When To Fear The Living

by B. L. Brunnemer

  “Good, because you knocked me on my ass,” I countered. We both chuckled.

  “Grappling Lexie, you need to practice grappling,” She reminded me. I looked at her then leaned in.

  “The guys I train with are hot as hell,” I reminded her.

  "And?" She asked pointedly. I sighed.

  "Rolling around on the floor with a hot guy, you can't hit on," I explained. "That just sounds frustrating." She laughed.

  “Good point,” She said as we reached Dave. Dave was about a head taller than me, his blonde hair and blue eyes were average. There wasn’t much about Dave that stood out, except for his skill in the octagon of course. He was a four-time world champion. His gaze went to Maddie first.

  “Maddie, you need more blocking and hit practice,” Dave began. “You know Lexie’s weaknesses, you need to exploit them.” Maddie nodded. Dave looked at me.

  “Lexie, good job making Maddie chase you but you need grappling practice. Once you hit the mat, it’s over,” Dave told me. I nodded. He was right, I was just going to have to suck it up.

  “You girls are done, get outta here,” Dave announced. We both headed for our lockers. I was halfway done taking off my pads when someone stepped up to the side of my locker.

  “You’re Lexie, right?” He asked. I turned my head to see the guy who had once overheard me talking to the guys about my ‘seizures.' He was a cutie. His sweaty face had an angled jaw and straight nose, his big green hazel eyes were friendly, his brown curly hair was damp from his workout, and he had a sweet smile which he flashed at me.

  “That’s me,” I said.

  “I’m Jordan. I’ve seen you around here for a few months now,” He said as he went to his locker and opened it.

  “I know. You eavesdropped on a conversation with my friends,” I reminded him. He chuckled.

  “I kinda couldn’t help it. You have one of those voices that catch a guy’s attention,” He said as he smirked at me before starting to take off his gear. Wow, he’s going right for the flirt, really?

  “How so?” I asked, wanting to get him to stop flirting with me. He grinned.

  “Your voice has a melody all its own,” He explained. “It’s soothing to the ear.” Damn, that was a good line. I eyed him playfully.

  “Been practicing that line a long?” I asked.

  He chuckled as his cheeks turned pink. “Long enough.” I shook my head and pulled my jacket out of my locker. I spotted Maddie sitting on a bench tying her shoe as she eyed Jordan.

  “Do you want to get some coffee?” Jordan asked drawing my attention back to him. I gave him a smile.

  “I can’t. I have a coffee date already planned,” I said, politely before I pointed over at Maddie. “But she might be interested, her name’s Maddie, and she’s funny as hell.” Jordan turned to look at Maddie. He looked back at me with a grin.

  “Maybe another time,” Jordan said before grabbing his bag and heading to the bathrooms in the back. I rolled my eyes and closed my locker.

  “Hey Red, where’s the fire?” Isaac asked as all of the guys came toward the lockers.

  “I’m shopping today, remember?” I reminded him. “I still have to go Dulcet.”

  Isaac groaned dramatically as he lay down on a bench, the others taunted him.

  “Are you coming to Vegabond tonight?” Ethan asked as he started taking off his wraps.

  “I don’t have the gas to go to Dulcet twice,” I pointed out. Ethan shrugged.

  “Ride with us,” Ethan offered. “I won’t leave you there.” I snorted.

  “So, if a hot girl came up to you and asked you to take her home for a good time, you’d say 'no I have to drive Lexie home?'” Ethan thought about. The guys chuckled.

  “Everyone else is going tonight, so, if that does happen, you’d still have a ride home,” Ethan pointed out.

  “Don’t worry Ally, that has never happened to Ethan before,” Asher announced as he put away his gear. Ethan got a dreamy expression.

  “One day it will,” Ethan sighed. I threw a towel at him and hit him in the face. I shook my head at him then pulled on my jacket and checked to see that I had everything.

  “If you give me a ride, I’ll go,” I agreed.

  “Yay! Red’s coming!” Isaac shouted as he waved his arms. Then his arms dropped. “I need a nap.” I laughed as I walked over to look down at Isaac.

  “What’s wrong, Cookie Monster? Not sleeping?” I asked in a pouty voice. He sighed.

  “Not last night,” Isaac admitted. I bent down and kissed his forehead. When I straightened, he was smiling. “Thanks, Red. That might help.”

