Finding Love

11

Stop asking me if

I’m a cat or a dog

Person.

I’d pet a crocodile

If it wouldn’t bite me.

We are a day later. It's 6 o'clock in the evening and I walk downstairs with a grunting stomach. Thinking back at yesterday, I can't suppress a smile. After my explanation, Owen was so happy, that he jumped out of the water and jumped back in with me in his arms. Laughing, I surfaced when Rayen grabbed me, 'This one is special' he tells the boys as he continues talking, 'And from now on part of our group' and closes his sentence with a wink at me, which gives him angry looks from three of the other boys and an eye roll from me.

Arriving in the kitchen, I see that no one is there, strange, normally we would almost eat by now. I hear footsteps entering the kitchen and when I turn around, I see Alex opening the fridge. Nervous, I doubt if I would ask where everyone is, or not. Yesterday he didn't seem very happy with Rayen's announcement. While I'm fighting a battle inside, I hear Alex asking me something.

"What?" I'm asking with red cheeks. ‘I said: I know you want to ask something, so ask me," Alex repeats. I raise an eyebrow in amazement, how does he know I wanted to ask something? 'Are you going to ask me?' he asks impatiently while looking down on me 'Erm yes, I was wondering if you knew where everyone was' I ask him, 'Everyone is after my aunt' he says bored. I nod a few times without knowing how to ask the next question, but apparently, my belly knows.

A loud sound leaves my belly, it sounded like a whale with a headache, and I immediately feel myself turning red. I see Alex's corners of his mouth come up a bit as if he wants to smile. "I'll order pizza, which one do you want?" he asked, when he clicks in a number, "4 cheeses," I say. It's my favorite, just like Justin's.

Half an hour later, we're sitting in front of the TV together, eating our pizzas. We had decided to watch Jurassic Park. After ten minutes our pizza is finished and there is already a cup of popcorn between us. I just want to grab a popcorn when my hand keeps hovering in the air, on the spot where the popcorn should be. I look at my hand and see that I really don't feel or see any popcorn. I look around, looking for the popcorn when my gaze lingers on a grinning Alex, an Alex who just sticks a popcorn in his mouth.

‘Can I have some popcorn?' I politely ask Alex, what he's answering to with a popcorn he's putting in his mouth. I decide to just go to him to take a hand of popcorn, but Alex keeps the cup out of my reach. I look at him with my eyes slightly closed, as I shoot forward. But of course, Alex, who's a footballer, is faster. Walking behind Alex around the seat, I try to grab the popcorn. A roaring laugh leaves his lips when he's about to slip out. I feel itchy in my stomach when Alex smiles and looks at me with twinkling eyes. His smile is so contagious that I have to laugh too.

We each come to a halt on either side of the seat. "Alex, can I have the popcorn?" I say like a little kid I am.  I feel something touching my forehead and when I look confused at the ground, I see a lonely popcorn lying there. I look up, just in time, as I see a popcorn flying at me in the corner of my eye. Quickly, I open my mouth and catch the popcorn, just like Coll taught me. I see Alex looking surprised and with a smile, I stick out my tongue to him.

His eyes begin to sparkle even more at this and a smirk gives way to his face. "Popcorn?" he asks me when he takes a step forward. Afraid, I take a step back. I just want to take another step, when I trip my foot over a Lizz teddy bear. Screaming, I prepare myself for the fall, which will never come. I open my eyes and look straight into Alex's. Hypnotized by his eyes, I didn't realize he had turned us.

Suddenly, I am flying into the air and end up on the couch with an "oompf". Alex hangs over me when he starts to tickle. "Hahaha, no, ha, A-Alex, s-stopp" I say laughing. I feel the t*****e stop and open my eyes again. Alex's eyes seem to consist of several twinkling stars as a smile adorns his lips. I set myself straight, not knowing how to act, and together we watch the film further, this time closer together than before.

I feel a yawn leave my mouth when my eyes close. When they are almost completely closed I feel the seat move and my head is quietly placed on someone's shoulder,  the person puts his arm around my waist.

A hand goes gently through my hair when I hear someone whisper something, just before I am completely in the land of dreams, 'Go to sleep popcorn, I'll make sure nothing happens to you'.

The next morning I wake up by a click sound. I feel something holding me tighter when a head is hiding deeper in my neck. This time, I hear a little sound, as if a fangirl has just met her idol. Slowly I open my eyes, to come face to face with a camera. I follow the camera and come face to face with Aiden. Aiden takes another picture, just when I hear something growling behind me. I turn feral when I come face to face with something for the third time, this time with the most beautiful green-brown eyes I have seen. The eyes look at me intensely, which gets me out of my trans.

Frightened, I jump straight and roll out of the sofa. Above me, I hear Aiden laughing as I quickly get up and walk to my room. What just happened? Why did I wake up in Alex's arms? And why did I feel so at ease?

The drive to school consisted of a quiet Alex, not that I said anything, a smiling Aiden looking at me every few minutes while driving the car, and a confused Finn, who arrived a few minutes ago. Arriving at the College, I jump out of the car and quickly walk to Lexi, who I see standing a few meters away.

After three hours of class, I and Alex are don today. We have to stay another hour before the training starts. I put myself down under the big oak tree, as I put my ears in. A shadow blocks out my sun. I look up and see a boy with black hair standing in front of me. I'd be lying if I said it's not a pretty boy.

"Hey" he says in a hoarse voice, "I am Dylan, and who is this beauty?" he asks me. I know guys like that never mean anything good when they come up with a cheesy pickup line, or you get those typical nicknames. Still, I can feel my cheeks turning red when I answer, "L-lily’.

"Lily" he tastes the name, "a beautiful name" he compliments. I nod shyly, not knowing what to say. ‘I know we haven't known each other long, but would you like to go for a coffee?' he asks when he reaches out his hand to me to grab it. Just as I want to answer, I feel somebody pull me up and am pushed behind a person, 'Stay away from her' I hear a familiar voice hissing.

I step past the people when I see Alex looking at Dylan in anger, while Dylan smiles nonchalantly and his gaze turns towards me. ‘Lily,...' he starts saying when I feel someone grabbing me again, just as Alex is waving his fist at Dylan. A scream leaves my mouth. This time, I'm not being pushed behind everyone, I'm being pushed between two people. "You have no right to talk to her." Owen hisses angrily as Jax's eyes spitfire. Aiden and Rayen stand next to Alex when Aiden whispers something in his ear.

Alex's head snaps in my direction when he looks me in the eye, I see his fists slowly relax when he turns to Dylan again. ‘Stay away from her', with these words the boys leave the shade of the tree as I am pulled into their crowd towards the football fields.

I don't realize I'm shaking until Alex, without saying anything, wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer to him. I've never been able to cope with anger, arguments, or fights. Arriving at the field, Alex lets go of me and walks to the dressing rooms. Aiden and Rayen take turns to rub my hair before they follow Alex. Owen gives me a hug as he whispers in my ear that everything is okay and nothing is going to happen to me.

Why were the boys so angry and hostile with Dylan? Why would anything happen to me? Why am I so scared I'm gonna tremble like a little girl, can't I be a tough chic? Why, uh...

I am taken out of my mind by Jax pushing a water bottle in my hands, 'Drink' he says commandingly. In the few days I've known Jax, I've never seen or heard him laugh. He is always serious and I sometimes think that he has a heart of stone, so he doesn't feel any emotion. At least that's what I thought. I feel an arm winding around me when I am pressed against a chest. I look up and see that Jax looks down at me with a little smile when he gives me a kiss on my forehead and disappears, leaving me dazed.