the thing that caused a sudden stoppage of his breath and pick up of heartbeats? Your Bristol. Dammit. There was that weird feeling again. He just met her this morning, and she played on loop in his mind.
At that moment, Alex gave in. He gave in to this feeling admitting to himself that he may and could like this girl. Maybe taking her out tomorrow would clear things up. Or it could very well complicate his mind more, but he wanted to see her. It was weird. He thought about his feelings for Margo and then his current ones for Bristol. They seemed completely different. The only thing was he couldn’t decipher what each of those feelings meant which only made it that much harder for him.

Notes

Sorry if this part is bad :\ I wasn't too sure where I was going with part, but I tried to improvise aha please comment, subscribe and vote!!

-Gii xoxx