  “Anytime. Also, if you need a cuddle, I can come up with an excuse to crash at Miles’ house,” I offered. Isaac’s smile widened.

  “Red, are you offering to sleep with me?” Isaac asked, straight-faced. I laughed.

  “Not anymore,” I countered, still laughing. He made a pained face while the others snickered.

  “I’ll see you guys later,” I said as I headed out. The guys said bye before I went out the door and headed home.

  I was in the shower when I started to think about Ethan and Isaac’s flirting lately. I don’t remember when it started, but it had quickly turned into a little game. The twins would flirt, and I’d shut them down. They seemed to think it was fun and to be honest, it was. I quickly finished my shower. As I walked into my bedroom in my towel, I noticed my computer was on. Odd, I didn’t remember turning it on. Deciding to ignore it, I focused on getting dressed. I was going to be changing a lot today, so I chose my comfiest clothes. I grabbed my blue bootcut jeans, a black cami, and an oversized indigo sweater that sometimes fell off my shoulder. I made sure to wear my new black snowboots, I was not falling in the snow today. I quickly used a hair dryer and threw the mass up into a messy bun. When I picked up my wallet, I paused. I was going to be changing a lot, and I didn’t want to lose everything. I grinned as I pulled out the purse Miles gave me for Christmas from the closet. The black leather bag was cut-like scales to reveal the red silk underneath. I called it my dragon bag. I threw my cellphone in, my wallet, tissues, and even a Lexie Kit. Zeke had made me promise last night that I would take one since I was going shopping with Jake and he had no clue about my abilities. He was right. Ever since the bowling alley, I usually carried one in the pocket of my coat, though this didn’t hurt either. I did my usual makeup and was out the door on time.

  I met Jake in Dulcet at a little corner café he loved. It might have had something to do with the cute boy baristas that worked there, I know I didn’t mind the view. I walked into the almost empty café. Jake instantly got my attention by waving to me from our usual nook. I smiled a big smile and hurried over. Jake got to his feet, his short-styled blonde hair had lighter blonde highlights, his pretty green eyes were smiling as he headed toward me.

  “Hey sweetness!” Jake greeted cheerfully. I hugged him tight.

  “Hey sexy!” I said as he squeezed me back. I felt light and airy around Jake. He was so easy to talk to, and he never judged me for crushing on Asher and Miles. A part of me felt bad about not telling him about my abilities, but I couldn’t. I tried once, yet every instinct I had screamed at me not to. I pulled away, took off my jacket, and sat down in the leather armchair across from him. He sat back down in the other.

  “So, how’s it going with the hotties?” Jake asked immediately, he was grinning like the Cheshire cat. I leaned forward, rested my elbows on my knees, covered my face, and groaned with frustration. Jake started laughing. I dropped my hands while my face was on fire.

  “That good, huh?” He asked. I shook my head not knowing where to start. Thankfully one of the hot waiters came up and asked if I’d like anything, I ordered a large mocha latte. The server sent Jake a flirty smile and went to fill my order, Jake, however, didn’t seem to notice. I raised my eyebrow at him. “So, how was your week?” He asked. Over the next half hour, I gave him the highlights, almost getting hit by a car, fighting with Zeke. I finished with th
e twins chasing me through campus and Isaac throwing me over his shoulder and smacking my butt. He dramatically acted faint and fanned himself after that one. Then he gave me the highlights from this week. Aaron hitting on a lesbian, and her girlfriend yelling at him for it, Derrick had a recital that ended with him getting a standing ovation and Dylan was being a big enough dick that their friend Luke threw a clipboard at him at the store. Luke managed to hit him in the head. I tried not smiling at that one. Thomas managed to score a date with a blonde girl who was just as grumpy as he was, I snickered when I heard that one. During our conversation, the hot barista kept coming over to check on us, though he seemed to only have eyes for Jake. Oddly, Jake didn’t notice. I was about to say something when Jake asked.

  “How was the theater last night?” Jake asked, excitedly. I covered my face and groaned.

  “I almost kissed Miles,” I mumbled through my fingers.

  “Say that again, sweetness?” Jake asked. I dropped my hands and looked him in the eye.

  “I almost kissed Miles last night,” I said clearly. His jaw dropped.

  “You mean my tall, lean, and sexy? Shame on you!” Jake smacked my hand making me laugh.

  “And what do you mean almost?” He asked, leaning in. I sighed.

  “I didn’t expect last night to feel like a date, but it did,” I explained. I went on to tell him every detail about my evening with Miles. Even about how he noticed me looking at his lips. His mouth was gaping by the end.

  “That sounds like a date to me, Lexie,” He said, his voice confident. I shook my head.

  “No, he just wanted me to see that Shakespeare didn’t always end in tragedy,” I reminded him. Jake raised an eyebrow and looked at me doubtfully.

  “Lexie. Dinner. A play. And romantic walk on a tree lined campus at night in the snow,” Jake said slowly and clearly. “What does that sound like to you?” I went still.

  “A cheesy romantic comedy?” I offered sarcastically. He kept waiting. I sighed. “A date,” I said hesitantly. Jake nodded. I shook my head. “If Miles liked me, he had the perfect opportunity to make a move last night, he didn’t even try to hold my hand.”

  “It’s Miles!” He said, enthusiastically. “He’s a shy boy.” I sighed.

  “He doesn’t think of me that way, Jake. I don’t think he ever will,” I told him adamantly, even though it made me sad to. He sighed.

  “Well, what about Asher?” He asked. I shrugged.

  “I don’t know if he even notices I’m a girl anymore,” I said. His eyes narrowed.

  “I bet he does and you just aren’t paying attention,” He countered. I snorted.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “All I know is that I have to ignore these feelings until they go away.” Jake rolled his eyes.

  “Or, you kiss one of them and find out what happens,” He offered.

  “Okay, say I do that,” I offered. “Then he says he doesn’t feel the same about me. How would we get past that and still be friends with him knowing how I feel?” Jakes smile disappeared, and shadows filled his eyes.

  “When you figure it out let me know,” He mumbled as he drank his coffee. I put two and two together.

  “Hold on,” I said, pointing at him. “You like somebody.” It was Jake’s turn to blush and look away.

  “Isn’t that barista hot?” He asked, trying to distract me.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” I declared. “He’s been flirting with you all morning, and you didn’t even notice. You don’t get to try that now.” Jake looked back at me. “Who?” I asked getting excited, his face turned crimson. Oh, this was going to be good. The door to the coffee shop opened but I ignored it and focused on Jake.

  “It’s...” He began painfully.

  “Hey, guys,” A voice surprised us. I looked up to find Derrick, another friend of Dylan’s. I smiled. Derrick was one of Jake and Dylan's grumpy friends, who also happened to be an extremely talented pianist. He wore black from head to toe, his dark hair was spiked and still streaked with purple. He had a nice average face, though with the nose ring, eyebrow stud, and lip ring you wouldn’t notice. “Didn’t expect to see you two here,” Derrick said as he grinned at us.

  “Hey, heard about the recital Mr. Standing Ovation,” I teased. Derrick’s face tinged pink.

  “It was nothing. I screwed up part of the overture and no one noticed,” Derrick grumbled as he took the arm chair next to me.

  “But you did,” I chimed. He snorted.

  “Yeah, it’s been bugging the hell out of me the last three days,” Derrick admitted. “I finally had to play it over and over until I could play it in my sleep.”

  “That’s why you got into Julliard, that drive for perfection,” Jake pointed out.

  “No one can be perfect. I strive to be better than yesterday,” Derrick countered, his cheeks turning pink again. Derrick checked his phone. “And that means more practice,” Derrick grumbled. He looked up at us. “It was good seeing you guys.”

  “Have fun at practice,” I taunted. Derrick snorted as he got to his feet and headed to the counter, I turned back to Jake in time to see him checking out Derrick’s ass. Oh, my God! My mouth was gaping when Jake turned back to me and realized what I saw. He shot me a deadly looked and put his finger in front of his lips. I shut my mouth immediately and watched Derrick walk out the café door. I turned back to a red-faced Jake. “Holy crap!”

  “Shh!” Jake tried shushing me.

  “You like Derrick!” I barely managed to keep my voice at a quiet level. “Since when?” Jake sighed.

  “Since forever. Why do you think I never actually have a boyfriend?” He admitted, painfully. He leaned forward and covered his face with his hands. “He’s just so cute, smart, and talented.” He groaned.

  “Is he...?” I asked. He dropped his hands.

  “Honestly? I don’t think so. He’s had girlfriends in the past.”

  “But so did you,” I pointed out. Jake nodded. “Is he dating anyone now?” I asked.

  “No, not for the last couple months,” Jake said. “He said since he was going to New York after next year he didn’t really want to leave anyone behind.” I frowned at that.

  “We’re Juniors,” I countered. “He’s not going to date anyone for the rest of this year or our Senior year?” That sounded a little odd to me, I wanted to get to the bottom of that. I fought the urge to run after Derrick and grill him. Jake nodded sadly. “Wait, so all this time you knew about Asher and Miles, and you didn’t say a word about Derrick,” I accused him. He grinned at me mischievously. I smacked his leg hard, he just snickered. “You shithead!”

  “Oh, come on, I had to wring the whole Miles and Asher thing out of you!” Jake countered. I chuckled because he was right. I pointed at him threateningly.

  “No more secrets, we’re going to share our mutual misery,” I declared. He chuckled and nodded. My phone vibrated, I pulled it out to check my messages.

  Secret Admirer: Morning, what are your plans for the day?

  I looked up at Jake who was eyeing me.

  “Speaking of secrets,” I began. “I’ve got a secret admirer.” Jake’s jaw dropped, I texted back while Jake was still gaping.

  Alexis: I’m in Dulcet shopping today for a Winter Formal dress. But I’m planning on hitting Vegabond later tonight. You?

  When I was done, I handed the phone over to Jake. He immediately began reading out texts.

  “Who is this guy?” He asked getting excited.

  I shrugged. “No clue.”

  “Are you interested?” He asked practically glowing.

  “No, I’m not interested, and he knows it.” I took back my phone as it vibrated.

  Secret Admirer: University applications, I’m behind. And picking up some electronic parts.

  “Oh, he’s a Senior,” I announced. Jake got up and came over to sit with me in my armchair.

  Alexis: What Universities?

  “How many Seniors do you know?” Jake asked.

  �
��None that I know of, I don’t ask everyone what grade they are in,” I pointed out. He chuckled as my phone vibrated.

  Secret Admirer: Georgia Institute of Technology and John Hopkins. They’re the best schools for biomedical engineering.

  “Wow, he’s a smart one,” Jake announced as he read over my shoulder. “Ask him what his shoe size is.” I burst out laughing. Before I could recover, Jake snagged my phone and started texting. I reached for it and tried to get it back, but it was a no go. He had sent his question by the time I got it back. It vibrated almost immediately.

  Secret Admirer: Whoever this is, give Alexis back her phone, now.

  I quickly explained.

  Alexis: Sorry, that was my friend Jake, he stole my phone. How’d you know that wasn’t me?

  Secret Admirer: You don’t talk that way. I’ve got to go, I’ll text you tonight.

  I looked at Jake and shook my head.

  “You shit. He knew it wasn’t me,” I told him. He rolled his eyes.

  “You’re really not interested in this guy?” Jake asked. I shot him a look.

  “I’m already interested in two. Do I really need to add to that?” I countered. He sighed.

  “Good point,” He grumbled before smacking my leg. “Come on, we have shopping to do.”

  We headed for Jake’s Aunt’s Boutique. I followed Jake to Main Street and found a parking spot down the street from the store. Jake met me at the Blazer, looped his arm around mine, and walked with me down the street. We were across the street when we passed Dylan’s Dad’s store Miller’s Hardware. I sighed and kept walking. Jake lead me into a cute little clothing store filled with racks of clothes.

  “Hey, Aunt Fey!” Jake shouted once we walked in. A woman around my height came from the back of the store. Fey had to be nearing her 60’s. Her hair was spiked and red, as in blood red. She was a round little woman that seemed to glow with warmth. Her green eyes lit up as she spotted Jake.

  “Jakey-poo! Come hug your Auntie!” Fey said in a cloying voice. Jake’s face turned red instantly.

  “Jakey-poo?” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth. He shot me a look.

  “Yes, I am her Jakey-poo,” He stated confidently without a hint of embarrassment, except for his face. “Got a problem with that?” I shook my head as he went to hug his Aunt. When he pulled back, he kept his arm around her. “Fey, this is Lexie. She’s in dire need of a gown that doesn’t make her look like a princess.” Fey smiled a big smile.